Waiting to be Matched (and I DO Mean the Socks!)

Ever since Zoe started walking (about 6 weeks ago), it has been impossible to keep the house clean. WE have two child proof cabinet locks that are broken or don't work, and she is constantly getting in those cabinets (no real danger stuff) and taking the stuff out. It drives me NUTS. Also, I am trying to pack stuff up to move, and she unpacks the boxes unless they are already taped... but I can't find the packing tape right now! (Guess who probably moved it somewhere?) She is also a climber on the dishwasher, and someone who wants to grab knives. Her play yard is at the other house (which we are renovating), but that does help a bit. I can't wait to move so she can play in the actual yard, and so I can have a couple of rooms she mainly stays out of. Woops! she just pulled a lamp down, and is now crying... C ya later, D.

Good idea (Mother's helper) HBV _ as a matter of fact, we're going to start doing this with a friend's daughter who is going into the 7th grade this fall ! We lease her a horse and help her with riding lessons/showing, and she'll start coming over many of the days I'm working at home. This way, it helps her mom out not having to find somewhere for her to be (supervised) each day, I"ll help her with 4H projects, she helps me pick up and entertain the babe, plus she can get her riding in earlier in the evenings so we don't keep her out too late. And if I ever find the need for a babsitter and can tear myself away from the babe, I'll have one that I KNOW he's comfortable with that has been specially trained by me!!!

Okay guys. Help me then.I babysat all summer for TWO kids when I was in the 7th grade. (That was the summer of MONEY folks!) They were 5 and 8 months. THeir mom, family friend, trusted me. I still love those girls.The thought of a teenager in my house makes me want to VOMIT. Is that simply because we don't have any family in this immediate area and thus no teenage family friends? (I could ask a few on the FD, I guess, that just came to mind.)I've been encouraged my other WAHMs to have a teen come over once or twice a week, even if I'm here, so I can actually WORK sometimes. It would make sense to also get some THINGS done.I maybe should have thought about all of this before Josh was leaving (tomorrow morning) for seventeen days.WHO FROM THE FORUM WANTS TO COME AND BE MY LIVE IN NANNY IN TWO WEEKS? (We're spending the first week at my parents and in Philly for a visit.) I'm just kidding of course.Right?(BTW, getting lots done today. I broke out my old habit of list making and it's helping me stay on task a bit. Until I'm like, "HMM! Wonder what's going on over at the forums! CLICK CLICK")

I know what you mean. If we haven't known this little girl all her life, there's no way I'd have a teen helping me out! Jenna, if we lived just a smidge closer, I'd bring AP right on over, and he and Nick could amuse each other, while you and I took turns getting our work done on our computers, (and checking out our forums and blogs). I just keep hoping that some day, these busy little boys will be old enough to find something to do for half an hour or so at a time, with very little supervision. I think Nick is closer to that than my A is right now!

Jenna, Do you have anyone from church that has a daughter that you like and might be interested in helping you out a couple of days a week? I have to have known the child for some time before I would let Kelcee by herself with her but in my house where I am close by I would feel comfortable.

Jenna: Do you have a Y near you? That's how I wound up w/ my friend's daughter---she'd just finished a babysitting class at the Y and couldn't WAIT to show me her certification card. :) Or put an ad in your church bulletin. It does make me laugh a little---I babysat kids alone at 12 ---now I cannot imagine what those moms were thinking!

Thank you for making me feel not quite so insane and over-protective. LOL.Ad at the church bulletin board is a great idea. I also know that one of the guys on Josh's shift at the FD has an age appropriate daughter. We like their family so that's a possibility.You guys don't know how giddy I am to think that I could get some work done even just one day a week! WOO! I'll discuss it with Josh over (our last) dinner tonight. :)

I think we DO know what it feels like to think that. LOL, the first time I took my boys to Mother's Day Out I went to Wal-Mart and when I got there, I called my husband and said, "Guess what I'm doing? I'm going to Wal-Mart ALONE!!!!" LOL!Of course, I freaked out a few times thinking I had lost the boys. All the errands that day were done to Veggie Tale tunes playing in the cd player because I forgot I didn't have to listen to kids music! I am telling you, that one day a week for me is a life saver!!!!

I know I am a little late responding to this, but have to respond to this one. I too feel like you are writing about my child Jenna. Jessica makes it almost impossible to do anything around the house. She is all over the dishwasher as well and of course the first thing she tries to grab are the knives. Anyways, I don't get much done unless she is napping or after she goes to bed for the night. I started doing most of the loading and unloading of the dishwasher either when she is contained in highchair, booster seat or during sleep time. We also have the problem that she likes to push the buttons on the dishwasher especially the one that is lit up when the washer is running (this cuts off the dishwasher and you have to start the cycle again). I also sometimes fold clothes while I watch her eat breakfast or during nap time. She also likes to "fold" and unfold clothes and throw things in and out of the basket. Fortunately she is a really good napper and usually takes a 2.5 to 3 hour nap per day. I do whatever I can to get things done during this time. Even on days that I should nap I go like crazy and try to find some small bit of sanity time for myself. I also tend to do too much after she goes to bed and stay up too late. Not really an option for you to stay up right now with the new baby and all. I am sure you are exhausted. I have been known to use a video now and then to entertain briefly so I can get stuff done, but I am not proud of it. Occasionally I still use the pack and play, but she is really getting big and doesn't like it too much. She is also really tall (35 inches at 18 months) and can almost climb out. Personally I say don't worry if things aren't perfect. You are pregnant and need your rest too. I do live in fear that Jessica will stop napping someday and then what will I do :eek: ? Otherwise enlist in some help from anyone who you can trust or who will offer. I totally get the whole thing about feeling like you will VOMIT thinking of a teenager watching Nick. I feel the same way. I was a pretty responsible kid and I started babysitting pretty regularly when I was about 12 - what were those people thinking?!! Not that I was bad because well, I was good, but I'm not sure I would believe that anyone else would be. Good luck and congrats on the new baby if I haven't yet said it in another post.

