My friend Jamie recently posted a list of 25 things she has loved about being a mother this past year. She said she was feeling frustrated with motherhood duties and needed a boost! What a better way to end a pity party than to count your blessings? So I'm going to take a stab at making my own top 25 list. Here goes:
The Top 25 Things I Have Loved About Being A Mother This Year
1. I love nuggling up and reading bedtime stories with my kids.
2. I love hearing Natalie say "I love you."...she's been stingy about saying it and finally decided she likes saying it.
3. I love greeting Ben as he comes home from school and hearing about his typical day: "first we went to the carpet, then we went to our desks, then we went out to recess then we went back to the carpet then we came home."
4. I loved going to Disneyland 2 times in less than 12 months...and we're going again in June! It's more magical when you take you own children.
5. I love volunteering in Ben's class as the Room Mother.
6. I loved making sock animals with my kids and watching them love and play with them for hours.
7. I love running errands with Natalie while Ben's at school...she's a fun shopper!
8. I love seeing Ben and Natalie play nicely together.
9. I love watching Ben and Natalie hug and kiss goodnight.
10. I love getting pats on the back from Natalie when she hugs you.
11. I love seeing Ben grow up so much...learning to read and tie his shoes.
12. I love going on walks with my family after dinner.
13. I loved sledding in the backyard with Ben and Natalie.
14. I love watching Ben make his own lunch...a hot dog on bread with ketchup and mustard and butter on top!
15. I love listening to Natalie sing primary songs like "I Love to See the Temple" and "The Wiseman and the Foolish Man" as well as "Happy Birthday".
16. I love having fun Family Home Evenings with my family.
17. I love planting a garden with my kids.
18. I loved getting our first family pet and sharing the ups and downs with trying to care for goldfish and guppies.
19. I love watching little faces get excited over something or other and yell out "Guess what Mom!"
20. I love celebrating birthdays and other holidays with fun dinners, desserts, and parties.
21. I love seeing 2 kids run to greet their dad when he comes home from work.
22. I love playing at the park and having fun in the sun with my kids.
23. I love hearing Natalie start to say prayers. She just mumbles the last word you say but it's cute.
24. I love watching my kids pour over their scrapbooks and talk about fun things we've done.
25. One of the best things about being a mother is that I have a great partner to share it with...I love having a great husband who helps make motherhood wonderful!
Showing posts with label Personal Journals. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Personal Journals. Show all posts
Sunday, May 10, 2009
I Enjoy Being a Girl
Motherhood and womanhood is definitely a bittersweet adventure...but I wouldn't leave it for anything else. Mother's Day has me wanting to post about the women and mother's in my life.
I have been blessed to have the best "Super Mom" around. She truly amazes me. Now that I'm a mother, I'm constantly asking her how she ever survived giving birth to 7 children in less than 10 years and then successful raising us all to go on to have happy and successful lives of our own. She is famous for being able to juggle it all...sewing, cooking, cleaning, teaching, organizing, creating, serving...and on and on. When we were younger she always sewed matching Easter and Christmas dresses for my 4 sisters and I.
We always went to church on time with cute curly hair and pressed dresses...even when my dad was in the bishopric. I think one of the most valuable lessons I learned from my mother is the value of hard work. She has always pressed forward despite the challenges she has faced. I was looking at some old photos of me and my family and noticed her many of the pictures. It was fun to watch how often she was pregnant and see how quickly our family grew. In many of the pictures she is busy being the "supermom" and we're around her happy and thriving. I really had a wonderful childhood. I know that her success as a mother was not without much sacrifice on her part and I am truly thankful for all that she did and continues to do for me.
Besides my mother, I have been blessed with another group of women in my life...my sisters and now sister in laws. I have always loved my sisters but for some reason, after I had Natalie they suddenly became so much more meaningful to me. I always thought that when I became a mother I wanted to just have boys. I grew up with the drama of 4 sisters and thought boys would be a nice way to go. However, when a daughter entered my life, I immediately thought, "She's got to have a sister! How can she go through life without a sister?" My sisters are my best friends and we have been through so much together...I just can't understand how any girl can get through life without them. So a big thank you to all of them and the great talents and love they share with me.
