Rejoining the Ranks of Working Moms

After six years of being home with my babies, I am finally back to work full time.  As you can imagine, making this decision was not an easy one for me.  Aside from just knowing that I would miss the flexibility that being a stay at home mom afforded me.  I also worried about being able to balance home and work efficiently and with ease.  As a self proclaimed perfectionist, I like for things to go just so.  Something that is much harder to accomplish, when you work for someone else outside of the home.  I’d love to say that I immediately found the solutions to make things run smoothly, but if I am honest, it is still very much a work in progress.

Here are a few things that seem to be helping us keep all the balls in the air, or at the very least stop them from rolling under the couch.

ALONE WE CAN DO SO LITTLE; TOGETHER WE CAN DO SO MUCH. — HELEN KELLER

  1.  Enlisting Everyone In The Struggle.  I will be the first to admit that being at home gave me the luxury of being picky.  This allowed me  to create a “Mom Will Do It” culture, and Mom did. It’s not like I did not know that I would regret it.   I did and I do. But, now that I don’t have many free hours in the day.  I have had to solicit the help of everyone in the household.  And, as much as I hate to admit that in this case delegating seems to be working, and is taking a lot of pressure of me. Check Out This Fun Money Chore System we’ve implemented (originally found on The Chic Site Blog.  
  2. Putting Everyone on The Same “Calendar”.  Thankfully, my girls are not in a lot of after school extra curricular activities, so I am not running them too many places.  But, we do have doctors appointments, dentist appointments, hair and nail salon appointments that all must be worked into the schedule.  Not to mention weekends with the grandparents, etc.  The Family Calendar strategically placed on the fridge in the kitchen keeps everyone abreast of what is going on.   For things that absolutely can not be forgotten, hubby and I share a Google Calendar.
  3. Having An Interested Partner.  I say interested partner because unfortunately I am privy to way too many situations where even though you have a partner, they tend to not be interested.  What I mean by this is that, they need to be just as committed to the success of the systems you put in place, as you are.
  4. Technology Is Your Friend.  If you have been following the blog for a while you know I set my sail by technology.  I use it as much as I can to make my life easier.  Since I can’t just pop up at the school during the day anymore, I have to find a way to make my presence felt.  This is where all the new fun and useful teacher apps come into play.
  5. Planning Ahead.  I honestly think this is the key to success on pretty much every front.  Even though you can not anticipate exactly what is to come.  You can plan for things that remain the same.  I try to prep my meals, plan out my outfits and the kid’s outfits for the week and stick to a regular schedule, when it comes to Laundry and Other Housekeeping tasks.  This makes my life just a bit easier.

What do you do to strike a balance between home life and work life?  What are your fail safes, I would love to hear all about it in our comments section below.

Snackin’ It Up

Snackin' It Up - A List of Snack Ideas

“I’m hungry.”

“You just ate.”

“But, I’m still hungry, what do we have to snack on?”

This was pretty much the narrative between me and my 8 year old through out the whole week of Spring Break.  Now, after having three kids I know that Winter Break, Spring Break and especially Summer Break means that my children will most likely take this opportunity to try to eat me out of house and home.  Especially since my oldest is a boy.  He literally set the standard.  I actually have to plan for these breaks by allotting for extra money to go towards my grocery budget.  If your kids are around the same age as mine are, I am sure that you will understand just what I am talking about.

After years of having the same experience, I finally decided to create a go to list of snack foods to keep on hand, especially during The Breaks.  (Fall, Spring, and Summer.)

FRUITS

  1.   Apples
  2.   Clementines
  3.  Blueberries and Strawberries
  4.   Pineapples
  5.   Bananas
  6.   Grapes
  7.   Watermelon
  8.   Canteloupe
  9.   Honeydew

SALTY SNACKS

  1.   Popcorn
  2.   Chips
  3.   Almonds
  4.   Cashews
  5.   Sunflower Seeds
  6.   String Cheese
  7.   Lunch Meat
  8.   Pretzels
  9.   Peanut Butter

VEGETABLES

  1.   Celery with Hummus, Almond Butter, Peanut Butter
  2.   Baby Carrots
  3.   Grilled Veggies
  4.   Roasted Broccoli
  5.   Guacamole
  6.   Grapefruit

OTHER

  1.   Lunch Meat
  2.   Tuna
  3.   Egg Salad
  4.   Yogurt
  5.   Crackers

TREATS

  1.   Ice Pops
  2.   Ice Cream
  3.   Jello Pudding
  4.   Applesauce

What are the snacks that you keep in stock for your own Mom Sanity?  Am I missing anything?  I’d love to hear what some of your Go To’s are in the comments below.

