Remember what it was like

Do you remember what it was like to be a kid and meet a "princess" or character that you admired?

This was my "Daily Joy" yesterday!!! I watched my little girl meet a "princess" and go to her tea party at the Children's Museum in Omaha.

My daughter loved every minute.  She loved participating with other little girls in songs, fake tea and cookies, dancing, and games.

It truly brought Joy to my life to watch my little girl pretend to be a princess and socialize with other little girls in a huge princess tea party.

Sometimes it is hard for me as an adult to remember how special those little moments can be to a kid.

Let Kids Rest and Get Bored

Yesterday morning I was getting my little one dressed for the day and she said "Mommy where we going?"  I told her we were going to the grocery store and to the Children's Museum and then to eat lunch with daddy at his office.  She looked at me and said "No, lets just stay at home."

I realized that while it is fun to go and have activities and also important to do the grocery shopping so my family has food.. sometimes little ones just need down time.  They need days at home with no where to go and no agenda, and no play dates.  It is healthy for them to have some time to get bored, so they can use their imagination and have free play.

So today we have no agenda; we are still in our PJs and are just going to see what unfolds for the day here at home.  Hopefully I can come up with a few fun crafts and then leave Madison with the rest of the day for just rest and free play....Humm maybe one of our activities can involve making brownies or cookies (that's more for mommy..haha).

A Fun 4th of July

4th of July was crazy around our house... so fun...but totally crazy.
We had four house guests and two other family members stayed close by.  It was so wonderful to have family during the holidays.

We played games of family baseball in the yard, BBQ out on the grill, had smores by the firepit (a first for my 2 year old), homemade ice cream, and just had nice times sitting around the patios chatting sipping coffee, tea, & lemonade.... it is what I imagine Mayberry or Stars Hollow would be like all the time (if either of those places were real).

We attended our small town firework show that was set up to synch with patriotic country music.. it was like stepping back into time.  I saw no kids or parents on cell phones or electronic gaming devices..everyone was sitting in lawn chairs watching kids run and play with balls or sparklers, it was truly refreshing.

There is something about the 4th of July that makes people nostalgic for the days of old... and also truly appreciate what they have............family, friends, and just time together.

 

I hope everyone had a great 4th!

Fueling our Bodies

I have had a very challenging morning with my little one.  She has been cranky, defiant, and whiny.
My patience with her has been pretty thin, so perhaps I am feeling a little cranky and whiny as well.

After an unsuccessful attempt at getting her to eat breakfast (milk & toast with Nutella.. the breakfast of champions, Right?) , she started to whine that she wanted jelly beans, cheetos, hot dogs, butter and numerous other items, that there is no way I would feed her for breakfast!
I started to think, as I sipped my coffee.....  Humm, all she has had this last two days is a bunch of junk food!  No wonder that's what she wants for breakfast.
At that instant I vowed I would get rid of the junk and make her eat good nutritious foods.

Don't get me wrong, my daughter eats healthy most of the time (her favorite snack is carrots, cucumbers and hummus), but sometimes I just get lazy and its easier to hand her a package of gummy snacks then it is for me to go cut up an apple or peel an orange.. how sad.

I know without a doubt that her attitude and sleep is greatly affected by what she eats, so I will put in my very best effort to make sure she eats healthy.

But here's my other dilemma...I also need to eat better... we are our kids role models, and I have to admit I am flunking horribly when it comes to my own nutrition and diet habits.

I am sure I am not the only mommy to do this:

• I find that most often I skip breakfast and opt for only coffee in the morning. 
• I eat a lunch of whatever I can find leftover in the fridge or pantry, sometimes I get busy with house chores and completely forget to eat lunch as well. So by afternoon time I am starving, but don't snack.. I hold out till dinner.
• I am very vigilant that dinner is delicious and healthy for my husband and daughter, but I tend to over eat as this is my sometimes first meal of the day.

 So.. heres the main point:  When it seems like your kiddos are behaving poorly, review their food choices over the last few days & YOURS too!  Perhaps if we all make the resolution to put the right things in our bodies, we will all have better attitudes and sleep (and NO I'm suggesting we skip dessert or treats.. just that we are more aware.. I still need chocolate, haha).

Here a list of 25 healthy snacks, just for inspiration:
http://familyshare.com/25-healthy-snack-ideas

Thank You

I saw this prayer on a daily bible devotional email I get & I loved it!

"Lord, Thank you for dirty clothes, muddy shoes, messy rooms, a dusty house, tired legs, aching knees & taxes. I thank you I have clothes, shoes, a room to make a mess in, a house to get dirty, legs that work, knees that bend, and a country in which I can pay taxes."

