Odds and Ends from an overly tired Mom

I know tomorrow morning at 7 I will wish I had gone to bed earlier. I just don't feel like it. So there!! Maybe it's my inner self being stubborn, and selfish. After doing things all day for others and letting them do what they'd like to do (if it is legal and moral) ie, watch whatever square and yellow cartoon character they want. I like to do things once in a while that I don't usually get to do. Like stay up after midnight and watch crime t.v. I even sneak into the pantry and snitch a snack (okay, it was cashews and they were salted so sue me, atleast I left the choc. chip cookies alone).

Greg and I decided it would be a good thing to make a menu up for family meals. It would help with grocery bills, buying only the things we need for the week (or 2 weeks) meals that I have planned out. Then sticking to the menu, eating what is on it and not ordering out when we don't know what to fix at home.

It was a relief the last two days. I've posted the menu (on my new pantry door chalkboard) everyday ([read] Lauryn gets to read it and start her complaining first thing in the morning instead of right before meals) and the family (ie Lauryn knows what we are going to be eating that day, and gear up for it appropriately ([read] Lauryn gets to start begging for "something else" first thing in the morning instead of right before meals)) (Okay, so sue me for being a parentheses freak).

Actually, it's been fine. She knows the rule is this is what's on the table, this is what you try and this is what you can POLITELY say No thank you to. She actually tried a bite of tomato soup today! A BITE, not just a lick. Liyah tried it today too, she was happier with her grilled cheese sandwich (Lauryn doesn't like those either).

I was happy that I got to grill all four of our sandwiches at once on my new cast iron grill/griddle for the stove top. $15.00 at Aldi's!! I'm not too proud to say, I'm an Aldi's whore. I would LOVE, LOVE, LOOOOVE it if they put a store in Big Rapids or Mt. Pleasant so I didn't have to go all the way to GR to get a good price on good food!!! C'mon I shopped at Aldi's when I was a poor college kid, they are both college towns.....

Anyhow, Lauryn tried new foods today. She didn't ask for more than a bite (okay, she didn't technically ask for that either) but it wasn't a battle to see who would win!! To top it all off we have a new currency in our house, and it's better than money!!

Lauryn and Liyah being the TV freaks that they are, see waaay too many commercials for things. Thus, the begging "Oh, can we get that?" "I want that!" you know how it is ( and you need therapy if you are denying that cold hard truth of that (or else your kid hasn't started talking yet)). Well, the mommy and daddy in this house got very tired of toys and books and kids stuff not being taken care of ([read]Mommy got tired) and got rid of a lot and said no more. You buy what you want, or wait for gifts. So getting back to the story.... commercial, begging, no, you buy..... Lauryn and Liyah have been begging for Bendaroos (these crazy little pieces of colored string covered in moldable wax) for almost a year now. Daddy finally caved in and bought some, mommy wasn't happy but that is a whole different blog. So now we have leverage. Each chore around the house is equal to a certain amount of Bendaroos (mostly 3). The girls (especially Lauryn) have been quite amenable to working around the house today. I think she earned over 28 Bendaroos today (and mommy didn't have to do the dishes once!!)

So don't let people poo-poo you when you finally give in and start bribing your children to get them to do things!!! It's a wonderful thing. I'd nearly call it BLISS!

NOTE: 10 days and counting to the big 4-0! Hooray