2017 Christmas Coloring Sheets

2017 Christmas Coloring Sheets

Less than a Week until Christmas, and this Mommy is exhausted.  But, I am still plugging away.  Meanwhile my baby girl who isn’t getting any homework this week, has a million things that she wants to show me, projects she wants to work on, oh and things she really needs to borrow my phone for.   So I thought I would whip up these Coloring Sheets to keep her busy.  It sounded like a good idea, but she made quick work at it.  I am sure that I am not the only one with little ones under foot.  So, I thought I would share these as this year’s Christmas Coloring Sheets.

Christmas Mouse       Chimney Santa        Baby Jesus        Christmas Candles

Today was officially my kids last day of school for the year, so while they were gone, I finally finished up Our Christmas Basket.  I actually intended to do away with this tradition, simply because Our New Christmas Stockings hold considerably more than last year.  But, since they asked about it, I had to pull them out.  I’ve seen so many versions of this tradition, basically every family seems to put their own spin on it.  And, I think that is just what makes it special.  I try to keep ours relatively simple.

  • Christmas PJ’s
  • Christmas Coloring/Activity Books
  • Classic Christmas Book
  • Candy or Fruit Snacks
  • Novelty Items such as Funky Pens, Folders, Notebooks, Erasers

Christmas Baskets

Dividing The Work Load

As a Mom, I feel like I am tasked with the job of teaching my children responsibility while still allowing them to be children.  It is never my desire for them to feel like they are in the army, but it is my desire for them to realize how much more can be accomplished when we all pull our own weight.  I love my Mom to death, but I think that part of her aggravation when we were children came from her doing everything herself.  I realize how easy it is to fall into that pattern, especially if you are like me and you want things done a certain way.  But, now that my own daughters are getting older, I have decided that it is high time, we all have our own chores that we are responsible.  Confession Time:  For years, I have introduced chores and then pulled back from them.  But, I don’t think i am doing them any favors by allowing them an opt out clause, or myself for that matter.

I know that every child grows and develops at their own pace, but I look at my oldest daughter and I know that there are definitely things that she could be doing for herself that would make my day to day life that much easier.  And, so began my need for an Updated Chore Chart.  I don’t know … I may be the only Mommy who struggles with this, but on the off chance that you are just where I am,  grab your free Chore List Printable and make it your own.  In addition, it is a fun way to teach your younger kids about money.  Trust me, they will want to make sure that you are paying them what you owe them.

Click Here for Your Printable Chore List

The Solar Eclipse – A Teachable Moment

If there is anything that I have learned since becoming a parent, it is that every moment is teachable.  And believe it or not on this journey, I am sure that I have learned just as much if not more than they have.  Simply because children are inquisitive and they very rarely accept that you do not have the answers.  And, if in fact you don’t, they expect you to find out.  I am almost convinced that kids are the one that coined the “I’ll Wait” movement.  So in teaching them, I find myself fascinated by things that never even remotely peeked my interest before, such as the upcoming Total Solar Eclipse.  Fueled by the fact that both the School Board and the Internet are making a big deal about it, it has become an ongoing conversation in my home lately. I love watching how my children soak up knowledge and then are able to just spew it back out to you at a later time. may they always be like little sponges.

After discussing the Solar Eclipse with your little ones.  Here is a fun Solar Eclipse Word Search that you can do together or separately.  You can always make it fun, by giving the person who finds the most words a special treat or privilege. In addition to it being a teachable moment, you have now created a fun memory that they won’t soon forget.

Solar Eclipse 2017 : Word Search

Photo Source for Child with Solar Glasses: Clickable Link ©2017 Stage Presents – For Personal Use Only – Do Not Alter, Duplicate or Redistribute without Permission.

For More Fun Facts About the Solar Eclipse click here.

To download your free copy simply Right Click on the Word Search Above and Save.  For other free fun printables click here.

Sharing the Gift of Faith with my Tween Daughter

Sharing The Gift OF Faith With My Tween Daughter (through Tween Devotionals and Quality Time)

As a Christian, I am always, always, always, reevaluating my walk with Christ.  I mean lets face it to be like Christ, is no easy feat, I often feel like I am not doing enough.  Basically, it is just me acknowledging that I am a work in progress.  I fall down and get up.. like pretty much everyone else.  But, the constant in my life despite has always been my faith.

That being said,  if I were to tell you what my gift is, I probably would not saying preaching or ministry.  But, as a Mom, I feel like it is my responsibility to share my faith with my children. Growing up religion/faith was taught to me in a very totalitarian way.  There were very few gray areas or room for explanation and or deviation.  I’m not condemning this way of thinking, but, it is is not how I wanted to share my faith with my own children.  I wanted us to be able to talk about it and make sense of it together.

