Dear Mom to a Toddler...

It's Christmastime. Go easy on yourself.  Don't think you have to do EVERYTHING social media tells you to do.  Don't think you have to create every recipe on Facebook that looks amazing.  Please, for the love of everything that's right and pure, do NOT make every kind of Christmas craft with your kids that you've pinned on Pinterest. They won't remember it anyway. 

When you take your kids for an ice cream treat and your toddler picks the blue ice cream, don't freak out that she might ruin her clothes.  And for the Love, when she decides (after eating half of her ice cream) that she instead wanted the orange one, don't loose your cool.  It's not worth it.  If you do, it is OKAY. Your child will still love you anyway.  She will also love you if you don't give in and let her have the orange ice cream as well.   

When you check out at the grocery store and she wants candy or gum, or whatever else the store puts at her eye level, you CAN SAY NO. She will survive. I promise you that. And guess what!? YOU WILL TOO. What's that? She will scream or cry?  That's okay. I guarantee your child won't be the first one who cries in Walmart because she didn't get her way.  

Don't be too hard on yourself when she cries all the way home because you had to buckle her in her car seat, then throws a fit because you take her out of her car seat and she wanted to DO IT HERSELF. She is only two.  She is not a reflection of your love or parenting. She is learning limits.  She is figuring out she has a "will". She thinks she has an opinion.

When she opens a present under the tree. Re-wrap it. Put it back. Make her wait for Christmas. She will learn good things come with patience.

DRINK A CUP OF COFFEE or wine, or whatever your poison may be.  Eat yourself a piece of chocolate. Count to ten. Do whatever it takes to cool down. 

Love your child.  They will grow out of that stage. I promise.  I have witnessed it.  YOU will survive.  Sometimes, you don't feel like it-- but I promise you, you will.

And for the Love, put the tv on for your child and take a shower!  You need it!

This parenting stuff isn't easy.  Toddlers are just down-right hard.  Let's just all admit it to ourselves. Let's help our friends out. Encourage one another. Stop the mom-shaming people.

And when you're trying to write a blog, and your toddler needs your arm for a slide for her hotwheels to roll down, just take a break. She will only be little for a short time.  Play cars with her.  Have a tea party next to the Christmas tree. Let her have the Christmas washi tape you purchased for those cards you didn't send.  Let her stick it to the table.

And above all else...

Give yourself a break. Keep your Joy Mommas!

**Disclaimer, no children were hurt in the writing of this blog. These examples may or may not be true life examples from my life. You decide. #hazelwashere

Hey Hillary!

When I was 16 years old, my dad came up to me (i was sitting outside writing in my journal).  He said to me, "Honey, don't ever write anything you don't want anyone to read. One day we will be gone, but our words will be left.  Your great grandkids will read everything."

This was the age before social media, before emails were used daily.  This was before texting and video chatting, snapchat and instagram. 

Pen to paper.

Regardless the era  circumstance, that statement full of wisdom made an impact on me. 

I have never written anything I wouldn't mind people reading.  When our home burned 4 years ago, I mourned the loss of all my journals. I had my quiet time journals, journals for my kids -i wrote down their milestones and the funny things they said. I had blessing journals. Journals where I wrote thanks to the Lord for providing in unusual ways, little blessings I didn't want to forget.  I guess a part of me wanted my kids to read those one day and realize how influencing The Lords presence was in our life.

Anyway, Since that day in 1998, I never wrote anything I didn't want people to read. 

Hillary, you may want to heed this advice.  First of all, it's thousands of emails.  Not just one email.  And supposedly, they are things that could incriminate you.  Did you really thing no one would ever read your emails? Oh wait, I guess you did because, YOU DELETED THEM. Really?   I'm not sure I want a president who is so naive and careless.

I guess it's not up to me, but people let's take my dad's advice...

Teenagers, don't text things to one girlfriend you don't want the other girlfriend to know.
Husbands, don't text inappropriate things to women who aren't your wife.
Wives, don't text complaints to your friends about your husband.

 PEOPLE, for the love, Don't write things in emails you don't want people to read, then delete them.  That seems pretty simple.

