This morning I woke up and did the first thing I do everyday.....brush the hair out of my face, stare at the clock until numbers start to make sense to me again, and then grab my phone. I believe the cell phone has become the modern day newspaper.
I read something right away that really grabbed my attention. Usually coffee and kids fighting are the only things to grab my attention that early in the morning.
Here it is...
Pretty powerful right? I mean, I think this is something every one of us should read. Remembering that you don't owe anyone an explanation for your life is really important.
I took this one to heart. I've had countless people tell me that I should forgive my father for the past. I should let him back into my life, and move on. To get over it.
I've really thought long and hard about my choice to not speak to him, and reading this really validated it for me. Why do I owe anyone an explanation? I don't. It's my choice. I'm living my life happily and don't have to come up with any excuses for it.
I hope this little quote means something to you all too. We all come from different walks of life, but at the end of the day we need to remember that we are meant to be here. We are meant to lead our own paths, and we don't owe ANYONE an explanation or an apology for it.
<3
If you are a woman, and have had a child....you have experienced "the mom fight".
Oh you all know exactly what I'm talking about. That nasty fight, that what seems like most women have with each other.
You are walking through the grocery store and of course now is the time that your little one decides is perfect for a tantrum. What do you get? Not only the stress of figuring out how to stop the tantrum, but you also have all the mom eyes on you.
It's so frustrating. When we should band together and build each other up, we seem to only tear each other apart.
And it's not just when we are face to face. It's over the internet, through COMMERCIALS. I mean, why can't we just say you know what.....screw it. I'm here for you if you need a shoulder to cry on.....because if you are a mom you NEED one of those. I'm here if you need a sitter, if you want to vent, rant, scream and throw your own fit. I'm here.
Instead we say, "oh tommy is being a little booger in school.....its because you aren't doing THIS or THAT right", "you DON'T spank?!", "you DO spank?!", "you should be doing this instead", "you spend too much time with your kids", "you don't spend enough time with your kids".
It's disgusting.
We find the fault in what we are all doing "wrong". And who even gets to be the one to say it's wrong in the first place? Just because we parent different, have different life styles and see things differently.......doesn't mean it's wrong. It's just....different.
So, I'm here to tell every one of you moms, that you are not only needed so much by your children, but you are doing a great job at it all! Whether you can go on every field trip, or barely find time for homework with your little one....at the end of the day, the only thing that matters, is if your children feel loved.
Instead of having a wall put up between moms, lets break that shit down and stand TOGETHER.
<3
Recently I was on the phone with my mom....for one of our daily talks. I told her that I have no idea how she and all the other moms did it, when I was a child. What I mean is.....how did our moms and dads put up with us every single day, and not have the internet to keep them going?
Here me out.
Every so often I feel like I'm in a funk. Life starts to feel like its the same shit, different day. And I find myself turning to pinterest and facebook for inspiration. Life inspiration. Just to remind me that my life......it's amazing.
Yea, I need reminding every once in a while, because I'm a mom and this shit is not for the birds. It's hard, it's mentally and physically taxing. Dealing with tantrums, rolling eyes, and whining are just the small daily things I deal with. So coming to the internet to read things that are amazing....quite literally get me through those crappy times.
My friends share sweet poems or quotes, and I share them back. I wonder how many moms or dads read those simple posts, and feel rejuvenated again. I know I do.
My kids are absolutely a gift in my life. They have given me so much purpose and love that I don't know what I'd do without them. But they are kids.....and kids ALL have those times that they think it's super cool to test their boundaries.
So thank you internet for giving me inspiration when I need it the most. For letting me find quotes and poems that lift me up, for always having friends I can message on a whim to vent, and to offer some pretty great websites for parenting advice.
I don't know what I'd do without you. ;)
<3
If you know me, you know I love a good holiday! I LOVE to do fun holiday crafts with the kids, for EVERY holiday. I love to decorate the house with all the fun crafts we do. I like to give little sweet gifts to the kids for each holiday. I love it all. BUT.....
Sometimes enough is enough! I mean, Christmas was literally like yesterday right? Ok, well a couple weeks ago, but if feels like it was yesterday. And here I am looking online for fun Valentine's day craft ideas for the kids, and gifts for their classes.
Didn't we just say Happy New Year, and already fail at our resolutions?! Why must there be a holiday at every corner?!
Most importantly, why must I feel the need to go all out for each holiday?
Maybe because I already set the bar when Nicholas and Laura were real little. I feel like I can't really take it down a notch, without feeling like the two little's will miss out on what I've already done for the two oldest.
It's just kind of exhausting. Don't get me wrong, I adore my kids crafts and handing out fun gifts to the kid's classes.....but it starts to become overwhelming, when there seems to be another holiday 6 days after the last.
