A Bewitchingly Ordinary Life!

This question reverberated through my very being yesterday as I drove David and I to Downtown Disney.  "Mom, what does a bomb do?" The cold stark realization hit me that my child is growing up.  He'll be a  young man in not too many years from now.  Why does innocence have to flee so quickly.  And how do I answer that?  The thought of sharing any information on it with David hurt me.  I feel like it's the beginning of slow dismantle of innocent times of childhood that will never be recaptured. "Well, they go off and hurt lots of buildings and people." He takes a silent thoughtful moment.  His little brain is always working.  "What do bombs look like?" "Hmmm..."  I really hate this conversation.  I suddenly want to be anywhere but there in the car having that conversation.  I don't really want him to know.  I hate the hurt in the world.  I hate war.  I hate that people have to die because someone else thinks the...

I am so excited for my many friends that have recently or will become parents!  Either for the first time or once again!  The addition of a child to a family is an amazing thing, bringing many mixed emotions that you never thought you could feel!  It's a love unexplainable and incomparable until it parenthood is experienced personally.  Over 6.5 years ago, I was blessed to be able to experience this journey, and then again almost 5 years ago.  With it came advice, and lots of it!  Lots, and lots, and lots....and lots...of it!  So I figured why not give my own ;) The one thing I've learned about being a parent is that the journey is ever changing.  And thus, this is where my own advice stems from.  1.) There are no medals in childbirth!   It's true!  There are no medals at the end of it, but a new life instead! You birth how you want!  Don't let anyone make you feel inferior no matter what choice you make!  YOU ARE NOT A ...

As the kiddos get older, and I am able to put those ' feminine ' touch things back out in the home, I find myself ready to do some projects as well. I saw a cute wreath on Pinterest with a pool noodle as a base.  I thought, well what the heck, I'm going to do it Poor woman's Dollar Tree s tyle! I love wreaths on my front door for each season or holiday.  I haven't done it in many years, but finally in this past year I've started again.  Mainly due to my friend Demrah who reignited the spark in me! So off to the Dollar Tree I went to get my supplies.  [I already had the tape at home. ] And the items I needed?  Pool noodle, 2 flower bouquets, 1 spool of tulle, 1 spool of rib bon, 1 vine garland. It was super easy to just use white duct tape, to put the t wo ends together and makes a nice size wreath! Then came the ribbon and t ulle.  And w ith the green base wreath, it actually doesn't look too bad since it's an 'earth color'. Finally...

Okay, so it can be baby steps and I really do rejoice when I've had a good day! I give such ma jor props and kudos to my husband because he can actually be the calm one, telling me to pick my battles, to stay calm, to follow through. O f course I admit that there are times I'm exhausted, I have so much to do , that it's easier to just not follow through, or give in. And I admit, that I tend to be an over-reacti ng or short tempered person. Lately I've been watching some old Nanny 911/ Supernanny episodes. Much of it can be common sense, but sometimes it clicks or reminds you /me that it's still a journey and to keep going. Today, I em ployed some characteristics and st rategies that I've learned, that I've had, that I know.. Staying calm not raising my voice follow through And it was a much more peaceful day.  Was there still some negative behavior?  Of cours e!  Was it escalated or aggravated because of how I acted?  No!  We had a good day of...

Do you ever ask yourself, 'Is this normal?'  'Am I normal?' , 'Does anyone or has anyone felt this way?' Well, that is where I'm at t onight.  Lately I've really had no patience, short tempered, having a tough time de-stressing, blocking out noise, and finding some inner peace.  What happened to th at wanna -be gentle mom?  I'm pretty sure she is lost at sea.  I feel like I'm drowning, working outside of the home, then trying to stay on top of things in the home, getting my CDA to teach preschool...sometimes, I feel like the walls are closing in. I snap at my children much to easily lately, and f rankly, I hate it, and hate myself for it.  And it cuts me to the bone when they know it, notice it, and say "Mom, you can't be mean, you can't yell."  I think I'm in need of an overhaul, a retreat away to regroup, parenting classes, classes to gain back patience and stop letting the little thi ngs aggravate me. Certainly I ...