Grumpy mom

C dumping the puffs and grinding them into the carpet

As a mom I feel I spend way to much time saying no, don't touch that do that, stop that, leave it. I spend way to much time feeling angry and grumpy.
I hate being an irritated mommy. I want to be one of the easy going parents and most of the time I am able to parent gently. I fully believe in attachment parenting. I know my child is a better because we don't cry it out, I listen to what he is saying and feeling and respond to his needs. Sure it means I don't have "Me time" but I feel like I get plenty of selfish time. I get to do what I want I get books read, I go out with friends, I take walks and go shopping. I just do it all with my little person snuggled up next to me.

Its getting harder as he gets older to feel like a calm easy going mommy. I get caught up in the constant redirection and it stresses me out and I end up losing my calm and snapping. I am done. I know how I want my day to go, how I want to be as a mother and I know I've gone off that path, I'm drifting and so I've decided I need a change.

I am going to try to actively work toward being a better mother, defining my ideal and figuring out what my life right now is lacking, I have started a long list of parenting books and memoirs I want to read, I have lots of projects I've been meaning to get around to. Ideas for structuring our days to avoid the dreaded toddler melt downs. I just need to put all this research into affect. Its not just parenting, its being a better wife, a better friend, its about being a better me.

I'll be posting a list of goals, a list of projects, and a list of books later and then I'll start working through the lists. I'm hoping that by having them written out and by using this blog I'll be able to keep myself on track.

Toodler food

We are one of those households, the allergies list as long as your arm places where everything that comes in needs to be dissected to determine if its safe.  We are Gluten-free, Nut-free, Soy-free, Orange-free and have other food issues with eggs, most fruits, and red meat. We also don't do processed foods, preservatives, and are trying to cut all GMO stuff out too. I can't say I miss them but this can make eating a challenge.

sweet potato, kale salad, mashed potato, and cornbread

C has suddenly upped the amount he wants to eat he is always hungry and so I have found that my old nurse a lot, feed him a little of what ever I'm having method of meal times doesn't work any more. We have moved on to planned toddler meals. I want to make sure that he is getting a balanced diet because even with out all the junk its still possible to be lacking in good stuff.  This is the first week of planned munchkin meals, I will be attempting to make him breakfast, morning snack, lunch, afternoon snack, dinner, and bedtime snack.  Ideas for breakfast are pancakes, oatmeal, muffins, smoothies, snacks will be bite sized and a mixture of veggies and protein, lunch will be what ever we are having usually rice based with veggies and dinner will be the same.
 My hope is that by making sure his meals are balanced and have variety it will spill over into the meals of the rest of the house, that my husbands lunches will become more rounded and our family meals will too.  I'm sure that it will take a while to get in a routine and get used to having a verity of good snacks on hand. So this week I am reading every book on toddler nutrition and breastfeeding a toddler that I can get my hands on and searching Pinterest for fun lunch and snack ideas.