I truly enjoy being a woman and a mother...the bitter and the sweet...and am thankful for the blessings that come with it.
Sunday, April 26, 2009
The Family Car: Past and Present
(Disclaimer: This post has been on my mind for a few weeks so I'm finally posting it but I'm sure it will not be interesting to anyone but me...it's just for the scrapbooking/journaling point of this blog...you'll probably want to skip it!)
We recently bought a new family truckster and for some strange reason it got me thinking about family cars. Maybe I inherited it from my Dad...he loves cars and talking about old cars. He loves rattling off the the make and model of old cars he sees around town and such. Anyway, this post is dedicated to family cars, past and present.
It's intersting how far the family car has come in the past 3 or 4 generations. My grandparents didn't have cars as children, but pretty much walked everywhere or took the bus or train. My parents were kids, they did have a family car though very different from our recent purchase. My mother loves to tell about how they drove around in a panel truck that my grandfather took on flooring jobs. They sat on buckets...actual buckets...not bucket seats! When I was a kid we had several versions of the station wagon you can see in the picture below.
It looks like we were on one of our many summer vacations as evidenced by the fast food cups and bag were holding...we never went out to eat otherwise. I love the "car seat" my younger sister is in. My Dad is holding her in this white bouncer chair sort of thing. I remember my younger sibling riding in the car in it as babies. We never wore seatbelts as young kids. In fact, I wonder if the car even had them! As a pre-teen and teenager I know we had them in our vans and we did wear them but not like my kids do. We climbed all over the station wagon or van, especially on road trips. It's a wonder that we never got in an accident and had someone ejected from the car!
The price of cars past and presents also just kills me. Our recent purchase cost us just a little more than my parents paid for their first house! Can you believe that! My grandparents first car (it was used) cost them $90! Their first new car was the panel truck whick cost a couple of hundred dollars. My grandfather got in an accident in this truck shortly after buying it and totalled it. He was so proud of it when he bought it. They paid someone to fix it but it was of course never quite the same. They nicknamed it the "blue goose."
Anyway, just a few interesting things to be remembered later.
We recently bought a new family truckster and for some strange reason it got me thinking about family cars. Maybe I inherited it from my Dad...he loves cars and talking about old cars. He loves rattling off the the make and model of old cars he sees around town and such. Anyway, this post is dedicated to family cars, past and present.
It's intersting how far the family car has come in the past 3 or 4 generations. My grandparents didn't have cars as children, but pretty much walked everywhere or took the bus or train. My parents were kids, they did have a family car though very different from our recent purchase. My mother loves to tell about how they drove around in a panel truck that my grandfather took on flooring jobs. They sat on buckets...actual buckets...not bucket seats! When I was a kid we had several versions of the station wagon you can see in the picture below.
It looks like we were on one of our many summer vacations as evidenced by the fast food cups and bag were holding...we never went out to eat otherwise. I love the "car seat" my younger sister is in. My Dad is holding her in this white bouncer chair sort of thing. I remember my younger sibling riding in the car in it as babies. We never wore seatbelts as young kids. In fact, I wonder if the car even had them! As a pre-teen and teenager I know we had them in our vans and we did wear them but not like my kids do. We climbed all over the station wagon or van, especially on road trips. It's a wonder that we never got in an accident and had someone ejected from the car!
The price of cars past and presents also just kills me. Our recent purchase cost us just a little more than my parents paid for their first house! Can you believe that! My grandparents first car (it was used) cost them $90! Their first new car was the panel truck whick cost a couple of hundred dollars. My grandfather got in an accident in this truck shortly after buying it and totalled it. He was so proud of it when he bought it. They paid someone to fix it but it was of course never quite the same. They nicknamed it the "blue goose."
Anyway, just a few interesting things to be remembered later.
Little Pigs Have Big Ears!
