4 Little Feelings I love about being an Adult.

Adutling and parenting, so many things come with those two things. Piles of dishes get bigger and laundry become mountains. Coffee pots seem to always be full and if you have tiny children, toys seem like an infestation. You find them everywhere in everything!

Well here are just a few things that I enjoy being an adult and a parent.

1.) The feeling of getting all the dishes done. I don't have a dishwasher. I hate doing dishes. More often than not I am eating oatmeal with a fork and drinking out of lidless sippy cup. But when I finally decide to get them done, its awesome. A drawer full of spoons and forks! I can lather butter on toast with a real butter knife and not a stake knife!....at least for the next 3 days until the drawer is empty again and I am left eating with toddler spoons.

2.) This could have also been a childhood favorite, but I love pulling a fresh warm towel out of the dryer after a shower. That alone makes up for an hour at the spa in my mind. So what I have to risk it and make a mad dash to the laundry room from the bathroom in my birthday suit. A warm towel is worth it!

3.) Have you ever actually cleaned under your couch? Most of the time I try to pretend nothing is under there, but when I do, i am always shocks and almost always find the missing shoes. But to sweep and mop under there? That fresh sent of pine-sol! Putting the couch back. When you sit down, it feel like you have a whole new couch! Why don't you do it this more often you wonder? Up until you drop some crumbs and dust them under there to avoid sweeping again. :P

4.) Forced too nap. Your children have fallen on sleep on your arms, one and each side. They are napping. If you move, they wake up. So you might as well take advantage of the hostage situation and nap along with them. Being a parent you need it since you have so little sleep already.

Anyways, those are just some of things I enjoy about being an adult and parent. Until another day

toodles :)

Kneeling: An Example for My Children

He had spilled his grape tomatoes across the floor right after purchasing them. I was in the middle of bagging my own groceries while trying to keep my 4 year old daughter close to the cart and my son entertained. By instinct reaction, I turned and knelt to start picking up tomatoes. Before me I had a good mother who always had us help out others whenever she saw a chance. I don't remember being 3 and picking up dropped change for people, but according to my mom, I did. Then it happened, my daughter proclaims loudly, "Oh no! Here let me help you." Then races over to help him pick up tomatoes. The moment lasted only a few seconds, but it left a huge impact on my heart. My daughter was learning from my example.

In our every day we sometimes forget to see what is right under our noses. With the man in the store he was right next to and it obvious what had happened and he needed help. However what if it had been three check-outs down? Would I have done the same? I sure hope would if and I hope my children would be there to see that example. I would want them to grow up to be that person who goes goes out of their to help someone, from rather it someone one right next to them or someone at a distance. However a big part for them to grow and be that person who rushed to help, I need that might myself continuously.

Just simple thoughts for today.

Until another day

Toodles

A Moment with a Grocery List

So caught my son scribbling all over my grocery list I had just finished. I left the room to put some clothes away and there he was in a chair scribbling over my list that took my about an hour to put together between seeing what I already had, what recipes I wanted to use and what I needed. I smiled at him and decided to take pictures of his little adventure.

Then I remembered how not so long ago, I would have been little upset about that list. Especially when my daughter was a little stinker. Not that i would have yelled and disciplined her. But i would have picked her up and moved her along because I didn't have time to deal with scribbles. I had daily work to do. As I got older though, I always made new weekly grocery lists. I only had one my one daughter that one moment before she off doing something different. I realized I was putting a lot pressure on getting things done and keeping up in life rather than laughing at small goofy moments and enjoying my life.

Breathe: Just take am moment to breathe sometimes. For me this is always a first step to slowing down time and taking the time to enjoy what was around me. I stopped trying to race off to the next task and took just a second to breathe.

Level Thinking: Can you really have the kids dressed and fed, yourself primped and pressed with then house cleaned, chores done and bills paid and ready to head out the door for the day all before 8 a.m, all with a good nights sleep before hand and doing that every single day? If you can, email me because I want to know your secret! Now take that breathing moment you just had and apply a level head. Can you really do the dishes and organize your kitchen cabinets all at the same time? Or can the clean dishes be done now and organizing the cabinets be done later? Level thinking after breathing really helps you see what is reasonably possible to get done and what is just plain crazy to try attempt.

That pause to breathe and level thinking helped me see that my son doodling on my grocery list may damp my grocery shopping time later one, but again I always make new lists. I only use this one  time before it goes in the trash. I only have my son the way he is now for one instance before he off doing something else.