ok - only three weeks experience behind me, but with an active 2yo and a 2 week old I feel as though I have enough to at least comment :) I leave my washer lid open and run a load when it's full. Then, I fold it straight out of the dryer while the 2yo chatters nonstop and hands me item from the dryer. Dishwasher? I load it while he's still in his highchair, otherwise he 'helps' by closing the door after each item goes in.....and the buttons!? I simply had to tell him over and over and over not to touch and keep him in the same room I am in. I sweep and dust and pick up while he plays in the same room - he is a real chatterbox, so I find it actually gives me some relief as I can respond to his (often unintelligible) comments repeatedly while taking part in an equally mindless activity. The only room that is a total mess is MY room - no reason to have him in there, and when he is napping I try to catch some zz's with the infant sprawled across my chest. I also work fulltime, so having a program is essential!!

Oh gawd....I could have written every single solitary word of your post Jenna! My house is a constant battle to keep clean with the Nat toddling around!! The dishes, the laundry, the vacuuming all have to be done while she is napping. And we are selling our house...and people want to see it....and it's a pig sty! And I have 4 teenagers too! Thank goodness that at least 2 of them don't mind helping me clean or taking the baby so that I can get a few things done. It doesn't help that our house is kinda small so we are all squished in here for now. Buuut, our new house is huge! Hopefully huge enough for Nat's messes...and all the teenagers :) Funny thing is that when all the other kids were little and the house was messy it was no big deal...I mean, afterall I had a house full of little kids so it was acceptable and even expected. But NOW...it's just one little baby girl...but I'm telling you she's messy! A total mess pot!! But, Oh So Cute :)

Ugh! My house is a mess most of the time. I sometimes wonder after I clean it if it is really clean or if I've deluded myself into thinking it is clean because it is the cleanest I have seen it in awhile (kwim). For example, right now my mother and I are addicted to the show How Clean is Your House on BBC America (we DVR and watch it when the children have gone to sleep). Anyway, the houses are SO filthy and a lot of the family have children. Now before I had children I would have been simply outraged. Now . . . well I'm disgusted but I can kinda see how it got that way! I work full time so most of the cleaning gets done at night after bedtime, in the morning while they are eating their breakfast, on the weekends with them in the same room and me saying "no don't touch that. no put that down, no you can't drink that" about a million times. I live in a college town so there is no shortage of adult, responsible students to sit during September through May but during the summer there is not a sitter in sight! Ugh!

Argh. Here is why. DH was off work today. He works in the OR, so is ALWAYS either at work or on call. I was so happy to have him home, since I have had zero calm time since having the baby. I am already back to tutoring online. I do this while both are (hopefully) napping, so that takes away my only chance for some down time. Anyways. So I tutor 2 hours today. DH puts on Happy Feet for Timo (2year old) and Marco (5 week old) sleeps. DH sleeps. After I am done, I want to relax a little. Or clean up the house. Or finish the nursery. SOMETHING that I can't usually do when I am alone with the boys. DH wants to go to the classic car show. Yippee. Now it is almost 8pm and I have gotten NOTHING done today. Ok, we had family time. But, I feel like I have family time all the time, DH just isn't there. He is the one who doesn't get much. I guess I am just frustrated that he didn't want to help out, or at least watch the boys for me while I did something. I should leave him here all day with both of them. Then maybe he would see how hard it is to get stuff done. Ok, vent over. Anyone else finding new ways to get stuff done without having your children follow you around and rip it to shreds?????????

I was thinking about this this weekend more as I raced around trying to clean stuff up, and I thought of a few other things (some of which, I admit, I learned from FLYLADY. She has some good ideas---especially about doing what you can in a short time and not getting too caught up in things being "perfect", but I got too irritated w/ all the e-mails) 1) I keep Clorox wipes (in high or secured cabinets, of course) in each bathroom in the house. If I go to use the bathroom, I wipe down the sink and toilet w/ a wipe, so they stay pretty clean. 2) While H is in the tub w/ his toys and I have to stay in the bathroom w/ him, I'll wipe down what I can in the bathroom, straighten towels, etc. It's not perfect, but it keeps things from getting gross between housekeeper visits. 3. I do fold laundry w/ him nearby, but will give him the other laundry basket to play with. He likes to put his toys in it and push it around the room.4. Get a feather duster or a little dustpan for them to use. (H loves to sweep!) I can let him do that while I do other stuff. Small things, I know. Some days I think it's actually harder to pick up after DH. :)

My son is almost three and now he likes to help do everything which good for the most part.....and actually he does a very good job! At least you have someone to take him off your hands long enough to get some household chores done. Been in your shoes..... Annette