I LOVE my kids birthdays! I have so much fun with their parties!!
When my oldest daughter turned one, I was definitely tempted to do a princess theme, considering she's our princess. :) But I wanted to try something different...
So we had a cupcake theme!
Invitations looked like a cupcake cut-out. The info, "our little cupcake is turning one. Come join us for all the fun", was written in pink on the "icing" part. The bottom was purple paper that I accordion folded to look like the wrapper of a cupcake. Adorable!!
I then made giant posterboard cupcakes to hang up everywhere. I covered the tops with cotton balls.
Of course, everything was purple & pink. On purple tables, we made these cute centerpieces... in little plastic flower pots we put a half of a foam ball. Then we used pink Hershey kisses & tissue paper squares to stick in it with toothpicks. So, it would go: toothpick, square, kiss... stacked on top of each other. The finished product looked like a cupcake.
As you can assume we did make your own cupcakes & it was a big hit with all her little cousins! Such fun!! :)
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Monday, May 28, 2012
Train Party
In an attempt to archive some of my memories... & because it's fun... I'm going to begin to post weekly with party ideas!
When my oldest was turning 2, we had a Thomas the Tank Engine obsession. Secretly it made me happy. I remember my youngest brother being into Thomas, as was my dad when the books were first publish in England. My grandmother is from England, where it originated... needless to say it was kind of nostalgic to have my son love the very same thing! :)
It was my first themed party... ever! Before this the closest I came to themes was my wedding (new years eve) & I think I can definitely say I wish I could re-do that whole shindig!
I started out thinking I should just order a bunch of Thomas plates, get balloons & be done with it... instead, because we had so little money, I discovered the art of making a party my own (for very little $$).
We did solid color dinner plates, napkins & cups. I broke down & got Thomas dessert plates. :)
My next adventure was the highlight of the party. We had it at our apartment complex clubhouse. They had a party room with a chalkboard wall on one side. It reminded me of the inside of the train sheds on Efton's Thomas shirt. So, I used the church's overhead projector one afternoon. I blew up pictures of the trains from the show as big as possible onto poster board. I colored them. Then, at the party the main wall had these almost life-size (to a 2 yr old) trains! It was super cute!
We covered the tables in red table covers. Then I used his big train case (shaped like Thomas) as a balloon weight for the main centerpiece. The other 2 tables had boxes that I'd wrapped in Thomas wrapping paper & ribbons. They looked like giant Thomas presents, except they were empty! Haha!
Birthday boy wanted pizza- so I didn't do anything too wild with the food! BUT my favorite part was the cake. First themed party... first themed cake I'd ever made!
I made a sheet cake, then placed a round cake on top. So once I'd iced & decorated it, the cake looked like the front of Thomas! My big boy was SO HAPPY!
Goodie bags were crayons, an MnM cookie & a picture to color. Easy! Simple! Kids loved it!! :)
So, perhaps for posterity only, but that was my very first themed party! And honestly, one of my favorites! :)
When my oldest was turning 2, we had a Thomas the Tank Engine obsession. Secretly it made me happy. I remember my youngest brother being into Thomas, as was my dad when the books were first publish in England. My grandmother is from England, where it originated... needless to say it was kind of nostalgic to have my son love the very same thing! :)
It was my first themed party... ever! Before this the closest I came to themes was my wedding (new years eve) & I think I can definitely say I wish I could re-do that whole shindig!
I started out thinking I should just order a bunch of Thomas plates, get balloons & be done with it... instead, because we had so little money, I discovered the art of making a party my own (for very little $$).
We did solid color dinner plates, napkins & cups. I broke down & got Thomas dessert plates. :)
My next adventure was the highlight of the party. We had it at our apartment complex clubhouse. They had a party room with a chalkboard wall on one side. It reminded me of the inside of the train sheds on Efton's Thomas shirt. So, I used the church's overhead projector one afternoon. I blew up pictures of the trains from the show as big as possible onto poster board. I colored them. Then, at the party the main wall had these almost life-size (to a 2 yr old) trains! It was super cute!
