The Naptime Chronicles

Calling all parents! What do you DO during naptime??

If I’m being totally honest, most of my naptimes are spent sleeping. Momin’ ain’t easy. But sometimes I let the creative juices flow and do something I love.

This week I have..

• Decided on and started planning our urban garden. I’ve always wanted to garden, but we have always been in an apartment or condo. I’ve decided I’m done waiting and I am going to grow a balcony garden! I’ll be getting started on set-up and planting in the next few months. I am SO excited!
• Picked a popular recipe (from A Bountiful Kitchen) and threw my apron on to bake up a yummy treat!
• Finished The Vacationers by Emma Straub.

I’ve decided that I want to start utilizing my naptimes a little better. Even if it is just 1-2 times per week to do something for me (even if I need to have an extra cup of coffee to get through the day). ❤

Our Week in Pictures:

 

FALLing into Love

I am currently writing to the soundtrack of an epic thunderstorm ❤ Love me some rain! Despite it only being (not even) mid-August, Halloween and fall gear is EVERYWHERE. I’m not complaining – I love autumn, but it is still in the hundreds here (boo!). SO, below you will find pictures of what I wish was going on here in Arizona – even if it is a little premature! I’m sharing some of my dream autumn decor (and treats!) compliments of pinterest and google images. 🙂

 

Livin’ on a Prayer (and a boatload of coffee)

Guys, it has been a ridiculous week! The kids and I are all sick, my hubby had a weird work week, and everyone is just in a weird post-vacation funk.

I am SO thankful that we made it to Friday (even though E works tomorrow morning 😦 ) AND that it is currently monsooning outside. ❤ Rain gives me a sense of renewal and life that I love.

Here’s a little recap on our California adventure last week –

• Isaac decided to climb out of his pack n play the first night of vacation, which led to very little sleep and a ton of fussing at bedtime! We were both happy to come home and have the security of a crib again!
• I got to have some serious sister time (adult beverages and all – gasp!). It is so good getting to know her as an adult. Being five years apart it’s hard for me to see her as anything other than my little sister, but she’s all grown up now! Sadly, I don’t think we will ever live close to each other so the time last week was precious.
• We went boating, swimming, and basically all things water. It was glorious (even though Isaac developed a strange fear of leaves in the water!).
• I got to watch my parents be grandparents (my dad crawling around the floor with a blanket on his head might be one of my favorite memories) and my sister be an aunt (even during a HORRIBLE blowout in the Kmart parking lot – she was a rockstar!).
• Driving home by myself with two kids 2 and under was… not easy. Isaac was quite sick at that point, so he was extremely unhappy about being confined. I may have developed permenant road rage from the trip – driving with a screaming toddler for hours through the desert is not something I would wish on anyone.
  

  
  

 

Mom Guilt with a Side of Donuts

I ran into a mom friend of mine today, and it was obvious that she’s had a rough week. Dark circles under her eyes, a crying kid in her grocery cart, and another kid munching on donuts. She went on to tell me what her week was like – doctor’s appointments, teething, and tantrums. Then she added,

“I just needed out of the house today. I need a break – I know that makes me a bad mom.”

As soon as the words slipped out of her mouth, I could tell she regretted it. That is something that we often say in the safety of our mind – where we ridicule, judge, and criticize ourselves worse than anyone else can.

That short conversation has haunted me all day because:

1. It is the furthest thing from the truth. She’s an excellent mom.
2. It is a phrase that I have said to myself a million times.

I recently started going to the gym, and I am debating whether or not I should get a membership. The gym has childcare and both of my kiddos have done really well the few times I’ve gone. However, I am struck with guilt when I’m there. How dare I leave my kids with strangers so that I can work out? I couldn’t possibly take a class – that would be ditching them for an HOUR – I know that makes me a bad mom.

BUT it doesn’t. Needing alone time is NECESSARY and NORMAL. Motherhood is a 24/7 gig, and in order to keep your sanity you have to do thing for yourself! You can only give so much before you’re totally drained, and a drained mom is not the type of mom you want to be.

So, take the hour-long yoga class, join the gym, go to the store and let your kids eat donuts just so you can get out of the house. NONE of that makes you a bad mom, just a human muddling through the hardest (most fulfilling, most frustrating, most amazing) job in the world.

Don’t Mind Me, I’m Just Dreaming Again

It’s been awhile since I’ve taken a virtual vacation, so a Thursday naptime seems like the perfect time!

I have a big ‘ol bowl of popcorn and a Capri Sun (living that fancy mom life!). 😉 Today, we will be touring the Carolinas – both North & South. I cannot wait to call this area HOME.

(This tour is brought to you by pinterest! aka I own NONE of these photos!)

Ahhh. I feel better already. 🙂

Now I’ll just turn up my air conditioning and pretend it won’t be 100+ degrees for the next 4 months. 😦 #arizonaproblems

This is For You

I am tired of the mommy wars – the comparisons – the constant one-upping.

I’m tired of the “they can’t have/do/play” mentality.

I am tired of the “everything is bad” theory.

I am tired of feeling judged CONSTANTLY.

If you have endured the eye rolls, the finger shaking, the lectures from strangers like I have, then this is for YOU.

To the mom who bought her kids donuts, a little sugar won’t hurt.

To the mom who threw a birthday party on a budget, your kid didn’t even notice.

To the mom who yelled at her kids, you’re only human.

To the mom whose kids are always a mess, that means they’re having fun.

To the mom who doesn’t buy organic, your kids will be just fine.

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Kids are resilient. Kids are a handful. Kids are an unbelievable blessing.

Your only job is to love on them and cherish them. Ignore the rules that society deems worthy. They aren’t.

So enjoy Popsicles with red dye 40, have puddle-jumping contests (regardless of the shirt you’re wearing), give your kids their favorite snacks, and LOVE on them no matter what.

At the end of the day, time slips by quickly. You won’t remember how healthy they ate, how pristine their clothes looked at the mall, or how you lived in a “plastic-free home”. You’ll remember the summer day you got soaked to the bone while jumping in puddles during a rainstorm. You’ll remember sticky Popsicle kisses. You’ll remember the weekly donut picnics. You’ll remember the people who sang and laughed with you at birthday parties.

 

 

When Motherhood is Hard

This week I questioned my ability to be a mother – more than once.

Nothing really prepares you for motherhood. Unfortunately, there are no manuals even though my bookshelf is filled with about a dozen books that claim to be.

Motherhood is a big burden at times.

What if my kids turn out to be horrible adults?

What if I don’t prepare them properly for what’s to come?

What if I’m terrified to transition them to a real bed and I keep them in a crib forever? 😉

But really, there’s a lot of pressure. Make sure they eat healthy. Make sure they do amazing crafts that boost creativity. Make sure they play outside. Make sure they learn a million languages so one day they can go to college. The list goes on..

Instead of getting wrapped up in the tough moments this week (OK, I did allow myself a little cry sesh), I am trusting the following:

Sometimes I wonder why. The planner in me wants a manual. But the believer in me knows that this is true. This is God’s plan. Those babies (even in the midst of tantrums and bad behavior) are mine to love on, hold, snuggle, discipline, teach, and share this life with. That makes it all worth it.