She's now feeling Christmasy down to her toes!
Friday, December 12, 2008
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
I am pooped!
Let me give you the exhausting run down of my day, just for sympathy purposes:
Woke up
Showered, dressed, ate
Fed & watered kiddos and pets
Cleaned up dog's throw-up and took him out for duty, scooped his poop
Bundled up and shoveled walkways, cleaned off van
Set kiddos up at table for semi-supervised school work and proceeded to clean the house for a 12:00 p.m. house showing, yay!
Cleaned, dusted, scrubbed, swept, folded, hid stuff etc...
12:00p.m.-Grabbed kiddos and pupster, headed out to run errands while strangers walked through our house
1:00p.m.-Came home, made lunch, put away things that I only take out for house showings, got ready to take kids to piano lessons
2:00p.m.-answered call that someone ELSE wants to see the house at 5:00p.m., yay!
2:30p.m.-Dropped kids off at piano, ran to Kohl's to buy them much needed winter boots
3:30p.m.-Picked up kids and headed home to clean the mess I let the kids make because I didn't know I'd have to show the house, AGAIN, on the same day, UGH!
4:00 p.m.- Got home, fed dog, walked dog, scooped more poop, cleaned AGAIN!
5:00 p.m.-Grabbed kids, dog and boots (which didn't fit Sweet Pea! New motto:never shop for kids shoes without the kid!) and headed back to Kohl's while the NEW people came to look at the house.
6:00 p.m.-Got home with new boots and grumpy kids, started dinner with hunger pains.
7:00 p.m.-Finally got dinner cleaned up, (HH's working late again!) put dog out, played "coffee shop" with kids
8:00 p.m.- AHH! Sitting with feet up for a few minutes, catching up on blogs, waiting for hubby to arrive and kids to go to bed!!
P.S. Realtor called. Hoping to hear about an offer...but no, just wanted to know if I can show the house AGAIN TOMORROW. Sure, looking forward to it, sigh!
Woke up
Showered, dressed, ate
Fed & watered kiddos and pets
Cleaned up dog's throw-up and took him out for duty, scooped his poop
Bundled up and shoveled walkways, cleaned off van
Set kiddos up at table for semi-supervised school work and proceeded to clean the house for a 12:00 p.m. house showing, yay!
Cleaned, dusted, scrubbed, swept, folded, hid stuff etc...
12:00p.m.-Grabbed kiddos and pupster, headed out to run errands while strangers walked through our house
1:00p.m.-Came home, made lunch, put away things that I only take out for house showings, got ready to take kids to piano lessons
2:00p.m.-answered call that someone ELSE wants to see the house at 5:00p.m., yay!
2:30p.m.-Dropped kids off at piano, ran to Kohl's to buy them much needed winter boots
3:30p.m.-Picked up kids and headed home to clean the mess I let the kids make because I didn't know I'd have to show the house, AGAIN, on the same day, UGH!
4:00 p.m.- Got home, fed dog, walked dog, scooped more poop, cleaned AGAIN!
5:00 p.m.-Grabbed kids, dog and boots (which didn't fit Sweet Pea! New motto:never shop for kids shoes without the kid!) and headed back to Kohl's while the NEW people came to look at the house.
6:00 p.m.-Got home with new boots and grumpy kids, started dinner with hunger pains.
7:00 p.m.-Finally got dinner cleaned up, (HH's working late again!) put dog out, played "coffee shop" with kids
8:00 p.m.- AHH! Sitting with feet up for a few minutes, catching up on blogs, waiting for hubby to arrive and kids to go to bed!!
P.S. Realtor called. Hoping to hear about an offer...but no, just wanted to know if I can show the house AGAIN TOMORROW. Sure, looking forward to it, sigh!
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
FYI- SUPER MOM IS A FICTIONAL CHARACTER!
Don't get me wrong...I most definitely believe ALL moms are heroes! It is an act of heroism to carry a child, deal with all of the emotional and bodily changes that take place and give life to a little, fragile, human being. Then to make sacrifice, upon sacrifice, when caring for every need of that child. Whether you're married, single, stay at home, work from home, work outside the home or otherwise, being a mom is the hardest job you'll ever have and will bring the greatest rewards you could ever imagine.