We covered the tables in red table covers. Then I used his big train case (shaped like Thomas) as a balloon weight for the main centerpiece. The other 2 tables had boxes that I'd wrapped in Thomas wrapping paper & ribbons. They looked like giant Thomas presents, except they were empty! Haha!
Birthday boy wanted pizza- so I didn't do anything too wild with the food! BUT my favorite part was the cake. First themed party... first themed cake I'd ever made!
I made a sheet cake, then placed a round cake on top. So once I'd iced & decorated it, the cake looked like the front of Thomas! My big boy was SO HAPPY!
Goodie bags were crayons, an MnM cookie & a picture to color. Easy! Simple! Kids loved it!! :)
So, perhaps for posterity only, but that was my very first themed party! And honestly, one of my favorites! :)
Momma Mondays... road trip secrets revealed
Now that Friday Top Tens are off to a good start, I'll be starting a little thing called Momma Mondays.
My hopes are that every Monday I will share tips, tricks & secrets to the world of mommies! Things you never knew before... things you might not have wanted to know! :)
This week, I am revealing my road trip secrets!
If you follow me, you know we just took all five of our kids (ages 6 & under) on a 17 hour road trip to Florida last week. I was TERRIFIED! So, I went a little over the top, BUT IT WORKED!
*that's our jam-packed trunk... there was also a car top carrier.
First of all, I strategically planned stops. We knew that with a 5 month old, we would be stopping every 2-3 hours to change a diaper or nurse. So, I went onto mapquest & found a good stopping point about every 2-3 hours.
I also got onto Google & found any fun kid-friendly stops (world's largest stuff, you know). We only did 2 of those, because the rest took us too far out of the way. We went to Metropolis, IL and saw all the fun Superman stuff. That was a BIG HIT! Also stopped in Georgia at the world's largest peanut! Haha! Little Miss 5 year old thought it was just great! :)
Once I knew how many stops we'd have (there were of course a few extra potty breaks taken :) ), I then made a goodie bag for each stop. In each medium sized gift bag (some of them are shoved in the trunk in the pic above) was a car-friendly craft, some sort of activity, a small toy for each child & in a couple bags there was a new movie for that 3 hour time slot. We have a DVD player in our van, but I refused to let our family road trip turn into nothing but movies & LeapPads.
Now, when I say I went over the top, this is what I mean... each bag had a theme. Yes, I'm serious. Haha! Theme #1 was superheroes, #2 was jungle animals, #3 was puppies, #4 was music, #5 was the beach (since we WERE going to Florida).
Crafts were easy... things like those wood shapes you can color, simple foam sticker kits, one was putting sticky jewels onto old CDs (really pretty)... stuff like that.
Activities were things like the license plate game (not a hit), coloring pages stapled together to make a book, sticker books, etc.
Toys had to be individual, cheap, & not annoying. Ha! Thank you Target Dollar Spot! I found animal finger puppets, animal masks, rockstar sunglasses, those foam ice cream cones that pop out with a string (hilarious) & bunches of other fun things. Some of them were even cheaper because they were dollar items that were on sale! I love Target!
So... I found these really fun road trip printables here that I used for each landmark/stopping point. I printed off the little cards & wrote in the locations. Then I pinned them on visors & stuff throughout the car. When we got to each location, I would pull off the card & the kids would cheer! Haha! I'd whip out another cute goodie bag & give them each a new snack.
It was definitely THE MOST fun I've ever had on a family road trip. I look forward to doing fun car games as they get older, but they are just not at good ages for that. This year was all about survival.
The key was to keep everything exciting & fresh! We don't allow the word "bored" at our house... or in our car. AND we had already told the big kids that they weren't allowed to ask "are we there yet" or "how close are we". Haha! I worked really hard to keep that car ride going smoothly! :)
NOW, I will admit...
I was so ready to be home, that on the way back we DID use LeapPads & DVDs more. But I'm cool with that! We had a great trip!
I have pinned a whole bunch of really great road trip on pinterest... you can follow me HERE!
