I’m not sure why I thought because I had a mom I knew how to be one. But there I was… 17 years old. Young in years but great with child. I didn’t have all the answers but I thought it would be a breeze. After all, how hard can it be when you LOVE someone so deeply and SO profoundly ~ to the depths of your soul? How could mothering that precious little life ever be hard. My brown-eyed boy with Shirley Temple curls made my heart skip a beat. Every time he wrapped his tiny fingers around my …
For the Days When You Lose
Do you know those days when—although nothing went “wrong”—you still feel like you lost? Failed. Came up short. For me, those days look like every other day—school drop-offs and pick-ups, a handful of bottles for the baby, a round of Candyland in the afternoon, the bedtime rush. I may have taken a tone with the kids while trying to make dinner, but by all accounts, it was a good day. A perfectly normal day in my life. So why do I sometimes still feel defeated? Over the years I’ve noticed one distinguishing factor: the expectation I was holding up that day without even …
BUT GOD ~ for Motherhood!
I have a confession to make. I am not a perfect mom. I’ve been too hard on them. I’ve been too lenient. I’ve said things I regret. I’ve gotten angry and I’ve yelled. I’ve said “yes” when I should have said, “no” and I’ve said, “no,” when I should have said, “yes.” I’ve cleaned up their messes when they should have cleaned it up themselves. I’ve played the mom guilt card, though it rarely worked. I’ve bailed them out when they should have learned the hard way. They’ve learned the hard way when I should have bailed them out. I’ve …
a letter to the second time mom
Hey there, you second time mom. Here you are, with a baby on your bust and another by your side. Yep, your hands are full yet so is your heart. As you gaze at your new addition, you wonder how you could have ever lived without him. For nine months, you wondered the complete opposite: how am I going to manage having more than one child? You tried to prepare your first child to become the big kid around the house but you were always unsure exactly how she would react when the baby came along. You’ve probably gotten …
Girlfriends, Curfews and Grades…Oh My! Parenting Today’s Teenager!
Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere. Ephesians 6:18 NLT Moms of teenagers, buckle up, all the bumps and bruises you went through in the baby, child, and adolescent stage start to prepare you for the adventure of parenting today’s teenager. I’m not trying to scare you at all, just speaking the truth in love from one mom to another. So, let’s put on our safety harness and walk through some of this together, shall we? As the mom of two teenage boys it …
Mom Came In Like A Wrecking Ball
Sometimes I recall it in slow motion: Those moments when my kids are laughing, bantering back and forth about this and that, volume rising. A friendly debate ensues, and this mom sees it’s fixin’ to get nowhere fast, maybe even ugly. Then BAM, something inside me snaps, and I just want it to end. I don’t want the conflict, the arguing, the drama. There goes the wrecking ball, aka my tongue lashing, swooshing in to destroy the pettiness and pride. But whose going to destroy mine? “There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of …
When Siblings Become Friends
From the day she was born, I promised. “Your sister is tiny now, but she’ll grow fast. Soon, not too long from now, she’ll be able to play with you. She’ll run and jump and share your puzzles and dolls. You’ll see.” “Really?” My firstborn, then just a couple weeks past her third birthday, gazed in tender awe at her new baby sister, the long-awaited stranger. “Yes, sweetheart. Someday, she’ll be your best friend.” Someday. It seemed so far off in those early months when we juggled two different stages under one roof. This one needed macaroni and potty training …
American Idol, Harry Connick, Jr. & a Question Every Mom Should Ask Her Kids
Do you ever turn on the television and then wonder why you even try to watch it when you that something will inevitably flash across your screen and you’ll have to turn it off? Me too! But this past Tuesday, I decided to take a brain break, so I flipped on American Idol just in time to watch a young lady who had just celebrated her 18th birthday. She sang a song I hadn’t heard before and I really couldn’t make out the words she was singing…but she did have a nice voice. And then it was time to …
Put a Little Love in Your Voice
My mom has a saying—“put a little love in your voice.” It’s her advice to my sisters and me when she hears us crabbing at our kids. If only she could be in my house at 7:30 every morning to remind me. “Are you done with your breakfast?” I rushed past the kitchen table and grabbed my daughter’s lunch bag off the counter. “It’s time to brush your teeth! Hurry or we’ll be late for school.” Imagine those words poured sweet as syrup from a momma’s lips. The inner dialog sings, “Sweetie pie, did you get your fill of pancakes? …
Why Moms Matter
A few months ago, I read a funny post about why God made moms. When asked why God made mothers, one second grader said, “She’s the only one who knows where the Scotch tape is.” This is certainly true in my home, and I’m guessing it might be true in yours as well. (Why is it we are the only ones who remember where things are put away?) Unfortunately (and all jokes aside), we moms sometimes agree with this young girl. We feel like all we ever do is clean, cook, or run errands. It’s tempting at times to wonder …