5 Lessons I Learned at an Amusement Park

You never know where you'll learn a lesson or two!

We checked off another item on our summer fun bucket list this week - visit Six Flags New England. I went on the day trip expecting blistering sun, oppressive heat, and tired feet. I got that and so much more!

In addition to truly enjoying an amusement park for the first time in my life (I don't do roller coasters!), I learned a few life lessons from our summer day trip.

Joel and Sam (3 yrs) riding a Ferris Wheel type ride.

1. Life is not all about me.

Don't get me wrong. As a mom I am all too familiar with this concept! Life ceased to be all about me 9 years ago.

My husband modeled the idea as he readily climbed into and filled 75% of this little wagon. He then rode around in a giant circle in the oven-like wagon. All for the benefit of a 3 year old boy who was too scared to ride alone or with his siblings.

The ride wasn't fun or exciting for my husband but he did it anyway. 

Life is like that. Sometimes you put your own desires aside to help fulfill someone else's dream.

Ellie (5 yrs) loved riding the swings!

2. Life can improve with a shift in perspective.

Ellie enjoyed her ride on the swings immensely. She leaned into it, let go of the plastic covered chains, and waved her arms as if she were flying.

On the other hand, Sam held the chains in a death grip and didn't turn loose during the whole ride. He sat stiff in his seat and managed a smile when encouraged from the sidelines.

Both children rode the same ride but one experienced a fabulous time while the other only endured the ride.

Life is like that. Your response to circumstances shapes the outcome just as much as the circumstances shape you.

Joel impersonated Beyonce while dancing with Daffy Duck!

3. When life's opportunity calls, say "YES!"

As we sat waiting for the Looney Tunes Dance Off show to begin a staff member approached my husband and asked him to participate in the show. Joel had no idea what he signed up for.

In the middle of the performance my introverted husband walked out on stage wearing a bad blond wig, scarf, and sunglasses pretending to be Beyonce!!! We all laughed as he danced around the stage with Daffy Duck and imitated the superstar.

I don't think my kids fully appreciate what it took for their dad to get up in front of complete strangers and act silly. But what a great memory we all have because of his willingness not to take himself to seriously!

Life is like that. You never know how an opportunity will pan out but, if you take a risk, it might turn into something fun and exciting.

4. Carpe diem! Seize the day!

Ellie embodied carpe diem on this day. She rode every ride she was tall enough to ride. She raised her arms in the air and felt the pull of gravity on her insides as her body bounced along the roller coaster track.

She laughed and entered the amusement park fun with gusto! And enjoyed almost every minute of the day. She did NOT enjoy getting soaked on the water ride. 

Life is like that. You embrace the moment and sometimes you love it, while other times you don't.

My Team about to drive off without me.

5. See the big picture.

Today they are 3, 5, 7, and 9 years old. Today I combed her hair into pig tails. I pulled his hat down from the upper shelf in the closet. I made his sandwich. I cleaned his glasses.

On this day they are children enjoying a ride in a motorized car pulled along a track.

I see all of that in this photograph but I also see the future. I see a day in 7 or 8 years when they all climb into a real car and Will drives them off for a night on the town without me. I see a day when my role as a mom shifts from authority to advisor.

Life is like that. You see the frustrations and failures of today and if you are wise you see the successes and possibilities of the future.


Our day trip to Six Flags was a ton of fun. My kids declared it The Best Day EVER! I think I agree with them; lessons, tired feet, and all!


What lessons have you learned this summer?

Stay in the Loop! Subscribe to Stephanie's Mommy Brain
and receive new posts in your email.

Enter your email address:


Delivered by FeedBurner

Teaching Children to Share Their Thoughts

Ellie after sharing her thoughts and falling asleep.

As I'm tucking Ellie in at bedtime almost every night she asks, "Mom, can you snuggle with me?"

If I say yes she scoots toward the opposite edge of her twin bed and I lie down beside her. Then she props her head up on her 5 year old hand, looks me in the eye and says, "So, what do YOU want to talk about?"

I always counter, "I don't know. What do YOU want to talk about?" Most nights she pauses or shrugs her shoulders. If I wait a few seconds longer she'll start chattering about whatever is on her mind.

