Help! I feel like "The Entertainer"

Good Morning!
This morning I am looking for some advice and help, so if you would not mind sharing your thoughts, it would be greatly appreciated.
Lately I have been feeling like "The Entertainer" to my children.  I come home from work and am so excited to see my boys, pick them up from my mom's, who is exhausted and usually feeling pretty grumpy, (I think she feels that she has to be "The Entertainer" too.  Get them home and make dinner, which I am an expert at a 10 minute meals - anyway as I am making dinner - EVERY NIGHT, they are after me to entertain them, now mind you I do enjoy playing with them and don't want to ignore them right when I get home - in fact I never do that - but I don't want to get on the floor and play trains, or Diego or what ever it is for 3 hours until Jim gets home from work.  And I feel VERY guilty about it.
Sometimes I have stuff to do and if I am not paying 100% with them they act up.  HELP!!!!!!!  Please, someone give me some advice on this.........my mother says that she NEVER or RARELY played with her kids - that we played by ourselves and did not rely on others for attention or imagination.
So, what does everyone think and what do they do / amount they play with their kids?
Have a great day!
Patty -
P.S. As I am typing I am expected by Scott, my oldest to form a ball with the play dough that he is pushing in my face.  I am getting angry!!!!!!!!!!



Follow @pattygatter

Kid Theives?

Well, I guess I have 2 little boys that are theives........
Earlier this week I had to travel with my boss so I did not want to be late - naturally.  Was in the process of dropping of my older son to my parents house - I was feeling great, on time and ready to have a great day.  I went to leave, to make my next stop of dropping off my 2 year old to Lynn, my friend that watches him 2 times a week and I could not find my keys!  My heart was racing because I hate to be late - I was racing around laughing to myself (that is what I do when I get frustrated like Clark Griswold!!!)  I thought I was going to have to go back home to get my spare key - anyway after about 25 minutes - I finally found them.  Turnes out that Jake, my baby must have taken them and hid them behind my parents couch.  NICE!!! Luckilly my boss is awesome and did not mind and completely understood.
Now, I should have known, because when Scott, the older son was little he used to hide pots and pans and other kitchen ware.  My husband and I used to fight and acuse eachother of having hid whatever the favoite pan was.  Why the heck would I do something with the old discusting pan that is chipping and just gross - yet remains to be the favoite thing to cook with?  Now let me tell you, we have an awesome and very expensive set of pots and pans that we rarely use!!!!!! It is stainless steel and does not have that tephlon - or what ever it is that can kill you if you consume too much of it when it peels off the "non-stick" surface.  But for some reason, we like to live life on the edge and we use that crappy pan all of the time.  Anyway, after a fight an accusing eachother of taking it, one night we found all sorts of cookware under the couch!!!!!!! 
So that is that - if you are missing anything in your house, maybe you have theives living amongst you!



http://twitter.com/pattygatter

Momology: The Guilt Factor

Momology: The Guilt Factor: "Ever since having had children I feel so guilty about so much. Does anyone else suffer from this as well? When my first son was born and I..."

Follow @pattygatter

The Guilt Factor

Ever since having had children I feel so guilty about so much.  Does anyone else suffer from this as well?  When my first son was born and I would leave him with my amazing mother, I would cry and cry and cry and had such a hard time leaving him.  It was one of the most difficult things that I have ever had to do and the guilt factor was ENORMOUS!  I questioned myself  every day," Was I doing the right thing for the biggest love of my life?"  It actually went against ALL of my instincts as a mom to leave my child - and I feel so lucky that my mom watched him - and it was still difficult for me.
Then baby number 2 came along and I have to honestly say that it was much easier for me to leave him with my mother.  Maybe because I had already come to terms with working?  But it was very nice to not at least have that guilt.
But other guilt remains, sad to say.  I struggle with doing things outside of work without them.  It is very difficult for me to leave them again after having worked all day.  And on weekends, forget it, I don't ever want to do stuff without them - and when I do, I have guilt....guilt.....guilt.  I know that it is healthy and do things, and that I need to work on this area of my life.  On the times that I actually do go out to the movies or lunch, whatever, I come home and they don't even know that I left!  I still do feel the need to be with them as much as possible and although at points they do drive me a little crazy, man I love them so much and love to watch them grow, do stuff, try and figure out the thoughts that are going through their heads and since I do miss some of this during the day, I get my fill thankfully!
Happy Weekend!


Follow @pattygatter

Momology: Men are "Me" Oriented

Momology: Men are "Me" Oriented: "Me Oriented Lalalalalala I am happy, I am only watching this program on tv and thinking of nothing else, as amazing as that can be, only thi..."

Follow @pattygatter

Men are "Me" Oriented

Me Oriented

Lalalalalala I am happy, I am only watching this program on tv and thinking of nothing else, as amazing as that can be, only thinking of one thing. Q: What am I?  A:  A man.  How can that be?  How can men do that?  I want some of that..........I am lucky if I can limit my thoughts to 3 things at once.  That would be considered a relaxed state of mind for me.

A customer once told me as I was happily engaged and so excited to get married, she said I am going to tell you this, and I want you to really listen, 2 things that will take you though life, 1. Men are “me” oriented, it is just the way they were made and 2. Always ask yourself, “does it really matter?”  You know, I have gotten some really good advice in life, but Susan, thank you so much because I think of you often and really listened to you when you told me these 2 things and they have helped me tremendouslly.

I am not making excuses for men, and I will probably make a lot of women and men, people upset by writing that, thinking that oh, I am protecting men and making their self centeredness ok, but I actually really believe that is the way most of them are and they can’t help it.  And yet another responsibility of women is to help men realize it.  This means reminding them of what they have to do to help you.  I know it is a hassle, and I am still getting used to it myself because I think dudes should think of things on their own, but they don’t.....so if you want to get some of the work load off of yourself and get a little help, you have to ASK.  It won’t occur to men on their own, because they are again, only thinking of one thing at a time.

This is especially helpful when you have children.  Because your work load increases so much and a womans life changes much more than a mans life when you have little ones.  I know that life changes for men too, but not nearly as much as when you have kids.

Follow @pattygatter

Momology: Depressed, Fat & on a Diet?

Momology: Depressed, Fat & on a Diet?: "So I was reading one of those magazines that I love so much, not going to mention the name because they all pretty much contain the same stu..."

Follow @pattygatter