Hope you all have a great week... more good stuff coming your way later in the week! :)
My hopes are that every Monday I will share tips, tricks & secrets to the world of mommies! Things you never knew before... things you might not have wanted to know! :)
This week, I am revealing my road trip secrets!
If you follow me, you know we just took all five of our kids (ages 6 & under) on a 17 hour road trip to Florida last week. I was TERRIFIED! So, I went a little over the top, BUT IT WORKED!
*that's our jam-packed trunk... there was also a car top carrier.
First of all, I strategically planned stops. We knew that with a 5 month old, we would be stopping every 2-3 hours to change a diaper or nurse. So, I went onto mapquest & found a good stopping point about every 2-3 hours.
Once I knew how many stops we'd have (there were of course a few extra potty breaks taken :) ), I then made a goodie bag for each stop. In each medium sized gift bag (some of them are shoved in the trunk in the pic above) was a car-friendly craft, some sort of activity, a small toy for each child & in a couple bags there was a new movie for that 3 hour time slot. We have a DVD player in our van, but I refused to let our family road trip turn into nothing but movies & LeapPads.
Now, when I say I went over the top, this is what I mean... each bag had a theme. Yes, I'm serious. Haha! Theme #1 was superheroes, #2 was jungle animals, #3 was puppies, #4 was music, #5 was the beach (since we WERE going to Florida).
Crafts were easy... things like those wood shapes you can color, simple foam sticker kits, one was putting sticky jewels onto old CDs (really pretty)... stuff like that.
Activities were things like the license plate game (not a hit), coloring pages stapled together to make a book, sticker books, etc.
Toys had to be individual, cheap, & not annoying. Ha! Thank you Target Dollar Spot! I found animal finger puppets, animal masks, rockstar sunglasses, those foam ice cream cones that pop out with a string (hilarious) & bunches of other fun things. Some of them were even cheaper because they were dollar items that were on sale! I love Target!
So... I found these really fun road trip printables here that I used for each landmark/stopping point. I printed off the little cards & wrote in the locations. Then I pinned them on visors & stuff throughout the car. When we got to each location, I would pull off the card & the kids would cheer! Haha! I'd whip out another cute goodie bag & give them each a new snack.
It was definitely THE MOST fun I've ever had on a family road trip. I look forward to doing fun car games as they get older, but they are just not at good ages for that. This year was all about survival.
The key was to keep everything exciting & fresh! We don't allow the word "bored" at our house... or in our car. AND we had already told the big kids that they weren't allowed to ask "are we there yet" or "how close are we". Haha! I worked really hard to keep that car ride going smoothly! :)
NOW, I will admit...
I was so ready to be home, that on the way back we DID use LeapPads & DVDs more. But I'm cool with that! We had a great trip!
I have pinned a whole bunch of really great road trip on pinterest... you can follow me HERE!
Hope you all have a great week... more good stuff coming your way later in the week! :)
Sunday, May 27, 2012
New Name REVEALED
Today is the day!
I've been mulling over names for weeks now & finally decided!
What do I spend most days doing, most nights folding & what am I NOT doing as I blog? LAUNDRY! It's the one thing that no matter what, will always be there. I can use paper plates & avoid dishes. We can play outside & avoid the toy cleanup. The thing is, we have to wear clothes... and then they have to be washed. We cloth diaper, so that puts me at an average of 26 loads of laundry each week. Some weeks its more, usually never less.
As I have been looking through names scribbled on paper, they all seemed like they could work. I wanted something that described who I am, but wasn't cheesy. Ha! This was my husband's idea & that just makes it even better! :)
So, welcome to my blog: "Every Day Is Laundry Day"
Be on the lookout for new blog days & lots of fun... I am so happy to have you all along for the ride!
I've been mulling over names for weeks now & finally decided!
What do I spend most days doing, most nights folding & what am I NOT doing as I blog? LAUNDRY! It's the one thing that no matter what, will always be there. I can use paper plates & avoid dishes. We can play outside & avoid the toy cleanup. The thing is, we have to wear clothes... and then they have to be washed. We cloth diaper, so that puts me at an average of 26 loads of laundry each week. Some weeks its more, usually never less.
