Hints for a Mommy

This one took a while.

It took a lot of thinking.

You see, when it comes to cleaning, I am not willing to spend a lot of time on my hands and knees.

I try to find quick, easy ways of cleaning things.

Well, I found some...

Tip #1: Buy white everything. 

White towels, white sheets, white pillow cases, white blankets, and white shower curtains.  Why white?  You can bleach them.  I bleach everything that can be bleached.  I love bleach.

Tip #2:  A shower curtain, liner, and the rings at the top (still attached to the shower curtain) can fit in the washer. 

"What?" (I know you just said that in your head)

See the attached picture.

I take my shower curtain and liner off the rod (with the rings still attached) and put it in the washer with a cup of bleach.  No, I don't dry it.  I hang it up (hehe) in the shower to dry!  I do this every few months. 

Tip#3: Wash the shower when you're taking a shower. 

This is what I do:  I spray the entire shower with cleaner about 10 minutes before I want to take a shower.  When I get in, I take a sponge with me and scrub the shower.  Just remember to do this before you actually wash your body.  I do this once a month. 

Tip #4:  Keep a small trashcan in all rooms. 

Keep a few extra Walmart bags in the bottom for when you need to empty it. 

Tip #5: Clean one thing a night (on weekdays). 

I, like most mothers, do not have the luxury of paying someone to clean my house.  So, during the week, only worry about one thing each night.  For example, last night I dusted the living room.  That was it.  Tonight I will clean the coffee pot.  Tomorrow I am washing the shower (when I shower).  On the weekends, clean your ass off.

Tip #6:  Put a glass with one cup of CLR in the dishwasher once a week. 

Only have that glass in the load.  This will prevent nasty buildup (especially if you live in El Ghetto and have orange tap water). 

Tip #7:  Once a week (I do this on the weekends) fill the bathtub with bleach water (include a little dish soap), and throw everything in it that you can. 

I put baby toys, baby bathtub, bath toys, razors, potty chairs, trashcan lids, toothbrush holders, etc. in there.  Get rid of all those germs.

Tip #8:  Have your husband's side of the bed be the side that's away from your bedroom door. 

That way, when we have visitors, they can't see his disgusting mess that I refuse to clean up.

Tip #9: Keep a bowl full of pacifiers available.

Wash the used pacifiers once a week (or when necessary) in the dishwasher.

Tip #10: Get your kids involved.

Diesel has 5 chores that he does everyday.

Everyday that he does them, he gets paid $1.

You might think that's a lot for a three year old, bu this is what we do:

Every Sunday, he gives $1 to church.

That leaves him with $6 a week.

Once a month he goes to a gas station and picks out one candy.
He pays for the candy with his money he made that month (around $24).
He learns about spending money that he earns.
Then we go straight to the bank.
He deposits the rest of them money (around $22) into his college account.
He watches the bank teller take the money.
At the bank, they give him a sucker.
He's as happy as can be.
He talks all the time about saving his money for college.

Yes, a three-year-old.

And, you know what?  I don't mind giving him $1 every day.

By the way, I change it up.

Give him a one dollar bill one day, four quarters the next, 10 dimes the next... that way he learns about different types of money.

Diesel even has his own spray bottle.

I put a little bit of vinegar in the bottle.

I fill the rest up with water.

He has a blast cleaning on his own.  And he thinks of things to clean that I've never thought of.

Tip #11:  Organize all your chores on a calendar. 

 See mine below. 

 

When I get a chore done, I write it down on the next day that it needs to be done on.  For example, when I get done washing the floor, I cross it off and write it down for 7 days later.  Here's my list of what I do and how often I do it:

Once A Week

Disinfect and clean bathroom

Wash and disinfect sink

Wash and disinfect counter

CLR the dishwasher

Wash coffee pot and coffee maker

Sweep/mop (I wish this could be done on 2 seperate days, but it cannot)

Change Scentsy wax

Done Once Every 2 Weeks

Wash throw blankets

Wash Mommy and Daddy sheets

Wash kids' sheets

Dusting living room

Dust dining room

Water plants

Wax my face (yep, sure do)

Done Once a Month

Wash large blanket on bed

Fertilize potted plants

Wash rugs

Trim my arm, eyebrow, and nose hairs (yep, sure do)

Change air filter

Change contacs

Use ceramic cleaner on oven top

Dust bedrooms

Wash and disinfect the shower

Done Once Every 3 Months

Add toilet tab to back of toilet

Change razor

Get haircut

Wash outside of car

Wash inside of car

Wash carseats

Vacuum car

Wash shower curtain




You may think I'm strange, but it works for me!

 

The Report Card

I know I'm a good teacher.

I always knew I'd be a good teacher.