It's the "Super Mom" mentality that sneakily undermines all that we work towards everyday. One thing motherhood has taught me about myself is that I'm quite the little control-freak! My children have brought out the best and the worst in me, from time to time. I am by nature a planner. But I have come to realize my limitations and that realization alone has brought me such peace.
There is no such person as "Super Mom". We cannot do EVERYTHING we'd like to do in a day and be ALL things to ALL people, as much as we'd like to. It's great to have goals to strive toward, but by constantly comparing ourselves to other moms (who SEEM to get everything done) we are doing ourselves a great disservice. Everyone has to make sacrifices and as my hubby often reminds me, not every day with our kids has to be a Norman Rockwell moment.
A few years ago, Chad and I took a second honeymoon to Italy for our 10th anniversary. We are both of Italian decent and it was a long-awaited and eagerly anticipated trip to the "mother land". While in Tuscany we stayed in Florence, which is a thriving city, yet unlike similar cities in the States, it had an overwhelmingly relaxed atmosphere. No one there is in a hurry to do anything. They have figured out how to be very productive, while maintaining the freedom not to be pressured to DO more than they need to. It was a real eye-opener to me and a desire grew in me to translate those simple principles into our life here.
Being home all day it is very tempting for me to be in constant motion and keep everything spic and span. But do I really want my kids to remember me as this person flitting from room to room keeping house but not really being present? There will come a day, all too soon, when the halls of this house will be void of children screeching to one another. Where the walls will no longer be smeared with little fingerprints or toothpaste (famous in our house). When chubby little arms will no longer wrap around my waist while trying to cook and wet cherubs lips will no longer be planted daily on my cheeks.
My oldest is nine and those nine years have gone by in a blink and I'm sure the next nine will follow suit until my little man is a young man on his own. It makes me all the more thankful for this time to homeschool, although it is expensive and not without the many sacrifices that living on one income presents, it is MORE than worth it. At the end of our time on earth I don't think we'll wish we had more time to work, but more time to spend time enjoying those we love and doing things that are truly meaningful to us.
I can only speak from my own life experience and being a pastor's wife, I feel I sometimes hold myself to a higher standard than I would expect of others. And, in the past, I imagined that others must be holding me to that standard as well. As women, we often put pressure on ourselves to live up to some ideal which DOESN'T exist. We need to let go of any guilt and know that we cannot BE anyone else. We can only BE ourselves and do those things that WE are gifted to do. Being a wife and mom IS a calling and I just want to spend my days soaking in my kids, taking care of myself, my family and as many others as I can. Sleep well tonight moms...and pull the plug on "super mom"...she's just a figment of our imaginations ;)
It's the "Super Mom" mentality that sneakily undermines all that we work towards everyday. One thing motherhood has taught me about myself is that I'm quite the little control-freak! My children have brought out the best and the worst in me, from time to time. I am by nature a planner. But I have come to realize my limitations and that realization alone has brought me such peace.
There is no such person as "Super Mom". We cannot do EVERYTHING we'd like to do in a day and be ALL things to ALL people, as much as we'd like to. It's great to have goals to strive toward, but by constantly comparing ourselves to other moms (who SEEM to get everything done) we are doing ourselves a great disservice. Everyone has to make sacrifices and as my hubby often reminds me, not every day with our kids has to be a Norman Rockwell moment.
A few years ago, Chad and I took a second honeymoon to Italy for our 10th anniversary. We are both of Italian decent and it was a long-awaited and eagerly anticipated trip to the "mother land". While in Tuscany we stayed in Florence, which is a thriving city, yet unlike similar cities in the States, it had an overwhelmingly relaxed atmosphere. No one there is in a hurry to do anything. They have figured out how to be very productive, while maintaining the freedom not to be pressured to DO more than they need to. It was a real eye-opener to me and a desire grew in me to translate those simple principles into our life here.
Being home all day it is very tempting for me to be in constant motion and keep everything spic and span. But do I really want my kids to remember me as this person flitting from room to room keeping house but not really being present? There will come a day, all too soon, when the halls of this house will be void of children screeching to one another. Where the walls will no longer be smeared with little fingerprints or toothpaste (famous in our house). When chubby little arms will no longer wrap around my waist while trying to cook and wet cherubs lips will no longer be planted daily on my cheeks.