As I have been looking through names scribbled on paper, they all seemed like they could work. I wanted something that described who I am, but wasn't cheesy. Ha! This was my husband's idea & that just makes it even better! :)
So, welcome to my blog: "Every Day Is Laundry Day"
Be on the lookout for new blog days & lots of fun... I am so happy to have you all along for the ride!
Saturday, May 26, 2012
Vacation Top 10
Well, I'm a day late... but better late than never.
We are home from vacation & as much as I love the beach, I am SO GLAD to be home! We had a great drive down, a relaxing time there, & a speedy trip home! So, in honor of a successful vacation, here are my top 10 moments of our vacation:
1. The REMARKABLE drive down to Florida!
Our children were AMAZING! I will be revealing my road trip secrets in a future blog post, but all you should know is that not once did I need to raise my voice, threaten to "pull this car over", or need earplugs. haha! It was miraculous, I tell you!
2. My 4 year old's face when he first saw the ocean. :D
3. My 2 year old's face when she first put her bare toes in wet sand. :(
4. My 5 months old's face as he is enjoying the sand between his toes & the cold ocean water washed up to his legs. I've never seen an expression change so quick! Haha! Priceless.
5. I loved how the kids really didn't fight on vacation. They were all having so much fun & getting so much rest... there were very few time outs!
6. We didn't eat out at all. Normally I would hate that, but it just made our trip so much more relaxing! We just made dinner in our condo & hung out together. So, it was cheaper AND we were really able to enjoy one another's company.
7. How FREE my 4 year old was. He has some ADD tendencies & really struggles with anxiety... AT HOME, but apparently not on vacation! It was just amazing to see him so carefree. He didn't scream. He didn't hit the other kids. He didn't freak out. I told my husband, it makes me want to MOVE to Florida to see my child so happy!
8. The excitement every night when we picked who would get to lay with the 2 year old. We kept her in the same bed/room each night & rotated big kids. She thought it was THE most wonderful thing!
9. Teaching the kids how to play UNO one night. They cried, they cheered, they laughed with glee when they yelled out UNO! , they mocked daddy when he drew 10 cards to get a blue... there were so many emotions (in particular from the 5 & 6 year olds, lol), but definitely such a fun night!
10. Watching my husband get buried in the sand by our 4 kids. He kept getting sand flung in his face (he eventually had to put his hat over his eyes). They thought it was just hilarious. So did I! :)
We are home from vacation & as much as I love the beach, I am SO GLAD to be home! We had a great drive down, a relaxing time there, & a speedy trip home! So, in honor of a successful vacation, here are my top 10 moments of our vacation:
1. The REMARKABLE drive down to Florida!
Our children were AMAZING! I will be revealing my road trip secrets in a future blog post, but all you should know is that not once did I need to raise my voice, threaten to "pull this car over", or need earplugs. haha! It was miraculous, I tell you!
2. My 4 year old's face when he first saw the ocean. :D
3. My 2 year old's face when she first put her bare toes in wet sand. :(
5. I loved how the kids really didn't fight on vacation. They were all having so much fun & getting so much rest... there were very few time outs!
6. We didn't eat out at all. Normally I would hate that, but it just made our trip so much more relaxing! We just made dinner in our condo & hung out together. So, it was cheaper AND we were really able to enjoy one another's company.
7. How FREE my 4 year old was. He has some ADD tendencies & really struggles with anxiety... AT HOME, but apparently not on vacation! It was just amazing to see him so carefree. He didn't scream. He didn't hit the other kids. He didn't freak out. I told my husband, it makes me want to MOVE to Florida to see my child so happy!
8. The excitement every night when we picked who would get to lay with the 2 year old. We kept her in the same bed/room each night & rotated big kids. She thought it was THE most wonderful thing!9. Teaching the kids how to play UNO one night. They cried, they cheered, they laughed with glee when they yelled out UNO! , they mocked daddy when he drew 10 cards to get a blue... there were so many emotions (in particular from the 5 & 6 year olds, lol), but definitely such a fun night!
