OK To Wake! Owl Review

When we moved C from his crib to a regular bed, it was a bit of a disaster. He got up ALL THE TIME and drove us slightly insane. NOTHING worked at keeping him in bed, and we tried it all. Finally, we got this clock: 

It took a long, long time for him to "obey" the clock and wait until the light turned green to get up. However, eventually it worked and helped him stay in bed until 6. (OMG.)

A few months ago, I knew that the clock was ticking on Miss L staying in her crib. We decided to get her used to an OK to Wake! product BEFORE we switched her to a big bed. When I found the OK To Wake! Owl, I knew it was the one for her!

For one thing, it's an owl! Adorable!
Secondly, it is child-controlled. The owl has a button on it's tummy that the child can push, and the owl's face will light up either yellow or green. If it lights up yellow, it says either, "Go back to sleep." or, "Just a few more minutes." and it plays a little song. When the time on the clock you've set inside is reached, it will light up green. If the child pressed the button, it says, "It's OK to wake now!"
Third, it's very easy to set with the control panel inside. There is also a lock button, so the child can't switch the time on you.

Once Miss L got used to the owl and was using it to stay quiet until it turned green, we switched her to a big bed. Except for one day, when she tested her limits, she has stayed in bed until her owl friend said she could get up! Success!

I love these OK to Wake! products! Even though my kids still get up at 6AM, at least it's not 5 any more!

You can buy both of these products at Amazon, as well as other OK to Wake! products.
Owl
Clock

This post wasn't sponsored by anyone, nor were any products or compensation provided to me. I just really like this stuff. ;) I am an affiliate at Amazon, although I can't figure out how to link to it like I used to, so I have no idea if I get any cents from any dollars you spend.

Today

Today I'm not feeling well and I wanted to lie in bed and just do nothing.
Today I cooked 3 meals, took the kids to mother's morning out open house, did 3 loads of laundry, took the kids to karate, taught school, lost my patience, sighed a lot, cleaned up smashed grapes, drank an extra cup of coffee, wished my husband was home for dinner, or bedtime, or... anything.
Today I wondered if my parents would ever move here, if homeschooling is costing me friends and why I was so scared of trying it. I feel like I'm finally doing the right thing for my kids, and for me.
Today I have been sad, content, happy, overwhelmed, and exhausted.
Today I saw a baby and felt a little pang that I would have no more. My babies are growing so fast. Then I wrangled my 4 to the car and reminded myself that there can be no more for me. This is my limit.
Today I planned a beach vacation that I've been waiting for, for almost 2 years. I paid bills. I dreamed of the sand and the sound of the waves.
Today I lamented a lost relationship; I'm still learning to let go.
Today I wasn't feeling well and wanted to lie in bed and just do nothing.

Rockin' Friday Night

This is how I spent my Friday night. I know you're jealous.

Edit

If you're looking for the post I wrote yesterday, I've taken it down. You can read it in your reader still, I think, but I didn't want to leave it up in case it was found :)

Friday Free For All

* Somebody fell off the swing yesterday. Luckily, this one wasn't on my watch.

* We completed our 30th day of homeschooling today, right before our public school system goes back. I can't say I haven't had second thoughts. I've wavered back and forth between absolutely believing I'm doing the right thing and absolutely believing I'm certifiably insane.

*Hope springs eternal:

 
* I'm not sure it even got over 80 today. It may be August, but I'm as ready for Fall as I'll ever be! Bring it on!

* I've been working out more than ever, now that I'm forced to spend an hour and a half at the YMCA twice a week while the older boys take karate. I gained weight this week. I don't want to talk about it.

* I plan to put the kids to bed early-ish, and take a nice long bath (after I clean the Lego boats out of there) and read the magazine that came in the mail today that promises to cure me of my emotional eating. I'll let you know how that one goes.  

* We may not have gotten to go to the beach, but at least we have ice cream.

Yesterday

Yesterday started out as a pretty normal Monday, I suppose. We had taken an impromptu trip to Nashville over the weekend and, as is usually the case when we stay in hotels, no one slept very well or nearly long enough. The kids had a blast, but it was less fun for us grown ups.
Another couple invited us to go with them, and they have 3 boys (4 & under) and of course there were our 4 kids (7 & under). Have you ever eaten in a restaurant with a party of 11, where 7 of them are small children? It is quite interesting to see all the stares you get.
Plus, you take up all the space at the zoo exhibits:

Anyway, all that to say that we had a busy and exhausting weekend so when we woke up Monday we were all kinds of tired and cranky and needed a day to relax a little bit. We took the day off school, since we'd done LOTS of learning over the weekend at the science center and the zoo.