The mind of a 5 year old girl is filled with many thoughts! The day's events, a future activity, a desired play date, and her upcoming birthday all make their way into our current conversations.

I don't consider these topics important, but Ellie does. 

We definitely discussed swimming in a friend's pool!

I also, don't WANT to snuggle most nights. I'm tired and ready for my children to sleep. But, I'm trying to say yes to Ellie's request more often than I say no.

Because one day her mind will be full of truly important topics.

Topics like a boy she has a crush on, her faith in Jesus, and a painful interaction with a friend will all make their way into our future conversations.

So for now I listen to her chatter, knowing that I'm building a habit and confidence in her that I'll always listen.


Do you have snuggle time? How are you teaching your children to share their thoughts and feelings with you?

Stay in the Loop! Subscribe to Stephanie's Mommy Brain
and receive new posts in your email.

Enter your email address:


Delivered by FeedBurner

Linked to:

Works for Me,  Women Living Well,  Just for Fun,  The Better Mom,  Loving Our Children, Funki Planet, Works for Me Wednesday, Big Fun Friday

Skip the cake. Eat the frosting.

Our cake decorating bag still contained a lot of icing, so my husband cut the bag and handed it to Ellie (5 yrs).

We all know cake is just the means of getting the icing to your mouth anyway! Skip the middle man and go straight for the frosting!

Ellie in sugar heaven!

Can't help but smile!

Have you ever let your kids eat just the frosting?



Linked to:


 

A Letter to a Worm

My 3 yr old boy, Sam, holding a worm.

Dear Mr. Worm,

Please accept my apologies for the damage Sam caused you.

He's only 3 years old and his fine motor skills are still developing. He tried to hold you gently but didn't realize that his squeezes and pinches hurt.

The way you moved across the ground without arms and legs fascinated Sam. He giggled at feeling of you squirm across his hand.

What Sam really wants is a pet but mama refuses to allow him to have a dog, so he has settled for finding worms in the backyard.

I truly am sorry about the plastic bag and cardboard box fiascoes. Sam believed he prepared you good homes. He filled the containers with dirt and grass and water, just like outside.

He didn't understand that too much water would cause you to drown. Or that sitting in the sunshine would cause you to overheat and shrivel.

Again, my apologies. I can only hope that you forgive us.

Yours sincerely,

Sam's Mom


Linked to:

My Child Colored Himself with Marker, Oh yes he did!

Hi! My name is Sam and I am 3 years old. My mom and dad left me in the living room with a blue Crayola marker. Even though I know better, I decided to write on myself. How do you like the stripe down my forehead and tongue?

O! But that's not all I did!!

I also colored one hand completely and was working on the other hand when Daddy walked in the room and stopped me.

See? That hand is COMPLETELY colored! The other one would have been, too, except Daddy had to spoil my fun.

Through this we learned a funny thing about washable markers - if your sweaty hand is coated in marker and you touch something (say the couch, wall, or sink) then you will leave a hand print.

Mama didn't think this was a very fun discovery! She scrubbed my hands with soap and water and still didn't get it all off. Eventually I got to play in the shower for awhile and most of it washed away.

Playing with a marker is a lot of fun until you get caught. Have you ever colored on yourself with a marker?


Linked to:

Help me pick which shoes to wear!!

I'm going to Bloggy Boot Camp in Philly on Friday and I need your help selecting my shoes!!!

On Friday afternoon I'm attending a welcome reception at the hotel for the #2012BBC attendees. Then in the evening I'm walking a few blocks to a cocktail party/networking event at a restaurant.

Here's the outfit I'm wearing: navy, green and cream floral skirt (falls below my knees); navy knit top; denim jacket; silver jewelry.

If the weather turns cool or rainy I'll wear brown boots. BUT if the weather is warm I need to choose between the 4 pairs of shoes you see in the picture.

What do you think?

Here's a close up of the shoes. The pewter ones also have a texture to them. The cream shoes have a small heel while the other 3 are wedges.

On Saturday I'll attend the actual conference from 9-5. Lots of sitting with a little moving around between sessions. At 5:30 there will be another cocktail party/networking event at the hotel. It's all kinda dressy casual.

