Skip to main content

Sixty Second Snuggle

Image
By
Just a couple of snuggle bugs


Linc climbing in Warner's bed

I’ve had great dreams of bring a “yes” mom. A fun mom. A get on the floor and play Legos with me for hours mom. I imagine my kids always getting along and being happy and never complaining about what is for dinner.

Unfortunately, that isn’t my reality. I have become a “no” mom. I say no more than any other word daily. No, don’t climb on top of the refrigerator. No, don’t draw on your face with Sharpie. No, you cannot have pizza for dinner… again. Some of my no’s come from looking out for my children. I am responsible for keeping my kids safe and out of harms way and sometimes saying no is ok and has to happen.

I also say no when I don’t feel like I have the energy or desire to do something. No, I don’t want to let you paint and then have to spend more time setting and cleaning up than you are actually painting. No, you cannot ride your bike with your friends for just five more minutes, it’s almost dinner time. No, Mommy doesn’t want to play swing me around… again. Other times saying no makes me miss special moments with my boys. They are growing faster than I ever thought possible and by saying no to everything could cause me to miss out on some of the most important mini moments in their lives.

I have been trying to work on saying yes more often these days. I don’t automatically say no when asked to read another chapter or if I want help with dinner. I still have my to do list to take care of, but I also have a relationship with my boys to nurture so we invented the “Sixty Second Snuggle.”  My middle boy always wants me to lay down with him while he tries to fall asleep. I always just want him to fall asleep so I can go work on something else. As a sort of compromise I will cuddle with him in bed for a full minute giving him my full and complete undivided attention. We can talk or just lay there but it gives him the reassurance that I will always be there for him, but there is a short time limit that he knows is coming

There are many more ways I can plunge into saying yes more often and I know I can make it happen. Saying yes has actually given me more time and allowed me to be happier with myself and my boys. 

Comments

  1. Cheryl KnightOctober 14, 2012 at 10:46 PM

    Shannon, You are an awesome mommy--the 60 second snuggle idea is great. Some day, your children will rise up and call you blessed!
    Love you
    Momma

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Overnight Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls

By
I've been tweaking this overnight sourdough cinnamon roll recipe over the last few months and I think it's finally, exactly, the way I like it. We love this for slow weekend mornings, to take to family and friends, or for special holiday get togethers. It's also the same recipe I use when making them to sell locally. I've been keeping it under wraps for no reason in particular but it's just too good not to share.  I don't have a reliable kitchen scale so this recipe uses good old fashion cups and goes a lot by the feeling of the dough. It will get messy but don't be discouraged if it doesn't turn out just right the first time. No matter the flop, these cinnamon rolls will never disappoint taste wise.  The PDF printable can be found here or you can keep reading.  Overnight Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls  The night before you want to make rolls: 8 Tablespoons cold butter, shredded (a whole stick) 2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose or bread flour  1/2 cup sourdou...
Post a Comment
Read more

Belated Christmas Pics

By
Because I didn't download any pictures for a while, and then it was after Christmas and things got wild for a while I kind of skipped over the actual holiday so several weeks late, here is how we spent our Christmas. I didn't get any pictures when we were over at Shane's family's house but we spent lots of time over there too.  All four kids in one picture together! Warner kind of blends into the tree skirt but his little baldish head stands out. Luckily the matching pajamas I bought for the boys last year still fit too.  Head lamps for spying on Santa. Opening presents was a daunting task for Lincoln. I think this was when he realized asking only for a "princess and a peanut butter and jelly sandwich" wasn't the best of ideas. Don't worry he got plenty spoiled. The messy aftermath. Lincoln playing in his new tiny little kitchen. My brother and dad at our house. My mom and brother decorating a giant gingerbread...
2 comments
Read more

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner

By
We love chicken in our house because it is yummy, very versatile and somewhat affordable. It is also Shane's meat of choice for his "tone and sculpt" plan. (ok so I just love how special he is and really I am not making fun of him)  I generally try to find boneless, skinless chicken for less than $2 a pound. These days it is getting increasingly difficult, even looking into Zycon or Costco so when I found some for $2.30/lb I got all the had... two packages. I frozen one because Shane will BBQ that for lunches on the weekend. With the other package, which I think was about 3.5 pounds or 5/6 breasts, I was able to look on the monthly menu plan and figure out what chicken type dinners I had coming up and chop from there. Since the breasts are usually very thick I slice them in half, like a top and bottom part. Then I either chopped up into bite sized pieces or froze whole. For less than $9 in chicken I made four meals that will serve at least two adults and two children. ...
9 comments
Read more