MARTYR MOM
VS
MEMORY-MAKING MOM

This is about me...

...the battle of parenting within me...

Daddy is gone during the week. This has been for some time now. This will continue for some time now...

~OK, I admit it, this mama misses the tag-team techniques of a 2 parent household!
*smile...count to ten...exhale...hug the child* and repeat and repeat and...

Martyr mom wants to keep the house tidy... it helps her brain think clearer
Memory-makin' mom dumps the pile of toys in the middle of the room, sits down and plays with her child(ren).

Martyr mom wants to cry over spilled juice.
Memory-makin' mom sprays soapy water down and has kids "ice-skate" in their socks.

Martyr mom wants to stay on the computer all day "talking to adults"
Memory-makin' mom digs up a craft or experiment idea, and seizes the moment.

Martyr mom wants to scream at her screaming littles.
Memory-makin' mom embraces the child and his meltdown.

Martyr mom wants to sleep in after staying up half the night with rambunctious children.
Memory-makin' mom gets up early to pray, then prepare breakfast for sleepy faces.

Martyr mom wants to finish her blog post =)
Memory-makin' mom helps with homework, changes a diaper, reads a story, fills a sippy cup, play referee, and answer multiple questions from an inquisitive child... and finish her post in tiny tidbits of moments with pondering thoughts mingling in her head.

Martyr mom wants to boo-hoo at dear hubby about her woe-is-me's
Memory-makin' mom will
have the kids
help tidy the house
on Friday
(as many hands make light work)
and
have ALL the kids
play outside
(gotta love those older kids ;^)
so that mama can finally take a decent shower for the week...
so that when DADDY gets home that night,
we can have
FAMILY FUN NIGHT.

...The Move




...The
Transition

The Keep On Keeping On...

It has been a year since we have moved from our small hometown in nowhere Oregon. I think I have been in denial about the move. Indeed hoping for temporary at best. God has moved us forward for a new season; He has His reasons.

I was actually excited about moving at first, until one realizes what is being left behind... security, community, familiarity, routines, and ofcourse, friends. Admittedly, the kids have adjusted better than I have.

Moving forward...

I adore being home with my kids.
I enjoy homeschooling.
I love family.

About me:

I am an happy-go-lucky-love-the-mornings-glass-half-full type of gal , and I am ready to get out and face the world. As a child I went to 18 schools before graduating; we moved houses more times than that. Making friends was easy, keeping them was not. I am a people person who never fit into any stereo type. Christ has always been my Savior, especially during many childhood traumas. Caring about others comes easy; letting others care about me is not so easy. I tend to over commit and try to over achieve; only in recent years have I learned to slow down and enjoy the small, simple moments that whisper by almost without notice.

My challenge:

~In a small community it is very easy to get connected to other folks. Your church, school (home & public), sports, outings & activities all tend to blend around the same people.

~Now that we are in the city, how does one approach creating a connection with other people? A place where neighbors don't take time to get to know you, where the church you choose to attend is many miles away, where schools are many, parks are a dime a dozen on any corner, homeschooling is not common, and having many children of a wide variety of ages makes you not fit into any social mold?

Live in a big city? A busy community? What do you do to get connected to others, or do you?

Blessings:

It has been wonderful to live with my parents. To share my children with my mom is beautiful. She was a very hard working single mom who did not have the opportunity to be home with me much when I was a little girl; she did not love me any less than I absolutely love my kids. In this new season, My Mom gets to enjoy alongside of me the journey of hands-on, Christ-led, guided nurturing that I find to be an amazing blessing! God is good, all of the time.

MALLS!

strip malls, shopping malls, super malls...

...a consumer necessity of worldly purchasing. Ouch! Did I say that? I like to shop, I like nice things, I like finding what I am looking for... I do not like malls. There, I said it.

I avoid malls for a few reasons:

1) too many people. I find them busy, chaotic, & crowded (in general)
2) too materialistic. I find them to have the influence to crave unnecesary items.
3) too spendy. I find it a waste of quality time as a cost to our family.
4) too influential. I find the latest need to "party like a rockstar" to have an ill impression as it hits even the youngest of our communities.

Time, Talent, & Treasures~
a motto we try to instill in our children by holding ourselves accountable for what we do with our time, our talents, & our treasures.

The children know how hard their dad works everyday; all in the selfless glory of providing for our family. It is my job to spend the money earned in a wise manner. Admittedly, I am not always successful at this. Yet, I do know that staying away from malls helps us avoid the "I wants" of frivolous spending. Now, if I could only withstand the challenge of fasting fast food, we could save a whole lot more money! Please feel free to share what you do to make a positive difference in your budget.

Missing the Normalcy of "HOME"

...to run
on couches...

...arts n crafts anytime...

...messes without worry...

...room to roll around...

...curiosity without question...

...family...

...friends...

...and ...

the freedom...

to just play...

...

A new state, a new town, a new house, new rules...

...little space, little rooms, little yard w/ little to do...

...Still living, still learning, still laughing, still loving...

~The cost to move is steep, but to embrace the moment with loved ones is priceless!