Eating Humble Pie

I had a big dose of humble pie the other day. It was a reminder to be careful in everything I do.

So, I woke up early Sunday morning, exercised, did some work on the computer and thought I had plenty of time to get ready and wake everyone up for church when I stepped into the shower at 7:30. But, for some unknown reason, when I got out fifteen minutes later, we were short on time. In one hour, we needed to get two little ones bathed and dressed, my husband had to take a shower, and everyone had to eat. With fifteen minutes until my desired departure time, I walk down the stairs to find my hubby on the couch snuggling with a couple of children. I was not happy.

I push everyone through breakfast, gather everyone's shoes, and herd them out the door, ten minutes late. "What can I do to prevent us from being late?" I asked hubby on the ride.

We park and I head in to the sanctuary with the oldest two, while he gets the younger set to take to nursery. We walk in - and no one's in the sanctuary except the praise band. Confused, I check my watch, then the clock on the wall. Sure enough, it's 9:15. I walk down the hallway and see a lady I know. "Where is everyone?"

"They don't finish until 9:30," she replies.

My heart drops. We used to start church at 9:15. Now we start at 9:45. I catch my hubby on the way to nursery and open wide for my extra-large slice of humble pie.

And I learned to be more cautious and more aware of how I handle things. Had I slowed down once, I might have realized I was off course. Pestering everyone and being grumpy didn't get anyone out of the house any quicker. And all this on the 2nd day of the year.

So, one of my goals is to not eat any more humble pie. I'm sure I'll make more mistakes, but hopefully they'll be smaller and I'll catch them much sooner.

Helpful Tools for Christmas

I almost wish I hadn't already done my Christmas cards. Or that I had some other great Christmas craft to do. I might just come up with one.

I'm working on photo albums for the grandparents and didn't want to use any of the graphics that came with my scrapbook program. (You know, after you've used the same program for half a dozen years or so, they get old.) So, I had a brainstorm - google Christmas fine art images. And I found a fantastic website that has loads of free Christmas clip art - good quality and variety. And you know me, if I find something worth sharing, I simply have to share it!

So, if you're in need of some Christmas clip art or are looking for gift ideas, head over to christmasgifts.com and check it out.

Picture Perfect

Do you take pictures of your children/family for Christmas cards? I do. Every year. And every year, I go into it with expectations that I can take the perfect picture. With all my children (ages 7, 5, 3 & 1). Standing exactly where I want them to stand. Smiling nicely without making funny faces. And all after I've dressed them up perfectly. And once again, my expectations are not met.

This year, after getting the kids dressed up twice, arguing with the sun to go back behind the clouds so the lighting will be right, and taking 47 pictures in 3 different locations, I still didn't get the perfect one. So, I've given up.

I'm grateful for photoshop, and online ordering, and a decent picture, but I've decided to give up on the perfect picture. I feel like one of those Christmas commercials where no one behaves and you end up with crazy pictures. I'm thinking next year I'd like that program where you can steal a good face from one picture and add it to another. Then, maybe all four of my children will be smiling, looking at the camera, and be in perfect light.

But for now, I'm ordering my B+ picture. And I'm sure everyone (especially family members out of state whom we don't get to see often) will love them. I'll take my own advice, not strive for perfection, but for excellence, and have a cup of coffee while I attach each picture to the 250 cards I'll be sending out this week.

Great Deal

Interested in Busch Garden's Christmas Town? Go to their twitter page to get the promotion code for $5 Christmas Town tickets. That's not $5 off. That's $5 cost! Click, link, and have fun!

Friendly Humor

My friend! My friend! Come in, come in.
It's so good to see you again, 10, my friend.

Let's catch up, chat and visit for a while;
Have a cup of coffee, maybe walk a mile.

Sit down, kick your heels up; don't tarry too long though.
My old friend 8 is on her way, and then you will have to go!!

Mommy Brain

Do you suffer from Mommy Brain? You know - forgetting things constantly. Walking from one room to the other and forgetting what you came in there for. Forgetting that you put a child in time out.

This morning I walked into the kitchen and found a container of pasta that I'd left out on the counter last night. 'Oh, well,' I thought. 'Now it's not tempting me anymore.' Earlier this week I forgot a person. A person! I was supposed to give a neighbor a ride home from church Wednesday night, got distracted in the search for a missing passy and transferring a friend's car seats to her car and didn't remember until I passed her house - a full fifteen minutes later!

How could I forget a person??? My husband laughed. My neighbor forgave me. I am trying to stop beating myself up. In order to help, I'm looking at what I can do to help my poor over-exercised brain.

