The Pootastrophy of 2016

   Potty training is the part of parenting where we really find our zen and tolerance for sh*t. Literally. It is days of accidents, nakedness, pee covered floors and poop smears replacing household decorations. I have a boy so I don't know much of what it's like for you mothers with dainty young ladies so let me tell you about my experience with the mess of a boy that I call my own. It took a solid four days to officially say he was trained but boy those were a long four days!
   After watching our son casually stick  his hand in his diaper, pee on it and then start giggling we decided to give potty training a shot. We took his diaper off, explained to him the deal and brought him to go potty. Miraculously he went two times in a row and was so proud of himself that he couldn't contain his little bladder and peed all over the floor. That was the first of many accidents. He went the rest of the day without having an accident and it was great. My husband and I thought wow this is great, so easy- our kid rocks. HAH boy did we jinx ourselves! So the first day was fabulous, granted we started around 3 pm, but the day was done and it was time for bed. We had Colin go potty then put him in a diaper for the night and woke up in the morning. As soon as we were all awake, we took the diaper off and went potty. He made it until about 10 am before having to go and even though we asked and went to the bathroom he wouldn't actually use it. So 10 o'clock rolls around and I hear "Muummmmaaaa" and I walk in to Colin playing in a puddle of pee on the coffee table! The little pee monster not only sat and watched himself have an accident, he also decided to do it while sitting on my coffee table! This is where I give my husband total responsibility of the child and take no claims over him! So we rushed to the potty to make sure he was all done and then I had him help me clean up the mess. After that was said and done we decided to eat lunch and take a bath which he did great and even used the potty! When bath was done we put him in a diaper for nap time because we knew he still wasn't ready to sleep without one. We read a book, we snuggled and I walked out. That's when things took a turn for the worst....
   I went in after about TEN minutes to check on him, make sure he was asleep and as I neared his room the smell of parental frustrations hit me in the face with vengeance. I knew before even getting to the door that he had a poop waiting for me but I never expected what I saw when I opened his bedroom door. COVERED. Absolutely covered in poop from his ears to his toes. His belly had so much poop on him that it was clear he was finger painting with it. The walls had smears and the carpet had two brown hand prints where Colin attempted to get it off his hand. He had totally covered his legs, his sheets and his treasured stuffed animal. He was so proud to show me and all I could do was yell for my husband and laugh/cry about what an amazing artist my kid is..........
   My husband who is the sweetest man with the WEAKEST stomach comes running and instantly starts gagging, which just makes us both start laughing even more and Colin is just sitting there smiling and confused at the huge commotion. Kenny starts the shower while I undress Colin, we rushed to the tub and Kenny heads back to change the sheets and clean the room. He does this while holding his breathing and running out of the room every few seconds for air. I'm mid scrubbing poop out from under Colin's nails and all I can hear is gagging and coughing from the other room. It was then that I wondered who the softy is in my marriage. Once we are all done and cleaned up we let him sleep in our bed since his room stinks of poop and cleaning supplies. He lays down and passes out instantly, apparently his artistry pooped him out.. see what I did there?
   So all that happened on Saturday and it was officially dubbed as "The Pootastrophy of 2016" but we were pros by Sunday and we were ready to take on anything that came out of Colin. Except nothing happened and he just magically started using the potty to pee and poop and didn't have an accident again for days. It took a little longer to sleep without a diaper on and even though he sometimes wets the bed, he has been doing great! I guess it only took being covered in a stinky mess for him to want to use the potty!
   Needless to say, when the child is ready, they will use the potty, but may the force be with you when you are going through all that comes with Potty Training.

Two years

    Two years. Two years I spent at home with my son, living, learning and teaching right beside him as he did the same. Two years I spent day after day with this wonderful little boy discovering patience and gratitude for the little things in life. Two years I spent most of my time with my little sidekick looking forward to my husband coming home from work to join our fun. Two years I spent loving my time at home while also fighting loneliness. Finally to say, I spent two years as a stay at home mother and while I would never trade that time for anything in the world, it feels damn good to be back working and being outside of the house around other adults.

    Now, don't get me wrong, I miss being home with my munchkin and having all the fun that we did, but that is not to say that I am ready to go back to living that way. My husband and I decided that we would rather have me stay home and teach our child instead of spending all the money I would make if I went back to work on daycare. So my husband, the great man that he is, worked his ass off to make ends meet and make sure we had more than enough to be healthy and happy. Meanwhile I stayed home and did everything in my power to make sure Colin was healthy and happy and our home was taken care of. It wasn't always a clean house and the laundry wasn't always folded but every day Kenny came home from work we all had smiles on our faces and to me that is more important than a clean dish or a folded pair of pants. Colin blossomed in the time we spent together and as parents we couldn't be any more proud, he was just so happy, smart and fun and still is!

