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It’s Wednesday! That means it’s time to spread some positivity and tell me why you’re happy. There’s so much going on in our lives that it’s nice to stop and reflect on something that’s happened that’s put a smile on our face.

This is the first week in a LONG time that no one in my house is sick (knock on wood.) This season has been a rough one for everyone in the house when it comes to viruses being passed around, so I am happy to finally have everyone feeling good and back to normal.

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I love spending time with my fun, happy, and a healthy family.

That’s what makes me happy.

Now tell me something good. Something that’s made you happy. It can be big, it can be small, just something that has put a smile on your face. You can participate by sharing a photo on Wednesday with the hashtag #WhyImHappyWednesday and tagging me @amommyinthecity or feel free to write it in the comments below. I do read them all and am happy to reply back on your good news! You can also join in the conversation on my Facebook page!

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I walked into Macks’ room the other morning to find him with his sleepsack and shirt off and thrown out of his crib. At that particular moment he was also attempting to take his diaper off and climb out of the crib. He’s a new breed, this little boy of mine. In his two years of life, he’s managed to make me learn an entire new style of motherhood. The side that has to be more patient, enjoy less personal space, and be ready for the unexpected at all times.

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This is not to say that he’s not the sweetest little boy I’ve ever met, because he most definitely is. It’s to say that he’s three times more active and rambunctious that the girls are. He loves to climb, he loves to test his limits, and he loves to make me work for things.

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While he’s getting older and things are getting just a tad bit easier with him (I’m finally feeling like my head is above water,) there are some things that he’s making 10 times more difficult than he did when he was little; getting dressed and diaper changing. Macks loves to run around so much that he doesn’t even want to stop for me to change him. There have been many instances when I’ve dropped the girls off at school, and while all three of us are dressed and ready, Macks is still in his pajamas because his tantrum wasn’t worth us being late for school. I pick my battles wisely with him and that’s just not one worth fighting.

And then there’s diaper changes. I remember during those first few days when he was teeny tiny. The only thing I had to worry about during diaper changes was that I might become the target of his bathroom duties (thankfully it’s only ever happened once.) I could take as much time as I wanted because he had no desire to get away from me.

Now that Macks is older, he knows that he’s got better things to do than for me to change his diaper. And he makes it very known that me changing his diaper is the last thing that he wants me to do. Getting his diaper change usually involves me chasing after him around the house, then a mini wrestling match on the floor for us to even take his diaper off. Sometimes I think that wrestling an alligator would be easier than changing Macks’ diaper.

While the alligator match will have to wait, there are two things that make his diaper changing experience slightly more bearable for him. The first is that he gets to pick out the diaper that he wants to wear. Our diapers have Sesame Street characters on them, so he gets to choose which character he’d like for me to put on him. It’s a simple way for him to feel like he’s in charge and is deciding on things for himself.

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The second way that I can get through a diaper change more quickly is when we use Dr. Smith’s Diaper Rash Spray. It sounds silly, but there is something about that spray that he really loves. When he’s grabbing his diaper, he automatically grabs the diaper rash spray to accompany him.  We’ve used Dr. Smith’s Diaper Rash Spray since the day that it came out and it’s the easiest way that I’ve treated diaper rash.

Macks has incredibly sensitive skin (he’s suffered from eczema since he was a baby) and his bottom is one of the most sensitive parts on his body. While the Dr. Smith’s Rash Ointment helps provide him relief, I simply don’t have the time to apply it like I did when he was younger. He’s just so much more active now and it’s like a race against the clock to get his diaper changed. That’s why the Dr. Smith’s Diaper Rash Spray is a game changer for us. Simply spray his bottom and put the diaper on. Super simple and super fast.

I used to think that I had this whole motherhood thing figured out. And then Macks came along. While he’s challenged me on nearly everything in his life, he’s also taught me that it’s okay if everything doesn’t always turn out the way that I’d planned or hoped. He’s a perfect example of how we should treat life as an adventure and spend less time on the ordinary things in our daily life and more on the exhilarating.
Great news! Dr. Smith’s is giving one lucky AMITC reader a chance to win a  Dr. Smith’s Prize Basket & $200 Babies R Us Gift Card! To enter, please fill out the form below:

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Do you want another chance to win another Dr. Smith’s Prize Pack? Head over to my Instagram page for another giveaway.

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One of my favorite things as a mom is to watch the relationships that my children build with one another. The girls are getting older and as they do, their relationship strengthens. Situations that Avery once came to me for, she’s now going to Harlan. And Harlan welcomes it because she takes her role as a big sister very seriously.

With them being close in age, they have many similar interests. Their room is full of toys and costumes that are used by all. I love that when they do get gifts, they immediately want to share it with one another rather than keeping it exclusively for themselves. Now that’s love.

One of their favorite things to do with one another is play pretend. They love taking something that they’ve seen in a movie or on television and make it their own. That’s been the case recently with the newest Monster High movie, Great Scarrier Reef. After watching the movie on television, the girls immediately fell in love with the story. Harlan’s been a Monster High fan for a while and has just recently started reading some of their chapter books. And Avery was even more interested in it when she saw how much her big sister liked it.

The girls were lucky enough to receive some Monster High goodies and had the very best time playing together.

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We’re big into crafts in our house, especially with the weather being cold outside. The Monster High Mummy Maker String Dolls Kit  was a great craft for them because not only does it keep them busy for a long time, but they can make some of their favorite Monster High characters out of string! Even I loved getting in on the fun.

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The girls picked out some of their favorite characters in the Great Scarrier Reef movie and were able to reinact some of the scenes from the movie with the Great Scarrier Reef Dolls. The movie, which ultimately teaches us that Monster High isn’t and accepts everyone despite their flaws, was really fun to watch and had such a great message behind it.

The girls with ghouls PoseaKala Mer’ri, and Peri & Pearl (which have fins that glow in the dark!) It’s amazing how much they can remember from the movie, yet still make their time together so unique. This pretend play that they love doing together allows their imagination to soar and is so good for them, no matter what their age. With two years between them, it still allows them to connect on that same level.

I love that each doll comes with a diary, which brings reading to play. Harlan learned how to read this year and loves it. She reads any chance she gets and one of her favorite things to do is read to Avery.

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And perhaps one of my favorite out of all of the Monster High toys is the Monster High Monster-fy Makeup Case. The makeup case totally reminds me of the one I had when I was a teenager. The girls hardly ever get to play with makeup, so this was a big treat for them. The kit includes everything you need to turn into your own Monster High character. Both girls could not wait to make themselves into Draculaura and I loved the bangs that came with the kit. The girls totally looked creeperific.

In all of Monster High, they stand for kindness and inclusivity and ultimately, that’s what I want my girls to stand for as well. As their mom, I try to teach them that, but I know that the relationship that they have with one another is much of where they will learn those skills.  Because after all, a sister is the best friend a ghoul (see what I did there? 😉 ) can have.

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Are you ready for a giveaway? Enter the Monster High Great Scarrier Reef Sweepstakes! Enter for a chance to win a personalized Great Scarrier Reef drawing and a $250 Toys “R” Us gift card. Enter here.

Monster High Great Scarrier Reef Product Information (All products are available at Toys “R” Us.)