Diary of a Confused Mom: May 26th 2015

T came down this morning and plopped onto the couch grumbling about having to go to school. When we informed him school had been cancelled due to flooding, he bounced up, woke his older brother and they both haven't stopped buzzing all over the place since.

This was not the reward I was expecting after a four day weekend.

In the meantime, Little Z has made it his life's mission to prove that every spill-proof cup in existence is flawed.

Diary of a Confused Mom: May 25th 2015

Little Z has started calling us all by name. He says Mommy, Daddy and gets close enough pronunciations of O's name and his own nickname. But for the moment, he is calling T "Ca-ca." 

Little Z also broke a class sparkling water bottle in our bathroom this afternoon. Another one for our shattered glass collection.

Diary of a Confused Mom: May 24th 2015

This morning Little Z took a toy dinosaur over to his dinosaur book and started introducing it to all the dinosaurs in the story book. Again more babble with the word 'dinosaur' inserted in between.

The older boys did a great job checking off their list of cleaning and organizing chores from my summer 'whip' list :)

Diary of a Confused Mom: May 23rd 2015

Right before bed I told the boys I would "whip them into shape" this summer. 

T was so relieved when I explained that 'whip' was a figure of speech, that he agreed wholeheartedly to my plan for them to take more responsibility in our home. This included making their bed daily, organizing their room, helping with the dishes and a variety of other household chores that I would list for them each day.

I'm excited.

Diary of a Confused Mom: May 22nd 2015

I caught Little Z in the closet reading "The Belly Button Book" by Sandra Boynton - a funny children's book full of hippopotamuses showing off their belly buttons. 

He kept saying 'beebo' (the baby hippo's way of saying belly button) along with a lot of babble, as he turned the pages.

The 'Essentials': Oils That Made My Travel Pouch Cut!

As I rely more on natural therapies for my family's well being, essential oils have become an integral part of our lives.

There are so many oils with so many benefits that my collection has grown rapidly over the past 18 months.

However, on a recent family trip I was forced to select just a few to take along, which gave me a chance to look at what oils our family uses most frequently in a sort of first aid fashion.




Here are the ones that made the cut and were added to my travel pouch:


1. Lavender - we use it for insect bites, cuts and scrapes and it is also a relaxing scent. This is definitely one I want to have on hand as we explore nature in unfamiliar places,  and rolling it on the boys' feet at night helps soothe them to sleep when they're wound up.





2. Eucalyptus - another very important oil for our family because it's been a blessing when sinus issues arise. Our most recent trip was at the start of spring (allergy alert) and we all needed to use it because we were becoming congested and uncomfortable. We put some (diluted) on our sinuses, smelled it and even put a couple of drops on a tissue in the car to purify the air. It worked wonders for us!





3. Oregano - with three kids in tow on unfamiliar territory, someone getting sick is highly likely, and very unpleasant, without easy access to care. Oregano oil fights infection. It has helped me stop ear infections from developing in our little one and combat strep throat in the older ones. This is something that tags along wherever we go because I've found that rolling this behind the ear, along the throat or on the soles of the feet has stopped some painful illnesses in their tracks and helped us avoid using antibiotics excessively.

4. Frankincense - this is an extremely versatile oil. It's known for helping with focus but people use it for anything from healing burns to fighting cancer. I just feel a lot better when this oil is around because when in doubt, you can't go wrong with frankincense.







5. Digest Zen - this is a Doterra blend for stomach problems. Although I am in no way affiliated with Doterra and don't use any oil brand exclusively (I use any good oil that works and is high quality), I tried this one and it worked so in the pouch it goes. When we eat heavy foods or our stomachs become uneasy, as many travelers experience from time to time, this really helps to soothe. Every member of my family has found relief from this oil at some point.

** Note: I took all these oils along in roller bottles and I diluted with almond oil because it has no scent and is affordable so I frequently use it as my carrier oil. I use coconut oil to make items that I use as a rub. (And I use coconut oil for a million other things - which you can read more about in an upcoming post). Even though some oils can be used NEAT (directly on the skin) I dilute everything just in case.

