You know you're a mommy when....Preschool edition

I wrote a blog like this 4 years ago when my boys were babies/toddlers and I laughed when I re-read it today because life is just so different now that the boys are older! Also, I laughed when I felt the need to "justify" my feeding Jonathan mac and cheese by saying it was organic....Oh, poor, naive Katy of 2012...if you only knew what your kids eat now.

So here is my updated "You know you are a mommy when..." list. 

1. You instantly recognize the "click" that the seatbelt/carseat makes when it is being unbuckled. You have also perfected the look of death that you give each kid in the rear view mirror. This nearly always suffices and they buckle back up.

2.  You often wonder if shows like VeggieTales or the educational ones on PBS Kids really count towards screen time. I mean, they are learning at the same time, no? So basically, you can let them watch another episode of Wild Kratts and not have to do "learning  time" that day. Win-win! 

3. Your ideas on what constitutes "a clean room" have totally changed.  All you want is for them to clean their room up on their own. One less room for you to clean up, make the bed, put things away etc...So if it means that you accept a bed that is disheveled and made up only to the point that their stuffed animals are tucked in and "sleeping," so be it. At least you didn't have to do it yourself. 

4. Food time is a battle. Every. Single. Day. Thankfully, you have learned the secret weapons of your most stubborn and are now prepared when he makes himself throw up so that he doesn't have to eat vegetables. You know his tricks and he will NOT get out of eating. You have also developed a much larger tolerance for throw up. "Oh, you think fake gagging on that pea will save you today? Joke's on you." 

5. Speaking of food, you have significantly lowered your standards. That's all that needs to be said about that. 

6. During the summer, we all try to keep their brains from turning to mush. Sometimes we do great and they do some work out of a workbook or our older kids practice reading to us. Other times, you give them a 100 pack of straws and a pair of scissors and they "work on their fine motor skills" for an hour while you check Facebook.

7. At this point in your mothering career,  obviously you have learned to tune them out, but you have also learned the difference in their screams.  A few of the favorites in our house..."He stole the remote control and won't give it back!"..."Matthew punched me in the eye and I'll never be able to see again!".... "Superman will save you from the terrible Squidman! Pow pow pow!!!"..."Mom, I'm not screaming! I'm practicing my songs for school!"

8. You have learned to gauge whether your grocery store trip is an "I'll have to buy them donuts to get through this" kind of trip or if you can get by with a free cookie from the bakery. You have also taught them to remind you to pay for the donuts at the end of the trip...

9. There are 2 words you fear more than any others during the summer... "I'm bored." 

10. Finally, you know you are a preschool mommy when you fluctuate between two emotions at any given time; desperation for your kids to grow up and be more self-reliable, and total depression that your kids are growing up so fast. Kindergarten is the most terrifying of all the parent things. They are gone from you SO long, they are under the influence of all the terrible things that go on at school... but it is also so nice to have a little more time to yourself. And it's pretty cool to see your kids growing into real little men.