Motherhood tricks I've learned

Maybe "tricks" isn't the right word. More "practices to make it easier."

1. Decorate the front of little girl's underwear when they start dressing themselves. Fabric paint only costs a dollar, you can make whatever designs you want (flowers, hearts, ABC's, numbers, her name, etc.), and it will make your life easier. Or at least hers more comfortable.

2. Quartering oranges means everyone gets to eat them. My kids have loved fruit forever; I remember Madeleine crawling over, pulling herself up on my knee, and looking at me expectantly whenever I sat down to peel an orange. Citrus and bananas were the only fruit I peeled (and I know people who peel everything--apples, peaches, even pears and sandwiches) but it was time-consuming. If more than one orange had to be peeled, I was going without lunch. Then Shelly told me off-hand, "I don't even do that. I just cut them in quarters."
Much better.

3. Zipper lingerie bags for socks are lifesavers. Who wants to think about tiny missing socks in the washer? Or remove safety pins from pairs, which doesn't stop you from losing them either?

4. Start them young on sunscreen. They fight it much less if it's something that's always been done. Mine are completely blissfully ignorant of sunburn and I like it that way. If they make it to double-digits intact that way, I'll have done something right.

5. Freezer pops are wonderful things. They work to soothe a bonked mouth, a lost tooth, another imagined injury... And they're really nice distractions on hot days half an hour before supper. They won't fill them up.

Oh, and we had the ultrasound today. All is well, though the doc said the little one is measuring about a week ahead. But my bloodwork and pictures came through just fine.
Dale III is over the moon with all of the results.