Skip to main content

Cinco de Mayo

In the spirit of "let's find any excuse to take an evening off" Husband and I decided we should celebrate Cinco de Mayo.  Sadly, I don't really know much about the holiday.  Mexican independence?  I should probably find out for sure.  Because right now I think I know more about Dia de los Muertos.....which really isn't that much either.

Every time we decide to have an evening off we're pretty limited.  We have these really little people living here, and for some reason they require constant attention.  So instead of leaving the house for a magical Mexican evening we had a "Date Night In." 

I'm sure it's not a new concept.  Basically, one of us grabs some food (that isn't a Happy Meal) and we rent a movie from Redbox.  Then we sit on our couch and ignore any and all whining from the sleeping kids' bedrooms.

I had to run a few errands that evening anyway, so I was the one who picked up dinner.  I was planning on Mexican food.  On the Border chicken chimichangas with sour cream sauce are the best, and totally non-fattening, I swear.  But then I remembered how much Husband likes Panda Garden.  Which is not Cinco de Mayo-ish at all - unless the Chinese celebrate Mexican holidays.

But it turns out that getting food from Panda Garden was ok, because when I got there the front counter chick and the grill dude kept conversing, really loudly, in Spanish.

I almost told them to have a happy Cinco de Mayo, but instead I just kept my mouth shut as I left with my orange chicken and egg rolls.

*********************************************

My kids won't clean.  As in, NEVER EVER E-V-E-R.  It's excruciatingly frustrating.

I started taking things away.  TV, video games, movies, Netflix (yeah, my kids know what Netflix is...) playing with friends, going outside, BREATHING.  Nothing would motivate them to clean.

So a few days ago we took every single toy, shoved them all in the toy room, and shut the door.  They're officially grounded from everything.  (And the toy room is a certified disaster.)

You would think this would phase them, right?  Or at least affect them in some way?  NOPE.  They can't have tv, games, friends or toys and they're happy as clams.  In fact, they've been more compliant and cheerful since everything became off limits.  They play together all day using annoying things like blankets and their imaginations.

It makes me seriously think about getting rid of everything.  Maybe we'd all be a lot happier?  And at least I would never have to nag them to clean up their stuff if it was all imaginary.

Comments

Heather said…
Ooo. Interesting idea. Maybe put it all up in the attic with no intention of bringing it back down. Then if you really are happier without it after a few months... trash it all! This idea is fascinating me. You have to inform us how it turns out!
Heidi said…
Sounds like you have hit on a revolutionary idea, one the toy companies will pay big money to keep under wraps. I predict offers to buy out your blog, this post in particular, will soon be forthcoming.
Barbaloot said…
Ah-blankets and immaginations. I remember those days:)
I have the smae problem... tried everything. Nothing worked until we found out that my daughter's boyfriends room is SpotLess! (I saw it, she didn't). It made a slight difference.

And every once in a while, we go thru the toys and haul out a bunch. They never notice. So sad...
cc said…
I've been thinking of seriously downsizing as well. Maybe we should throw a giant toy garage sale together!
Claire said…
i'm all for clearing out kids' toys. I do it regularly. It's a necessary evil.
LisAway said…
Hey! That's how we date, except I usually just make a junky food type dinner like pizza or chicken quesadillas to eat with the kids then put them in bed and we watch a movie. How creative.

Our kids literally NEVER (almost) put anything away until we tell them to. How do you teach your kids to put stuff away. It's so unnatural to make yourself chocolate milk and leave EVERYTHING out on the counter. Doesn't that just feel weird? Ugh. Kids. Glad yours are being creative

Popular posts from this blog

dream home

I don't really want a 'dream home'. I don't want to settle down in one house to raise my kids and then grandkids and then great-grandkids. I don't want to be trapped within the confines of the same exact walls from this moment until the day I die. The whole idea sounds like torture. Sometimes my house feels like a prison. (Although, I think it may have something to do with the little wardens that keep me from leaving at my leisure.) And once I've lived in one place long enough I just get really really bored. We've been married for 8 years and moved 7 times. I always hate the moving part, but I do like being somewhere new. And the house we're in right now is actually perfect for us. Just the size we need, great neighbors, close to the school, blah blah blah. The only thing is that we're renting and I can't paint the walls. I like painting walls. But for the most part, I really like living here. Granted, we've only lived here for seve...

hair loss and mourning

I like Monkey's hair long.  I tried to grow out Opie's hair when he was younger, but he has always had a tremendously large head, and he also has very thick wavy hair.  You pair those two together, throw in some long locks, and you've got yourself a genuinely bonified giant-head child.  So I've learned my lesson: keep Opie's hair short. But Monkey's hair?  It's so soft, and straight (our only straight-haired child) and super super cute when it's long.  SUPER CUTE.  (Agree with me - it's my blog.)  But not many people liked the whole long hair thing.  I kept having to threaten various family members with things like, "If I come back to find him with short hair I will DISOWN you, run away with my kids and you will never hear from us again.  EVER."  (Husband was particularly sensitive to this threat.) However, I did say that once random strangers started referring to him as a girl, I would consider cutting it.  And even though ...

The Barrel giveaway : Sea and Asters

 As mentioned in this month's issue of The Barrel I'm giving away something from Sea and Asters ! These are the coolest plants.  EVER.  They're low maintenance and look mega-awesome.  I'm totally getting one for myself....as soon as I decide which ONE it is that I love.  (Seeing as they're all uber-mega-awesome, I'm having a hard time deciding on a favorite.) The winner of this giveaway will receive a Hanging Globe Terrarium (worth $25) from Sea and Aster's etsy shop. This giveaway is open to US residents only.  All giveaways associated with The Barrel end on March 15th at 11:59 PM MT. Here's how to enter: 1- For ONE entry: visit Sea and Aster's Etsy shop then leave a comment on this post about which is your favorite product. 2- For another ONE entry you can "heart" Sea and Aster's Etsy shop . (Leave a separate comment telling me that you "hearted" them.) 3- For ONE more entry you can subscribe to The Barrel...