You've heard the sayings about children and eavesdropping..."little pigs have big ears" or "children may not obey but they will listen." These expressions came to mind this week as I had few experiences with my children repeating things they have heard me say. Just yesterday at lunch time, I pulled out some Teddy Graham Trail Mix I'd recently bought and passed some out to Natalie. She looked over the contents: mini chocolate teddy grahams, mini graham bees, tiny pretzel twists, and yogurt covered raisins. She replied "Oh, these pretzels are kinda cute!" I smiled only to hear her brother reply, "Food cannot be cute!". I laughed and recounted the the banter to Bryan. He pointed to Ben and said "Daddy" and then at Natalie, "Mommy." We have had several such conversations where I have commented on how some snack or food I've prepared turned out cute and he's sarcastically disagreed! Funny how our kids picked that up. Ben's also been heard to repeat some silly phrases we say...especially Seinfeld quotes!
I've been also thinking about a conversation I once overheard my own mother have. She was talking to my grandmother about my aunt and her daugther. She said something along the lines of "If you want to know what kind of parent you are, just watch your children playing house." Apparently my aunt had been watching her daughter play with some friends and got a view of just what kind of mother she was. Recently I've had my own such experience. I've lately overheard Ben talking to Natalie in a sarcastic tone when he's frustrated with her. He'll respond to her questions or actions with sarcastic questions. "What does it look like I'm doing Natalie?" "What do you think?" It really started to annoy me so I sat him to down to discuss it one afternoon. I realized half way through the discussion why he was talking this way. I often respond to him with questions, sarcastic and serious...and had, in fact, used a couple when I was talking to him! What a good mother I am!
So I'm learning to be more careful about what my little pigs ears hear...whether it's funny Seinfeld quotes or words of discipline. Oh how much respect I've gained for my own parents since I've become a mother. It's a tough job!
I've been also thinking about a conversation I once overheard my own mother have. She was talking to my grandmother about my aunt and her daugther. She said something along the lines of "If you want to know what kind of parent you are, just watch your children playing house." Apparently my aunt had been watching her daughter play with some friends and got a view of just what kind of mother she was. Recently I've had my own such experience. I've lately overheard Ben talking to Natalie in a sarcastic tone when he's frustrated with her. He'll respond to her questions or actions with sarcastic questions. "What does it look like I'm doing Natalie?" "What do you think?" It really started to annoy me so I sat him to down to discuss it one afternoon. I realized half way through the discussion why he was talking this way. I often respond to him with questions, sarcastic and serious...and had, in fact, used a couple when I was talking to him! What a good mother I am!
So I'm learning to be more careful about what my little pigs ears hear...whether it's funny Seinfeld quotes or words of discipline. Oh how much respect I've gained for my own parents since I've become a mother. It's a tough job!
Sunday, March 22, 2009
The Contents of a Woman's Purse
I've heard it said that you can tell a lot about a woman by the contents of her purse. Well, my little Natalie LOVES purses and has quite a collection...5 purses plus 2 doll diaper bags and a zipper bag she adopted from me. She plays with these on a daily basis and they a packed full of interesting things. The current contents from all 5 purses and the zipper bag are as follows:
-2 Valentines Day cards
-a snapshot of herself
-2 advertisements from her Tinkerbell DVD
-a little book she colored in Nursery
-2 combs and 2 mirrors
-several costume jewelry necklaces and bracelets
-1 half-eaten chapstick
-Bryan's IPOD chord
-gum wrappers
-3 sets of play keys
-2 play lipsticks
-a wallet with a pretend debit card
-a play makeup combact
-a coin purse
-loose change
-several buttons
-a business card
-2 little Madonna idol dolls Bryan got in France
-and an old cell phone
Now what exactly is this saying about my daugther? Well, I've been thinking she's a disorganized packrat that loves having piles of clutter around her...the opposite of her mother. This until I looked through my own purse the other day to realize the contents of my purse could suggest I was a disorganzied packrat! Here's my list:
-2 sets of keys
- a wallet with checkbook, debit cards, library cards, Costco card, expired coupons, "loyalty" cards to various stores like Great Harvest and Cold Stone, my kids immunization records, insurance cards, coupon books to Jiffy Lube and the UPS store.
