What Do You Think?

So, I'm curious. What do people think is an appropriate age to have your child stop using a sippy cup, a pacifier, a bottle, a crib...

I know that probably only 5 people read this blog (and not with much regularity, at that) but I'm curious...

Sippy Cup - I personally think 4 is the cut off. That being said, my middle child has issues with his grip and holding onto things and just within the last 3 months has been able to use utensils (he just turned 4 in January). We are just starting with the real cup and he is a dribbler. And an impatient dribbler at that. If he spills on himself, he starts to cry.

Pacifier - I think this is the reason why I decided to do this post. I saw a child in the grocery store that was no less than 4 and had a pacifier in her mouth. Trying to spout out full sentences with a piece of silicone and plastic stuck in her mouth. It was ridiculous. Now, I have children. They are not the best in the behavior department even sometimes. But I wouldn't let them keep a pacifier to let me have a few minutes of peace and quiet. That's what their rooms are for. For me, if the kid is younger than 2 years old, I guess it's okay to have one. My oldest was the ideal situation. She had it in her bed until 18 months but at 12 months I took it away completely during the day. My 17 month old, littlest monkey, has one pretty much whenever she wants it. I've become more relaxed on it in my old age. But I'm starting to get rid of it more and more every day. One of these days, I'm cutting a hole in that puppy...

Bottle - This is another one that I have seen a child that is older than I personally thought appropriate and still had a bottle. Older by ALOT! I am a total stickler on this one. When the kid switches over from formula to whole milk at one year, the bottle is gone. Completely. No question. I won't point and stare unless the kid is older than two, but personally, one is the oldest for me. Sorry.

What do you think? Do you care? Do you just wait for the kid to want to move on? I'm not even going to go into the potty-training realm... I'm having my own issues with that one...

Homeschooling Looking Better

Seriously. Did you see the latest rampage by a crazy psycho person on the news? It makes my heart break. Oh wait, not that one, the other one. I know that it was a college campus, but I'm so sick of it! When are they going to start taking the term "open campus" to mean a negative thing and making everything closed campus and start securing our schools as well as they secure our airports? The domestic morons are just as bad as the international terrorists.
But then again, I can homeschool until my monkeys are 25, but then they will someday have to go out into the craziness and take their chances with everyone else.

Sorry to be the wet blanket of the morning. It's just hard when the first thing I hear this morning was about all the horrific things going on in the world. Good thing there's a "power off" button...

What's This World Coming To?

I now have a tv in the kitchen so when I'm making food or cleaning up , I can watch it and just see the nightly news or the morning news. Most of the time the kids are off and playing and I can actually watch without worrying about them being exposed to anything too bad. Except tonight... stabbings, killings, robberies... I know that it's not just in this area and that alot of places are like this, but still... It's really sad. I have to shuttle them out of the room or mute it or go to the cooking channel real quick. Now, I'm not going to shelter them completely forever, but they are all three 5 years old and under... There's no need to make them neurotic before there's a need to be.

I do wonder whether it's really that bad... There uhave always been bad things happening, but it seemed the media didn't really report on such things. Then there was the change to sensational journalism and let's see who's opening headlines could sound worse. If the tops three stories are about murder, abuse or Britney, turn it off right now. You will be better off.

Shopping Adventures

Going to the grocery store with three kids 5 and under: INSANE

NOT getting the car cart because they were bad last time: EVEN CRAZIER

Letting them take in their McDonald's Happy Meal toys to keep them occupied: DELUSIONAL

Buying cupcakes and telling them they could have them when we get home if they're good: INSPIRED

All the kids being too tired to remember that we had cupcakes and all ended up taking naps: HEAVENLY

Six cupcakes that are now hidden for mommy's secret enjoyment: PRICELESS!

Echoes

Littlest Monkey (age 16.5 months) has decided that she wants the world to hear her. She also has found that if you go into a partially furnished room that has high ceilings, you might be able to hear something cool if you yell "Ahhhhhh!" Today in the entryway at school she looked up at the ceiling and I could literally hear the gears grinding in her head saying, "This might work out to my advantage... Let's give it a try." All of a sudden, "Ahhhh!!!!" Yes, the echo was very cool. The other parents looking at me thinking my children are nuts, not so much.

I've Given Up...

At least for today. I have a migraine and don't feel like keeping up with the resolutions... Although we did go for an hour and a half long walk this morning because we had some beautiful weather. The kids are starting to get used to being in a neighborhood that we can actually walk around in.

But the eating well thing is out the window since I don't feel like eating anything. I just had ramen noodles for lunch... That's healthy... And there will be no projects on my list for completion today because I think I will take a nap... Depending on whether or not I can finish this post...

Out.

New Year's Resolutions?

Okay, so I haven't really written out a New Year's resolution since the 10th grade. I think back then it was something along the lines of "Don't put up with stupid friends that want to walk all over you. Put your foot down and get a spine." It still took a few years for that one to take hold, but oh well.....

This year I have decided that I'm going to have 2 resolutions. The first one is the same as about 98% of the female population of this country: lose weight. My goal is somewhere around my high school weight, but I will make due with my pre-baby weight. (That would be my FIRST baby.) I'm going to save the numbers for when I actually get there. I don't want to get anyone's hopes up. :) I also decided that the best way to accomplish this goal is to not eat so much. I don't listen to when I'm full. I completely ignore it until I clean my plate. (Bad habit from when I was younger...) Also, I'm not going to deprive myself of stuff I like. Like right now, we just had a birthday for Monkey #2 yesterday and I have Devil's Food Chocolate cake in the kitchen. I'm not going to NOT eat it. I will just eat a little. And then stop. Also, if I have the cake, I won't eat as much dinner or have an afternoon snack. These are all simple things, yet I have ignored them for the last 6 years or so.

Number 2 resolution is that I will, in the morning, come up with one thing that I want to accomplish for the day and it WILL be finished by the time I go to bed. I know that doesn't sound like that big a deal, but when you are a complete procrastinator like me and have three little kids that you use as an excuse for getting any and every thing done, it's a big deal.

I think that's it. I'll let you know how it goes. I figure if I write them down, them I'm accountable and someone may come back in a few months and say, "How's that New Year's resolution thing going?" I would hate to say, "Duh, I forgot about them..." :)