amazing race birthday extravaganza

my first baby boy, dean turned seven! i've been trying to think of new and creative ways to celebrate the kids birthdays without going broke or trying to compete with the party next door. so.....i came up with the scavenger-amazing race for 7 year olds and their siblings. noone had to zipline across a cliff or climb the outside of a 100 story building. the kids read clues and had to figure out the answer of a riddle and where to go next. i was so thankful that our local stores seemed to love the idea, and were pleased to hand out the next clue and prize for the kids. the final destination was a pizza party and a week of rest until my next baby boy turns four.

the struggle to juggle

my job calls for another trip out of town for 3 days and 2 nights, right in the middle of the week. the preparation for these little trips are a struggle for me, and a juggle for my husband while i'm gone. how does one get 3 kids to two different schools, and get to work by 8am? with help! yes, help is the answer, and i've learned that if you don't ask than it's your own damn fault. i am extremely lucky to live near family which has helped us out with our kids on a regular basis.

but with that said...my trips need prep, and at these times i am the most organized. i have outfits for the kids set out, lunches and dinners planned. everyone involved is set with their pick up and drop off duties, and they all have phone numbers for back up. wow, seriously...why am i not always this organized? if i could keep this up while i am home, my life would be a lot easier on a daily basis. but what i haven't mentioned yet, is the fact that i am exhausted and drained after all the prep. i am not that kind of working mom, i will never be that organized, but i will continue to try.

soooo...what would happen if i just packed and left? my husband is a very hands on daddy. he's a wonderful cook, loves his family, and reads to our children. but I still think we'd have kids in mismatched clothes and messy hair at school, with a bag of fishy crackers in their lunch, while i was gone.

eat dinner with a stick

i recently posted on my facebook status that our "eat dinner with a stick night" was a success. after a couple responses from 3-4 of my closest 190 friends i started to re-think my post. i spend a lot of time thinking up, searching for and/or copying goofy ideas to keep the kids excited about our life and family. yes, they are loved, kissed, tickled and cuddled...but i think, adding a bit of crazy makes it great!
1 out of 3 dixon kids loves to eat. but if you give a kid a stick with chunks of bbq'd chicken for some reason i can get 2 kids to finish their plates and ask for seconds. in this case the baby doesn't count. i am not crazy enough to give a baby a stick!
anyway...back to my facebook status. after a year a posting, you begin to know which posts are a hit, and which ones either people think are stupid, or cannot relate to. in this instance, i kept thinking of all those parents questioning my own parenting techniques. how could she give her kids a skewer to eat with? they will stab themselves, choke on it, or poke their eyes out. how could she do this while we are teaching our kids how to set a table, sit properly and use the right utensil for the right course at dinner?
i'll continue to give them more to talk about once i've revealed my "eat with your fingers night" or "eat under the table night"!

multi-what??

multitasking is the art of doing many tasks at the same time. this is something i do not do well. i tend to multiworry very well though and i am proud to say that i do know all the things that need to be done. my problem usually begins with a single task like straightening the living room, which takes me to the kids room to put away a toy. 2 hours later i have somehow decided to alphabetize the kids books and rearrange the closet. this of course causes more of a mess from pulling everything out to make a clean start. finding a sippy cup takes me back down to the kitchen where i begin to tidy up, and now i've found myself searching the cupboards for a snack.

seriously, sometimes a little slap in the face might get me back on track, but not for long. so now i'm thinking maybe i'm a "one task at a time" kind of girl. this will give me focus, right? i will not move until the project/task/goal is completed. nothing will stop me and life will run smooth.

today...is laundry day! five clean loads to fold and seven dirty ones to wash, dry, fold & put away. the kids won't be fed, changed or bathed, but as GOD as my witness....the laundry will be done!

now what?

i created this account a couple months ago wondering if i had what it takes to "blog". how will i find time, when i have piles of laundry waiting for me downstairs? is this yet another reason to procrastinate? or maybe this will light a fire under me to live my life and enjoy the moment, in order to give me something to write about? i guess i'll find out...