-crumbled receipts
-old grocery lists
-empty packages of fruit snacks
-smashed golfish
-a ziploc bag of teddy grahams
-an umbrella
-cellphone...uncharged of course
-gum and several gum wrappers
-used tissues
-lotion
-hand sanitizer
-post it notes
-and a handful of crumbs
Needless to say I will be less critical of my daugthers purses and try to keep mine in better order!
-2 Valentines Day cards
-a snapshot of herself
-2 advertisements from her Tinkerbell DVD
-a little book she colored in Nursery
-2 combs and 2 mirrors
-several costume jewelry necklaces and bracelets
-1 half-eaten chapstick
-Bryan's IPOD chord
-gum wrappers
-3 sets of play keys
-2 play lipsticks
-a wallet with a pretend debit card
-a play makeup combact
-a coin purse
-loose change
-several buttons
-a business card
-2 little Madonna idol dolls Bryan got in France
-and an old cell phone
Now what exactly is this saying about my daugther? Well, I've been thinking she's a disorganized packrat that loves having piles of clutter around her...the opposite of her mother. This until I looked through my own purse the other day to realize the contents of my purse could suggest I was a disorganzied packrat! Here's my list:
-2 sets of keys
- a wallet with checkbook, debit cards, library cards, Costco card, expired coupons, "loyalty" cards to various stores like Great Harvest and Cold Stone, my kids immunization records, insurance cards, coupon books to Jiffy Lube and the UPS store.
-crumbled receipts
-old grocery lists
-empty packages of fruit snacks
-smashed golfish
-a ziploc bag of teddy grahams
-an umbrella
-cellphone...uncharged of course
-gum and several gum wrappers
-used tissues
-lotion
-hand sanitizer
-post it notes
-and a handful of crumbs
Needless to say I will be less critical of my daugthers purses and try to keep mine in better order!
Friday, January 30, 2009
"When I Grow Up..."
I was talking to someone the other day about something or other...I don't even know what exactly but it came up in the conversation that when I was younger I wanted to be a writer. The other person thought that was interesting and wondered why I didn't still pursue it. Anyway it got me thinking about other past ambitions...both silly and serious. Here's the list:
Childhood Ambitions (that I can remember):
- be a mother (doesn't every little girl)....this one actually came true
- be a teacher
- be a bride (this one came true too)
- be a nurse
Teenage Ambitions:
- be an author particularly of children's books
- write a comic strip about my grandfather and his friend Wally (this was a silly one)
- be a doctor (I was very serious about this one and even went to a conference in Washington D.C. for teenagers interested in medical careers. It was here that I learned about recreational therapy which I did end up pursuing a career in.)
-join the Peace Corps and live in some remote African village (my mom loved this one)
- be in the MOTAB's
- learn to play the violin
Adult Dreams:
- open a wedding reception center (only luke-warm about this still)
- open a store (maybe scrapbooking store and call it "Paper Goods")or some other crafty business
- get published in a scrapbooking magazine (would love to do this)
-learn the violin and/or cello
Here's some of my families past/current ambitions:
Bryan - he is living his childhood dream of being in law-enforcement. He never out-grew that boyhood dream to be a police officer. He loves his job and is good at it. He did however consider a few other options when he was going to school: a high school sports coach, a massage therapist (I think this one is silly), and a physical therapist. He also wanted to be a pilot in the air force when he was younger (think Top Gun!)
Ben - he continues to say he wants to be an astronaut when he grows up..."or a superhero"
Natalie - she's hasn't settled down on one thing yet but based on her current passions I'd say she's thinking about a mother, a cook ... or Snow White.
Anyway, its fun to reminisce and it'll be interesting to look back in a few years and see if I accomplished any of those. I'd love to hear about your past ambitions...serious and silly. So, I "tag" anyone reading this to post about what you want to be when you grow up! (Leave me a comment if you take the challenge so I can read it! Thanks)
Childhood Ambitions (that I can remember):
- be a mother (doesn't every little girl)....this one actually came true
- be a teacher
- be a bride (this one came true too)
- be a nurse
Teenage Ambitions:
- be an author particularly of children's books
- write a comic strip about my grandfather and his friend Wally (this was a silly one)
- be a doctor (I was very serious about this one and even went to a conference in Washington D.C. for teenagers interested in medical careers. It was here that I learned about recreational therapy which I did end up pursuing a career in.)
