Mommy Genius, Indeed!

Okay, guys! There are no photos on this posting, but I feel I have tapped into a much underutilized tool for mommies everywhere! The McDonald's Playland in the morning! There are hardly ANY children there in the mornings....they have breakfast there....great coffee...and booths where you can sit and make menus, grocery lists, read a magazine or take the laptop and get some things done online like paying bills, etc. McD's has Wi-Fi in most areas as well! Okay, I got up this morning and told everyone to get dressed! They were thrilled to hear we were going to McDonald's for breakfast! That never happens! LOL

We arrived, ate breakfast together and then they played.....and played.....and played. We were there for over an hour and they never got bored. I made up an entire menu for the month of September! Then, we went to the library afterwards! We were home before 11:30 and so I still have all day to straighten the house, cook dinner, etc.! I think this will be the new plan every month. Usually, I stay up late at night to work on the menu because I can't concentrate with the kids asking for something every 30-45 seconds! LOL NOW, I can get it done during the sunnier hours of the morning! Yea, me! I feel like a genius....sure! You should try it!

It would even be great if you just need a "break". I have taken them in the afternoons before and took a new magazine I wanted to thumb through and read. I got them an ice cream and then let them play while I sat and enjoyed some much needed "quiet" time.

I have noticed a difference in some words that take on totally different definitions once you are a mommy....

Quiet Time:

Pre-Mommy Definition: Silence. No noise of any kind.

Post-Mommy Def: That 3-5 minutes per day when you can't hear anyone yelling or running through your house tattling. A time when nobody is speaking directly at you.

Fun:

Pre-Mommy Definition: Going to the movies, out to dinner, to a party, socializing with other adults with like interests.

Post-Mommy Def: Any activity that involves entertaining very short people after which you do not have to clean up. Example: other people's kids' parties, playlands, parks, etc.

Grooming:

Pre-Mommy Definition: Taking time each day to look your best including taking a nice hot bath or shower, shaving your legs, washing, blow drying and fixing your hair, choosing clothing ensembles that are flattering and pleasing to the eye, applying makeup in a leisurely fashion.

Post-Mommy Def: Putting on deodorant daily.

Cleaning:

Pre-Mommy Definition: The time of the week when you take a moment to dust, vacuum, mop & sweep. About 2 hours.

Post-Mommy Def: Never ending scrubbing, wiping, vacuuming, dish washing, dusting, peeling, windexing, ironing, laundering, stain-removing and plunging.

Daytime Television:
Pre-Mommy Definition: Any time you are at home during the day and are able to catch up on your favorite soap opera or hgtv show!

Post-Mommy Def: Barney, Dora and Little Bear.

Dates:

Pre-Mommy Definition: A day or night when you go with your significant other to dinner, a movie, concert or some other attraction of interest. Romantic.

Post-Mommy Def: A time in which you schedule after much difficulty to have 2 hours alone with your significant other while paying someone to watch the tiny people who live in your house.

Shopping:

Pre-Mommy Definition: A time when you enter a store and leisurely shop for items you want or didn't know existed that you cannot live without. Often done with a friend or family member.

Post-Mommy Def: Wrestling 1 or more children into a seat of a buggy while rushing through the aisles before the meltdown begins and you leave with only half of what you HAD to have at the store. Usually takes place most often at Wal-Mart or Target.

Crafting:
Pre-Mommy Definition: A time in which you sit and make jewelry, scrapbooks or other crafts of many variations.

Post-Mommy Def: Macaroni noodles, fruit loops, shoestrings, finger paints and crayons.

Working:

Pre-Mommy Definition: The time during the day or night in which you go to your place of employment and preform duties in which you are rewarded with a paycheck.

Post-Mommy Def: 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year in which you work endlessly and are rewarded with sticky kisses and sweet hugs and smiles and the most amazing words in the world "I love you, mommy".