Can't I just get a shower!!

Remembering the days when Bella was little and I had to take the bouncy seat or excersaucer in the bathroom to get a shower in. Or when she was a toddler and I had to shower when she napped. Now that she is four, I should be able to show in peace. I mean come on 5 minutes. Just enough time to wash my hair and body and every other day shave my legs. Here is how this morning went-

"Bella, I am going to take a shower ok."
"Ok Mom"

Not even a minute later, the door opens!
" Mommy, Daddy is on the phone"
Wait
" How do you know?"
" Cause I answered it"
Thinking how?
" Go tell Daddy, I will call him back"
Thank god it was 7:45 in the morning because no one else would call that early.

So as I am washing the soap out of my hair.

" Mommy, where is the jelly"
" In the door"
Second pause
" Bella"
" WHat"
" Come here"
" What?"
"Why do you need the jelly"
" I am making breakfast"
" What are you making?"
" Toast with Jelly and eggs"
"Is everything out?"
by now I am washing in fast motion, hoping by talking to her, my kitchen is not on fire.
I jump out and throw a towel on and go downstairs.

Here is what it looks like:

Toast in toaster but she does not realize that it has to be turned on. Good! No burns or fire.
Eggs( I make a ton of hard boiled because Bella is on a hard boiled kick)
However- like me she does not eat the york so the york is on the table.
She now has the jelly and knife.

So in my towel, I help her get everything made.

Now my thoughts-
1. Independance great
2. Possible danger in kitchen- not good

My bigger thought-

Why is it that my husband can go with a paper in the bathroom, do his business and shave and shower for 20 plus minutes and no one bothers him. I want a five minute shower and my house may go down. Tis the life of a mom!

getting things in order

As summer is ending, I have decided we need to make some changes in our house. We need order. I know my friends and family are laughing because I am very anal about things.I know Bella is only four but the whining has to stop. It is driving me and Bill nuts.

With that these are my goals:

1. Get an easy chore chart started for Bella. She is great at doing things we ask her to do.

2. Set a night schedule

3. Do some schooling at home. No I am not home schooling

Let me explain the last one. Bella is the type of kid who likes to be busy. Not has to likes to. She also loves school. My husband wants to know why I don't just homeschool her. He did not understandwhy. I explained. You know how much she talks. Just think how much she would talk if she didn't have friends to talk too.

So we will keep you up to date'1

Sick kids

On Friday, (the hottest day of the year) we decided to mini golf with friends in the morning before it gets hot. So when we got home, Bella was quiet. Not Bella but the heat is very hard for her so I did not think twice. When I picked her up, she was burning up! Here we go again. Saturday, high fever, did not eat or drink a thing. Sunday, lower fever and still did not eat. Monday, we had a fever (low) but she was acting like herself. So I figured I would take her in the yard. As we were out there I noticed she had a rash all over her face. So off to the doctor again. Much to our surprise, HAND, FOOT AND MOUTH AGAIN. We just had it 2 months ago. I guess there is 7 different types out there. Crazy! Good news, today we are back to normal. After 4 days not seeing sunlight, we are going out!

Free activities

With us being a one income family, summer can be expensive. So Bella and I have been looking for fun, free activities. The library by us has great activities! Today we made crafts out of recycled materials. They also have a Saturday family program. Last month, we saw The True Story of the Three Pigs. Next month, bubble magic.. On Saturdays Bill has to do his expense reports so we have a routine. Coffee, storytime at Borders and craft at Lakeshore.

This weekend, I have scheduled a cost free weekend-
Saturday- Borders, Lakeshore and the Mt. Prospect Block Party.
Sunday- Kohl's Childrens Musuem is free from 12-5

No be aware when you talk free, you sometimes risk it being crowded.

How is it that summer goes so fast!

So this Spring I made a list of things we could do this summer. It didn't seem like a crazy list. How is that I didn't even get half of it done? Can it be because it has been so hot, we are unable to spend a ton of time outside. Here is an example, we have yet to be at the zoo. We have had our share of being in pools, waterparks, and beaches. Then there is the home projects. Yes, we have gotten our floors done. Every weekend, I think of something but then opt to do something a littlee more fun! It is also hard to get projects done when Bella is here. I am thinking about the weekend already. Baseboards must get done so I can get the 3rd bedroom cleaned out and get my workout in. I know I can go outside but it is too hot to walk outside. Just thoughts! Hope everyone is enjoying there summer.

Millenium Park and the beach

So we decided we could not make it through summer with at least one trip downtown. Target (one of our favorite places) has a family fest going on at Millenium Park. So we just on the "L" (Bella's first time). Let's just say she is a Metra girl. We were downtown at 8:30am. Since this did not start till 10:00, we checked out the Bean! For those of you who are not from around here, the Bean is a huge metal sculpture that looks like a jelly bean. Then we went to the family fest. There was crafts, music and stories. It was a great event and was free. Then we went to the sprinkler area. What fun on a 90 degree day. We finished with a picnic at the park. When we were walking back the skies got darker and darker. Just as we got in the subway, down it came! It was a wonderful day!

Today, we decided to take a trip to Lighthouse Beach. It is a small beach in Evanston. I like it because it is not crowded and clean. The water was cold so we mostly built sandcastles. Also at this beach, they have a nice picnic area and park. So we enjoyed lunch and a little park time. What better way to end our time with a little ice cream! Summer really is great in Chicago!

enrichment classes

So like every parent- I think Bella is a bright kid. She is the type of kid who must be busy. In the Fall- Izabella will be attending Junior Kindergarten 4 afternoons a week. Yeah! Mommy now has no excuse not to workout. Anyways- this does not leave much time for other things. She will continue to dance. There are so many things she wants to try. So I found this wonderful enrichment program. You sign up weekly for what classes you will be attending. This summer she will be trying out the arts program ie dance, drama, art, In the Fall, she will do the literacy based ones. They also offer math and sciencce but right now she is not really interested in those things.

We went to visit yesterday! Bella as unsual jumped in with two feet. The director gave us a tour and of course we could not get Bella out of the dramatic play area. She has shown me all the babies they have there. The director offered to let her try out an art class. It was nice. She did watercolors and the teacher also gave them time for playdough. Bella was shocked, it could be indoors. I have an outdoor policy with it. They have a wonderful area for parents to sit in. It is a 50's diner. I meet some really nice moms.

The best part- the cost! Preschool is very expensive this year. The registration fee is $10.00 for the year. Each class is $5 but like I said you choose what fits your schedule each week! We will be going to 3 classes next week, yoga, dance, and art. I am so glad stopped by!