Dance Fighting!!

Today started like most weekends do in the Craig household. My little humans woke me up with sneaky bed side giggles and all too early wake up calls of "MOM" we want to watch cartoons!!! 

After 4 breakfast meals and some Tranformer fights we pushed our way to the great out doors. Lunch came and went and then came the SpaceX launch. What an amazing sight. Then, out of no where my little human decides he would like to dance fight. 

Dance fighting? All I could do was laugh and laugh and laugh!!! I have never heard of that, please tell me house this works!!

Well Mom, you dance around like you are listening to music but then we try to punch and kick eachother. WHAT!!!  

SO I give in after about 5 minutes of coaxing, I know I am a softy, and it was most definitely one of those memories I will keep forever. We danced,  fought, and laughed until we collapsed on the ground.

Sometimes all we need to say is "OK" and we end up having the best time of our lives. Hold your humans, laugh with your humans, and allow your inner mini human to come out. Its good for your soul!

Duces ✌

SMILES 😃

LOVE❤

Climbing the Golden Staircase

Last year one of my favorite people moved on to what I hope we can call a better place. He loved helping people, playing with his grand kids, hunting, and was never short of words. Having to explain death to a child at any age is hard but explaining death to our little human was hysterical. He truly does have one of the most interesting minds

When my grandpa first passed away, we tried to explain to our little human what that meant and that his Papa Joe wouldn’t be around anymore. We explained that he would be watching him from up in the sky and he could talk to him any time. His response?

Mom, I’m just going to go up to the sky and visit with Papa Joe, its fine.

No little human that’s not how it works

Yeah it is mom, you can pull me down when its time for me to come home but I’ll just go up into the sky and visit with my Papa Joe. 

Ok little human, you do that 😊

Then comes the funeral. My grandpa was cremated and placed in a beautiful wooden box. As we were standing at the cemetery our little human’s wheels start turning. I was not prepared for what question came next!!

Mom, why is Papa Joe so small?

Oh wow, I never even thought to explain that!! Well, lets see……...we burnt him? Well that’s a great way to scare the living crap out of ANYONE!!! Ok let’s think again, those are his ashes in the box? I foresee eight thousand more questions with that one! Ok I got it!!!!!!!

When we go on to a better place, we get to choose to be big or small. Papa Joe chose to be real small!

Little Human response: Well I am going to be BIG!!!!

You can’t always prepare for what your little humans throw your way. They have such inquisitive minds and just want to learn about the world. Take the time to explain the world to them and with that knowledge they can conquer it!

Signing off for now

Duces✌

SMILE its good for the soul 😜

#MinnesotaGoodbye👐

I WILL AWAYS BE HERE FOR YOU

I am back……again……. and you know what, who knows how long it will last this time, but there is one thing I know……I LOVE writing and I miss it every time I take a break. You know what this means my human readers????? No matter how long I am gone or when I leave, I will ALWAYS come back!

Today brings you a fun filled story of our recent ride to my hometown. Well, let me take you back to the start of this crazy pandemic. We were those super crazy humans that DROVE to Florida and with shear will and determination we made it to Disney before it closed. We took VERY little breaks, but our little humans were things of amazement. Those little balls of crazy happiness not once asked: “are we there yet”. Well I guess my almost 2-year-old can’t really iterate those comments yet but the 4-year-old sure can. I was impressed!!! A 3-day drive, almost straight through, to Disney, and little complaints about it!

Fast forward to this last weekend. We decided to take a trip up to Alexandria, yes, I know this breaks quarantine protocol BUT we were careful and we limited our exposure to very minimal members of society! This 2-hour trip included snacks, movies, songs, and the feeling of togetherness. You want to guess what the difference was from this trip to our Florida trip? Go on take a guess……..those 4 words that each parent waits for…….ARE WE THERE YET?

For real little human? You made it ALL of the way to Florida without a peep of this legendary phrase but when we drive 2 hours north this is all you care about? All I could do was laugh and keep answering not yet little human, why don’t you watch your show a little more. Ok Mom!

Next time you are able to take a road trip, try to enjoy your time, even if it is packed with fighting, are we there yet, and loud complaints. We don’t get this forever and we have all felt the pain with this quarantine. Remember summer is here, minus the snow last weekend, and we can all spend our time outside. Keep safe my humans and know that I will always be here for you!