Enjoy it!: Enjoying laughing at the goofy things you end up being in. Laugh at the fact you really need sleep and you are trying to make your house perfect. Then grab your kids and take a break and spend the day in bed. There are more days to clean a house. Take the moment to whip out your phone and snap the picture of your daughter making a mess as she attempting to make a sandwich by herself. or the moment your child expresses his art, like mine! :P

Sometimes part of enjoying life is maturity. When my daughter was born I was a young parent who had high ambitions. Trying to keep up with the moms who looked like that had it together kept me on my toes to the point of tears some days. As I started losing the days of my baby girl, I realized things had the change, and I also realized that I didn't have to have it all together. And honestly most mothers really didn't care how well I ran my own life. They were too busy with there own to notice me. So take a breathier and let you kids be kids. Enjoy the messes and follow after those little pattering feet on their small adventures.

Until another day

Toodles!

Branded Food

When did food become so commercial?...*sips from chai latte from Starbucks* I mean really, how has food become like the car you drive or the shoes on your feet? What happened to just eating when you are hungry? Food was just food.  Suddenly everyone is up in your business about what "brand" of food crossed your lips to your tummy.Like I said, it like shoes. If you wear a great brand people can tell you paid a pretty penny for them. The car you drive, fancy logo, nice paint job, people like your car.

Lets take Starbucks for example. Do people really like coffee that much? Or is the feeling of being hip and cool holding your Skinny Mocha Frappa Latte with two pumps no foam? Heck do you even know what you are drinking? Sure, I love my Chai Tea Latte with extra chai, from Starbucks, but I also make a great one at home. I didn't start going to Starbucks until everyone else was raving how awesome it is. Now if anyone shows up with generic gas station coffee people pity you for being broke or think your are tasteless fool who doesn't understand style. Don't you know your cup should sport a weird green woman logo?!

Maybe it is just me, but even water gets branded and fashionable. "Oh I don't like Target generic brand. It has odd taste. I only buy Figi Water. You know the one with the square shaped bottle?"

I would so be that person if asked, "What kind of water do you drink?" I would answer, "Uh, the drinkable kind?" followed by a blank stare. 

It kind of reminded me of the movie the Lorax, where a the evil company was trying to get people to buy bottled air. Its just air! But now its in a fancy bottle! Starbucks is just coffee! But you can now feel cool drinking coffee!.
So I leave you off with my random thoughts as I drink my Starbucks Chair Tea Latte with extra shot of Chai and feelng cool. 

Simple Loving is Enough

"Sometimes saying nothing is best thing, and simply loving them is enough." My best friend once said this to me when I got all heated over something and had to tell my best friend about. What I love about my best friend is that though I want her to always agree with me and back me up with, "Yeah, let go tp that person's house, the one who cut you off today!" She doesn't. Half the time she gives a gentle correction, but mostly she says nothing letting me rant until I realize my problem wasn't really a problem.

Sometimes simply continuing to love someone is the best answer when someone does something wrong or makes mistake. People forget that mistakes can be very beautiful things. A single mom loves her child all the same, even if she didn't have "right" relationship done correctly. It is because of her mistakes she works harder and better.

For the thief, after prison realizing what he did was wrong so he wants to do better. Should he allows be considered a thief and hated by society for the rest of his life?

And maybe people in your life right now are making huge mistakes and you have the solution! You can prevent all their problems and fix them! However, what is more effective? Changing the person how you think is best? Or letting them learn from their mistakes and being their at the end to comfort them, by letting become better on their own?

When look back at how Jesus led his life. He wasn't on pulpit preaching loud and proud and pointing fingers. He spoke quietly, in parables and with gentle instruction. Vary rarely did He raise His voice or attack someone for their mistakes. He wasn't there emotion crushing them, making them doubt their faith. He led by example. How does crushing someone soul and heart help them? How destroying them spiritual and emotional effectively "fix" them?

If we go by Christ's example, we are to be loving and caring. We are to comfort those who need it. Weep with those who weep, rejoice with those who rejoice!  No we don't always have to agree, and sometimes there are moments to prevent someone from making huge mistakes, like toddlers reaching for hot pot,. But sometimes being silent and loving someone is enough.

Consistently Inconsistent Mom Brain

I am not sure why I work out this way. But sometimes I talk softly in large groups and sometimes I am the loudest person in the room. Sometimes I am the one who takes charge and leads the way in a project and sometimes the one who sits in the back waiting to be called. I love sharing with pretty much everyone, but I also sometimes can be very distant. Its never consistent. I am not sure why  it just happens.

One day I was with my friend and we were the loudest we could be. I made her blush red embarrassed but having a good time. What we were doing is whole post for another day, but let's just leave we were having an awesome day. Th following day at a Bible study I was completely quiet. I had plenty of answers to give when the questions came around. Plenty of chance to volunteer to read verses and there I was quietly seating kinda hoping no one would call upon to speak.