I've wanted to be a teacher since kindergarten.

Although I also wanted to be an entomologist (bug scientist) and an FBI agent, being a teacher was always number one.

Although I've been a great teacher from day 1, I became an even better teacher when I became a mother.

You do things differently after you become a mother.

You not only think about the teacher side of things, you think about the parent side as well.

What would I do?  How would I think if I were this child's parent?

Now I approach things differently when I call a parent (which I had to do yesterday) or write a parent letter.  I think differently about my response when a parent writes me a letter. 

I guess you could say, I put myself in their shoes.

This not only applies with my students but also with my children. 

I now think differently when a preschool teacher comes to me with concerns for my child.  Sometimes, and I probably shouldn't do this, I even think, "They don't have children, so I don't think they fully understand what they're talking about."

And then I get my 3-year-old's report card:

I couldn't read it as soon as I got it.

I admit, I was very nervous.

I slipped it in my large teacher bag and waited until I got home.

I sat down in my big recliner and looked over it very closely.

You see, I know my child is very bright.  I expected outstanding scores in everything (except maybe behavior). 

Well, I was in for a surprise.

I was disappointed.

Obviously his teachers don't think he's as smart as I do.

I know my child has excellent fine motor skills.

My 3 year old can count to 20.

He knows all his shapes and colors.

Any of my family members can back me up on this one.

I was hurt.

After a few moments of disappointment, I realized:

How many of my students' parents feel the same way when they get the report card that I write?

In fact, a couple weeks ago I received a note from a parent.  This was before I received Diesel's report card.  The note was a concern from a parent.  Their child was behind in math.  They were only on the -2 test (when they should've been on the -9).  The parent said they pass the practice tests at home, but they are obviously not passing them at school. 

The parent thought I should move the child up a level since they could do it at home.

I thought about this for a while.  I still think about my decision and whether it was the right one.

What did I do?

Well, I bumped them up a level.

Why?

Not because I agreed with the parent (which the parent probably thought I did).

I did it for the sake of argument.  It was not worth arguing with the parent.  It's her child.  If she wanted him bumped up, it was her choice. 

Did he pass the next math test?

No.

Has she wrote another letter?

No.

But now I see where she's coming from.  When I received her letter a couple weeks ago (again, I have to emphasize, before I got Diesel's report card), I thought, "Who does she think she is?  Telling me how to run my classroom.  She must be lying.  Her child is not able to pass the test." 

I admit, I could be wrong.

Maybe her child really knew his -2s.

Maybe I made the right decision (for the wrong reason) in bumping him up a level.

I need to remember to think like a parent... and a teacher at the same time.

This was my favorite page:

I could take this a bunch of different ways.

I'm going to take it as good.

Blank is good.

However, I really would've appreciated a nice comment about my Diesel.  Just so I could scrapbook it.

I'm going to remember this as a teacher.

I've never written comments on a report card.

From now on, I will write comments.

A good one.

No matter how rotten the child is.

Yes, that's a picture of my son's excellent fine motor skills.  He's threading beads on a needle. 

I just had to prove it.

The Washing Maching that will be Passed Down for Generations

Every time my washing machine or dryer breaks, I can't help but get a little

excited.

My washing machine and dryer are AT LEAST 13 years old.  They were passed down to me from my mother.  And although I love my mother very, very much, I do not want to pass them down to my daughter (if I ever have a daughter).

I want a new set.

I know we can't afford a new set, but when they break for good, we won't have a choice but to buy new ones.

Well, my washer broke about a month ago.  I excitedly told David it was broken. 

He, the man who thinks he can fix everything, tipped the washing machine on its side. 

He took out hundreds of pieces. 

He found the broken ones.

He looked online.

He found the pieces for sale (yes, even though the machine is over 13 years old).

He bought them.

He rushed shipped them.

They came in the mail 3 days later.

He (and Diesel) fixed the washing machine.

When he was done, he smiled and said, "We're going to have this washer and dryer forever."



Panties in a Wad

Oh, Diesel Dan.

He never wears pants.

As soon as he gets home from daycare,

he takes them off.

He is always running around in underwear and a shirt.

Always.

Even when it's 10* out like today.

But that's not the best part.

The best part is how he wears his underwear.

Diesel has a habit of putting on a new pair of underwear every time he goes to the bathroom.

No, he doesn't pee in them. 

I don't know why he does this.

He can never tell me why.

However, when he puts on new underwear, he ALWAYS puts them on backwards and inside out. 

ALWAYS.

Why?

He never tells me.

Surely he can't like the wedgie feeling.

Surely.

Yes, we put on his underwear before he goes to school, so he doesn't look too silly.

Hopefully he quits this habit before he gets a girlfriend.