moms night in

I've been trying to get together with friends and every so often I have a good conversation with them in the midst of figuring out when to meet up, but then a date for an evening out never comes to light. Which is fine, everyone has lots going on, a kids gets sick, the day gets to you, I have been all of there and done all of that. So, it got me thinking of fun "mom" movies and maybe hosting a Mom Movie Night In might work out better!

Then I staring thinking of movies for this idea of an event with friends! A lot of good ones came to mind and I will share my favorites with you now ...

Fun Moms Dinner ~ Four preschool moms with little in common need a night out to take a break from their kids, but one thing leads to another and things get rowdy! Really silly and heartwarming and such a great cast!

Freaky Friday ~ An overworked mother and her daughter do not get along. When they switch bodies, each is forced to adapt to the other's life for one freaky Friday! I'm partial to the original with Jodi Foster but I got to say the updated version is really good, and Jamie Lee Curtis is fantastic at whatever role she is plays! 

Mother's Day ~ As Mother's Day nears, a group of seemingly unconnected people in Atlanta come to terms with their relationships with their mothers! I love the kind of movie where the characters seem distant but end up all connected and this cast makes for a fun movie!

What To Expect When Your Expecting ~ Follow the lives of five interconnected coupes as they experience the thrills and surprises of having a baby and realize that no matter what you plan for, life does not always deliver what is expected! Hands down one of the funniest parenting movies out there! 

The Meddler ~ A widow from New York City follows her daughter to L.A. in hopes of starting a new life after her husband passes away.  Susan Sarandon and Rose Byrne are heartwarming and hilarious!

Mother and Daughters ~ Interwoven stories about what it means to be a mom, which are tied together by a single gal photographer who is riding a career high when an unlike;y and unexpected pregnancy forces her to turn her lens inward. Beautifully done an poignant!

Ricki and the Flash ~ It's been a roller-coaster ride for Ricki, a one-time wife and mother of three who left her family behind to follow her dreams of rock 'n' roll stardom in California. Now, the singer and guitarist must face the music when she returns home to Indiana to reconnect with ex-husband, troubled daughter, engaged son and younger son. Filled with regret, Ricki hopes to find redemption for all of the bad choices that she made in the past! Meryl Streep is amazing and this is an oddly moving, funny movie!

Stepmom ~ A story of an unlike;y friendship that develops between two remarkable women, one the ex-wife and the other the current girlfriend who continually clash over the well-being of the children. What can i say, i like Susan Sarandon! Both her and Julia Roberts make this movie a heartwarming drama to root for both women!

The Guilt Trip ~ A son is about to embark on a road trip of a lifetime when a quick stop at his mom's house turns into an unexpected cross country voyage with her along for the ride! So funny through and through!

Baby Mama ~ A successful single business woman who dreams of having a baby discovers she is infertile and hires a working class woman to be her unlikely surrogate! Amy Poehler and Tina Fey ... enough said!

Mama Mia ~ The stage show turn movie about a bride-to-be trying to find her father and the lighter side of a mother-daughter relationships! Great fun and Meryl Streep, again, amazing along with the fantastic cast!

Riding In Cars With Boys ~ The fresh, funny, touching and true story of writer Beverly Donofrio reveals her coming of age in the late 1960s and her whole life colored by an event that happened when she was 15. Spanning more than two decades, as the young heroine experiences often-humorous, sometimes-irreverent, but certainly a unique personal journey to make something meaningful of her life. Beautiful movie with Drew Barrymore!

Because I Said So ~ An unconditionally loving, but meddling, mother whose vain attempt to prevent her youngest daughter from repeating the same mistakes that she made, leads to a series of comic misunderstandings! The entire cast of this funny and charming movie are wonderful to watch!

Bad Moms ~ When three overworked and under appreciated moms are pushed beyond their limits, they ditch their conventional responsibilities for a jolt of long overdue fun, freedom, and comic self-indulgence! The best "mom" movie ever! Do yourself a favor and watch it now!

Oh to be a mom and have life played out on the big screen! But way more glamorous and amusing than reality, am I right!?

LIFE DOESN'T COME WITH A MANUAL, IT COMES WITH A MOTHER

xo

cries for help

Do you ever feel like you can't put up with one more scream? Or one more nasty sounding "please"? Or one more whining cry about the bowl the applesauce is in, is the wrong color? No, you just can't take it anymore? Hey, me too!

I feel as if it's a weird abusive relationship that I'm stuck in. Nobody is happy that I have made their peanut butter and jelly sandwich because today a triangle cut sandwich is not what they wanted, even though for the past week that was perfectly fine. Nobody is content with having cereal for breakfast because the bowl or the spoon is the wrong color even though they have never been picky about that sort of thing until today. Nobody wants to put on their pants because, honesty I don't even know why because at that point I was so done with the both of them I went downstairs to warm up my coffee so I could stay somewhat sane for the rest of the morning. 

Yep, it wasn't even 10AM and I was about ready to loose my shit.

Everyday something gets blown out of proportion and turns into a 30 minute whining, screaming meltdown! I offer solutions and remind them to use their words because Mommy is not a mind reader and the day is filled of ungrateful, hostile actions and words!

Now, some of you are probably saying to yourself, "what brats you have"
and I say to you, well gold star on your sweet little angels that are obedient little saints 100% of the time, bravo ... 
Because let's face it, they are not and you are lying to everyone if you say they are.

I don't know why all this started, and I feel like it's been creeping up the last few months, but I don't think it is a behavioral issue that I need to call the pediatrician on, but I think it's more than chalking it up to a phase they are going through {SIGH} either way, it needs to stop because I am exhausted by this nonsense everyday and it is overwhelming for me. So much so, that by the time they are in bed, after putting up a fight about anything and everything you could imagine, I just want to collapse and not wrap up important things that need to be done. 

This is draining, and most days I'm the only one with them. When Joe gets home, he plays with the kids and helps around the house and witnesses the evening portion of the fiasco that has been my entire day, but I don't think he fully understands. I'm dazed and perturbed and bewildered as to what I could have done differently and disheartened as I stare aimlessly at the to-do list and eventually weep while sitting on the sofa watching tv because I'm at a loss of what to do. What to do about chores before I need to go to bed. What to do about the kids attitude for tomorrow. What to do about talking to Joe and coming up with a solution. 

Wake up earlier to set a pleasant mood? Worth a try
Keep calm and deep breathes? That might work for a while
Steady regular voice no matter what? Maybe
So I looked up a few articles and the best one that I liked, came from my favorite podcast duo, Megan and Sarah of The Mom Hour! They don't post on this site anymore but this was a great read and if you want more of The Mom Hour, check out LifeListened! More great helpful advice came from this wonderful post that is just good 'ol self-care centered that I need reminding of from time to time.

Tomorrow is another day and they won't stay little for much longer, so create a home where everyone thrives and stick with the family rules because what they are taught now, sticks with them forever.

RAISING KIDS IS A WALK IN THE PARK ... JURASSIC PARK

xo