Posts Tagged ‘Mamahood’
A few weeks back, Leah posted about her strawberry patch and beginning harvest. Since she’s had such abundance she’s been sharing with all her friends. She gave me a call one morning to tell me I could come pick some strawberries if I’d like. Oh yeah. We headed over after naps. I spent all of 15 minutes picking berries and came home with this:
Funny enough, that’s actually only half of what I picked. For every 2 I put in, Julia ate 3. I’m not even joking. Notice the quickly abandoned graham cracker at the bottom of the strainer? I’d given it to her at the beginning as bribe for not eating the berries. It didn’t work.
Once we got home, the Windhamettes and I sat outside in the hot summer air eating fresh picked strawberries and whipped cream.
Hannah was especially delighted.
Truthful Thursday – Philippians 1
Posted on: June 17, 2010
- In: Life
- 8 Comments
“I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding. For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ’s return. May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation—the righteous character produced in your life by Jesus Christ — for this will bring much glory and praise to God.” Philippians 1:9-11 NLT {emphasis mine}
Earlier this morning I emailed some sister-mamas asking for help. I’ve been feeling burned out, overwhelmed and with a short fuse. I needed reassurance, a loving word, a helping hand. You know what I got?
I got the Word poured over me.
I had sister-mamas pray for me.
I had God use these women to reassure and help me.
As the girls napped I prayed. Actually, that’s a understatement. I poured my heart out to God. And in the midst of that, He brought to mind the verses above. Resounding in my heart was “I want you to understand what really matters“. What really matters is Christ. What really matters is His love. What really matters is living this life as worship to Him.What really matters is loving my family the way Christ loves them. Honestly, I loose sight of that. Sometimes I think a clean house, doing the laundry, cooking, blogging, me-time is what matters. I forget that Christ has called me to be a light. I forget that Christ has called me to live my life for Him – and my life is being a wife and mother.
And while the last few weeks have been hard, and while today started out rough, God used my sister-mamas to speak to me. He didn’t say “It’s gonna get easier”. He said “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.” {Hebrews 13:5, NLT}. And that is what really matters.
“That’s it, I’m done”
Posted on: June 9, 2010
- In: Life
- 2 Comments
While there are about 3 good things to like about having Jonathan gone this week, there are about 3 million to love about having him home. Today, after reading a wonderful post on discipline by Emily at The Adventures of Miss Mommy, I thought I’d share the 4 things I do when I’m just done with parenting.
1. Tickle like crazy
I know that might seem weird, but when my kids are driving me crazy and I think I might lose it, I tickle them. Why? Because it relieves all sorts of tension. They start laughing, which makes me laugh and before we know it things seem a lot lighter and easier. It might not last long, but it helps get us by for 15-20 minutes {which honestly makes a huge difference}. So, if you see me tickling the girls a lot one day, it’s not because I’m just that awesome of a mama, but because I’m trying to keep it all together.
2. Scream
Ever felt like screaming at your kids? If not, you really must be a super-mama and have taken all my super-mama powers from me, because some days screaming seems like all I can do. And, actually, I’ve started screaming. Not at my kids, but with my kids. I read once in a parenting magazine about a mom who would have Tarzan screaming contests with her kids, so she could release some frustration with them without releasing it at them. When we do this, Julia gets the biggest kick out of it and we all walk away feel a little less stressed.
3. Walk away
Let’s be honest, mamas need breaks. I’ve locked myself in the bathroom before because I just had to have a moment alone. Sure, the girls were screaming at the door, but I needed two seconds to decompress. Walking away helps me reassess and recompose myself so that I can stay focused and in “control”. It also gives me a chance to pray like mad.
4. Pray, pray, pray
I’ve taken to using the 5-10 minutes while I’m nursing Hannah before naps to pray. I ask God for grace and direction for the rest of our day. I pray for peace and strength. When I walk away, I pray. I check my own heart to make sure that I’m staying the course and parenting with grace. I ask God to reveal sins and to help me stay in the Spirit while I battle the world {which can at times be the tantruming of a 1-yo}.
