Do not feed the animals

It's pretty common that you see this sign in parks and zoos. You take notice and hopefully don't feed the animals anything. Maybe the animals are on a special diet, they don't want them being overfed, fed the wrong food....either way, don't feed the animals. It's clearly stated, you follow the rules.

Now there are some rules that aren't posted but should be common sense. DON'T FEED KIDS YOU DON'T KNOW. Outside of food allergies and special diets, you are teaching the kid to accept candy from strangers!!

As parents, we try and teach our children to be safe. Look both ways before crossing the street, hold my hand, don't leave the park with anyone but Mommy, watch where you're going, don't take food from strangers. I don't care how cute you think my kids is, how my kid is looking at you while you're eating (believe me, they are well fed) or even if my kid asks you for food......DO NOT FEED THE ANIMALS.

Things you should do as a parent; find and ask the kids parent, tell the kid to go get their parent, just say no....be a responsible adult.

Teaching a child that it's ok to accept something from a stranger is wrong. No matter how many times I can tell my kids, don't take food or candy from a stranger....it's CANDY! So as responsible adults, we should teach kids to ask their parent first. So when someone tells them, "you don't have to ask your mommy," their sensors will go off!! I want to empower my kids to make the right decisions but it does take a village of people who respect the rules.

DON'T FEED THE ANIMALS.

The Quiet Dinner

With 2 kids a quiet dinner is rare. Most nights consist of me shoveling the food down my throat in a race to finish eating before the kids. They usually have a 5 minute advantage on me! Basically leaving me 2 minutes and 43 seconds to consume as much food as I can before a plate goes flying to the floor. I've become a winning marathon eating champion with only a few losses under my belt. With quick reflexes, I've been able to add a few saves to my title too! Never knew I could simultaneously shovel food with one hand and quickly grab a flying plate with the other. If this was an olympic sport, I'd be on the team for sure.

On Sunday, I cooked mussels in a white wine sauce. I cooked the kids their own dinner prior to ours, not because the kids wouldn't like it, but because I didn't want to share. AND we got the kids down before we sat down to eat. Just the two of us were sitting there, it was so quiet and calm. I was slowly eating and enjoying my meal. By enjoying I mean being able to actually chew my food rather than swallow it whole. Such a treat!

As much as it was an enjoyable treat to have a quiet dinner, I realized that it was only nice because of the daily chaos. The craziness, crying, screaming, fighting, running and flying plates....with all that drama I am able to appreciate the quiet moments. It made me love my daily chaos a little bit more. Because in that chaos you discover smiles, laughing, dancing, learning and teaching.

No it wasn't a nice, fancy dinner out. We don't get to do that very often. It was just a moment at the table with my hubby enjoying a delicious meal. Some couples without kids have that every evening. It made me think. Sure it was nice but I did pick the right path for me. I wouldn't feel complete without my kids. It's a rough, bumpy path filled with gallons of coffee and wine.....but it's my perfect chaos.

MDHD (Mommy Attention Deficit Disorder)

I've been making a real effort to get out and link up with other Mom's. You know to have a "real" conversation with someone over the age of 3. It's going well but I've come to the conclusion that I have MDHD (Mommy Attention Deficit Disorder). I'm no doctor but I'm showing all the symptoms. I've consulted WedMD and it's not looking good.

1. Trouble Getting Organized - I am organized. It's my kids that don't seem to conform to my plans!
2. Reckless Driving and Traffic Accidents - Driving on 6 hours of interrupted sleep...what do you expect???
3. Marital Trouble - Well let's see. A kid either starts or ends up in our bed at some point....so.....
4. Extremely Distractible - I'm sorry what was I saying?
5. Poor Listening Skills - I swear I'd love to listen but either someone is screaming or I'm distracted by what child A is doing to child B. Oh crap, where did child A go????
6. Restlessness, Trouble Relaxing - Don't judge me....I'm surviving solely on coffee and nibbles of food. With a combination of prescribed medications, I'm able to sleep....sometimes. 
7. Trouble Starting a Task - Have you ever tried to do something in the middle of a tornado? 
8. Lateness - See #1. 
9. Angry Outbursts - I'm delirious....what do you expect?!?
10. Prioritizing Issues - I mean how come no one understands I just want to drink this one cup of coffee before it gets cold! My priorities are clear...no one seems to listen.

Do you have MDHD? 
If you or a loved one is diagnosed with MDHD, you’ll need to work together with your doctor to come up with the best treatment plan. Often, MDHD is treated with a combination of MDHA medications -- such as Wine, Vodka, Scotch, Martini's -- and certain talk therapies such as cognitive-behavioral therapy also known as Daddy gives you a day off.