30 Day Mom Challenge

Days 16 - 22

Day 16 - Picture what you want your child to be like at age 25.  Mother with that in mind today.


What do I think my children will be like at 25?  I can only hope they will live with the values we are teaching and living each day.  I see them as good friends, maybe spouses, but not parents yet.  I see them as ambitious and creative.  I see them doing some good.  I see them happy and living their lives with optimism.


Day 17 - Laugh with your child today.


Who couldn't laugh with their children when they do things like this:

They other two filled her clothes with stuffed animals and balls from a ball pit. It was pretty funny!


Day 18 - Who is a mom you admire? What quality of hers can you live out today?

Can I say Ma (Caroline) Ingalls?  I always thought she was the best mom.  She never got mad, she was kind and soft spoken.  She was loving and sweet and gentle.  She was such a good mom.  And she had patience, patience I wish I had everyday and not just sometimes.  And her laugh, I can still hear her laugh or when she said to Carrie after she found a penny "Why you're rich!"  Now that's the kind of mom I wish I could be!  To make a child feel 100 feet tall all by saying you are rich with honesty, after finding a measly penny.  Today I will live/teach with her patience and love.


Day 19 - Teach your child one thing he can do on his own today.


Everyone got their own snacks!  They are now doing it on their own.  It is amazing how many times a day I have to get/make a snack for each of them.  It's great they can do it on their own.  This one little daily chore is building confidence and independence and it's great for me because I'm not in the kitchen every 30 minutes getting a snack for somebody.  These kids can eat, boy can they eat!!


Day 20 - Today's focus: patience.


My mantra for this day was "Channel Ma Ingalls."  "Channel Ma Ingalls"


Day 21 - Forgive yourself when you mess up.


I often feel guilt for the mistakes I make but I do forgive myself eventually.  I have to.  I am only human and I am doing everything I can to be the best I can be with an occasional mistake.  Hey no ones perfect, right?


Day 22 - How do you  want your child to remember you? Be that mom today.


I hope they will remember the good.  The love we share as a family.  I hope too they will forgive me for the times I'm not so great.

Marshmallow Sculptures

One afternoon I was cleaning out the pantry and for some strange reason I had bags (and bags) of marshmallows in every size and color.   Why you ask?  I don't really know.

Anywho, I was checking the expiration dates and realized most were expired.  Luckily I have seen on many-a-blog, marshmallow sculptures, so that's what we did.

We used straws and toothpicks to connect them.

The kids loved this project and kept at it for quite some time.  However, they also enjoyed eating them. Gross!!!!

While I write this post, I realize in all the years I worked with children, and in the 9 I have had children, I have never planned, until this day, marshmallow sculptures.

a "person"

the process

"Gary" (from SpongeBob)

a "ladder"

"weights"

"kabobs"

So I was thinking, am I the last early childhood teacher who has never made a marshmallow sculpture??

What Can I say...

but  - Amazing!

Yes she made this herself.  Took out a basket of fabric I left in the playroom for them to use as they wish, she then pulled out the fabric, scissors and got to work, designing and wearing this fashionable piece.  No sewing here, all the pieces where tied in knots to stay on and together.  My clever girl!

I like to imagine that she also enjoys brushing her hair and putting it in braids, or a pony, or a headband, or..... you get the picture.

30 Day Mom Challenge

Days 11 - 15

Day 11 - Tell your child "I am so glad you are my son/daughter."


What can I really write about this one other than I said it to each of the kids on day 11.  I guess the one thing I can add, is that it would probably be a nice thing to say more often.  I don't think I have ever said these exact words to my children before. 


Day 12 - Pray for wisdom in mothering your child.


The first thing I thought of when I read day 12, was a Parent's Prayer that was published in the church topic years ago.  I cut it out and pasted it into a journal of inspiration (of sorts) that I have.

A Prent's Prayer

O Heavenly Father, make me a better parent.  Teach me to understand my children, listen patiently to what they have to say, and to answer all their questions kindly.  Keep me from interrupting them or contradicting them.  Make me as courteous to them as I would have them be to me.  Forbid that I should ever laugh at their mistakes or resort to shame or ridicule when they displease me.  May I never punish them for my own selfish satisfaction or to show my power.  Let me not tempt my children to lie or steal.  And guide me hour by hour that I may demonstrate by all that I say and do that honestly produces happiness.  Reduce, I pray, the meanness in me.  And when I am out of sorts, help me, O Lord, to hold my tongue.  May I ever be mindful that my children are children and I should not expect of them the judgement of adults.  Let me not rob them of the opportunity to wait on themselves and to make decisions.  Bless me with the bigness to grant them all their reasonable requests and the courage to deny them privileges I know will do them harm.  Make me fair and just and kind and fit, O Lord, to be loved and respected and imitated by my children.

Amen 

I love this prayer.  It is extremely inspirational.

Day 13 - Do not criticize your child today.

This was not a tough one for me.  I can honestly say that I don't believe I criticize my children very often.  However I was a bit more conscious of everything I said to them on this particular day, as I wondered, was I about to say something along the lines of criticism or discipline or what??  It does make you stop and think, because at one point during the day I wondered, do I criticize them and not even know it??


Day 14 - Remember that being a mother is a gift.


I will always be thankful for the gift of motherhood.  I feel extremely lucky.  After three years of infertility, to be blessed with three children is truly miraculous.  I will never feel anything but thankful that I was given this gift.


Day 15 - Be firm when needed, but not harsh.


Nuff said!