Here's the outfit I'm wearing: floral skirt (falls below my knees); green sweater set; silver jewelry; I may exchange the green sweater for the denim jacket if I get cold.

So which shoes?

Here's a close up.

I'm not really a fashion person so please leave a comment with your opinion about which shoes to wear with the blue-green skirt and which to wear with the floral skirt. THANKS!!

Son Starts a Rumor, or Not.

Yesterday Sam tried to start rumors about our family. Can't you just see the mischief in that sweet three year old face?!

The Back Story

A couple of weeks ago I switched the kids' winter/summer clothes. For Sam, that meant pulling out all of the 3T clothes I'd saved from Will and Ben. Mixed in with the t-shirts was a Spiderman tank top.

Sam immediately snatched up the shirt and declared that he can now do gymnastics with The Brothers and Ellie. Since September I've encouraged him to participate in the preschool gymnastics class and he has resisted.

Apparently all he needed was a tank top!

Yesterday as the kids dressed for gymnastics Sam couldn't find his tank top. We finally located it, in serious need of washing, at the bottom of a pile of dirty clothes. Poor Sam threw himself on his bed sobbing buckets of tears and declared he couldn't do gymnastics.

No amount of assurances that a regular t-shirt is fine would change his mind!


The Rumor

So I hunted for another tank top that would fit him. I could only find one.

Yeah. Can you just hear the pregnancy rumors flying if Sam showed up at gymnastics in this shirt?! I'd rather not deal with that so I grabbed a sharpie and wrote "NOT" on the shirt.

The little stinker enjoyed gymnastics and believes his new tank top is awesome. Me? I'm afraid someone won't see the "NOT" and boy will Facebook be talking!!

Have your kids ever (innocently) started rumors about you?

What are your passions?

Passions - topics, ideas, or activities that you could participate in or discuss over and over again.

On Day 12 of the 31 Days to Become a Better Writer series at Allume.com, the author challenged readers to write a list of 10 passions and then to share the reasons behind one of those passions.

Here are a few of my passions in no particular order:

1. Family time.
2. Traveling with my kids.
3. Getting fit and healthy.
4. Organizing my home and home management.
5. Homeschooling.
6. Cub Scouts.
7. Rheumatoid arthritis and Enbrel.
8. Compassion International.
9. Children's books and curriculum.
10. History.

Next time I'll share a little history behind one of my passions.

What are 10 topics or activities that you could do or talk about for hours?

Saying Good-bye to a Season of Motherhood

There are no babies in my house.

No tiny diapers. No bottles. No middle-of-the-night feedings. No pacifiers. No tiny shoes. No diaper blow outs. No sweet baby's breath. No swaying side-to-side during a conversation to keep a baby asleep.

The baby-toddler stage of my mothering journey officially ended in October when Samuel turned 3 years old. A season of my life is done. Over.

6 Goals in 2012

I'm often asked how I "do it all." I laughingly reply that I don't sleep but the truth is I generally have a plan.

I NEED a plan, otherwise I feel distracted and run around meeting the most urgent needs without feeling like I've accomplished anything. I don't like that feeling.

This year I'm planning with purpose. Using customizable goal setting forms from Money Saving Mom I wrote down 6 priorities for 2012.

1. Grow my faith.

I feel like my spiritual life became stagnant during the last couple of years. Have you ever seen a stagnant pond? It isn't pretty. If no water runs in or out of a pond then algae and slime eventually takes over. Plants and creatures calling the pond home eventually die. It's pretty gross.

That's where I feel right now. Nothing fresh coming in and nothing fresh going out. Just... there.

To change this I plan to regularly read my Bible and pray, participate in an on-line faith-related study, and read books that encourage my faith.

A Messy Life Moment

Edited November 14, 2011: If you are visiting because of the winner announcement on The SITS Girls, WELCOME!  I'm so excited to have won The SITS Girls Bloggy Bootcamp giveaway. I can't wait to meet you awesome ladies and learn from you in person!! Now on to the post that brought you here...

Spending time with friends and family can lead to fun and memorable moments, but also some very messy ones. One messy moment I will always remember occurred in 2006.