My days seems to flow this way as well. One day I have everything coordinated. Everything has a place and I have a plan set. Everything gets done at its time and on time.  Then the following day I plan the same thing its totally up-heaved. Kids have no shoes and I am driving into to town only to realize why in world am I even going into town? My lists are long and sometimes never even there even though I know I plenty to do. One day I can clean my entire home, the next I can barely keep the dirty dishes balanced just right in the sink. 

Sometimes I wonder why my life goes this way or if any other mothers have this kind of problem. Then I met a few mothers who fell right along side in my life. They were outgoing one moment then completely quiet people the next. Clueless and knowledgeable, crazy and mature, collected and losing it! 

I think this is what they call "Mom Brain". Maybe it is not that we are losing part of our minds when we becomes mothers, parts of it decide to randomly shut down while turning on others. Which is why one moment who can cook a great home cooked meal and the next you can only think of ordering a pizza for dinner. Your brain is all there, but after babies come and the lack of sleep, and hormones your brain suffered. Parts of it light up and other shut down. Which why some moments you have the right answer and have it all put together and the other time you are running against the clock trying to figure out what exactly you are doing. 

No worries mamas. We are a little crazy.

Until another day

Toodles.

The Sin of Picking Up your Purse

Since my last post I feel like I can open more about my past little by little. Now to clarify, my past is not this soap opera full of drama and secrets and each turn there is new big reveal! Nothing worthy of Dateline or even much to publish a book. But enough that is effected me and how I grew up.

I grew up homeschooled. This part of my past was wonderful because it gave me opportunities that not many kids have. Because of it I am very close with my parents and siblings. However, through homeschooling my family and I were exposed to this tiny pocket of Ultra Conservative/Super Religious Christians.

I don't want to talk bad about these people. I will only share what had been to me and to those to me. This not to be a bash fest but to share what happens and the scars things and situation like these can leave.

This group was about 2 steps away from being a cult, in my own words. They were small and if didn't conform they considered you on best case "troubled Christian," but often they would say things like, "Are you truly saved?" This would be said if you did something that they did not approve of. And though they were small, they held a lot authority through out homeschool groups and local churches, which is why what they said about seemed so powerful.

Those simple words of "Are you truly saved?"  brought on sleepless nights were I begged and talked to God to save me. Was I truly saved? Was this action they deemed a "sin" was the one thing keeping me from an ever lasting relationship from Christ?

Often these "sins" were not even sins. They were often minor issues this group had that they deemed wrong in God's eyes. Things like a girl's modesty. Now modesty is important and is mentioned in the Bible, but we are extreme here. Huge debates if a girl should be allowed to wear short or not, some extreme cases, whether she should be allowed pants or not. If she wore pants, could she be trying to look like a "man" and if so that was bad, so should only be allowed to wear dresses.

Being a well endowed girl I struggled with shirts and cleavage. I don't walk around in plunging necklines, just regular modest  blouses and t-shirts. But oh I faced the looks, the shaking of the heads, and mothers who were ready to talk to mine. My crime? I stooped down to pick up my purse. The action of stooping would sometimes cause my neck line to come forward and you may have been able to catch a glimpse of cleavage. Which in turn could lead young mean astray! How could I do that!?! Well to fix my problem and all other young well endowed girls, needing to pick up purses, we were instructed to first keep our purse beside us or in our laps to avoid "stooping". If that was not possible, we were told to bend at our knees, keeping on hand over our necklines and tilt to the side an pick up our purse. This was awkward and somewhat painful, but at least we were doing the right thing. We were even doing more of the "right" thing by holding every single young girl accountable about her neckline and "stooping". And if! oh if you dare decided this "stooping" thing was ok! Well out came, "What you are doing is wrong. Are you truly saved?"

The attack at my faith. Because I dared to not properly stoop for my purse, was I truly saved? Was God really in my heart, because I was pretty much next to dirt because I had large breasts, and if I bent to pick something up, MAYBE you could have gotten a glimpse of my cleavage.

As goofy as this sounds, I did face it. My sister did. My mother did and every woman who had large breasts were pretty much drilled to make sure they never showed their breasts. Wear sweaters, higher necklines, more scarves around the neck, because your job was to make sure someone else didn't sin. And though they wouldn't never admit it, they made us feel like our large breasts were something to be ashamed of. Large breast gave a woman curves, if she was pretty and curvy she better hide that because that my might attract a guy!

And the poor breast feeding mothers! You had too hide feeding your baby because heaven forbid you break their rules of modest.

And if you dared decided different, your faith was attacked. The constant attack at your faith for other fellow believers over something so mundane as simply picking up your purse.

It wasn't until I reached college I finally started breaking free from all the silly rules. Looking back it was so funny and sad when I went to pick up my back pack off the floors at the end of class. I thought I was such a rebel picking up my back pack like every normal person, like how Jesus picked up something, how Mary Magdalene, Ruth, Ester, or anyone would have picked something up. How could