10. Watching my husband get buried in the sand by our 4 kids. He kept getting sand flung in his face (he eventually had to put his hat over his eyes). They thought it was just hilarious. So did I! :)
Friday, May 18, 2012
Friday Top Ten
Today is my first Friday Top Ten!!(applause!) Ha!
Every Friday, I'll re-cap this crazy life of mine with my top ten moments from that week. I'm not sure whether I'm going to love this or completely despise it! Ha! Sometimes I don't like to be reminded of my week, if you mommas know what I mean! :)
Despite my bad weeks though, I feel like the goal of this is to dwell on the positive. To help me see the great things that happened, whether there were 10 or only 2... it's so helpful to remember those special moments with my kids to kind of wash over the exhaustion & frustrations of my week.
Soooo... Here we go!
1. Packing for a vacation is EXHAUSTING, but secretly I love getting to use my organizational super powers for good & not evil (aka, my husband's never-ending list of things I need him to build-lol)
2. I got to take Eliza to get a pedicure at this sweet little place where they have little girl sized chairs with Hello Kitty on them. Precious!! She is always so relaxed & just adores picking out her color (usually purple with sparkles) & asking for flowers or jewels on them. She loves it! And I love doing it with her. <3
3. I got to go see a movie with my husband. It was research for our super-hero themed family Bible study we are doing over vacation. (yes, we saw Avengers) It was a really good excuse for a date, not to mention I grew up watching Marvel cartoons with my brothers so I was pretty into it.
4. Michael taught Eli how to growl & snarl like a lion. It's probably one of the funniest things I've ever seen him do. He pounces off the upside down laundry hampers & onto his imaginary prey on the ground. Hahaha! I'm laughing just thinking about it!
5. Ester & I got haircuts. We feel new & refreshed. Wow! I've had a pretty pampered week... pedis AND a haircut?! Vacation rocks.
6. This week my husband & I made the decision to apply for the Bradley Childbirth instructor certification. I feel like this is SO RIGHT! I cannot wait to gain a wealth of knowledge on pregnancy, childbirth & breast feeding. It's my passion... & now I can get to use it! :)
7. I bought a pair of hot pink shorts. Enough said.
8. As we were driving this week, Eliza saw a man jogging on the side walk. Before he crossed the street, he stopped for cars. She said "oh look mommy, that man knows the Lord!" When I asked her how she knew, she said "because he stopped for cars & people that don't love Jesus would have just run into the street!! I'm so glad Jesus is in MY heart!" LOL! Oh the ideas that 5 year olds have.
9. So, this happened last Friday, but still funny enough to share. I got a coffee one day & lost it. Haha- seriously. I set it down as I was doing stuff all over the house & then realized it was missing! It took me a couple hours to find it. I had set it down on a pantry shelf. Oy vey!
10. Our buddy system changed this week. It used to be boys & girls, but Miss Ester changed her mind. She decided "I not want to be Efton or Ewiza's buddy! I am MOMMY's BUDDY!!" I feel so loved. :)
I hope you all had a blessed week. If not, remember that you get a do-over... it's called next week!
Next week's Friday Top Ten will be from vacation... should be good! :)
Every Friday, I'll re-cap this crazy life of mine with my top ten moments from that week. I'm not sure whether I'm going to love this or completely despise it! Ha! Sometimes I don't like to be reminded of my week, if you mommas know what I mean! :)
Despite my bad weeks though, I feel like the goal of this is to dwell on the positive. To help me see the great things that happened, whether there were 10 or only 2... it's so helpful to remember those special moments with my kids to kind of wash over the exhaustion & frustrations of my week.
Soooo... Here we go!
1. Packing for a vacation is EXHAUSTING, but secretly I love getting to use my organizational super powers for good & not evil (aka, my husband's never-ending list of things I need him to build-lol)
2. I got to take Eliza to get a pedicure at this sweet little place where they have little girl sized chairs with Hello Kitty on them. Precious!! She is always so relaxed & just adores picking out her color (usually purple with sparkles) & asking for flowers or jewels on them. She loves it! And I love doing it with her. <3
3. I got to go see a movie with my husband. It was research for our super-hero themed family Bible study we are doing over vacation. (yes, we saw Avengers) It was a really good excuse for a date, not to mention I grew up watching Marvel cartoons with my brothers so I was pretty into it.