Picture with me. {insert wavy flashback lines}

A younger me, 2nd trimester pregnant with my third child, seated at a table in a Mexican restaurant in El Paso. Also at the table are my in-laws, husband, 1 year old son, 2.5 year old son, and husband's uncle and aunt. This was our last night in Texas after spending the previous week celebrating the life, and mourning the death, of my husband's grandmother.

{Camera focuses on our table}

My 2.5 year old starts coughing. Not quiet, clear-my-throat coughs. Noooo. These are hacking, gagging, hear-you-across-the-restaurant coughs. Oh joy.

We had already ordered so I didn't want to leave; truth be told my pregnant-self had been looking forward to that meal all week! At that time the closest thing to a Mexican restaurant in Rhode Island was Taco Bell. It's just not the same thing, folks.

So I took William out of his high chair and set him on my lap facing me. With a wall behind us I just prayed his coughs would be muffled and not bother the other customers.

Then IT happened.

William coughed one more time, gagged, and proceeded to throw-up grilled cheese sandwich down the front of my shirt. Being the experienced mom that I was I bolted from my seat, thanking God I am at the end of the table and that our waiter had seated us right beside the bathroom.

I'll spare you the details and just say that my mother-in-law is the BEST EVER! She helped clean up William, me and the bathroom without being asked. A mother-in-law that cleans up vomit in public, yeh, she's PRICELESS!

You would think I would go back to the hotel after that but, no. Our meal had just arrived. So Will and I resumed our place at the table and everyone ate a little quicker. Until the coughing started again.

Then IT happened. Again.

Two year old vomit all down the front of my shirt, for the second time. sigh. I cleaned us both up in the bathroom. By now everyone else had finished their meals and ordered dessert. Surely the boy's stomach was empty, I thought. So I raced 3 buildings down the street to our hotel, changed my clothes and raced back so I could finish my now-cold tacos. I seated myself, took Will from my mother-in-law and began eating.

Then IT happened. Again.

Sometimes it takes me awhile to learn a lesson. In this instance it took my son vomiting down my shirt 3 times for me to learn to take vomiting children home, or in this case, to the hotel. Even if your pregnant, Mexican-food-craving-self tries to tell you to do differently. This is a life lesson I strongly recommend you learn through my experience!

It was messy. Memorable. And now, nearly 6 years later, hilarious.  But I don't want to ever do it again! Would you?!

Be sure to like Stephanie's Mommy Brain on Facebook where I share frequently share messy and embarrassing moments from my life as a mom. 

I received information about Clorox’s Bleach It Away campaign and am sharing my messy moment for the chance to win prizes from The SITS Girls. To learn more about the messy moment program, check out www.BleachItAway.com. Sharing your story on the Clorox fan page gets you entered for the chance to win $25,000 and daily prizes, and you can grab a coupon for Clorox® Regular Bleach.

1 Solution to Public Temper Tantrums :: Mom2Mom

My children are perfect, all four of them. They never talk back, speak unkind words or throw temper tantrums. When we leave the house they are always examples of proper behavior for all those unruly, out-of-control children other parents have.

Riiiighttt. If you believe that I have a bridge I'd like to sell you!


My children have fits just like other children. Occasionally those fits occur in public. Isn't it fun when that happens? Especially when EVERYONE. turns. to. stare.

credit: christine [cbsezto]

Several months ago my 2 year old picked the library for his temper tantrum stage. Yep, the library. You know that place where everyone is supposed to whisper and use their walking feet. Yeah, there.

Sam (the 2 yr old), Ellie (the 4 yr old) and I (the .. well, never mind) drove to the library after supper so my hubby and the 2 older boys could accomplish school work. Normally Sam visits the library securely strapped into his stroller but on this trip I thought I could manage him since I had fewer children. Rookie mistake.

After enjoying the 2nd floor children's section, we checked out a huge pile of books on the 1st floor and headed towards the door. Then Sam decided to go back upstairs on the elevator. I told him no and that's when the battle started.

Loudly crying he refused to walk down the long hallway to the outer door and threw himself on the floor. I tried to reason with him using that sweet mommy voice that we all reserve for public occasions. By now all the librarians and patrons were staring at us. I couldn't pick him up because my arms were full of books and Ellie's so close in size that she couldn't help.