If you’ve read many of my posts, you’ll know I’m not perfect. Far from it. I’ve screamed at my children, I’ve not walked away when I should have, I’ve not prayed when I needed to. I’ve failed a 1,000 times over. But, I know God is still here, still guiding me along. And I keep going because I know that parenting is one race I don’t want to give up on.
What do you do when you’re done?
Reasons I like Jonathan being gone
Posted on: June 8, 2010
- In: Life
- 11 Comments
I decided rather than wallow in self pity about Jonathan’s absence this week, I should write a list of all the reasons I like him being away from the house. Here are the three I came up with {the first two came really easy I might add…}:
1. I get a lot more sleep
By nature Jon is a night owl and I am an early bird. Since Hannah was born I have taken to staying up late with Jon so we can spend more time together. But, I still wake up early. Meaning, I get less sleep. However, while he’s away, I normally am in bed asleep by 9:30 {and I’d even consider that on the late side}.
2. My house stays really clean
One of the things I loved about Jonathan while we were dating is that he was a clean guy. His room was clean, he was organized, etc. And while that’s transferred to our marriage, it seems like when “Daddy’s home” our house is a mess. Not that he’s doing it, it’s just that typically speaking, we aren’t nearly as concerned about how our house looks as we are about spending family time together. But, while he’s away, I get into ultra-organized-mom mode and our house stays in pretty great condition {which is a plus this week, since my Mom will be here tomorrow night and we are hosting a party on Saturday}.
3. I get a cooking break
I love to cook. Yet for some reason, if Jonathan’s not eating with me and the girls, I just have no desire to cook a big meal. So all this week, my menu plan looks like this: bean and cheese tacos, quesadillas, beans and rice, oatmeal, cereal, spaghetti pie. Impressive, don’t ya think?
I came up with a few other reasons, but I didn’t think “Sleeping with a baseball bat in my hands” or “Getting to drink a full pot of coffee” were really valid reasons to celebrate my single motherness for the week.
- In: Life
- 8 Comments
I love painted toenails. And when it comes to painted toenails on little girls, heart be still. However, getting my 2 yo and almost-1 yo to hold still long enough while the polish dries is impossible. Inevitably, the polish ends up smeared, rubbed off or all over my bathroom counter. Then I found a solution: 60 second quick dry polish.
You gotta love a product that makes these cuties look even cuter!
H's toes
J's toes
Hello Summer and cute baby toes!
For more Things I Love Thursday, check out Jill at Diaper Diaries.
- In: Life
- 5 Comments
12 month photo project is a challenge started by Tara Whitney. Here’s what you do:
- Take a photo of your family once a month.
- Write a few things about that month.
- Make it into a book at the end of the year.
Is May ending already?!? That can’t be. Because if that’s the case, that means 1) Hannah turns 1 in two weeks 2) Jonathan is done with his crazy weekend MBA course 3) Julia had her tonsils removed and 4) I’m just standing here wondering “what just happened??!”.
Whew. Does time ever slow down? May has been a whirlwind of a month. Julia had an amazingly quick recovery from her tonsillectomy. The following weekend was Mother’s Day, so it was an extra bonus to have her feel so well. My Mother’s Day was really, really nice. Very relaxing and I felt extremely loved {the dozen roses Jonathan gave me did the trick}. Plus, the night before Mother’s Day, our dear friends, Matt and Kristen, gotten engaged. While we weren’t there for the proposal, we did get to spend time with them right before and after. It was a sweet time and we’re thrilled for them both!
As of today, Hannah took her first steps! She doesn’t go far {just 3 or so steps} but she’s “walked” several times between Jon and me. It’s a bittersweet moment in this mama’s life.
Jonathan’s career path has really been in flux this last month. He has been deciding whether to finish his PhD or to focus more primarily on his MBA. After getting some strong council, he’s putting his MBA classes on hold until he has finished the PhD program. Our family is now shifting our schedules to allow him more time to work on his research during the evenings. It’s going to be challenging having him gone more, but we’ve decided to do it in 4-6 week groups so that no one gets burned out. Hopefully the end will be here before we know it!