Signing off for now

Duces✌

SMILE its good for the soul 😜

#MinnesotaGoodbye👐

Extreme foolishness and Irrationality (Insanity)

Having little humans is a pretty rewarding job. From their tiny little hugs and kisses, to their super crazy imagination. My little human tells me all the time that I am his best friend and I can’t hope enough he feels like this when he is 16 (Laughing.... Out..... Loud).

He also has some pretty funny things to say about life and how HE views it. But there are moments in that little human’s life where he tests my sanity.

Allow me to give you an example:

It’s a Monday morning and you’re up and ready for the day. Your little human has gotten up and is in a fantastic mood. PARENT JACKPOT!!! You get them fed, dressed, teeth brushed, and they are sitting every so sweetly watching cartoons and eating their FIRST breakfast of the day.

You have graduated now to the car and your little human asks to watch a show…. sure, why not, you have been GREAT this morning!!!!  I am so excited for my day right now I can barely contain it! I am ready to get this day……...STOP…… RIGHT……… THERE! 🥊🛑🚨

We interrupt this great morning for a little toddler tantrum. Please sit back and enjoy the show!

I FORGOT MY SNACK!

 Oh man that’s all? I got you covered human! I got your snack right there! (FIST PUMP💪👊). Nope not good enough! That little 2-foot-tall human is now on the verge of a full-blown melt down and ALL because he couldn’t WALK his snack out to the car!? 

WHAT!???

Think fast mom, think fast. We need a distraction…………. Chocolate!🍫🍬🍫🍬

Ok little human, how about I give you a piece of chocolate when you get home if you are super good the rest of the drive to daycare! Please say yes, please say yes!!

OK MOMMY! But can you help me wipe my tears? 😭🤯🥰

HECK YEAH, I CAN! ...............Nice play mom!

Not all tantrums work out this way but if we learn to take life as it comes and take a breath, it may not seem so bad. Believe me, I get frustrated, mad, and feel just down right defeated sometimes but I pick myself back up and live to parent another day!

Signing off for now

Duces✌

SMILE its good for the soul 😜

#MinnesotaGoodbye👐

Cookie Monster

What is short, pasty white, has long hair and eats EVERYTHING?!?

Guess it yet…….yeah its my little human. The kid does not care about ANYTHING. The little viewing objects on his face see it and his brain makes the gratifying decision that this should definitely enter my mouth!

Human number one was not like this, what happened?

Christmas 2019 was the year our little human decided to eat one of the most shocking things of all. That wholesome morsel was just calling to him. I now wonder if he would just sit and stare at it wondering when the right time to slobber all over it was. That bright beautiful thing.

What is it you ask?!?

IT WAS A CHRISTMAS LIGHT BULB!!!

I mean who does that? Who just decides, well this has been here for a month so it MUST have been put here for me to eat!

I think this little human is going to give me a heart attack!

For those of you wondering, yes he is ok and no he didn’t damage anything or cut anything. He is lucky, I am lucky, but my stress level is not so lucky.

It’s a shorty but a goody today!

Signing off for now

Duces ✌

SMILE its good for the soul 😀

#MNGoodbye

Those Nasty Green Things

Let’s get real about boogers today! Let’s DIG in and explore the wonders of that magical boogey.

ALL humans have them, but adult humans understand that there is a place and time to either pick their nose OR use a tissue………well…… most adult humans understand this concept.

But little humans……they LOVE to pick, eat, and laugh about those nasty things. We got lucky in the fact that human number 1 does NOT participate in number two (EAT), so far.  I know this because I asked him the other day if I should make him a booger sandwich. He looked at me with the biggest eyes and said: GROSS MOM!!!!!

While we may have escaped the boogey eater, we do have the occasional boogey picker. I blame myself for this. Maybe this is pre-mature, but I am hoping as Moms….and possibly Dads, that we have all grabbed for a couple of those snot rockets at one time or another. And, if I am alone in this, now you all know my deepest darkest secrets :O

But the other day I noticed our little human digging like his life depended on it:

Get your finger out of your nose; do you need a Kleenex?

I’m not picking my nose mom; I am getting ride of my boogey traps.

Ok, well isn’t that the same thing?

Nope these are the traps that keep my boogies in there.

Oh, well that’s interesting, I thought those were just the crusted boogers that dried on your nose. 

Nope, your wrong mom but I’ll take a Kleenex to blow the boogies out now.

#Smile, Its good for the Soul

Tata for now

Duces ✌

#MNGoodbye

I SPY

Let’s play a game. It’s called I spy. My little humans LOVE this game.

What keeps millions of humans entertained every day, can become a time suck, but provides an outlet for very important information? Have you figured it out yet?