So, I told him, still using a singsong mommy voice, "Sister and I are going to the car now. I hope you come with us. Bye." And I slowly started walking down the hallway. Once I got around a corner out of sight, Sam picked himself up off the floor, walked a little way down the hall, saw me and threw himself on the floor again.

I repeated that I was leaving and slowly walked further down the hall, praying the whole time that he would come. When I reached about 15 feet away from him, he stood up and joined me as I walked to the van. I guess he believed my bluff that I would leave him behind.

For the record I would never leave one of my children behind. I don't recommend using this technique with every child or using it often, but in this case it was effective.

Thank goodness because I didn't have a Plan B!

Do your children throw temper tantrums in public? What was the worst one?

Disappointed in Motherhood :: Mom2Mom

You know that feeling you get when your expectations aren't met?  Yep, disappointment.  That's what I want to talk about today.

Last week I experienced a big disappointment - the winners for the Mom Central Blogging Grants were announced and I wasn't one of them.

Honestly, I'm disappointed.  I really wanted to win that grant!  It's taken me a week to process the loss and tell you about it.  I know many of you voted for me daily and I hate to let you down.

As I thought about my disappointment I realized my negative emotions were causing negative thinking.  Thoughts like "my blog isn't good enough," "I'm never going be a successful blogger," and "I should have worked harder" filled my mind.

Thankfully I have a wise husband who reminded me that my blog is good (though it can always be improved), that I am a success at blogging (though not where I want to be yet) and that I gave the contest my best shot.

Once my negative emotions decreased I could see the truth in Joel's words.  I also started thinking about disappointment in motherhood. 

Motherhood is chock full of unmet expectations!  Some of them are silly, while others run deep and cause pain for years.

Here are a few of my motherhood disappointments:

• All 4 of my babies were delivered by c-section.  Being strapped to a table surrounded by doctors and nurses is not a magical way to begin motherhood!
• One of my children has brown eyes.  I know it's silly but my blue eyes have always been one of my favorite characteristics so I wanted my children to be blue-eyed.  I'm over it now and love my child's chocolate colored eyes.
• I only nursed the first 2 boys a couple of months so I could go back on my RA medication.  I always thought I'd breastfeed for a year.
• My school-aged children learned to read as kindergarteners.  I learned to read before starting school and always thought my children would too.

These are just a few of my disappointments with motherhood.  As you can see, some are silly and passed, while others still sting even today. 

What motherhood disappointments have you experienced?  Silly or serious?  Do they still cause you pain?  Let's talk about it in the comments.

Introducing Mom 411

"I don't know how you do it!"

I hear that statement A LOT when women learn I am a home school mom with four children.  You might even be saying it to yourself right now.

Last week the idea popped into my head that I should write a weekly post about how I run a household, care for 4 children and home school 3 of them.  With that Mom 411 was born.

I know, it's cute right?  Mom because, well, this is a blog by a mom, about moms, and for moms.  The 411 because these posts will be information (does anyone actually dial 411 for information anymore?), the how-to of motherhood.

So come by every Wednesday to learn "how does she do it?" 

Toddlers LOVE Mama's Makeup :: Mom2Mom

All moms have one, and if you don't already you eventually will.

We all have a "my child got into my lipstick/makeup/perfume" story. 

Amazingly enough my story took place after being a mom for 7.5 years.  I walked into the bathroom to discover Samuel in there playing.  I didn't even realize he was in there until I saw him!  And then, I saw him.

Actually, I saw the pile of toilet paper on the floor first.  And then I saw the light tan patches all down the front of Sam's pajamas.  And black smudges all over his hands.  And more light tan patches on the throw rug.

Really it was my own fault.  I left my makeup bag on the bathroom counter within easy reach of a certain 2 year old when standing on the toilet.  It was a newbie mistake.  You'd think by child #4 I would know better.

See the guilt on that face and the hidden hand?

The pictures don't do justice to the damage he caused.  Compact blush and powder broken into bits.  Foundation poured all over the place.  Eye shadow gouged into chunks. 

Sweet little hand covered with foundation and mascara.

As I cleaned him up I realized mascara coated Sam's hand and that the tube lay partially opened.  So I pulled the wand out of the tube to check it for damage.   I found an eyeshadow sponge SKEWERED to the end of it!  SKEWERED like a marshmallow waiting to be roasted!  (Sadly I didn't take a picture of it.)