I knew we were supposed to have storms Monday afternoon, and the 2 littles had a doctor's appointment at 1PM. D was going to come home and watch the older two while I went. I spent most of the morning worrying about driving in a storm, and then I just decided to let D take the 2 littles and I would stay home and do some school with the older two. When I feel anxiety it's hard for me to concentrate on anything else, so I felt better after making that decision.
The doctor's ended up calling later and rescheduling for today, so I made a new appointment and then called D to let him know. He had a meeting so I had to call back and talk to several different people before I could talk to the one person who schedules post op procedures.
Storm worry.
Phone stress.
Anxiety - 2, Me - 0

Then, it started really storming. REALLY storming. It was windy as heck, and the thunder was shaking the windows, not to mention the flashes of lightning. I had finally gotten the younger two down for a nap, but it was so windy I decided to wake them up (I NEVER WAKE UP CHILDREN) and take them down to the storm shelter. I know it wasn't necessary, most likely, since there were no tornado warnings. I just couldn't control my fear or anxiety. I had already taken a xanax (which helped a little) and some other homeopathic stuff I have (I couldn't tell if it helped). To say I was a mess would be an understatement. I feel like I will never be able to control this! Is it even controllable?! Even when I was on daily meds, I freaked at storms.
Anxiety - 1 million, Me - 0

I spent the rest of the day exhausted, shaky and emotionally wrung out. The kids were their normal rambunctious selves, so that went well.
D came home early, and spent about 20 minutes here before he had to go test his scuba equipment for his upcoming trip. He got home after I put the kids to bed. Some days you're just worn out and need support. His testing really couldn't have come at a worse time.

Oh, and C threw up at the dinner table. *sigh*
Actually... ON the dinner table.
He wanted dessert; I told him to eat something on his plate. He chose a carrot, which he eats regularly. He has the most sensitive gag reflex known to man and this is nothing new. If he doesn't want to eat something, he gags on it and often throws up.
So... I think I just won't serve dessert anymore.

The best part of the day was after dinner. The stupid storms had brought through some lovely, cooler weather. Although it was soggy, we went outside and rode bikes until bedtime. I made myself a delicious frappucino that could only have been better if it was spiked.

I saw this thing on Pinterest...

So many of my conversations begin like the title of this post! I saw this tutorial about easy lettering on Pinterest. Link!

Basically, you print out the words you want to paint on wood and then you place the paper on the wood and trace over the outline of the letters in ball point pin. Not hard enough to rip the paper, but fairly hard, so that it leaves an indentation in the wood. I've had this quote stuck in my head, so I wanted to make some art with it. I think this would be easier with a name or shorter saying. My arm was cramping up by the time I was done tracing the letters!

You can see the papers I printed and cut into strips. I used an extra piece of crown molding we had in the garage; it was already painted that equals less work for me!

It's not perfect, but it's a great technique for making letters! It turned out pretty well! It's hard to read in this picture, but here it is in it's chosen spot:

Top 10 Reasons I'm not Writing This Blog Post

1 - C has gotten out of bed at least 8 times and now nap time is almost over and I'm thinking of just how much I understand the author of the book, Go The F*ck To Sleep.

2 - I stopped for 45 minutes to finish a science lesson and expended a large amount of my current supply of brain power.

3 - I can't think of anything to write that doesn't involve food, dieting, homeschooling or politics.

4 - I was interrupted by a phone call reminding me of Miss L's ENT appointment tomorrow.

5 - I had to stop at least 4 times to tell d & O to stop SCREAMING in the play room, which shares a wall with C's room. (Who, we remember, was supposed to be taking a nap.)

6 - I can't stop thinking about this marshmallow fluff frosting that I love so very, very much. I made it into sort of a trifle last week and can't stop wanting it again. (Trifle was 4 layers: almonds, sugar free chocolate pudding, salty pretzels and fluff on top. OMG.)

7 - I need to go to the store. I don't want to take children.

8 -  I bet that marshmallow fluff would be great with mandarin oranges. Or, just a large spoon.

