Urban Suburban Mommy

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Toy testers – boy approved!

Posted on by Posted in Mommy Approved .
toy testers

I’m not your typical big box store shopper. I live downtown, I like to fancy myself the urbanite who shops local and can walk to the store within a few blocks for all of my needs. We have some pretty amazing local stores, including toy stores. But I’m also not anti-big box stores. Cheap stuff, en masse, has its appeal too. I have a car and I know how to use it when the need arises.

So my middle-of-the-road approach to life and commerce heard about Walmart Toy Testing this past summer. “A morning spent playing with new toys?” I said to myself, “What a great idea!”

We registered, and my boys were among the lucky 600 families chosen!

toy testing

Now I don’t know if it appeals, but keep your eye out early July, that’s when Walmart puts out the call. In fact, Urban Suburban Mommy will bring you the announcement. I promise.

Meanwhile, my boys spent 2 hours playing with drones, NERF guns, LEGO, Monster High Dolls, blow-up toys, robot cats, art supplies, action figures, educational games and a few things that I would NEVER EVER EVER allow in my house.

boys flying drones

I think that Walmart did it right. They really let the kids go to town. They had an app and wifi so that parents could easily rate and rank their kids’ experiences, likes, dislikes and opinions about pricing. Walmart has just released their Top 20 toys for the holidays, and I think they did a great job. These are kid-tested and kid-approved – by my kids!

I wouldn’t necessarily buy everything on Walmart’s Top 20 list, but I’m not offended.  I never know what to buy other people’s children, but having seen them at play, I’d put some stock into picking off of the Top 20 list.

Unless you’ve got any better ideas? I’d love to hear your suggestions for this year’s hottest holiday gifts for kids – care to share?

Ah-Choo. I’m sick. Nobody cares.

Posted on by Posted in The Struggle is Real .
i'm sick

I’m getting sick.

im sick. nobody caresMy nose is running, my eyes are droopy, the tissues are tucked into my sleeve. Everyone keeps telling me to slow down and look after myself. Feel better, they say. Take some time for yourself, they say.

DON’T TELL ME – TELL MY FAMILY!

For some reason, these boys, the husband, nobody seems to realize that I’m not just sick, I’M SICK. They say the right things:

“Mommy, are you sick?”

“Mommy, can I get you a kleenex?”

“Honey, take it easy.”

But then the laundry piles up, the homework doesn’t magically get done, they still expect to eat, for the dishes to get washed and for karate class, swimming and playdates to ensue.

I feel like I’m living in some weird Twilight Zone where sick is all in my head. Well, actually, it is all in my head. Pardon my language, but if I get any more snotty, I’m going to have to withdraw my RRSPs and invest in Puffs. Thanks gawd for Puffs Plus with lotion. This was a genius invention. One word of advice: Do not skimp on the tissues. The lotion – it makes all the difference.

So mom marches on, Puffs in hand, and sleeve, as I decontaminate everything I touch because the only thing worse than having to survive motherhood with a nasty cold is having to live through the horrors of sick children or, dare I say it, the dreaded man cold!

What’s your outlet – Part 2

Posted on by Posted in The Best You .
your outlet

My kids are older, the demands on my time are different. But working from an office across town, trying to minimize the amount of time my kids stay in daycare before and after school, my mommy guilt can get pretty thick. But I’ve also learned, we all need an outlet. We need time for ourselves. We need time where we shut off – we’re not child minding, cooking, cleaning, working, fretting, worrying, cheque-book balancing or soccer-momming.

Downtime.

For a long while I thought that my time was the time I spent in my car commuting. Heated seats and a killer sounds system were my respite from the demands of a fulltime job and fulltime motherhood.

Let me tell you, that’s crazy talk.

Traffic is stressful, no matter how kickin’ the stereo system. I was recently stuck, broken down on the side of the highway waiting on a tow truck and realized, for nearly 3 hours, I did blissful NOTHING! I read the news on my phone, I grabbed the emergency nail polish from the glove box and did three uninterrupted coats. I stared at the sky and daydreamed.

Waiting on a towtruck shouldn’t be that kind of bliss. It shouldn’t take a blown master cylinder to avail me of three hours of indulgence.

So what are my outlets?

I go for a manicure once every two weeks. That one day, the boys can be at daycare an extra hour while I lavish.

Daddy time. We alternate days on the weekend for sleep-ins. The other parent has to keep the boys occupied from wake-up till about 11am. It’s not that hard and it’s sooooooo good to catch up on a few zzzzz’s.

Mommy playdates. My boys are old enough that they can play independently. I’ve chosen wisely and become friends with some of my sons’ friends parents. It’s glorious to have playdates, especially with other parents who also appreciate the outlet.