4. Michael taught Eli how to growl & snarl like a lion. It's probably one of the funniest things I've ever seen him do. He pounces off the upside down laundry hampers & onto his imaginary prey on the ground. Hahaha! I'm laughing just thinking about it!
5. Ester & I got haircuts. We feel new & refreshed. Wow! I've had a pretty pampered week... pedis AND a haircut?! Vacation rocks.
6. This week my husband & I made the decision to apply for the Bradley Childbirth instructor certification. I feel like this is SO RIGHT! I cannot wait to gain a wealth of knowledge on pregnancy, childbirth & breast feeding. It's my passion... & now I can get to use it! :)
7. I bought a pair of hot pink shorts. Enough said.
8. As we were driving this week, Eliza saw a man jogging on the side walk. Before he crossed the street, he stopped for cars. She said "oh look mommy, that man knows the Lord!" When I asked her how she knew, she said "because he stopped for cars & people that don't love Jesus would have just run into the street!! I'm so glad Jesus is in MY heart!" LOL! Oh the ideas that 5 year olds have.
9. So, this happened last Friday, but still funny enough to share. I got a coffee one day & lost it. Haha- seriously. I set it down as I was doing stuff all over the house & then realized it was missing! It took me a couple hours to find it. I had set it down on a pantry shelf. Oy vey!
10. Our buddy system changed this week. It used to be boys & girls, but Miss Ester changed her mind. She decided "I not want to be Efton or Ewiza's buddy! I am MOMMY's BUDDY!!" I feel so loved. :)
I hope you all had a blessed week. If not, remember that you get a do-over... it's called next week!
Next week's Friday Top Ten will be from vacation... should be good! :)
Saturday, May 12, 2012
Mother's Day encouragement
I received this email last night & wanted to share with all my readers! I love when I hear it from someone else... so encouraging! :) Happy Mother's Day!
Dear Kourtney,
Do you ever worry that you're not a perfect mother? Rest assured: you're not. But who is? Certainly not me. And that woman you sometimes envy for her smiling children and spotless house? Well, she's not perfect either.
But even if you're not perfect, do you know what you are? A valued daughter of God made in His very image. A loving mother whom God chose to nurture the precious children in your midst.
God knows what He's doing, and He has equipped you for the task at hand.
This Mother's Day, I'd like to encourage you to take the long view.
If you feel like you're "in the trenches" with unending laundry, diapers and dishes, hang in there. When you're in the midst of it, you may lose sight of the fact that this is just a season. As I watch my grandchildren grow I can assure you: it all goes much faster than you think.
This season will not last forever. Enjoy the immense opportunities to speak into your children's lives as they grow. Treasure your freedom to daily encourage and bless them.
Because when you stick with it, the rewards of mothering are immense. When (God willing) you see each child's unique personality emerge, when your teen chooses to share her heart with you, when you enjoy stimulating conversation with an adult child, when you hold your first grandchild … you will know it was all worth it.
Right now, in the thick of mothering, you are giving your children a great, critical gift: your love. Even when you miss the mark or make a mistake, you do what you do for your children from a heart of love. And that love is a much-needed refuge and haven for your children.
So let me encourage you, Mom: You're doing a great job! Though none of us are perfect, thank you, thank you for loving your family. Thank you for sacrificing and caring for them.
May our Lord bless you and keep you, mom.
Dear Kourtney,
Do you ever worry that you're not a perfect mother? Rest assured: you're not. But who is? Certainly not me. And that woman you sometimes envy for her smiling children and spotless house? Well, she's not perfect either.
But even if you're not perfect, do you know what you are? A valued daughter of God made in His very image. A loving mother whom God chose to nurture the precious children in your midst.
God knows what He's doing, and He has equipped you for the task at hand.
This Mother's Day, I'd like to encourage you to take the long view.