My oldest is nine and those nine years have gone by in a blink and I'm sure the next nine will follow suit until my little man is a young man on his own. It makes me all the more thankful for this time to homeschool, although it is expensive and not without the many sacrifices that living on one income presents, it is MORE than worth it. At the end of our time on earth I don't think we'll wish we had more time to work, but more time to spend time enjoying those we love and doing things that are truly meaningful to us.
I can only speak from my own life experience and being a pastor's wife, I feel I sometimes hold myself to a higher standard than I would expect of others. And, in the past, I imagined that others must be holding me to that standard as well. As women, we often put pressure on ourselves to live up to some ideal which DOESN'T exist. We need to let go of any guilt and know that we cannot BE anyone else. We can only BE ourselves and do those things that WE are gifted to do. Being a wife and mom IS a calling and I just want to spend my days soaking in my kids, taking care of myself, my family and as many others as I can. Sleep well tonight moms...and pull the plug on "super mom"...she's just a figment of our imaginations ;)
Sunday, December 7, 2008
It's beginning to look a little like Christmas...
The mantle still needs a little something...it'll come
Sweet Pea's own tree
Sweet Pea's holiday tea table and mini nativity
My new Word Tree
Our nativity, which the kids set up each year and call them "the Jesus people!"
This year the question has been...to decorate or not to decorate? In the midst of selling our house we weren't sure. But the kids said it just didn't "feel" like Christmas yet without our special decorations. We've never had much in the way of Christmas decor...every year I say I'll buy things on clearance for next year. But the things that we have, I really love. We still have yet to get our big, live tree, where most of our prized ornaments go. But it has been such a cold weekend, we'll have to do it one night this week. Instead we have started to put out a few things and I must say the mood of the house now has an air of expectancy and joy. I like to put a little something festive in every room. This year I treated myself to a cute, little "Charlie Brown" tree for the dining room. With all our bookcases moved into the basement, it actually fits. Having to be frugal, I spent a few days making my own ornaments and thought I would make a Word Tree. I made paper snowflakes and glittery name tags and filled the tree with all the words that are special to me, especially this time of year; like family, celebrate, love, give, faith, peace, friends etc... I think it is such a cute tree and a constant reminder of what is most important to our family. More to come I'm sure :)
Friday, December 5, 2008
"I'm bored!"
The other night I heard, in passing, from Sweet Pea, "I'm bored!" Pun'kin Head knows those words are not allowed in our house, as boredom is a choice. There's always something you can find to do or you could join Mama in cleaning, which I happened to be doing at the time. Before I had the chance to say anything I heard big brother say "Hey, Let's do a project!" I heard all kinds of craft boxes being sorted through, not knowing what would result. This was what I found twenty minutes later, all on their own. Wishing for real snow, they created some cute snowmen! :)
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Faith Like A Child
While driving in the car, Pun'kin Head usually peppers me with comments and questions of all sorts and never ceases to amaze me with his wisdom. This is our conversation that took place last night.
Pun'kin Head: Mama, I think this is going to be the best Christmas EVER for our family and I don't mean about getting any gifts.
Me: Me too, buddy!
Pun'kin Head: So many people always complain when we come to a new year. But, for us, every year just gets better and better!
Me: Yes, we are very blessed.
Pun'kin Head: People who aren't happy need to start saying that the new year will be better for them if they want to see it get better.
Me: You're right, buddy, that's what it means to be in faith and that will give God something to work with.
That's Faith 101-Hearing the Word AND accepting it as truth for your life!
Pun'kin Head: Mama, I think this is going to be the best Christmas EVER for our family and I don't mean about getting any gifts.
Me: Me too, buddy!
Pun'kin Head: So many people always complain when we come to a new year. But, for us, every year just gets better and better!
Me: Yes, we are very blessed.
Pun'kin Head: People who aren't happy need to start saying that the new year will be better for them if they want to see it get better.
Me: You're right, buddy, that's what it means to be in faith and that will give God something to work with.
That's Faith 101-Hearing the Word AND accepting it as truth for your life!
Monday, December 1, 2008
Happy Birthday to Handsome Hubby!!!
In the midst of all the craziness today may bring, I pray you have a wonderful birthday! I pray that you always know how very much the Lord loves you and how pleased He is with you. That you also know how very much I love you and how happy I am that you chose me to take this journey called Life with you. You never cease to amaze me! Every day is an adventure! May you be blessed with every good gift, today and always! Love you, Mrs. xoxo
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