      Proverbs 12:18 (NIV)

• The words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.
  
  
  Ecclesiastes 9:17 (NIV)
  • The quiet words of the wise are more to be heeded than the shouts of a ruler of fools.
    
    
    
    
    
    

Be Still my Precious Child

We are getting ready for a huge garage sale.  We sold our home in Coweta in May ( a series of evens that will have to be put in their own post to do justice).  We downsized from a home we thought we'd be in forever, on 3 acres, to a little home in Midtown Tulsa to do life and be in community with the people who go to our church.  We literally reduced our square footage by over half.  The moving process was quite quick (from deciding to sell-- to moving). We rented a storage unit in Coweta, and started moving things there, that we knew we wouldn't need immediately, as well as things like Christmas Decor and Seasonal clothing, etc. 

Now, it's 4 months after moving and we have decided we don't need those things anymore.  Less is more, right?  Right now, our house is in piles.  Our Master Bed is piled high with clean laundry to fold.  We did school today, but it was not my best effort (sometimes life is school, right?).  It would be an understatement to say that we are surrounded by chaos right now. 

We had lifegroup at Chick-fil-A tonight.  It was the easiest thing to do, with the play-place for the kids, and dinner already prepared.  My kiddos played hard and had their moments on the way home, in the car.  Hazel refused to put her Pajamas on, after I finally got her to take her "cowboots" off. Pick your battles, right?  Ha!

I told the big kids they needed to read for 30 minutes tonight (I'm still trying to justify "reading books" as a school lesson, since today was only computer learning). It got quiet quickly, as I was working in the living room.  I went to go check on the kiddos and find Tobin reading to Hazel. 

It was sweet.
It was peaceful.
It was quiet. 

Everything else in the world had disappeared to them.  The chaos didn't matter. The building blocks on the floor didn't matter. The piles in the living room didn't matter. The fact that we had fast food for dinner didn't matter.  I took a deep breath and thanked God for my sweet life. I felt the Holy Spirit.  He was saying "Be still my precious child".



It's such a representation of our relationship with God. We try to do so much sometimes.  We pray and beg for God to do things for us.  We cry out in despair.  We are so "busy" to read our bible yet, at the same time, it's the only thing that helps calm us.  It makes the world disappear.  It makes the chaos quiet. 

I hope that no matter what my life is like ( the day-to-day crazies) I can teach my kids to always remember that their relationship with Christ is the priority.  It's what rejuvenates me, what silents my crying heart.  What calms my uneasy nerves.  If we truly want to have intimacy with God, we have to quiet the chaos and clatter, and let God's presence, his stillness, his Peace.

The LORD is in his holy temple; let all the earth be silent before him. Habakkuk 2:20

 Truly my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from him. Psalm 62:1

“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:41-42


Mommies, find your JOY in the Lord!  He is waiting for you.

Back in the Saddle

I've put off posting for WAY TOO LONG.  Since I posted last, I had a couple visits in the hospital, we sold a house, moved, and started homeschooling.  I feel the Lord telling me to start writing.  Not sure if anyone follows me anymore, but it's not for everyone else. This is in obedience.  I'd love for my kiddos to come back and read this one day, too.  The fact is, there are too many things that God is doing in our crazy life that I can't stay silent any longer. I have been lead to share. So, here we go!

Quick update:

Hazel is now 2 1/2 and super busy, fun, and in to everything! ha!  Don't remember what our life was like before her. We all love our little Hazel Bug!

Caroline is 7 1/2, going on 13.  Her moods are up and down these days.  She asked Jesus into her hear on her 7th birthday this year, and was baptized on Valentines Day-- such an amazing moment for our family.  She is such a great big sister to Hazel, such a great helper to me, and her humor contributes to our every-day entertainment.

Tobin just turned 10! T E N !!! Double digits folks. Wow.  He is so smart, loves building and learning, and is doing great leading his sisters in our every day adventures. He is such a great helper to me.














 The State Fair was a couple weeks ago and my parents came to visit and go with us. Tony snapped this right before they left. Such a fun time! 

 

Hope you'll join us as I get back into the blogging world.  #Cobbfamilyadventure