If you feel like you're "in the trenches" with unending laundry, diapers and dishes, hang in there. When you're in the midst of it, you may lose sight of the fact that this is just a season. As I watch my grandchildren grow I can assure you: it all goes much faster than you think.
This season will not last forever. Enjoy the immense opportunities to speak into your children's lives as they grow. Treasure your freedom to daily encourage and bless them.
Because when you stick with it, the rewards of mothering are immense. When (God willing) you see each child's unique personality emerge, when your teen chooses to share her heart with you, when you enjoy stimulating conversation with an adult child, when you hold your first grandchild … you will know it was all worth it.
Right now, in the thick of mothering, you are giving your children a great, critical gift: your love. Even when you miss the mark or make a mistake, you do what you do for your children from a heart of love. And that love is a much-needed refuge and haven for your children.
So let me encourage you, Mom: You're doing a great job! Though none of us are perfect, thank you, thank you for loving your family. Thank you for sacrificing and caring for them.
May our Lord bless you and keep you, mom.
Another new page
Today a monumental page was turned. My husband graduated with his bachelor's degree!
He went to the community college, then took a break when we had our 1st & got pregnant 4months later with baby #2. Lol. Seemed like a reason to "take a break".
He finally went back to school (due to some motherly nagging) about 3 years ago.
I feel like a mother bird who just watched her baby take flight! So, just a quick post to congratulate my hubby & all those other graduates who have persevered, worked your booty off & FINISHED!!!
Congratulations! You did it!! :)
He went to the community college, then took a break when we had our 1st & got pregnant 4months later with baby #2. Lol. Seemed like a reason to "take a break".
He finally went back to school (due to some motherly nagging) about 3 years ago.
I feel like a mother bird who just watched her baby take flight! So, just a quick post to congratulate my hubby & all those other graduates who have persevered, worked your booty off & FINISHED!!!
Congratulations! You did it!! :)
Give it a rest!
Alright moms...
some of you may love this. Some of you may not.
I had not seen the Time magazine photo/story until today. After hearing about it from some just plain disgusted grandmas, I checked it out for myself. I wanted to cry.
I felt as if something I feel so deeply about (breastfeeding) had been just torn to pieces.
I am an Attachment Parenting mom. I believe in it with ALL my heart. The first time I read Dr. Sears book, I had 3 children, was pregnant with #4 & felt like someone had heard my very heartbeat. I had never heard of Attachment Parenting (AP), but was relieved to know that what I "just felt was right", had a name!
Along with MY, personal AP style, comes things like baby wearing, co-sleeping, not having "babysitters", staying at home rather than working, homeschooling, home birth & of course breast feeding as long as is mutually enjoyable for mommy & baby. For me, this usually accompanies another pregnancy, but oh- how I long to nurse a baby to age 2!
So, today I see this magazine cover & I actually shed a tear. I understand normalizing things like birth & nursing. I am the greatest proponent of showing people what a natural birth is like (if they so choose) or for helping a mom learn about a natural way to feed her baby (if she wants to). Here's where I am sad...
Why does it have to be a slap in the face to other parenting styles. Why does this mother's choice mean that every other Attachment Parenting mom is "sexualizing" her child?! Can we all just get to the place where one parents' decision isn't so harshly judged? If you choose to nurse, YOU GO GIRL! We all know breast is best, but can we be honest about the fact that not every mom is at a place in her life where she can handle the 24-7 duty of full-time breast feeding? Some moms choose formula & in my opinion, as long as she's been offered the opportunity to nurse or is given all pros/cons... she should not be judged for that!
Why do we compare our decisions & judge each other based on them?! Even on a daily basis...
I recently posted on facebook about having such a great day as a mommy. My kids were sweet, we did school together, had fun outside. I got about 5 comments like "I love those days", "How sweet", "good for you"... & then one comment that says:
"on a day like I just had, your post makes me sick. It's really hard for me to read about your perfect day".
Well then DON'T! We all have good days & bad days! Why should a fellow mom (particularly one with 5 kids, who probably doesn't have these days often) ever be made to feel bad for having an awesome day?!
On the flip side, why should we judge another's BAD day by telling them a million reasons it could have been better!