The treadmill. There is a huge honkin’ treadmill in my enclosed porch. It would be a much nicer enclosed porch, but for the treadmill. I loved prenatal yoga, but I can’t get my butt downward dogging without the troops and groups that class participation provides. I am almost never without two boys so the gym and going out for a run are out of the question. Thanks goodness for the enclosed porch!

Punching bag. I have a secret pleasure. I like punching. Who knew? My husband got me into boxing. There’s a heavy bag and a speed bag in the garage, and late at night when the boys are asleep, I steal out to the garage to spar, swing, hit, punch, kick, jab, roundhouse, slam! BASH, CRASH AND SMASH… um, I work out in the garage with some boxing exercises.

We all need an outlet. It doesn’t make you a bad parent to need an outlet beyond your little precious.

It makes you human.

What’s your outlet

Posted on by Posted in The Best You .
your outlet

If you want to survive parenting, then you definitely need an outlet or escape plan from time to time.  Otherwise – I promise you – you will either burn out, have a nervous breakdown or get divorced (if you’re married or are still married).  Yes, I am being extremely blunt. But it is the truth.  When your offspring contribute to your sleep deprivation or max out your patience, how do you handle diffusing your internal bomb before it goes off? 

Yes, you need your outlet. Everyone must have one – or find one in a hurry.  Everyone is different; some people need exercise others turn to chocolate (OK – ignore that suggestion). Anyway, you know what I mean.  Here are some of my suggested outlets or releases in order to survive parenthood: 

1. Yoga (or any physical exercise)

Honestly, pre-natal yoga lead me through a healthy pregnancy and delivery with my second.  I actually swear by it.  I felt mentally and physically strong and in shape.  You can do yoga anytime and anywhere – on your own or in a class.  Yoga is all about practice so do it often even if it is only for 10 minutes right before bed.  A good stretch and a sun salutation will keep you relaxed.

2. Take A Drive

Get into your car and drive… Just drive. 

Focus on the road of course, but let yourself go by also enjoying the peace and quiet, and perhaps scenery around you. You do this on your own without the kids or else this won’t work.

3. Nap

Close your eyes for 15 minutes during the day.  If you have the luxury of working from home or being on mat/pat leave, you can – and must – schedule 15 minutes of snooze time a day. 

I really try and follow my own advice on this one.  If you don’t have the luxury of being at home and at work at the same time, be creative.  My husband is – he naps on the train to and from work. Sometimes he even rides the subway on his lunch hour with no set destination but just to take a nap!  Make sure you have an iPod and ear buds for this one to be effective.

 4. Treat Yourself

Take yourself out for a tea or a mani/pedi – give yourself at least an hour of alone/me time if you are able.  You need to do this – don’t feel guilty about it either.

 So what’s your outlet?  I try to employ all or some of my suggestions every day – right now I am going to focus on #3 because I’ll be up at 4:30am and that will be the extent of my nap!

I’ve gotta pee!

Posted on by Posted in The Struggle is Real .
i need to pee

How many times a day do you hear “I’ve gotta pee!”

And it’s contagious. If one needs to go, the other needs to go. Not at the same time. Not when it’s convenient. In fact, they have to go when it’s least convenient. They’ve gotta go when the food arrives at a restaurant. They were fine a second ago, but now that you’ve got to the front of the line at the [fill in the blank with any city office – passport, drivers licence, parking tickets] and they just can’t hold it for a single second.

Sometimes I wonder if ditching the diapers was really in my best interest…

But what about us? What do you do when you need to pee. It starts in your brain: I gotta pee. You insist – as you argue inside your own brain – that you can wait. You can hold it. You don’t need to go. Well, you don’t need to go that bad.

Says you.

You know very well that you need to go – that bad – because since giving birth (the second… third  time) you’ve got little to no bladder control. There is no difference, no degrees. You either don’t have to go, or you have to pee like Niagara Falls is pressing against your pelvic floor.

I looked it up. You’re supposed to be able to hold 14 to 20 ounces of urine for about 5 hours. With a Starbucks Venti coming in at 20 ounces, and a hair-trigger bladder muscle, we never had a fighting chance.

None of us have peed with the door to the bathroom closed for years. One of the littles needs you most just as you drop trow. There will be yelling, there will be screaming. There may even be another adult in the house, but it will not result in a closed door.

You pee fast and you go.

But what happens when you’re out? You’ve waited until you could get to a clean public bathroom – and that is about as much bladder control as you can muster.

Now, add to that the fact that you may have a baby strapped to your chest. And this baby may be hungry. You probably have one or two other littles that both want and need something completely opposite to what you need.

Now imagine all of that, but with an outhouse as your only outlet, because you’re a good parent and took your 4-year-old apple picking because you are trying to keep going with a newborn.

Um, yah. Sorry M. I just can’t get that one off of my mind. File that under “Things only another mother can understand.”