Our family is in the thick of switching to our new routine for the summer with tennis and swim team in full swing. Even though the scheduling is not to crazy, I still feel crazy in my head as we adapt to our new morning schedule. And I think I get Loser Mom of the year award for last night and this morning!
First of all, let’s just say Blaze is not asking for swim lessons. Nope, he’d prefer to stay on the side of the pool rather than in the pool. But he’s four now, and we feel like it’s time he stop clinging to the side of the pool. So picture this…
Blaze screaming at the top of his lungs as I carry him to the pool. Then grabbing my clothes as I lower him into the pool and hand him to his teacher. Me fighting back the tears because I feel like EVERYONE is wondering how I could be so cruel. And then within two minutes, maybe even ONE minute, he is playing motor boat, laughing, splashing, blowing bubbles.
WHATEVER!!!
He totally loves it. So why must we do the whole screaming thing every single time! In Blaze’s defense it’s only Day Two, but still! 
Okay, some of you are saying “That doesn’t deserve Loser Mom Awards! We’ve all been there too.” But wait, I haven’t told you about last night!
I come home from the gym one hour after the kids went to bed. Brian tells me that Blaze has been getting out of bed and changing into different pairs of pajamas. Dad is not happy with him. So when I hear Blaze murmur something from the top of the stairs, I don’t even bother looking at him but just say “Blaze, get back in bed.”
Three or four minutes go by…again, murmur-murmur-mama-murmur…
“Blaze, I said get back in bed.”
I’m making myself something to drink, putting the last dishes in the dishwasher, and suddenly I realize that Blaze and I have been having this cyclical dialogue for almost fifteen minutes. I decide to go upstairs and put an end this.
Can you believe this?
He is sitting on the toilet this whole time. His little murmur was “I went poopoo. I need someone to help me wipe.”
I almost fall apart and feel like the biggest LOSER mom ever!! Let’s just say he didn’t look like this at all!
Quite the opposite actually–the most pitiful little boy on the toilet you can imagine who has red lines all over the back of his legs when he stands up. What a loser mom! Don’t you think!
Brian chimes in and says, “He’s LUCKY I didn’t go upstairs because all I know is he’s out of bed again.” How can Brian say that!?? Just cruel!! Brian doesn’t have an ounce of guilt while my guilt truck has pulled up to my driveway and three guys are unloading all the bottles–in WAVES!
Would you have felt bad?
First thing this morning, Blaze comes walking out of the bedroom and says, “Mama, I waited so long for you to help me wipe last night. I still might have red marks on my legs from the toilet.” Then he went and sulked with his blankies.
Oh boy, he’s so got my number!
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Recipes for the above shots in case you’re wondering;
Happy Blaze on the Toilet
Aperture was at a 2.8
Shutter Speed was kind of low. It was at a 80th of a second (1/80). You can’t really hand hold your camera below a 60th of a second and not get camera shake or blur in the shot, so I was playing a little close to fire with being down to an 80th of a second.
ISO was 400. I tried 100 and 200 first but there wasn’t enough light in the bathroom. Photos were coming out to dark, so I had to bump up to a 400. The low ISO is for your best color saturation, and since I was in an all white bathroom, I figured the color saturation wasn’t to big of a deal anyways.
Blaze Sulking with His Ba-Ba’s
Aperture was down really low: 1.6. I shot this with a Fixed or Prime Lens. This means there is no zoom on the lens so I have to move my body to get closer, but because it’s a Fixed/Prime Lens I can go lower than a 2.8 in my F Stop. Hence, the yummy 1.6.
Shutter Speed was at 100th of a second or 1/100.
ISO was at a 200 because I just didn’t have enough light to be all the way down to a 100 ISO.
And a BIG THANK YOU!!!
I wanted to thank ALL of you who send us emails telling us that us you’ve referred our DVD series to your friends and family. The orders come in every day! The continued feedback is AWESOME. We are so excited that you like them so much! And I especially love it when you email me your images from the DVD exercises! I may not be able to respond to all emails, but feel free to always send us your DVD results. We LOVE seeing what you’re able to do after watching Refuse to Say Cheese and Beyond the Green Box!