We spent Memorial Day weekend in Chicago. It was a blast! Despite the Windhamettes having such little sleep, they did really well the whole trip {although there might have been one too many suckers consumed to ensure obedience}. We spent a lot of time at festivals and in Millenium Park. It was great being away from normal life for a while, but Jon and I agreed, as much as we love big cities, we really love our little city life.
*Yes, I am totally wearing the same jeans as I did for last month’s family photo. Just realized that…
Did we just move back to Texas?
Posted on: May 26, 2010
- In: Life
- 7 Comments
****Hosting my first ever giveaway on Friday!!****
The weather went from 53 degrees to 81 degrees in just over a week here in Iowa. Seriously? 81 degrees? Whew. I am not cut out for hot weather. Even after years in Texas, I still cringe at the idea of walking outside when it’s over 75.
To combat the crazy high temps this week, I made strawberry/banana popsicles. A couple of months ago, we picked up popsicles molds at IKEA for $1. Then at the beginning of this month, I scored V8 Fusion for dirt cheap. {Side note – V8 Fusion is amazing. You get a full serving of fruits and vegetables in every serving of juice. It’s like every mother’s dream come true.}
I poured the juice into each of the molds and stuck it in the freezer overnight:
Here is the finished product:
Sorry to disappoint if you were looking for an awesomely cute picture of the girls like these. But, seriously, these things are so good I’ve eaten half of them myself!
If you’ve ever wondered what an 11 month old looks like while eating frosting
Posted on: May 20, 2010
- In: Life
- 3 Comments
This would be your answer:
- In: Life
- 8 Comments
Why?
Julia has really embraced the use of “Why?”. Here’s our conversation on the way home from the park earlier today:
“Julia, let’s go home and eat lunch.”
“Why?”
“Because we’re all hungry and it’s time to eat.”
“Why?”
“Aren’t you hungry?”
“Yes. Why?”
————————————————-
At home, making lunch.
“What you doing, mama?”
“Making lunch.”
“Why?”
“So we can eat.”
“Why?”
“Because we’re hungry.”
“Why?”
I could go on all day. She will repeat them over and over and over again.
For days I’ve tried catching all this on video for your entertainment {and embarrassment factor when she’s 16}. But every time I start up the camera, she immediately looks at me and says “Oh, I want to see Julia” and stops asking her questions.
- In: Life
- 5 Comments
Despite the fact that it’s no longer April, we’re getting a lot of rain. And while I actually don’t mind it (since normally I really do like rain) it’s cold on top of rainy. Meaning, we are staying indoors. A lot. And going stir crazy. A lot.
So, what’s a mama to do with all this indoor time?
1. Have regular play dates
We try to meet up with other kids twice a week. This week? We’ve got a whopping 4 play dates scheduled. And while it totally messes up Hannah’s morning nap routine, it’s a lifesaver for Julia and me.
2. Bring out old toys
Have toys that are tucked away that your kids haven’t touched in a few weeks (or new toys they’ve never seen)? Rainy days, or rainy weeks in our case, are a great time to reintroduce old toys.
3. Clear out the garage
If you have space in your garage, pull out the car and let your kids use the area as an outdoor/indoor play area. Let them ride around on bikes, write with sidewalk chalk, have a picnic or other fun outdoor games.
4. Have movie night during the day
We don’t allow our girls to watch much television. Actually, let me rephrase that – we go weeks without turning on the television and then might watch it for two days in a row. But, typically speaking, watching television for the girls is a privilege (and let’s be honest, it’s a nice break for me too). So, when we’ve exhausted all our options, I like to have Movie Night during the day. Bring out the pillows and blankets, pop some popcorn, get some candy and toss in Curious George. Sometimes I might even fall asleep.
A Wife Loved Like The Church 
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