This year my oldest daughter started Middle School.  Since, I do morning drop offs, after dropping off my youngest at elementary school , my older daughter and I would get to her school with about 20 minutes to spare before her day began.  I had no idea that this window, which at first seemed like it would be a pocket of wasted time, would turn out to be such a blessing for the both of us.

She was transitioning from Elementary to Middle School, which means that she was already quite nervous about all the change.  So we prayed about the transition, we prayed about her finding her way through this NEW BIG school.  We prayed about her making friends and being happy.  And, when we came up on some rough patches through the year, we prayed about that too.  Then one morning I had a light bulb moment and started to search for Devotions for “Tweens”.  I am not sure I actually expected that to be a thing, or to find one.  But, I did.   When the first book arrived from Amazon, we were both so excited.  Almost every teen girl .. is equally as excited about the “tween” title.  I skimmed through the book before our first reading together.  And, I knew it would be a good fit for us.

So each morning after pulling into our Spot in the School Parking Lot, we took turns reading to each other from these devotionals and discussing it.  Some days the discussions were deep, some days they skimmed the surface.  Some days we didn’t read we just talked about things that were on our minds.  But, I would not have missed this time for anything.  And, at the end of the day.  I feel like I was able to share with her something that could carry her through anything life had to offer, similar to what my Mom in her own way passed down to me.

These are the two books, that took us through this school year, the links below are clickable.  Do you have any Teen/Tween Devotions that you loved and would like to share?  Leave it in the comments below, we would love to check them out.

 

you-re-god-s-girl-a-devotional-for-tweens-wynter-pitts-paperback You’re God’s Girl – Clickable Link For Girls Like You - A Devotional for Tweens - Wynter Pitts

For Girls Like You – Clickable Link

Mommy Hears and Understands

Mommy Hears and Understands

May is Better Hearing and Speech Month. Each May, BHSM, provides an opportunity to raise awareness about communication disorders and the role of the American Speech – Language – Hearing Association in providing life-altering treatments. The theme for this year is “Communication, The Key to Connection.”   I am sure like most people, this month probably has little significance to you.  And up until my eldest daughter was born, it had little significance to me either.  However, in October of 2004, I gave birth to a beautiful baby girl, with all her fingers and all her toes.  She was perfect in my eyes.  She was more than even my wildest dreams could have conjured up.  She was all sugar and spice rolled into one.  As she grew older, like any parents we anxiously anticipated her first words.  Every mother longs for the day when they hear the words Momma cross their little ones lips.   But, those sweet words would be delayed.  Obviously concerned with the delay, we spoke to her pediatrician and she agreed that our daughter needed to be evaluated by a Speech Language Pathologist.  The tests that were needed were difficult at best for a small child, who was terrified of strangers.  It was a trying time.

After some time, she was diagnosed with Auditory Processing Disorder.  Honestly, they might as well have told me that she had Astronaut’s Disease, because I had no idea what it meant, and or what it entailed.  I consider myself to be pretty bright, but even after they explained it to me, I was still grasping at straws.  If I were to give you a layman’s description of what it is, it would go a little something like this, how she hears and processes sound is different than you and I.  Even with the diagnosis,  I had no idea what lay ahead of us.  At the age of 2, she was assigned her very first Speech Language Pathologist. We could not have known what a significant role her SLP would play in her developmental progress.  She was able to relate to her as her therapist and on an interpersonal level.  Pulling her out of her shell, and getting her to be open up and  try new things was key. She started to attend Speech Therapy twice a week for an hour, and slowly her vocabulary began to grow.  We finally were able to hear and understand her.  But, it was no easy feat.    Learning to pronounce and enunciate her words was difficult for her.  After a while we could understand her, and those that were around her frequently could understand her but it was still hard for a stranger to pick up on what she was saying.

As the years went by, she continued to make progress.  When it was time for her to begin Kindergarten, we let the school know immediately about her speech delay, and provided them with her diagnosis and all the necessary documentation.  Soon into her first year it was evident that she was struggling.  As you know, Speech, Communication and Comprehension are huge components of the educational process.  It literally was hindering every part of her experience and it was heartbreaking.  With the help of an exceptional team, by the first grade she had a functioning IEP (Individualized Education Program).  For the second time, a new SLP was introduced into our lives.  And again, what she brought to the table made ALL the difference in the progress that my daughter would make. The SLP would sit with the teachers to see what they were teaching and how she could help.  She would incorporate the lessons being taught into their daily sessions.  To say she went above and beyond, is a drastic understatement.  She was able to pick up on her moods, her strengths and her weaknesses and she nurtured her in a way that I can not explain.    God knew exactly what we needed to make it through the journey.  And, when it was time for her to retire I was devastated.  I was truly sad to see her go and I was not sure how the change would affect the progress that we had already made.  But, she made the transition seemless and we went from one blessing to another.