-join the Peace Corps and live in some remote African village (my mom loved this one)
- be in the MOTAB's
- learn to play the violin
Adult Dreams:
- open a wedding reception center (only luke-warm about this still)
- open a store (maybe scrapbooking store and call it "Paper Goods")or some other crafty business
- get published in a scrapbooking magazine (would love to do this)
-learn the violin and/or cello
Here's some of my families past/current ambitions:
Bryan - he is living his childhood dream of being in law-enforcement. He never out-grew that boyhood dream to be a police officer. He loves his job and is good at it. He did however consider a few other options when he was going to school: a high school sports coach, a massage therapist (I think this one is silly), and a physical therapist. He also wanted to be a pilot in the air force when he was younger (think Top Gun!)
Ben - he continues to say he wants to be an astronaut when he grows up..."or a superhero"
Natalie - she's hasn't settled down on one thing yet but based on her current passions I'd say she's thinking about a mother, a cook ... or Snow White.
Anyway, its fun to reminisce and it'll be interesting to look back in a few years and see if I accomplished any of those. I'd love to hear about your past ambitions...serious and silly. So, I "tag" anyone reading this to post about what you want to be when you grow up! (Leave me a comment if you take the challenge so I can read it! Thanks)
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
When It Rains, It Pours
You all know that saying "when it rains, it pours"....Well that's the kind of week I'm having...maybe it's kharma. Anyway, Sunday our home teachers came over to visit and we were talking about the enonomy and people's jobs and such and they asked me about my piano lessons. Well, like a fool, I said it was going great, I wasn't worried about losing my job because I had a stable group of students and a waiting list also...and so on. Since then however I have had 3 students quit lessons for a variety reasons and I already had one opening I'm trying to fill. Now I'm feeling like all of my students could quit at any moment and the majority of people on the waiting list want to keep waiting. So, I find myself officially humbled as I try to fill 4 piano spots. So, if anyone is interested in signing up for lessons in February...call or email me!
Monday, January 19, 2009
My Grandmother Remembers
I took my kids to visit my grandmother the other day. She has to be one of the best storytellers around. Ever since I was a child, I loved to sit with her or work beside her and listen to her tell stories about her childhood or my mother's childhood. Anyway, so as I was visiting her we started talking about how times have changed so much since she was younger. She reminisced about days before refrigerators and microwaves. She recalled having an ice box (you know, that kind that you put a big block of ice in to keep a few things cold) as a little girl and making daily trips to the corner market with her sister to pick up items for dinner. On the one hand, I can't imagine what it would be like to prepare meals and keep a home without all the modern conveniences we enjoy today. But on the other hand, in some ways their life seems simpler than mine. Her stories make life back then so romantic and charming.
Our conversation also reminded me of a great book I read with book club awhile back..."These is My Words". It's a fictional journal about a woman's experiences growing up in the Arizona Territories in the late 1800's. This was of course before my grandmothers time but I remember reading the main character comment how she often "went to bed with the sun" after working hard in the fields all day, just exhausted from intense physical labor...what a contrast to my life. I do sometimes go to bed exhausted, but not usually from physical labor. I think I go to bed overstimulated by the electronic buzz around me...TV, radio, computer, Playstations, etc. I wonder, would I rather be a mother in 1950 or even in 1890? It would give me an interesting perspective to try it for a day or two but honestly I think I want to shout thank you Whirlpool and Mr. Maytag for dishwashers, washing machines, microwaves, refrigerators, and all that! And thanks to my wonderful Grandmother for her wit and wisdom!