Have any suggestions??

One thing, I'm going to try to go back to writing everything down. The old adage is true: hear it - remember 10%, say it - remember 30%, write it, remember 70%, practice it - remember 90%. In order to do this, I must pay more attention to what I'm doing.

As a mom, I'm used to multi-tasking. When I'm listening to praise music, cooking, answering a multitude of questions or folding laundry, watching a movie, and trying to get in my water for the day, multi-tasking can be good. But, in many instances, it simply means I'm not paying as close attention to what I'm doing as I should. e.g. Talking on the phone and checking email at the same time is not productive. I miss half of both.

So, I will go back to making lists and try to be more aware of what's going on. I'd be more than happy to hear any other suggestions that have helped other moms suffering from Mommy Brain!

Tell Me About It: by Carolyn Hax

I don't always agree with what Caroline Hax says, but this time, she's hit the bullseye.

Mommy's Need to Have Fun, Too!

Have you had fun lately? Really had fun? Let loose, got down on the floor, let everything else go fun?

As moms, we feel the bulk of the pressure on what there is to get done: dishes, cooking, laundry, baths, mail, etc., etc., etc. There's always something to do. But, to stay in balance, and to make wonderful memories, we need to cut everything loose once in a while and let go.

I did so yesterday and it felt great! My husband and I used to wrestle all the time when we were dating. It was a challenge, to see if I could get loose of his grip on my wrists, and for him to see how much of a pretzel he could make me. We haven't done it in years, but last night, for some unknown reason, we did. Our 7-year-old was involved. That made it a ton of fun. And I had help, meaning that I wasn't made into a pretzel and even got a few good tickles in. We all were tired from laughing after about 10 minutes. That excellent deep down, fully-engaged kind of laughing.

It was a good reminder to have fun once in a while. I try to remember to get on the floor to play with my little ones, although it's not as easy with four (and homeschooling) as it was with one or two. I am more wrapped up in the daily tasks of being a mom than remembering to take time to be Mommy.

The dishes will still be there. The laundry will still be there. They will eat whatever. Those are not the things that will mean the most. They do not solidify and foster positive relationships - having fun together does. We can't neglect our duties and obligations all the time, that would lead to mass chaos, but it's good to let them go once in a while and simply have fun. It will keep us in balance and help us not to take ourselves too seriously.

Fun Question

Do your children ever ask you fun questions like:

"Mommy, why did God make boys and girls different?"

"Ummm....so we could help each other out and do things the other one can't do."

If my hubby had been in the room: "So we could pee standing up and outside!"

"Mommy, are boys and girls born different ways?"

"No. No, they're not. Are you hungry? Can I get you a drink? Don't you want to go play?"


What 'fun' questions do your precious little ones come up with?

The Gambler Mommy

You know Kenny Roger's The Gambler, right? Well get the tune in your head and read below.

On a warm summers evenin the phone rang from somewhere
It was my girlfriend finally; we were both walking half asleep.
We’d both been wrapped up in babies, wiping noses and hinies
Til we didn’t know up from down, but we needed to talk.

She said, girl, I’ve made a life out of carin for babies,
And knowin what they’re about and how to stay a step ahead.
So if you don’t mind my sayin, I can hear you’re about at the end.
For a night of babysitting I’ll give you some advice.

So I agreed on a date and she wrote it on the calendar.
Then she sighed and I heard the door shut behind her.
And the night got deathly quiet, and her voice lost all depression.
Said, if you’re gonna outlive em, ya gotta learn to live it right.

You got to know when to hold em, know when to scold em,
Know when to walk away and know when to lunge.
You always count to a hundred when their pushing your buttons.
There’ll be time enough for punishin when the anger’s gone.

Now evry mommy knows that the secret to surviving
Is knowing when to let it go and knowing what to say.
Cause evry child’s a blessing and every child’s a sinner,
And the best that you can hope is for them to love your God.

So when she’d finished speakin, she stayed in the dark silence,
Stepped back into the house and started on laundry.
And somewhere in the darkness the mommy, she was praised.
And in her wisest words I found an ace that I could keep.

You got to know when to hold em, know when to scold em,
Know when to walk away and know when to lunge.
You always count to a hundred when their pushing your buttons.
There’ll be time enough for punishin when the anger’s gone.

Now evry mommy knows that the secret to surviving
Is knowing when to let it go and knowing what to say.
Cause evry child’s a blessing and every child’s a sinner,
And the best that you can hope for is them to love your God.