Your right, Television!!!

Each and everyday millions of humans watch hours of TV. When is it too much and how are we using it to educate our little humans? There is SOOO much out there and SOOO much to worry about as a parent!! The struggle is TRULY for real!!!!!

AM I DOING THE RIGHT THING??

Well, about a month ago my little human used the word Cataclysmic. You guys I couldn’t even spell that word correctly!! I looked at him with shock and Ahhhh

Ummm where did you hear that little human? From “Ladybug” One of the shows he gets to watch about a superhero. So, I asked him what it meant. He knew how to use it in a sentence but couldn’t explain what it meant, so I took the time to educate. We used our kids dictionary and looked up what this REALLY BIG WORD meant. 

You see, it’s not ALL about how much TV they watch, its about taking the time to teach them what they are learning about. It’s about listening when you humans have questions and making sure to answer them honestly. It’s about finding what they like and challenging them.  

Most days I have absolutely no idea what I am doing and I am pretty sure I am going to cause them some sort of PTSD from their childhood, but those days in between……well I hope I am encouraging them to think outside of the box.

Until next time. #smile, it’s great for the soul!

Duces ✌

#MN Goodbye

Monsters

Oh my gosh, what was that? (The dog)  Did you hear that mom? (Sure did, sounded like Kal farting) Eekkk what was that noise? (The dogs tail).  Yup, you guessed it, we are at "that" wondrous stage in our lives. Our little human has discovered the big bad monster that we all know and love. He hears him EVERYWHERE!!

I have heard about this stage and read up a little bit but now that its here.....well my adulting skills are very much lacking. Below are the ideas that we have entertained:

Monster Spray - Bad because this supposedly  teaches them there may possibly be real monsters lurking. My personal mom skills say, go for it, you do what you need to do.

Co sleeping - This could teach them it's ok to sleep in your bed ALL of the time and I very much believe we have our own beds for a reason. This is for my saftey AND my little humans. I don't prefer to get kicked in the face every 2 minutes and I'm very sure my little human doesn't want to get shoved off the bed!!!!!

Sitting with them for an extended period of time - NO adulting gets done with this option. Kind of nice you say, sure! But when there is no clean underwear left, there are toys scattered everywhere, and dinner dishes to get washed........ adulting becomes a must. 

Doing nothing - Well I'm pretty sure this would not work for any human. How do you possibly do nothing?

Well adult humans,  I am here to tell you there is no right thing to do. You mix it up and try your best to do what works for you and your little human. No one day is the same in our monster infested hideout. 

Right now we are watching Rescuers and he says, oh look at that spooky ship mom. Ohhhh creepy look at those trees!!! Well, looks like I'm sitting here a little longer. #notadultingtonight

Signing off for now

#smile "Its good for the soul"

Duces ✌

Bathroom Adventures

Let me tell you a little story about an adorable 4 year old. He is smart, vicarious, and oh so hilarious. Everything from making funny noises, to running around like I fed him a tub of sugar, to bodily functions is funny to this little human. Well I am assuming it is to MOST little humans this age...... And if we are being truthful, to most adult humans as well :)

So our little human has been potty trained since he was 2 but........he really doesn't like to wipe his own rear end. He acts like his arms have magically fallen off and there is no possible way that he can wipe that thing. Moooooommmm, Daaaaaaad can you please come wipe this tooter of mine so that I can get back to playing!!!!! 

Side note:  I am pretty sure when mom or dad are not around, those magical arms glue themselves back on and he does an excellent job.

Lately he has been doing a pretty good job at home doing the deed and wiping his own back side!!! The kicker to this happy ending though goes something like this:

Hey Mom, Hey Dad I just went poooooooop.
Ok kiddo, make sure you wipe that thing and wash your hands.
Ok............a minute or two goes by...........MOM!!! DAD!!! Look at me! I have a tail!! "wiggle" "wiggle".

Sure enough, I turn around and that little human has a wad of toilet paper stuck in his butt and he is waddling around like a duck. O....M....G little human, get that poop stained wad out of your butt!! Lets not get poop all over this house AND yourself today.

His response you ask: Ugggh I guess.......
You guess? I say as I turn around and once again find that tooter sky high.
Now will you check to make sure I got it all???

Oh man little dude, I guess I will.


.

SEASON TWO OF "THE CRAIGS"

Every once in a while you need some time to regroup and rejuvenate yourself……well at least I hope you do. It’s definitely not only great for the relationships in your life, it amazing for the soul. 

