Getting There

Thank you so much for your sweet comments about my life lessons last week. It's always scary posting personal things like that out in the blog world. You hit the publish button, and then wonder what led you to open yourself up to so many people. Scary! But so reassuring when I hear kind words from you that it might have helped other mothers out as well.


This week is going so much better. :)

After months of trying to figure out how to exercise on a regular basis I think I finally got it. I've been trying to do it in the morning after we get Savannah off to school, but the other three children are not so cooperative. I try to do Pilates and they think that it's time to wrestle mom. I try to do a walking video and Caitlyn thinks it's time to be carried the whole 45 minutes. (It has you use weights not babies.) I try to walk outside and it's either freezing or we're stopping every 5 seconds for Isaac to pick of his new amazing rock he found.

I've been trying to get up at 4 in the morning to get a variety of things done, and thought about exericising, but the last thing I want is for my kids to hear the video going in the other room and deciding it's time to be up for the day at that hour. (They already think 5:30 - 6:00 is a good time to get going. I don't think so. This is mom's time.)

So finally this weekend, Beau dug out the treadmill that's been sitting in garage since we've moved in and set it up in the office outside for me. (No one can hear anything.) So this week we've actually been able to get up at 4:00... get going and ready to run and walk at 4:30. I'm hoping to some day get back to running my 4 miles a day. It's been sooo good. It's been starting every day off right.

           I've been trying not to expect too much, and in the end it's been such a great week. Things are slowly getting done and we are having some fun. My day so far? Exercised. Worked on ScrapGirl's stuff. Some scripture time. Breakfast. Savannah to and from school. Picked up the house. Made some playdough for the kids to play with. Made some low point brownies. Did some research for my garden I'm hoping to start planning and getting in the works. Took a few photos. Made a little baby laugh. Wrote a blog post and now we're getting ready to go ride some bikes outside, clean the car (which needs it SOOO bad), make some dinner, do some homework, put the kids in bed, and relax!
           It's been a good day. A really good day.

Fun things mother's get to do.

           So who says being a mom has to be boring. I had a great day today and had the chance to get creative and learn something new!

           Today was Mirian's birthday and she was determined she wanted a princess birthday cake. Savannah had a Cinderella one last year, and she wanted an Ariel one. So we found a picture, and I went and actually bought the real cake decorating supplies since I figure with at least 6 birthdays a year and other celebrations over the next 20 years while my kids are home, I'll get my use out of it. Plus it's fun to be creative in a whole new way.
           We had a great day. Decorated cakes, hung up streamers, went shopping, had a party, and wore myself right out.

Starting off Good

           Being a Monday we are starting off good! We had a great weekend listening the prophet and apostles for general conference. Some great stuff was taught. Two of my personal favorites was one by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland's where he taught about one of the misconceptions that the world has that we are not Christians. He explains how we are Christians and explains our belief in continuing living revelation. It was an amazing talk. The other talk by Melvin J. Ballard really hit home to me and every mother of young kids out there should hear it. He gives you simple council on how to be a better mom at this crazy time of life. He gives us credit for all that we do, which is sometimes all we need, a little notice and thanks for the sacrifices and effort we put into our families.
           We were able to relax and enjoy being together. Dad made turnovers for us, and the kids were all over it.
           Today we were up at 5:30, ready to tackle a list of to-do lists. But the best part is that I woke up to the house mostly clean, and not feeling behind for the day! What a great feeling, that way I can focus on the other things that need done.

Make more of these.

Moments.
           I read Mandy's post on being a mother and it has got me thinking. The times I'm the happiest, when life is going smoothest, is when I stop making everything else so important and just enjoy being a mom. Spending my creative juices and talents doing something with my kids, teaching them a new skill, seeing them grow and develop. Or when I put it to use to make my home feel more like a home, new creative dinners, better organization in the house, sewing something to decorate, or just spending that time and energy doing things that actually bless my family and make our home more enjoyable to be there. So if that's what makes me the happiest, why do I give so much importance to other things, or want to express creativity in other ways. There has to be a better balance to it all. But I'm determined to start trying harder to spend most of my time using that creative energy doing SOMETHING that will truly benefit my family (and not in the means of finances.)           I worked on this quick layout last night showing one of those moments when I let things go, we went to Walmart for some errands, picked up some lunchables for snack, and went to the park to play and have a picnic. The kids thought they were in heaven and it was one of those good happy days. We need to make more of these moments.
           This also hit home last weekend. After weeks of stress and exhaustion, my kids would probably not have put me up for happy mother of the year award. I was rather grouchy, they were driving me nuts, and I was burned out. Beau was leaving for a two day hike with the scouts to southern Utah, which I wasn't excited about, because I was wanting a break too.           So on Saturday while he was gone, I left the house a disaster and picked up some food to go. We drove to thanksgiving point and went to the dinosaur museum together. We had so much fun. It was such a great break for all of us. They were soo good, happy and obedient, and we had such a great time together, the first it seemed for quite a while. They were so excited to tell their dad about it the next morning when they saw him. We need more of these. I need more of this. Time just being a mom, enjoying my kids and having a good time together, instead of letting the stress and pressure of life take over.

NOT a happy mom moment

           We had one of those moments. One where you forget momentarily to keep control, not raise your voice and to keep your cool. It's all you can do to not use force to send your kid to timeout, especially when they are laughing and running away from you thinking it's so funny. Mirian was immediately in timeout because mom was definitely not happy. When I came back to the mess and Isaac, he just looks at you so innocently as if he's thinking "Did I do something wrong?" He smiles and hands you your mascara brush that is now bent at a 45 degree angle. It's then that you try to find some humor in the situation and decide to grab your camera to document this moment of trouble, so you can blackmail your children later. Let them know this is not ok, take a deep breath and start cleaning it all up.

           So later I decided to scrap just for fun. For the purpose of actually documenting something in my children's life for them to have later, and to see the moment in a different perspective.