** I'm not a doctor, I'm just a mom that has found another useful and natural remedy to use in keeping our family healthy. So these uses/tips are not meant as a replacement for common sense or medical care for serious conditions.  I personally always dilute the oils, and I never ingest (or have any family member ingest) any of the oils. I feel that they are powerful and that ingestion should be supervised by a certified professional that can gauge their safety and prescribe properly. We diffuse them for a lovely scent and we use topically to help with certain ailments. We are just starting a journey into the world of alternative medicine which encompasses so many things including, nutrition, homeopathy and many more. Essential oils have been a fun, and fragrant addition!

Diary of a Confused Mom: May 18th 2015

Little Z has a new habit of selecting a toy to take with him whenever we head to bed. It varies from matchbox cars to one of his brothers' plastic Nerf guns.

Today, when I asked if he wanted to sleep, he clung to his spongy ball and toddled speedily towards the bed, slowing down to say bye to every other toy we met along the way. As he slept clutching the ball, I remembered that one of my husband's cousins used to insist on taking a raw egg to bed with him. 

I was told that if he fell asleep, dropped the egg didn't hear it crack (because his mother had desperately boiled it to avoid the mess) he would wake up and throw an enormous fit. 

When he got over eggs, he started taking a raw fish. 

If we're headed in that direction, I will be the first to put the nature/nurture debate to rest.

Diary of a Confused Mom: May 17th 2015

While playing with a soft inflatable ball in their room, the boys managed to shatter their glass table top. Apparently T kicked the leg and the glass just smashed into a billion pieces.

When I went to look in their room I couldn't believe it. Save for a few chunks the size of my palm, it was as if the glass top had vanished. Evaporated into microscopic glass dust.

I am so grateful they weren't harmed.

Another glass shattering incident to add to our thriving collection. So far we're at two glass tables, one closet panel, one door window and a mirror that actually cracked all by itself. Our house needs more wood.

Diary of a Confused Mom: May 16th 2015

T stormed into our room at 7am this morning and basically didn't stop nagging about his playdate at 9:30 until I finally dropped him off - a few minutes late. It made me realize how ineffective nagging is in general and how it actually hinders things!

O finished the Harry Potter book this afternoon! We just need a book rental service to keep up with his reading!

Diary of a Confused Mom: May 15th 2015

I finally gave in and let O read the last book in the Harry Potter series. 

The reviews implied it was very intense and he wasn't even 9 yet when he first asked for it. Having stalled for about a year and a half, I'm quite satisfied to let him enjoy it.

Diary of a Confused Mom: May 14th 2015

T has been wanting to have one of his soccer teammates over for a play date. They are both passionate about soccer and pretty good at it, but I wasn't certain there was an actual relationship there until I saw his teammate kneel down and tie his shoe lace for him during practice. 

It was one of those heartwarming moments that emphasizes a special bond between two boys.

After practice, I asked the mom for their number to make arrangements. I'm guessing it will be soccer till they drop that day!

Diary of a Confused Mom: May 13th 2015

There is something deeply disturbing about watching children around a flavored ice truck.

They pour out the sugar syrup like addicts and hover around the truck unable to break away from the hypnotic mix of sugar and food coloring. 

I can see documentaries about nutrition deficiency and childhood obesity being made with this kind of footage.

Diary of a Confused Mom: May 12th 2015

Sipping tea while Z sleeps. 

A few moments of silence in our house, and me, quietly relishing the joy of my own company. Is it possible for a person to miss their self?

Diary of a Confused Mom: May 10th 2015

It was an interesting Mother's Day today. Started out with gifts from the boys in the form of some adorable drawings and a 'Greatest Mom Award' they designed.

(Seagulls were an unexpected choice, but apparently it started out as an eagle which T creatively transformed when things went wrong).

Then the day was hectic and the boys' behaved at their absolute worst. I actually hurt my tongue screaming at O, while guests were visiting. Yes... it was that bad.

