The Mom Life

I've been seeking something lately...well behaved kids.  With my 3 kids so close in age (6,4,3) the typical day with my kiddos can be quite eventful and challenging.  Breaking up fights, figuring out if a cry is real or fake, dealing with broken toys and hurt feelings, discouraging annoying "baby talk,"  trying to teach them to use self control and good manners, and in all of that also looking for moments to remind them to not only look to honor me and their dad, but also their Father in heaven.  Seth's been out of town for a few days (well, he left yesterday morning but it seems like its been a lot longer!) and whild he's been gone, I have been reading a few parenting books.  One is from a christian perspective and one from a well-known professional.  Both have similar strategies and things that I can apply right now, but when it comes right down to it, there are moments where I just don't know what to say to my kids when they make poor choices. ...

Last night we had dinner with the Tisbury's and the Stanleys, Dustan and Darlene.  They are a couple around our age who have traveled the world the past few years as apostolic missionaries.  Erin and Chris have been friends with them for a while, and last night Chris chose to tell them the story of how the four of us have been feeling called to go.  They were thrilled for us and had some great advice to share with us.  1.  Wherever you go, go with an exit strategy.  Whatever you are doing, the weight of it should not depend upon you, but nationals.  You never know when you might need to return to the states or be called to a different region.  Have a plan in mind for the possibility of leaving at any given time. 2.  Make sure that your kids always remember they are Americans.  It can get hard when they've been in a country for a while and have learned the language, culture, and even beliefs of that region.  Make visits to the U....

From the first time I saw him, I have loved that little boy more every day.  He has always loved spending time with me (doesn't every little boy love hanging out with their mom?)...playing ball in the backyard, helping with dinner, laundry, tickling, and reading. He will do anything I ask, and almost always with a good attitude.  Because he loves me so much.  Today my heart broke for him.  He made a poor choice at school and ended up in the Lead Teacher's office (assistant principal).  She wrote him up and he said she quickly threw a piece of paper in his face (the long form maybe?).  She showed him the class where IST (in school suspension basically) is, the place he will go tomorrow after he performs in the kindergarten musical.  He asked her if he'd be there for "many days or many years."  (poor baby!)   I got a phone call soon after this occured and agreed that he needed to face the consequence of his actions and go to IST. When ...

Our days have been really busy lately.  Honestly, I sometimes really miss the simple seasons of my life.  I remember my first year in teaching, I didn't bring work home with me (mostly...ha) and would come home and walk my dog for a good 45 minutes through the avenues every afternoon.  But, then I didn't have a husband and kids to invest in...it was just me and Bama. I absolutely wouldn't change a thing about my life and where I am right now though. Mentioning the avenues and my first year teaching reminds me of one thing...the day I met my husband.  Back in those "simpler times" when I was struggling to survive my first year as a teacher, I was set up on several blind dates and things, but nothing ever developed from them.  I was teaching in a Hattiesburg School, young, inexperienced, and sweet...yikes!  But towards the end of the year, I got a Mexican girl in my class.  I mentioned how nice it would be if my students could learn some Spanish.  ...

For some reason today when I had about 3 minutes before my next class arrived, I decided to grab my copy of My Utmost for His Highest to see what Oswald had written for today, Feb. 9th.  The title is "Are You Exhausted Spiritually?"  I know about being tired.  It seems like I've had something going on every night this week, while still trying to do laundry, bathe and feed the kids, get homework done,  have family Bible study times, and finish Tim Tebow's book I checked out before its overdue.  (Too late...due back today but I am not done...can't recheck it since it has holds)  So, I have been a little tired this week. Yesterday I was reading one of my favorite blogs,  http://kissesfromkatie.blogspot.com/ , and Katie, the blogger who lives in Uganda with her 13 Ugandan daughters (read her testimony in her book, Kisses from Katie) wrote about being "bent low."  She talked about bending low to stir stew, clean up vomit, do laundry, clean the badly ...

It's been a while since I've written, and to be honest, I didn't think I had anything to write about. In the meantime, Seth has become quite a blogger, so I feel like I need to get back to writing. I have been a little busy with other responsibilities and distractions in the meantime...Christmas, Cruz and Seth's birthdays, evaluation time at work, trying to learn Spanish, reading other blogs, Pinterest, etc.  But, even still, God has been revealing some things to me over the past few months. 1. I need more deep relationships in my life. Yes, Facebooking and Pinterest are fun ways to keep up with friends and share ideas, but its not at all the same as spending time with others, investing in their lives as they invest in yours. When I think back to when I was a teenager and even in college, it was common for me to ask my friends regularly things like, "Hey, how can I be praying for you?" or "So, what is God teaching you in your life right now?" b...

Wow! The past few weeks have felt like such a blur! What happened to the days of coming home and sitting on the patio while the kids play in the backyard? Yesterday the girls had a dentist appointment. Before we left, I was having a nervous stomach thinking back to the last time I took them. They were both terrified, and you could hardly call Lola's session a "checkup" or a "cleaning." She sat in my lap, squirming and crying. Fabulous. (Carmen is now known for using my sarcastic "fabulous"...ha!) So, yesterday I was SHOCKED at the eagerness Lola showed when she climbed up in that big chair by herself and opened wide to show off her cute little teeth! She LOVED the water squirter and asked for a little extra :-) My favorite part was that Cruz, being the sweet brother that he is, held her hand the entire time! I asked if she needed me to hold her hand, and she told me no! He did the same for Carmen, and our session with the dentist and her ...