#boymom

Today  I thought I'd share somethings I've had to say to Grant lately that I think only moms of boys can relate to....at least I'm hoping I don't have to say some of these things to Hannah....

1. Did you change your underwear?

2. If I look in the hamper will I see dirty underwear on top?

3. You can be a ninja after dinner, come eat.

4. Please take your game of football outside... (after toppling everything on the sofa table)

5. Flush the toilet (said eighty times a day)

6. Sit down at the table, please.

7. Please put your sister down (as he tries to dance around the room carrying her)

8. No, you didn't brush your teeth. Go brush your teeth.

9. Where are your shoes????

10. Please take your mask off at the table.

11. Please stop jumping, bouncing, climbing on the furniture, bed, chair, counter, table.....

12.  Clean socks. Please put on clean socks.

13.  How do your socks feel weird????

14.  How are you hungry again????

15.  No, you didn't take a bath last night.

16. No, you're not done in the bath, your hair isn't even wet.

17. What are you doing with that Sharpie?????

18.  Please stop pretending the play kitchen knife is a ninja weapon.

19. You want to do another blindfold taste test?

20. I love you too!

Five Tips for Loving Everything You Wear

I've been thinking a lot lately about the clothes in my closet. I shared on here that since August I've gotten rid of probably 100 things, many of which were blogging gifts, but things I didn't really love. I've been working to make sure I love everything I wear, and thought I'd share some tips with you today. 

Behind Closed Doors

I saw this book, "Behind Closed Doors" on a list for people who are fans of books like "Gone Girl" and "Girl on the Train." I couldn't wait to get my hands on it!

At first glance I would compare this book to "Sleeping with the Enemy," a movie Julia Roberts was in like twenty years ago. On the service it looks like Jack is the perfect husband and Grace is the beautiful wife, but there's a lot more to the story than that.

I honestly read this book in one day, so I obviously wanted to find out what was going to happen. I will say I felt like there were some plot holes throughout though. Jack is in an essence holding Grace captive, but the leverage he has on her isn't as believable as I think it could have been. I kept thinking she could just leave.

Overall, I think it was a good book, but not as good as "Gone Girl" or "Girl on the Train." Have you read this book? What were your thoughts?

The Rock

One of my favorite songs to sing is The Rock Won't Move. If you haven't heard it yet, here's the video:

Life Lately

Here's a look at life lately!

We kept busy over our unexpected four day weekend due to icy weather (which honestly was not bad at all around here). We went out to the outlet mall on Saturday and I was so excited to find this Kate Spade wallet on sale. I had wanted it a few weeks back but it was still to pricey for my my taste. Luckily it went on sale for $44 and  I was thrilled!

Playing By the Rules

Grant has always had a lot of friends, but recently he came home from school upset because of a disagreement with friends. One of his best friends from last year, who isn't in his class this year started going to the after school Kids Club and Grant was so excited! His buddy was saving him a seat, then someone else sat there, the boy wouldn't move and Grant didn't know what to do. He walked away feeling like his friends didn't like him and didn't have the tools to know how to navigate the situation. He didn't understand that just because he couldn't end up sitting my him at snack didn't mean he wouldn't get to play with him after snack. This was a little situation but Grant was definitely maximizing it.

We all talked at dinner. We problem solved the situation, and Brian and I decided to do our best at home to model good "friend" behavior. One thing we've specifically been doing is working to play games by the rules. Grant is infamous for trying to rewrite the rules to be in his favor. Sometimes I let him switch the rules in the past, because I want him to have fun, but that's not going to fly with friends-I saw this when he was playing Pokemon with a buddy over break. 

We've talked through the rules and explained why they make sense, and how if someone switched the rules it might not be "fair." We've also worked on winning and losing gracefully. This can be easier said than done, but Grant is doing well. We've talked about how he would feel if someone bragged about winning at school and why he shouldn't brag. We've also talked about not whining and saying "no fair" if you don't win. 

This is encouraging us to make family game times more consistent and I know Grant also loves the time just with us playing games after Hannah is in bed too, so it's definitely win-win.

I think so often we can take for granted the years it took us to navigate what friendship looks like, and honestly, I think we still have to work on it as adults. As parents, Brian and I definitely don't have it all figured out, but we're working on it.

The Kite Runner

I'm a bit embarrassed to admit that I hadn't read this book sooner: it's that good. Earlier this year I read "A Thousand Splendid Suns" and wrote a review here. The Kite Runner was equally amazing. 

Amazon says: "The unforgettable, heartbreaking story of the unlikely friendship between a wealthy boy and the son of his father’s servant, caught in the tragic sweep of history, The Kite Runner transports readers to Afghanistan at a tense and crucial moment of change and destruction. A powerful story of friendship, it is also about the power of reading, the price of betrayal, and the possibility of redemption; and an exploration of the power of fathers over sons—their love, their sacrifices, their lies." 

I couldn't put this book down and bonus, the movie is on Netflix once you are done reading. You should definitely pick it up today!