The boy ruined every single piece of makeup I owned.  I had to throw it all out and start over new. 

I'll be honest, I wavered between anger/frustration and laughter.  I felt frustration over cleaning up a huge mess at bedtime and at the expense of all new makeup.  But, the little rascal looked so guilty and cute that I found it hard not to laugh at the whole situation.

In the end, laughter won (although Sam didn't laugh at his discipline) and photos were taken.  Today I have a funny 'Mom story' and all new Mary Kay makeup so all's well that ends well.

Do you have a "my child got into my lipstick/makeup/perfume" story?  Please share it with us!

Playtime with Mom :: Mom2Mom

My husband is an expert at playing with our children.  He spends hours on the floor driving cars, building Lincoln Log forts, and connecting Thomas the Tank Engine tracks.  He reads books aloud with our children and often changes his voice for each character.  And he actually thinks an afternoon playing Star Wars Wii is fun!


Me?  Not so much.  Entering my children's play world is difficult for me.

I'm too literal minded during imaginative play. 

I know I played as a child but I don't remember tea parties with my dolls or imaginary friends.  However, I do recall organizing accessories and clothes for my Barbies. (Good practice for organizing hair accessories for my daughter!)

Even when I convinced my brother that we should spread mud all over our faces, arms and legs it wasn't for PRETEND facials.  I thought our south Arkansas red clay mud would work just as good as a spa's "mud."  Too bad my mom didn't appreciate my efforts at skin care!

I'm too focused on being productive.

One of my mottos is "Do what you have to do.  Then do what you want to do."  By this I mean do your work first and play with the leftover time.  Children don't want to wait until all of my housework is completed (is it really ever?!).  They want to play immediately, not three hours later.

I have a hard time sitting on the floor to play with Thomas trains when my sink is full of dirty dishes, my laundry baskets overflow with dirty clothes, and lesson plans need writing.  Ten minutes constructing a barn from Lincoln Logs feels like forever when my spot on the floor gives me a view of the dust bunny collection under my son's bed.  Not that I want to do laundry, dishes and dusting, they just call my name from my To Do list.

The Girlie got tired so Daddy pulled the bike and she rode in the cart.

I want to do fun-to-me things.

Honestly, playing Star Wars Wii will never be high on my list of fun things to do.  Not that I don't enjoy Star Wars or Wii.  It's just not my preferred method of relaxation or fun.

I would much rather be blogging or reading a book than most of the play activities my children invite me to join.  Blogging excites me.  Reading historical fiction is fun for me.

Through the 7 years I've been a mom I've tried to deny my natural inclinations and play with my children.  Sometimes I do a good job of playing.  Sometimes I don't.

Is entering the imaginative world your children create difficult for you?  Or are you a natural at it like my husband?  Let's talk about it in the comments!

Cooking with Children :: Mom2Mom

While pregnant with Will, I dreamed of baking cookies, mixing cakes, and rolling out pizza crusts with my children.  In my vision they would wait patiently for their turn to help and we would show Daddy our delicious creations when he came home.

Mom and child cooking sessions fit into my ideal of a mom.

Speaking of ideals, television commercials show mom and child laughing and smiling as they mix cookie batter together.  Print ads imply that mom and child worked as a team to make the beautiful cake in front of them.  There are even magazines that show you step-by-step how to make amazingly elaborate animals from vegetables with your 3 year old.  (OK.  Maybe I exaggerate.  It's really your 4 year old.)

You can't see the 2 year old dipping his hand in the PB jar!

My cooking with children reality looks nothing like the magazines.

I have four pairs of hands eager to grab any spoon and stir.  My children crowd around the bowl making it difficult to measure and pour.  They whine and nag while waiting their turn to help.  And the finished product never looks like the picture in the magazine!

Cooking sessions with my children often leave me frustrated and annoyed.  I underestimate how long it will take.  I constantly tell my 2 year old to put items down.  And in the end I have a huge mess to clean up - with NO dishwasher to help.


Do you also dread cooking with your children?  Or have you learned to involve them in the kitchen without losing your mind?  Let's talk about it in the comments!