It makes me realize even in my troubles how truly blessed I am.
I'm blessed to have my family, a roof over our head, food on our table, our wonderful health & Gods grace.

Being a Kid

I started thinking this morning... Why are we parents so ready for our kiddos to grow up?

I remember when I had an infant and I couldn't wait for her to start talking and walking, now I miss those cuddles and coos (mine doesn't sit still very long anymore).
Now she is in the toddler stage and sometimes I wish my little one was potty trained (yes.. she's still in diapers, gasp!), knew not to color or paint on the walls and carpet, and could get her own juice from the fridge.  But I know the moment those days come, I will miss many of fun loving things little toddlers do.

So parents let make a pledge!  Let's not wish for our kids to grow up, let's keep them kids as long as possible.  Let them play in the mud and get dirty, make messes in the kitchen and run through the sprinklers while they still want too; because one day we will wake up and they wont want your attention so much and wont find joy in simple little things like that.

Coffee

I don't know about you other mommies, but coffee is wonderful!
Don't get me wrong.. I love a good cup of tea, but coffee gets me going.  My husband constantly says "Jenny, is not fully functioning until a pot of coffee is gone and it is 11am". Ha

I love this Gilmore Girls quote by Lorelai's character (she just gets me)!
 Lorelai : "Oh I can't stop drinking the coffee. I stop drinking the coffee, I stop doing the standing and walking and the words putting into sentence doing."

Anyways.. this mornings post was just my little love note to coffee.. the best way for me to find JOY in the morning.

Sights and Smells can Bring Joy

Want to make your day better?  Fill it with smells you love and sights that make you grin...

I cant even start to tell you how much I love homemade bread!  My mom got me a bread machine not too long ago and I just love that last hour when the whole house fills with the smell of warm fresh bread... It just makes me happy! (Just in case you were wondering I have a Panasonic with an instant yeast release, if you decide you want to get one. Its nothing fancy, but does the job, and I think my bread looks good, crust is always right, and the small loaf is the perfect size for my family)

Two sights I love... produce from my garden and my baby girl having the time of her life!

I was able to start harvesting lettuce from my garden and made a nice salad for lunch.. humm maybe BLTs tonight, with that fresh bread?  YUMM...
If you don't have lettuce in your garden or if you don't even have a garden, let me tell you it was easy! I don't have a green thumb at all, but living here in Iowa, everything you put in the ground grows.. So you might as well plant some no matter where you live and give it a try, because the sight of it coming up in my garden, makes me feel like I have accomplished something and that, friends, makes me smile!

Today a girl friend of mine and I ventured out and found this lake area not too far from where we live. Surprisingly the water was warm, and the kids couldn't wait to pull their shoes off, put their toes in the sand, and jump in water (The jumping the water part, was not planned, so no bathing suits had been packed, but Hey! when life calls enjoy it!)  There is nothing in this world that can make me grin more than two kiddos exploring nature, having fun... Oh! and wearing themselves out so we can have long nap!  AMEN

Hello Mommies!

Hi all you hard working Mommies!  I've designed this blog just for you.
Where to start....

After working the first year of my newborn daughters life as a commercial banker, my husband took a different job offer that required us to move away from the city and into rural farm life. This exciting new move provided me an opportunity to stay at home with my wonderful, now 2 year old.

After working full time with a baby outside the home, to now staying at home full time.. I have come to realize how hard ALL of us mommies have it.

It is hard work it is to be a stay at home mom and it is hard work to be a mom who works outside of the home full time too... so no ladies the grass isn't greener on the other side.  The grass is greener on the side you water (as the saying goes).

Kids are a challenge every day.  Some days you want to laugh out loud at the funny things your kids do and other days you want to cry.  So to anyone raising a child, put your trust in God and put the lives of your little ones in his care, he will do things in your children you could never have imagined.

One of my biggest challenges of transitioning from working full time outside the home to making my home a full time career... is trying to find joy in the daily tasks of life; cooking, cleaning, laundry, keeping kids entertained and learning, changing diapers, and on and on and on.

I want to make my home a place I want to be, my kids want to be, and my husband wants to come home to.

I decided what I needed is the same thing many other moms need.  A place to share ideas, share encouragement, and share my failures.  I'm no Betty Crocker, Martha Stewart, or June Cleaver... I am just a normal mom who loves for her kids to eat healthy and always look adorable, but who in reality lets her kid have cheetos probably more than she should and my kid never seems to stay clean no matter what we are doing!

I hope all of us Mommies can find JOY together doing what I consider the best career in the world.


Proverbs 31:28 " Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her."