Well, I took my time and now I am back and ready to entertain you with bigger, better, and even funnier stories!

Stay tuned as Season 2 of the Craig household comes to you in high def!

#smile It's great for the soul

Duces✌

Sometimes it's just that simple!

Today I had one of those conversations with my three year old that make you laugh until you literally pee your pants. It was one of those talks so deep and so filled with knowledge that I couldn't help but listen with encouragement and giggles. This has been one of many talks about.... the body part that expels poop and the stinky stuff that comes out. 🙈💩💩💩

I mean they have to learn about bathroom relief at some point, right? Well our 3 year old has been potty trained since he was two......I give him all of the credit for this by the way, and he has never shied away from talking about it.

Today was the icing on the cake though. Today I learned all about holes!!! I learned that my 3 year old human has a hole in front where he pees AND a VERY BIG hole in the back where he poops. He then proceeded to bend over and say look at this hole mom, it opens and closes. Ummmm ok Fred....Mom did you see it.....yup.....no mom look. Dude put your underwear on. 🚽🍑🤔

Underwear on, this little human then tells his one year old brother and me how very large his poops are (I am pretty sure I have never seen poops come out of a toddler that big) and how the bigger he gets, the bigger his poops will be. Dear God I hope not!!!! I will need a new plunger every month!!!!

Now that you have had your daily dose of poop, because we know the conversation ALWAYS goes there, I hope you have an amazing day and a HAPPY 4th of July

Signing off

Duces ✌

Brush your chompers, Clean your chompers

So I am pretty sure there are other mini humans out there like mine, well at least I hope so!! They fight you at every corner for NO reason at all AND they think they know EVERYTHING. They ask a million questions and I am pretty sure I hear "WHY" like 8 thousand times a day. They also don't like to brush those perfect little chompers of theirs.

Every morning we went through this ridiculous routine of, go brush your teeth human....no thank you. Can we please go brush your teeth human....no thank you. Lets race to the bathroom and see who can get this done first (he's ultra competitive)....no thank you! Well, thank you for using your manners but please get your little pooper in the bathroom before I yell at you.....please don't yell at me mom. Ugh. Do you like baby food little human? Gross no!! Well your going to have to eat it because all of your teeth are going to fall out..............👀......your tricking me mom. Nope, they will really fall out!

Ok mom, lets go brush my teeth! FYI: I have tried to start with that and it doesn't work. 😌

Well after so long this gets so annoyingly dumb that I just want to say screw it, let your teeth fall out. (I wouldn't do that but some days I really want to!)

So let me tell you the secret to how I have chosen to fight this battle. I went to the world wide web for any answer I could get AND I found one. Thank God for YouTube!!! I found Budd!! He has taught our little human to not only be excited to brush his chompers BUT to do it himself. I wanted to cry I was so happy. So if you have been having the same issues we did, click away!! But be warned, this may be one of the most addicting songs I have heard in awhile and you will be singing your WHOLE day. So will you choose the fight today or will you choose Brush with Budd?

Signing Off
Duces
✌

Routine, Ticks, and Insanity

A world without routine.....what does that look like? In our day to day lives we all have some sort of routine.

I wake up at almost the same time each day, I take a shower, do my hair and make up, and then start getting the kids ready for the day. Then off to work I go!   THAT is my routine.

Now, let's take a look into the life my human child who has 8,000 things he MUST do before we leave each day.

First we need to give hugs and kisses (I love this part), then we need to give high fives, duces, peace out, knuckles, and lastly fireworks (ok, not so bad, even a little funny). THEN we move on to the routine he added like 5 months ago......let me ask you a question (what are you going to drive tomorrow.......this must be answered with some sort of construction vehicle) and tell you a statement. (ummm ok). Let's keep this insane routine moving; NOW we have progressed to silly faces (well not sure where this came from but we have had to limit to 2...nope 3....ummm like 5?) And lastly, he has tried to add what he calls Belly Punk ( YES, let's bump bellies. Did you grow up in another time human, where you drank beer and bumped bellies??) Ohhh let me also say 2 days ago he added foot kicks. DUDE!!

Our little human has always had some sort of routine he has had to accomplish. If I were to list them all out, this post would be miles long. Each time we break one another one follows in its place.  For now we resort to the above spectacle to keep the peace. This is one battle I have chosen not to fight.

Know that you are not alone in your day to day fight against routine and what some call "Ticks". I say, keep the peace and learn to have some fun with it. Life is too short to fight it and some of it's even kind of fun;)

Signing off
Duces✌