The greatest blessing in this test for us, as a family and for our daughter has been receiving Speech Therapy.   We have been extremely blessed to have been paired with SLPs who have become more than what there jobs required, but true friends.  I always say that the way to any parent’s heart is through their children.  It is not often that you run across educators who have a genuine love and concern for your child.    Now, I am coming at this from the Speech side of things, simply because that is where our diagnosis took us.  But, Auditory and Speech issues affect children all across the board.  As is the case with most disabilities, early detection is very important.  There are many programs available to you, if you feel that you child could be struggling in this area.  If you think your child may be struggling with Speech and or Hearing Issues, check out this website, which is full of useful information and resources.

If our journey, that we are still on, has taught me anything it is this, it truly takes a village.  And, we could not be more thankful for ours.  Every Journey will be different, as no individual is the same.  Want to know more about Auditory Processing Disorders?  Here is the first book I read about it at the start of our journey.

“INDIVIDUAL COMMITMENT TO A GROUP EFFORT – THAT IS WHAT MAKES A TEAM WORK, A COMPANY WORK, A SOCIETY WORK, A CIVILIZATION WORK.” – VINCE LOMBARDI

5 Ways Being A Mom Has Changed Me

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Being a Mom has changed me, in fact it honestly continues to change me every day.  Before I had kids, I was very confident in the fact that I knew almost everything, but, boy was I wrong.  I am not sure that anything can adequately prepare you for motherhood.

Perspective:  Being a Mom has forever changed my perspective on life.  I no longer believe that things are just black and white.  In fact, the gray areas far surpass any other.  Through the eyes of my children, I have seen things in ways that I don’t think I ever would have otherwise.  Because they are still so young, and tend to see the world without cynicism and fear.  And, because of them I try my hardest to be less judgmental and dogmatic.

Patience:  I am not sure you can successfully parent without some kind of patience.  Yet, I fear this will be a lesson I will continue to learn for my whole life.  There is no way that you can hear your name called over and over again, in various octaves and within 3 minutes, without having to exercise patience.

Understanding:  I think the older we get, the less sympathetic we become. We start to become easily annoyed with things that we feel require simple common sense and effort.  But, after becoming the parent of little people, I find myself being a little more compassionate towards other people’s plights.

Forgiveness:  Crayons on Walls, Vaseline all over faces… General messes… and the older they  get hurt feelings… Motherhood is a daily exercise in forgiveness.  I know I am not alone in feeling this way.  You clean up a room, only to have it destroyed moments later, by the cutest little thing you have ever seen.  Or you drive your teenager all over town, only to have him throw a hissy fit, because you won’t get back in the car to take him somewhere else.

Love:  I know it sounds cliche, but children do teach you the true meaning of unconditional love.  You love your spouse, or your significant other, but… you have very real and very definable expectations where they are concerned. Not that you do not have expectations of your children, but when they fall short you are the one who has to be there to pick them up, dust them off, and give them that needed push to get back on the horse.

I would be remiss if I did not say that being a Mom, is one of the hardest jobs that I have ever had.  It is challenging, it is rewarding, and sometimes it is a thankless job.  There are days when I feel unappreciated and burnt out.  But, the ups far outweigh the downs, and for that I am forever grateful.  God entrusted me with these little souls to love, to cherish and to mold, and even when it’s not easy, I intend to do just that.

How has being a Mom changed you?