30 Day Mom Challenge

Days 5 through 10:
*note: I started on day 5 because it was the 5th day of the month

Day 5:  Tell yourself he's only ______ years old.  He's still a child.  Then treat him that way.


This is something I do say to myself often.  I have for years.  It is true that sometimes I feel as though I might lose my mind (shocked aren't you???) because of a specific type of behavior (and what's worse is I know child development like the back of my hand, yet I still get frustrated by certain behaviors!) I aways say what is "normal", "typical" for his/her age?  This always stops me in my tracks so to speak.  During these moments it is because he is only 4 or she is only 8 or he is only 9.  They are still learning how to be people, figuring out their place in this world.  So why get so upset about testing boundaries, about playing with a toy in a way that might break it, for picking their noses?   Isn't it my job to help guide them along? Isn't it my job to love them and respect them at every age?


So yes, he is only 4, she is only 8, and he is only 9!


Day 6:  Bake, make or buy them their favorite food.


Homemade pizza and brownies! Is this each of their favorite foods?  No, but it is a favorite amongst the three of them in which they could agree on.  (I did not want to make three different meals and treats and then have all that waste.)

Day 7:  Leave them a sweet note.


I left each of them a little note on their nightstands.  These notes are just between  us.


Day 8:  Calculate how many more weekends are left until your child graduates from high school.


If I did this correctly here are the number of weekends for each child:


J -  461
A - 514
C - 722




Day 9:  Picture yourself at your child's age.  Try to remember how you felt.


Honestly this is a tough one.  I remember little things about being a child so I focused on those memories.  Most of my memories are from junior high school and up.  Not much in the memory department before then.


But those few memories are full of emotion, feelings of wanting acceptance and love.  (not that I didn't have those things it's just that maybe I often questioned my worth).  Sad isn't it?


After thinking about that, I notice sometimes A does things that may be along the same lines.? My goal is to focus on this a bit more and give her what she needs, always.


Day 10:  Today's mom focus - Joy!


Wow, this was a tough one also.  It's hard to always feel joy and be joyful when things are not going too well.  Such as a huge fight amongst your children that for a few minutes you couldn't get a handle on.  But hey, some days are just like that.  What helps is focusing on joy.  It makes you focus on the positive.  It makes you smile more.  It makes you see things in a new light.  Maybe something that would normally be annoying is pretty funny when you look upon it with joy.  (such as baby talk coming from the mouths of an 8 and 9 year old)  Or when your oldest says to you (when you are slaving over his dinner rolling out dough) "What are you murdering in there?".  HA!  Boy did I laugh at that one!  It was pretty funny.  So yeah, sometimes you can look at the entire day with joy in your heart.  You can laugh with them, and smile at them, and be thankful the universe was kind enough to allow you to have these amazing people to share your life with.


In a few, days 11 - 15.  

Ugh! - Update

Still working on it.  Tried to download one of those free blog backgrounds and ended up hating it before it was on here an hour!  I really thought I would love to have some pizzaz but what I really want is a more simple looking blog.  I want white with a personal header, pretty much what I'v had but I can't seem to get my blog to be all white!!!  Any help would be appreciated.  


I'll be posting days 5 through 10 of the 30 day mom Challenge tomorrow.  See you then.



As you can see I'm trying to make some changes and obviously I don't know what I'm doing.  Hope to figure this out soon.

Fingers crossed!

Swim Lessons = Good Times

Remember this post from last year?  Remember the complete and utter fear my children had for the water, swimming, swim lessons, well, anything that had to do with being in a pool?  This year it has been the complete opposite!

I am so thankful!  I know that last years lessons have really helped them to be more relaxed, but because they were so afraid last year, I was a little worried I would be dealing with the same anxieties.

Not this year!  This year they couldn't wait to go and begged me to stay after lessons so they could just swim!!!!  They even asked me to take them to the pool when the lessons end for the year!

What?? Are you the same children???

Here are a few shots of them having FUN in the water :

30 Day Mom Challenge

OK, so here it is.  I'm going to say it.   Sometimes I'm not such a great mother.  Yikes!  It's true.


I try, but like anyone else I have my days. Days I wish I could start over.  On these days I go to bed at night and say the same thing to myself; Shelley you have to do better tomorrow.


Thankfully this is not everyday but recently it really hit home.


You see, I just returned from my girls only vacation and came home to my three little ones and The Husband.  I was so happy to see them, but then the noise came.  Oh my goodness, the noise.  After 5 days of being with just one other adult, on the beach, in a little cabin, the noise level increased to the point where I thought my brain would burst.


It's been several days and of course things are back to normal.  I barely notice the noise now.  (well maybe just a little.  it's hard to miss!!) 


So anyway, the guilt set in.  The guilt of how the noise level bothered me so much in the short amount of time I had been home, asking myself why I felt this way, what was wrong with me????


When The Husband and I decided to start a family, the one thing I knew without a doubt was that it is my responsibility to be the best mom I can be.  To keep them safe.  To let them know they are loved.  To have patience.  This is my job and I will not allow myself to fail.  


I found something to help me, to give me a boost, and some confidence; the 30 Day Mom Challenge on Pinterest.  Here is a great and fun way to help be a better mom:

30 Day Mom Challenge

 via imom.com

Sadly this is the best image I could get to share here with you.

I am taking on this challenge!  

I'm doing it for them

What fun, right? Why don't you join me on this little adventure?  I'll be sharing my thoughts here as I go through the daily goals.  See you in a few....