I won't ever tone it down, because this is who I am. I get annoyed that there is already another holiday creeping up on us, yet I always find a way to outdo the previous year.
So, while I sit here begrudgingly looking for new Valentine's day ideas on pinterest....I will remember the smiles from my kids little faces, when they see the new ideas I come up with. THAT is why it's worth it. :)
Recently I had a friend ask me a great question, "why do you blog?". It wasn't in a hateful, annoyed way. She seriously wanted to know my intentions, and what I got out of it.
I love this questions. I have so many reasons why I choose to blog. First, its cheap therapy. Writing my thoughts, no matter how meaningless they are to other people.....becomes very meaningful to me. It puts my thoughts in order, and really lets me get out feelings that I tend to hold inside.
I have memories written down, that will be here forever. Look at my birthday letters, that I write to each kid on their birthday. I plan to print each one out and make a book out of them, for each kid to have when they get older. I would have loved to have something like that. Something showing you just how your mom felt about you at each age, and seeing pictures of your growth through each year. That alone, is reason enough to blog.
I hope to inspire others. I'm letting people see a piece of my life (not all of it, haven't you noticed that I don't blog about my marriage....hehe).....I want to make others laugh, I want other parents to feel like they aren't alone. I want moms to know they are so incredibly important, in their children's lives. I go through things that so many other people go through as well.....and its nice to feel like someone out there is reading along and nodding their head with me.
I've been so inspired by all of you as well! Any time I get positive feedback about a blog I wrote, my heart is so happy!
This blog of mine has grown so much in the past couple years. I have always written in a journal, and felt like other moms might want to read some of my thoughts. I feel empowered when I write, and hopefully, one day, I will be able to write my own book.
Until then, stay tuned for a lot more blogs from yours truly. :)
<3
I read this quote quite some time ago, and it still sticks with me. Let me explain. I have gone through a lot of emotional turmoil, regarding my situation with my father. I spent years feeling like I was broken. I felt like I was out of place all the time because, in the back of my mind, I was constantly replaying conversations that my father and I would have.
I was trapped, by the past.
I have since learned that EVERYONE has a past. EVERYONE has some kind of sadness, embarrassment, and heartache in their past. But I was the one letting it control me. I forgot that I wasn't the only one who might be having a hard time dealing with their reality.
I've spent years dealing with anxiety, caused from my past with my father, and finally....after reading this quote.....I let some of that go.
I've realized that I'm not alone. And if you are dealing with a parent who is dealing with an addiction, YOU are not alone either.
I have to face the fact though, that there will always be a part of me that is a little broken. And that's ok. It's ok to have a piece of me that will always be mending. I won't give up hope that one day I will have my heart be whole again.
I've grown into who I am today, because of what I've gone through. So, instead of feeling anxious, or angry....I will feel proud that I've come out standing tall.
<3
My oldest son is 14, and is now taller than I am. It's pretty awkward to be frustrated with him and give a lecture when I'm looking up at him HA!
Funny thing to me, is I have dozens of friends who are worried about how much longer they will have to buy diapers for, and I'm over here worried about getting money together to buy my oldest a CAR in just two short years.
I am dealing with sex talks, motivational speeches, girlfriend advice, and some serious LIFE discussions......yet I have to turn around and have talks about letters, how to make sure we watch where we pee so it doesn't get on the wall or floor, how to color in the lines, and tying shoes.
I guess it's all normal to me now, to have kids with such a huge age gap in between my oldest and youngest. It's been a blessing to be honest with you. I can rely on my oldest to help out when I really need it. I know he will lend a hand in a heartbeat, when I'm sporting that frazzled mommy look.
Discussing these mature topics is a normal thing here in our home. The door is always wide open for any talks, that need to be had. I've always been very open with my kids about life. But especially with my oldest son.
He came to me when I was 18 and he was 3, and I've been his mom ever since. He didn't come from my belly, but from my heart. I've had to always be very honest with him about the first 3 years of his life. About his mother. I didn't want to look back one day and realize I would have to tell him that I'm not his birth mother. He's always known that he grew in my heart and we were meant to be mom and son.
He's always been the type of kid who isn't embarrassed to talk about life things, like sex, and maturing. He will bluntly ask me a question, just as bluntly as I give the answer.
I'm thankful though, to be raising a teenager.....I mean, he's my first child, and I've learned everything from parenting him. I've been able to figure out how to discuss certain topics that are very mature, early on so I won't need to figure it out when my girls need to talk.
So, to everyone who is feeling embarrassed about telling their son they have a penis and it's not really called a "peepee", just remember your friend over here who is having to talk about BIRTH CONTROL with her teenager! :/
<3