Our conversation also reminded me of a great book I read with book club awhile back..."These is My Words". It's a fictional journal about a woman's experiences growing up in the Arizona Territories in the late 1800's. This was of course before my grandmothers time but I remember reading the main character comment how she often "went to bed with the sun" after working hard in the fields all day, just exhausted from intense physical labor...what a contrast to my life. I do sometimes go to bed exhausted, but not usually from physical labor. I think I go to bed overstimulated by the electronic buzz around me...TV, radio, computer, Playstations, etc. I wonder, would I rather be a mother in 1950 or even in 1890? It would give me an interesting perspective to try it for a day or two but honestly I think I want to shout thank you Whirlpool and Mr. Maytag for dishwashers, washing machines, microwaves, refrigerators, and all that! And thanks to my wonderful Grandmother for her wit and wisdom!
Friday, January 9, 2009
New Additions and New Year's Resolutions
So, here's a bit of a story for ya...
I few month ago, Ben started asking me if we could get a dog. Well, if any of you know him you would laugh just as I did because he jumps in my arms if we get any where near a dog! Anyway, we went the rounds with why not and I ended up suggesting maybe we should try a goldfish for a pet. He liked that idea but we never did anything about it and I just put him off. Well, 2 weeks ago we got this book from the library called "Dogfish". A really cute story about a boy who wants a dog but just has a goldfish. I highly recommend it...such a well-written, cute story. So the book rekindled his desire to have a goldfish and New Year's day we ventured out to Walmart and came home with a fishbowl kit and 2 pet goldfish. They have affectionately been named Goldie and Red. The kids love them!
Okay, so that's the first part of the story. The second part (sorry this is so long) is that the well-written "Dogfish" book got me thinking about my New Year's Resolutions. The book has such a sweet message. After arguing with his mom for days about getting a dog, the boys mother finally says to him: "maybe if you can't have what you want, you should try loving what you have." I found it very inspiring as I often find myself wishing for things I can't have...you know that "I'll be happy when" or "if only this". So I've decided to center my New Year's Resolutions on such a theme - to love what I have. So here's a few thoughts so far:
1. Instead of wishing for that perfect size 4 body I'll never have, I resolve to love that body I have and try harder to take better care of it.
2. Instead of waiting for the money tree to sprout, I resolve to be thankful for the good income we have and use it wisely.
3. Instead of putting off good intentions, I resolve to give service more freely and spontaneously and set a good example for my children.
4. I resolve to show more gratitude for the gospel in my life and study and live its principles more carefully and faithfully.
Anyway...wish me luck!
Happy New Year!
I few month ago, Ben started asking me if we could get a dog. Well, if any of you know him you would laugh just as I did because he jumps in my arms if we get any where near a dog! Anyway, we went the rounds with why not and I ended up suggesting maybe we should try a goldfish for a pet. He liked that idea but we never did anything about it and I just put him off. Well, 2 weeks ago we got this book from the library called "Dogfish". A really cute story about a boy who wants a dog but just has a goldfish. I highly recommend it...such a well-written, cute story. So the book rekindled his desire to have a goldfish and New Year's day we ventured out to Walmart and came home with a fishbowl kit and 2 pet goldfish. They have affectionately been named Goldie and Red. The kids love them!
Okay, so that's the first part of the story. The second part (sorry this is so long) is that the well-written "Dogfish" book got me thinking about my New Year's Resolutions. The book has such a sweet message. After arguing with his mom for days about getting a dog, the boys mother finally says to him: "maybe if you can't have what you want, you should try loving what you have." I found it very inspiring as I often find myself wishing for things I can't have...you know that "I'll be happy when" or "if only this". So I've decided to center my New Year's Resolutions on such a theme - to love what I have. So here's a few thoughts so far:
1. Instead of wishing for that perfect size 4 body I'll never have, I resolve to love that body I have and try harder to take better care of it.
2. Instead of waiting for the money tree to sprout, I resolve to be thankful for the good income we have and use it wisely.
3. Instead of putting off good intentions, I resolve to give service more freely and spontaneously and set a good example for my children.
4. I resolve to show more gratitude for the gospel in my life and study and live its principles more carefully and faithfully.
Anyway...wish me luck!
Happy New Year!
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