1 year ago
Last night we went out to dinner at Longhorn Steakhouse. From the moment we sat down, Brenna was SCREAMING for chap stick, or snacks, or water, or to get down from her highchair. Every time she would open her mouth, Ed and I would look at each other with the "why did we decide to go out to dinner" eyes. I know it is horrible parenting, but we always bring snacks to keep them quiet before our meal arrives. They usually don't eat much of their meal, because they are full on cheerios or fruit snacks!
Finally the meal was over and we were getting ready to leave when Brenna out did herself...She walked past a table on the way out of the restaurant and grabbed a steak knife off of someone else's table! The two men at the table jumped up because it scared them that she had this huge knife in her hand. I immediately began apologizing and was horribly embarrassed that she interrupted their dinner and put her dirty little hands on the silverware he was using!
Lesson of the day: You must always stay one step ahead of them and think one step ahead of them. They can be so sneaky!
A couple of weeks ago we were invited to Ryker Mische's Birthday Party at Monkey Business. I loved this place! It is even fun for adults and believe me, you get so much exercise! I was absolutely exhausted. What a great place for a party!We celebrated Easter this year at our house with my Grandma, parents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. It was a large group and we always have so much fun together. We had so much food and it was all delicious! We have some great cooks in our family!
On Friday we dyed Easter eggs...
On Sunday we got all dressed up and headed to church...
Has everyone seen the movie Pollyanna? It was one of my favorite movies as a child. My sister and I would watch it over and over again. Until just last night I didn't realize the important lesson that one can learn from this movie. Remember "The Glad Game"? It was such a big part of the movie. Pollyanna would always find something to be glad about in any situation. The book I am reading, "The Power of a Positive Mom" explains that we should look for something to be thankful about in every situation and circumstance. For example, we all HATE laundry. But, how lucky are we that we have clothes to wear to keep ourselves and our children warm. We all HATE doing dishes, but how many starving people are there in this world? We should be glad that we have food to eat that gets all of those dishes dirty!
I don't mean to sound "preachy", but I just thought I would share this idea with everyone. By taking depression meds and being in a very bad place emotionally at one point, I have learned that looking at the positive aspects of my life can do wonders for my mental health. Don't get me wrong, I think meds are necessary but I also think it is good to be proactive in making yourself feel better. Playing "The Glad Game" does this for me. We only become strong people by surviving tough circumstances. We should look at all of the trials in our lives as lessons to learn and ways to build our character. I am glad God put the burden of depression in my life, because I am learning to see the "brighter side" of everything.
OK, so I am ADDICTED to reading blogs! There are soooo many blogs out there and I love reading about people's lives, opinions, and interests. The one thing I have realized while reading these blogs is that my blog is so BORING!! I update my blog like maybe once a week and post cutesy pictures with some story that is not really that interesting. Please understand, I am NOT saying that my children's lives are not interesting, but I think I can be a little more honest and raw about my experiences in motherhood. I am always so concerned about what other people will think about me as a mother, that I am probably not as up front about life as I see it and live it.
Some things I need to get off my chest:
I HATE going to the Grocery Store! (Ed usually does the shopping)
I don't brush my children's teeth everyday and I am a Dental Hygienist!
The days I am not at work, I take a nap...a long nap!
I put Cheerios in a baggie for breakfast and Braeden eats them on the way to school!
I like beer!
When I need to get chores done around the house, I put on a movie for the kids to watch!
I suffer from depression and are on meds for it and some days I feel like they aren't working!
SOMETIMES I look forward to going to work to "get away" form motherhood!
I know I should attend church EVERY Sunday! (That is how I was raised-sorry Mom!)
I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE my children! I give them tons of kisses everyday. I encourage them everyday. I pray for them everyday. I pray for their health, their safety, their happiness. I love seeing the excitement on their faces when they experience something new. I love watching them play together.
Bottom line, I am not perfect and it feels good to admit it. I am going to continue being the best mom I can be, but I am going to be much more candid about it. Judge me if you want, but I am who I am.
In her St. Patty's Day outfit:
Cute Pink Winter Coat:
Sometimes the things that come out of Braeden's mouth just makes me want to go hide!
Braeden: (to the photographer at our class reunion) "You have a big head".
Braeden: (to the Schwan's delivery man) "Why do you wear dirty shoes"?
Braeden: (to the pizza delivery man) "Did you get your front teeth knocked out"?--It was pretty obvious this man had major tooth decay issues and that was why he had several teeth missing.
Braeden: (to his Aunt Lala in the Target check-out line about the woman standing in front of them) "She has yucky hair"!
What do you say in these situations? Do you apologize for your child? Do you scold them? Do you just laugh it off? At this age you know they are not trying to be hurtful. They are just saying what they are observing, but OMG I can get so embarrassed!!
When I was pregnant with Braeden my Mom bought me a book called, "The Power of a Positive Mom" by, Karol Ladd. I've tried to read this book multiple times, but I have never really been able to get into it. Recently I decided to give it another try and this time I am really enjoying it and I am learning so much. I asked myself, what was different about reading this book now? Why do I feel I am gaining so much encouragement and knowledge from it now? Why can't I wait to put the kids to bed at night so I can continue reading it? I think the answer is that I have children old enough to be able to relate to the topics being discussed. The truth is that parenting a toddler and preschooler is much different than being a parent to an infant. I am responsible for how these children are going to be raised and what values will be instilled in them. It is my job to make sure my children become respectful, kind, caring adults and this book has some very good advice on how to do that and I love that each chapter ends with a prayer.
Last night a read a chapter titled, "The Beauty of a Smile". The point of this chapter was to explain how much of an impact a smile can have on your children. It seems like such a simple thing, but it really can make a big impact. "A simple smile, offered on a regular basis, can make a world of difference on the way our children view their days, their lives-and their mothers"! I learned so much from this one statement. I am the person my children will look to when they are having a bad day and need some encouragement or when they just need to feel secure. A smile will accomplish this. It lets them know that I understand, I care, and I am in their corner. This book said to smile even when you don't feel like smiling. We all need to make an effort to live positively and a smile is a simple gift to give.
I highly recommend this book. I think that most Moms will enjoy reading it and will gain some insight into raising Christian children.
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