9 - I'm thinking about missing my friends. I want a coffee night, or better yet, a weekend. While we're wishing, a whole vacation doesn't sound too far fetched. The kids need a play date too... public school starts again soon, so I should invite over our "older" friends before then.

10 - I'm trying to decide what's for dinner.

Dresser Upcycle

So we had this old dresser that we were going to give away... until Pinterest gave me ideas! When we redecorated C's room, we took out this old dresser and he got a new one. It's been with us since before we got married; I'm not even sure where we got it. I think it might have been D's as a child. Anyway, it's not particularly attractive with it's dark finish and brass handles. It's not even real wood so painting it seemed like it might be a challenge. For some reason I forgot to take a picture with all the drawers in, but I'm sure you can imagine what it looked like.

I decided I didn't want to deal with sanding or anything like that. I went to the store on the search for spray paint that I could use on laminate, and I found one called Krylon Fusion which is NOT specifically made for laminate, but says you can use it on plastic and metal and all sorts of things. I decided to give it a try since it was only about $4. After I gutted everything on the inside, it was time to paint!

It took a few coats, but it did work pretty well! I was fine with a distressed look, but if I had wanted it to look more polished, I probably wouldn't have been as happy since the paint sort of crinkled up under itself in some spots. I kind of like it, actually.

 Next up was painting drawers, handles, cutting a shelf and covering the whole thing with contact paper.

I did most of it by myself, but D did cut and screw on the shelf and the bar for me. He was skeptical of my idea until it started coming together, and it actually looked decent. He has no creative vision. ;) But, then again, I have no power tool skills so I suppose it works out.

Here it is in Miss L's room!

Her crowns and wands and such are in the drawer, and of course, all her dress up clothes are hanging.

The Good, The Bad and The Disgusting

The Good
C & L's thumbs seem to be doing well. C's look  the best, not swollen, barely bruised and once we took the giant bandages off he could use his hands a little more. Miss L's thumb is very bruised and swollen and seems to hurt more than C's. Still, they're both doing pretty well and by this time next week I hope they'll be mostly healed, although I'm not sure if that's realistic.

The Bad
One of my cats has gone absolutely bat-shit crazy.
Pip is our SUPER sweet, laid back, fat, soft, sweetheart of a house cat. He's been heavily loved on by every child here, and many more visiting children. Wednesday morning, he lost his mind and got into a huge fight with our other cat - Pepper. (The all white, a little skittish, not quite as nice to children, snooty house cat.) I thought it was a one time thing, because we've had them both over a year, adopted them as kittens and they are like brothers. They sleep together, eat together, bathe each other, play together... everything.
Well, two more huge knock down, screaming, hair flying, cat fights and two more narrowly avoided fights and I decided it was something more than a fluke. The thing is, I don't know what it is. Pepper doesn't want to fight, he runs away and tries to hide but Pip keeps coming after him! He's not sick. They're both neutered and fully vaccinated. I think it could be this: Redirected Aggression
Most of what I'm reading is not encouraging. (Keep them separated, supervise any time together, work with a professional trainer, and it can take anywhere from days to a  month or more to get over. Noise might be a trigger! NOISE. In a house with 6 people, 2 cats and a dog. hahahaha)

I don't mean to sound like pets aren't worth some work, but realistically I have 4 kids and cannot possibly babysit 2 cats all damn day. (Not to mention, I won't be able to leave them alone together!)
These aren't like little spats - this is a full on cat fight. Very frightening for me and especially the kids. I worry one of them will accidentally get in the middle, or I'll get scratched or bitten while trying to get the cats into separate rooms. Or worse, one of the kids will be a target. I don't know what to do!

I've spent all day today putting one cat out on the screened in porch so the other one can come in and switching on and off, and keeping the aggressor on a leash next to me when they are both inside. I mean... really? I can't fully explain the ridiculousness of this. (ALSO, aren't cats supposed to be low maintenance?!)

I'm at a loss.

The Disgusting

APPARENTLY, Pepper, when he's scared/in a cat fight? He pees. Everywhere. Imagine 2 pissed off cats running through the house and one of them peeing in every spot he runs though/hides in. (x 3 fights)
I bet you're glad you weren't in my house yesterday. I used an entire new container of Clorox wipes and steam mopped 2 times. I also thanked my lucky stars that the cats aren't allowed in the bedrooms since the other rooms are hard floors.
Oh, and I also had to steam clean the carpet, but that was a disgusting act by a non-hairy child. *sigh*