"If you made your kids nap..."
"If you did school first thing..."
"If you quit caffeine..."
Blah, blah, blah!
My challenge to all the moms out there is this- Cut out the judgements! Every family, every mother, every situation & every child is different. If we feel strongly about a situation, there's always room to inform/be informed, but not everyone has to agree with you!
Seek the Lord on what's best for YOUR family!
Let Him judge each person for how they raised the babies they've been given...
"Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye. (Matthew 7:1-5 NIV)
some of you may love this. Some of you may not.
I had not seen the Time magazine photo/story until today. After hearing about it from some just plain disgusted grandmas, I checked it out for myself. I wanted to cry.
I felt as if something I feel so deeply about (breastfeeding) had been just torn to pieces.
I am an Attachment Parenting mom. I believe in it with ALL my heart. The first time I read Dr. Sears book, I had 3 children, was pregnant with #4 & felt like someone had heard my very heartbeat. I had never heard of Attachment Parenting (AP), but was relieved to know that what I "just felt was right", had a name!
Along with MY, personal AP style, comes things like baby wearing, co-sleeping, not having "babysitters", staying at home rather than working, homeschooling, home birth & of course breast feeding as long as is mutually enjoyable for mommy & baby. For me, this usually accompanies another pregnancy, but oh- how I long to nurse a baby to age 2!
So, today I see this magazine cover & I actually shed a tear. I understand normalizing things like birth & nursing. I am the greatest proponent of showing people what a natural birth is like (if they so choose) or for helping a mom learn about a natural way to feed her baby (if she wants to). Here's where I am sad...
Why does it have to be a slap in the face to other parenting styles. Why does this mother's choice mean that every other Attachment Parenting mom is "sexualizing" her child?! Can we all just get to the place where one parents' decision isn't so harshly judged? If you choose to nurse, YOU GO GIRL! We all know breast is best, but can we be honest about the fact that not every mom is at a place in her life where she can handle the 24-7 duty of full-time breast feeding? Some moms choose formula & in my opinion, as long as she's been offered the opportunity to nurse or is given all pros/cons... she should not be judged for that!
Why do we compare our decisions & judge each other based on them?! Even on a daily basis...
I recently posted on facebook about having such a great day as a mommy. My kids were sweet, we did school together, had fun outside. I got about 5 comments like "I love those days", "How sweet", "good for you"... & then one comment that says:
"on a day like I just had, your post makes me sick. It's really hard for me to read about your perfect day".
Well then DON'T! We all have good days & bad days! Why should a fellow mom (particularly one with 5 kids, who probably doesn't have these days often) ever be made to feel bad for having an awesome day?!
On the flip side, why should we judge another's BAD day by telling them a million reasons it could have been better!
"If you made your kids nap..."
"If you did school first thing..."
"If you quit caffeine..."
Blah, blah, blah!
My challenge to all the moms out there is this- Cut out the judgements! Every family, every mother, every situation & every child is different. If we feel strongly about a situation, there's always room to inform/be informed, but not everyone has to agree with you!
Seek the Lord on what's best for YOUR family!
Let Him judge each person for how they raised the babies they've been given...
"Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye. (Matthew 7:1-5 NIV)
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Good News!
I discovered good news today!!
We started homeschooling this school year... we also had a baby this school year. Needless to say, between new baby adjustments and 1st year homeschooling adjustments, we got a little behind.
My amazing 5 year old is the "workbook queen", as I call her. She finished Kindergarten today. My 6 year old is right on track, but a little more of a perfectionist. He takes double the time because it has to be PERFECT!
I was POSITIVE he & I would be going into summer & maybe fall trying to wrap up 1st grade! It feels like we keep getting so off track! Thats where the good news comes in...
I decided (thanks for the encouragement, mom) to go through all his lessons, take out the unnecessary "busy work", and see what we REALLY had left. So...
If I do school 3 days a week, which let's face it- that's realistic, he only has 6 weeks to do this summer after we get back from vacation. PRAISE GOD! I thought we were gonna be into September or October!
Don't you just LOVE a good surprise like that every once in a while?!
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