7 Things Every Parent Should Know

7 Things Every Parent Should Know - www.stage-presents.com

  1.  Every child is different.  I think sometimes we base our parenting styles and decisions on how things worked the first time around, or how our parent’s raised us. I have three children and they couldn’t be more different.  Growing up, I remember thinking that my sister had it so much easier, because I had already gone through all of the hard things.  And, that my mom favored her over me, which.. well I am still not sure that isn’t entirely true, lol.  But… now that I have children of my own I know that what worked for one of them wouldn’t necessarily work for the other.
  2. There is no such thing as the perfect parent.  Even though it is what we all aspire to be, we would save ourselves so much time right out of the gate, by acknowledging from the very beginning that we are human, and therefore flawed. There will be times when you have to say you are sorry.  You will not always be right.  You are charged with shaping these little lives that have been entrusted to you, but try as you might you can’t mold them into your own image.  (Trust me I’ve tried, lol)
  3. Quality and Quantity.  I know you probably thought I was going to say  Quality over Quantity.  But Nope.  Here’s is my reasoning you are probably never going to be able to please everyone see #1.  And, even though you will most likely try to find things that everyone is interested in and or try to give them as much one on one time, as possible.  That simply may not be the way that they remember it.  So do you best to spend as much time as you can, whenever you can.  And hope that it is enough.
  4. Routine. Routine is the key to any well oiled machine.  Bed times, chores, expectations, etc.  As I mentioned before, I thought my parents were too strict.  But, the thing about it is that looking back I see now that knowing what was expected of me and how I was to conduct myself played a large part in shaping me.  I can see now that a lot of the heartache that my friends went through I was lucky enough not to have experienced, because I simply didn’t live that life.
  5. Enjoy it.  I will be the first one to tell you that parenthood is NO WALK IN THE PARK.   You love your babies and you can’t imagine life without them.  But, sometimes you do.  You imagine what it would be like to pull your hands through you hair, throw on some bright red lipstick and skinny jeans and just jump in the car heading off to God knows where and for God knows what reason.  But, you know those days are over.  So once you are back from your pity party.  Make sure to enjoy these days.  One day you will miss it.  Since my oldest is 20 and my youngest is 6, I have a unique vantage point.  I can see the other side while still in the trenches.
  6. Document your days.  This is a controversial one for some people, because if you are snapping pictures then maybe you aren’t present.  I guess I have mixed feelings about this, because I see things from behind a lens that I am not sure I would notice otherwise.  Or maybe it’s that the things that I see make me want to pull out my camera to preserve the memory.  Like taking my daughters to the beach last year, and watching their faces so go from fear, to fun, to frolicking.  It was amazing to sit there and watch them grow before my eyes.  To me, it’s equally amazing to look back on those pictures and remember that day with joy in my heart.  I think I have always taken a lot of pictures, but when my son was little there were no iPhone’s and such, so there are way less pics of him than of the girls, and it is one of my biggest regrets.
  7. We Time and Me Time are a necessity.  Before they came, it was just the two of you.  And, before you became the two of you, it was just you.  Every relationship needs cultivation, even the ones we have with ourselves.  And, I believe this with all my heart.  If you are depleted at some time in some way, it is going to come out.  I am lucky enough to have my parents close by and when I need a break they are more than happy to afford us that luxury.  But, even if you don’t have a support system close by, little things mean a lot.  Can you both get off work for a couple of hours while the kids are at school, for lunch or for a movie or both?  Can you schedule a babysitter, and make a night of it?  Or maybe you just need the peace and quiet, or solitude of a massage, or mani-pedi appointment.  Figure out what feeds your spirit and your soul and do that, make time for that.

“TODAY’S LITTLE MOMENTS,  BECOME TOMORROW’S PRECIOUS MEMORIES.”

Our Top 5 Children’s Holiday Books

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You may very well get tired of hearing me say that Christmas is my “favorite time of year”.  But, I am pretty sure that I am not alone.  Some of my favorite Christmas memories are centered around the books my parents would read with my sister and I around Christmas time.  It is a tradition that I have tried to pass on to my own Children.  Every year on Christmas Eve they both get a Christmas related book and we read them together.  Needless to say over the years we have grown quite the collection.  I personally believe that a love for reading and a quest for knowledge are one of the most important things that we as parents, can pass on to our little ones.  It is always hard for me to narrow down only a few choices for Christmas Reading, because there is so much to choose from.  But, check out my Top 5 Favorites for this year!!  I have included some classics, as well as a Bonus Book for all those Moms who want to teach their kids the real meaning of Christmas.  All of the links to the books are Clickable.

Olivia Helps with Christmas

olivia-helps-with-christmas

The Sweet Smell of Christmas A Scratch and Sniff Story

the-sweet-smell-of-christmas

Grace At Christmas

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THE CLASSICS

The Night Before Christmas

the-night-before-christmas

The Polar Express

the-polar-express

BONUS — the real meaning of christmas

God Gave Us Christmas

god-gave-us-christmas

Out of all the books listed, my very favorite is God Gave Us Christmas.  We just discovered this one last year, and it is a gem.  Everything about it gave me the warm and fuzzies and the kids enjoyed it to.  So it’s officially Mommy and Kid Approved.

What are your favorite books to read with your little ones?  What are your favorite Christmas Traditions?  I’d love to read all about it in the comment section below.