And just when I was chalking the day up to another failure at appreciating and celebrating moms, bedtime came. I've come to view bedtime as the time when those adorable, vulnerable, well raised boys come out to replace my rambunctious, defiant, lung challenging bunch. They were logical, apologetic and incredibly sweet. I was even informed my greatest mom award came with massage benefits!

Although I was spent, I realized that the greatest gift a mother could ever have, is to know that despite the many, frequent glitches, she is raising good people with pure hearts and high moral standards.

Diary of a Confused Mon: May 9th 2015

I never see a true happiness like the one that shines in T's eyes when he's playing soccer. 

He has a twinkle in his eyes and a happiness on his face that are amazing to see.

Diary of a Confused Mom: May 7th 2015

We found a small hare in our backyard today. It was munching on the leaves of one of our bushes and using a pipe we have laying there as its burrow.


It reminded me of Little Z. He has new words these days. He says "Wow!" followed by "what's this?" I also managed to take the picture of his soapy hair, but I'm thinking I need a better one. I wonder how many more excuses I will make to avoid cutting his hair? It's actually covering his eyes all the time now.

Diary of a Confused Mom: May 6th 2015

Carpool lines are what nightmares are made of...

Diary of a Confused Mom: May 5th 2015

Little Z's hair has become ridiculous long for a little boy. Only his curls betray its true, shameful length. I just can't get myself to cut it and a part of me feels like I'm subconsciously trying to hold on to his babyhood.

I tell myself I can't cut it before I manage to take a picture with it in the shower, full of soap and stood up high on top of his head.

Diary of a Confused Mom: May 4th 2015

The duck in our nearby lake has laid some eggs and can usually be found sitting on them. We went again today to check on them and they haven't hatched yet.

We are all anticipating the birth of 'our' ducklings!

Diary of a Confused Mom: May 2nd 2015

O told me yesterday that I was the most beautiful woman in the world. I was extremely flattered for about 2 seconds until he followed up with "but..." and proceeded to explain to me how I used to look much younger before Little Z and now I have all these wrinkles around my eyes and forehead.

"So now," he concluded "you look 30."

I openly pouted, but secretly I'm thinking that's quite alright as an ending to a conversation about my newly found wrinkles!

Diary of a Confused Mom: May 3rd 2015

After over 10 years of experience as a mother, I've come to the conclusion that when the boys say things like "you're the worst mother ever," or "you're so mean," I've somehow managed to do something right!

Diary of a Confused Mom: May 1st 2015

I hadn't realized how bored of me Little Z was, until grandma and grandpa showed up. He almost won't even look at me anymore...

Book Review: "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People" by Stephen Covey

I do not hesitate to say that this book is - literally- life changing.

This is no easy bedtime read. It's not a light book you breeze through. Well, at least I didn't. My brain hurt when I read this book as I grappled with and internalized the deep concepts it presented.

As the title suggests, the book discusses 7 habits that are characteristic of what Covey calls "highly effective people."

The first 3 habits Covey elaborates on, discuss work on an individual level, while the next 3 habits are about relationships and interaction with others and habit 7 (one of my favorites) is sharpening the saw by highlighting the need for a person to care for themselves physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually without neglecting any of these aspects, in order to function in an optimal fashion.

I see this book as a blueprint for life, utilizing what Covey refers to as "timeless principles." And that's exactly what they are.

For example, Habit 1: Be proactive, is something that will forever be a solid foundation of a truly responsible and competent person. There will never be a time when it is conceptually wrong to take responsibility for your actions. And Habit 4:Win-Win addresses the misconstrued notion that we should succeed at the expense of others and the further we push people down, the higher we get. In fact the opposite is actually true. No one can argue that a win-win is a bad result. Everyone wins!

In summary, this is an excellent, insightful and extremely deep book. I found every word of it useful and it has been a wonderful blueprint for evolving in character. To me, this book is an essential read. If everyone could read and comprehend this text, the world would undergo an amazing transformation.

When I heard Stephen Covey passed away in the summer of 2012, I cried. I think it would have been an amazing experience to hear this man speak in person. He is quoted saying "Live, love, laugh, leave a legacy." And he did leave a legacy, that we are fortunate to have.