    Then the day came where I looked at my husband and told him I didn't know what/how else to teach Colin and that he was lacking a certain interaction with other children despite going to toddler gyms and playgrounds. We began looking into options but I am a tad neurotic and have a huge fear of sending my child off to daycare because there are just so many stories of crazy people. I couldn't seem to find a local daycare that had enough good reviews to knock my anxiety out of the way. So we made a major decision to send Colin to a Montessori school. Honestly it was the absolute best option for our child and our family and I am beyond happy that we did. We put him in for a full school day because their scheduled day fit into the same schedule that we already had in place for him at home. So Mr. Big Boy headed off for his first day of school and Mummy headed off for her first day of work.

    I went back to work in Sales and Marketing at a Real Estate company, I love it, I love the people and I enjoy learning more about the job everyday but it has been a huge transition. My routine has totally changed, I can no longer stay in sweatpants all day and I have to actually interact with adults again and while it has taken time to get used to, I'm actually pretty good with human connection! Being back to work has changed not only my energy and personality but also my parenting.

    For the first time since Colin was born, I have the opportunity to miss him and anticipate seeing him at the end of our days. I get to experience the excitement he has to see me when I pick him up from school and listen to him tell me all about his day. I no longer spend my day with him so I now look forward to going home and being crazy and goofy with him. I don't get as frustrated any more and while he taught me patience before, it seems that I have even more now. I don't get to see his little face as often so now when I am with him it is even more valuable and important than it was before. It's little things you don't notice until you break from your normal routine and begin a new one.

    Even as a wife, work has helped me calm down. I am not always the best at verbalizing my feelings and sometimes I have a short temper but since being at work I seem to not be as irritable. I was never angry or bitter with Kenny, Colin or my home- it was more the frustration of irrational loneliness that I wasn't able to convey to my loved ones. I felt like I wasn't doing all things that I needed to and I felt that I needed to readjust my focus but I didn't know how or where. I almost felt as if I was stuck. That feeling didn't start until I knew that I was running out of ideas to fill my days with Colin and I don't think I realized that I knew things needed to change. Well things did change and starting a new chapter has helped remove those feelings of frustration and have taken away the struggles I had before.

    I feel better now. I know that the two years I spent being home with my baby helped both him and I grow in many different ways but I am so happy that we decided to alter our life because there reaches a point where moving forward doesn't work unless you actually take a step to do so. Sometimes it takes huge changes to be fully content while appreciating all that was, is and will be.

Fall fun on a budget

Family time is my favorite no matter what. Whether we are cuddled up on

the couch watching movies, playing cars in the living room or running 

around outside we always have the best time when we are all together. 

There are also days that everything seems boring or too expensive so we 

have to get creative sometimes. If you are looking for things to do this fall, 

Take a look at this list of ideas I have compiled and I hope you can utilize 

them the way my family has!

• Treasure Hunt- Print out a map of a local park, make it look old and worn and mark it with a red "X". Go to that park, dig a little hole and put a small treasure in it. Bring your kids to the park and help them find the treasure. **Don't forget to bring the shovel!  A nice twist on this one is looking for specific things in nature like frogs, tadpoles, worms, plants.
• Orchards- Apple picking, pumpkin picking, hayrides, and cider donuts all fall into the one visit at an orchard. Generally you can get in to the orchards for an all inclusive price so it cuts the cost almost in half!
• Pumpkin carving and apple pies- These are always the best activities to do after visiting the orchard
• Backyard camp outs- A fire, blankets, s'mores and ghost stories... What more could you ask for!?
• Fall Festivals- Many towns have a fair or something closely related on the town green. Generally there are vendors for crafts, food, live music and much more. Check one out because even if you don't buy anything, who doesn't enjoy dancing around to great music with great vibes around you.
• Garden- Get your bulbs planted to watch them bloom in the spring and make sure you get all your vegetables in before it gets too cold!
• Yard work- Rake the whole yard with the kids help and then JUMP IN THE LEAVES!!
• Halloween- Decorate the house for the spooky holiday. Make your children's costumes yourself instead of spending a bunch of money and if you want to get totally creative, make your costume too!
• Crafts- Collect pine cones, leaves, acorns and any other part of nature and craft them into decorations and goodies for around the house!

Make sure to take advantage of the cool crisp air because before you know it, winter will be here and you'll be missing these fall days!

Are you looking to move?

Time for this working mama to shamelessly plug her wonderful place of employment!!!

     At Fafard Real Estate, we have a great selection of houses, town-homes and condos so we can assist you in choosing your perfect fit. 

    Are you looking for a new place to call home? This beauty is on the market starting at $569,990 and if you call now you can get in before the holidays! 

    This isn't the only available option either! Check us out at www.fafardrealestate.com or come to our Ashland, MA (102 Chestnut St) sales office to find out any information we have available!