It was a Walk in the Park

It was a walk in the park...

with moments of simply noticing...

the splendid beauty of the world,

that reminded me of

how much I cherish and love the beauties in my world!

Wouldn't it be wonderful if life

was always just a Walk in the Park?

Mother's Day Moments, a Good Book, and a Giveaway!

About ten years ago on Mother's Day I was single and kid-less, casually sitting in Border's café sipping my diet coke (I really wanted to write "latte" - it sets the scene so much better...but, that would be a big fat lie...I don't do coffee, in any form) reading a book. I remember glancing around the room, wondering about the other customers and I was intrigued by one woman, who seemed quietly thrilled. She had her feet curled up underneath her, sitting comfortably and reading in a big cushy leather chair. Her expression on her face was pure contented bliss. I wondered about her “story”. Remembering that it was Mother’s Day, I imagined that she had requested one simple mother’s day gift – an afternoon all to herself, without kids, to do whatever her heart desired. The irony of wanting to spend Mother’s Day childless was not lost on me – yet I surmised, that perhaps, that would be the perfect mother’s day gift.

So now, ten years later, I am married and the mother of two wonderful little boys and today I have been given the perfect gift. I am sitting, solo, in Borders, in that same café, and I am loving it!

And since today is Mother’s Day, I wanted to tell you about a wonderful mom book that I recently finished and loved! Amy Wilson, author of When Did I Get Like This? The Screamer, The Worrier, The Dinosaur-Chicken-Nugget Buyer & Other Mothers I Swore I’d Never Be is my new best friend!  Ok…not really. I have never even met the woman (unless you consider a friendly exchange on her blog as "meeting") but after reading her book I felt like we could be friends. Her book faces the challenges of being a mom, head-on. She is not afraid to admit her shortcomings and find the horror and humor in them. If you have ever felt that you are teetering on the brink of insanity because of the expectations of motherhood, Amy lets you know that you are not alone. As I read, I found myself relating to her stories and feeling like, “Yeah! She gets it!...She gets ME!”  Amy writes, after telling about watching her little girl Maggie eat Teddy Grahams that had fallen into the sandbox,

“A good mother would not let her toddler eat sandy Teddy Grahams. Why, a good mother would not let her toddler eat Teddy Grahams at all. A good mother bring blanched green beans in a citrus broth, enough for the whole sandbox to share, and she would have used her portable steam sanitizer on the communal shovel before her daughter teethed on it. There is always a way to fall short, and so there is always a corner of my brain reverberating: you are a failure.”

And I thought – “Yep – Exactly, Exactly!  Except for the blanched green beans in citrus broth, I have SO been there!” And, that was only page five! The goodness continues throughout! This book is a wonderfully funny and honest story of modern motherhood!

I loved this book so much that I am giving a copy away! First, please know that no one has asked me to read or review the book…I just really enjoyed it and want to pass it on. Also, no one is paying me to do this – in fact I am shelling out my own dinero (from all the $ I make as a SAHM) to buy a copy and ship it to the winner.

Why, you ask?

I do have one simple ulterior motive. I am considering writing a book about motherhood and I would like input from other moms. I put together a 10 question survey and I am hoping that you will fill it out. Anyone who fills out the survey (and includes their name and email address) will be put into a drawing to win Amy Wilson’s book When Did I Get Like This?  Please fill out the survey by Sunday, May 16.  I will announce the winner on Monday, May 17th.

Click here to take survey

Thanks SO Much!!!!!!! 

And, Happy Mother's Day!

Kids Make the Darnest Things.

Today I am linking up with Jen at Buried with Children for Kids Make the Darndest Things.


 

That means, I get to share some dandy creations that my boys have made!

"A Monster" by Alex

"A Blue Horse" by Owen

Now it's your turn...link up and share your kid's artwork!

April Lessons Learned

Holy S'moly!  It's May 6 - I am a bit behind!  Ekk!  Regardless, I want to review the month and identify the lessons that I have learned throughout the 30 days of April.

My April Lessons Learned are...

• Expectations, at times need to be assessed and reshaped.  Often what I expect of myself as a mom is unfair, unachievable, and defeating.  (I learned that here.)
• Revisiting my past, is enlightening!  I found that, truly, I am a work in progress and the times that were the hardest, I learned from and became a better me.  (as evident here, here, here, and here)
• Stepping outside of my comfort zone is scary, uncomfortable, unnerving, and intimidating but nonetheless wonderful!  Facing and embracing those moments (here and here) helped me build confidence that I would not have otherwise had.
• Lastly, and I believe most importantly...I have learned that I am strong...and those aspects of myself that I formally thought were weak, pathetic, and fragile are, in fact, my strength!  (most notably, I realized that here - my favorite post thus far!)

April flew by...I can not believe it is May!

What did you learn about yourself during the 30 days of April?

WOOHOOIE! and I need your help!

WOOOHOOIE!!!!
while I was gone I was given 2 wonderful blogging awards and I am honored! 

HONEST SCRAP AWARD
S'moly Bonkers!!!!  I received...I am blushing...the Honest Scrap Award from Nolie at Nolie's Place.

Nolie is a SAHM who shares stories about her Little Man, puppy and other life experiences on her blog.  THANK YOU Nolie - I am touched!

I was curious about the award and wanted to learn more. So I did a little research, and while I didn't find out where Honest Scrap Award originated, I did find that it is meant to be awarded to "Bloggers who put their heart on display as they write from the depths of their soul." And to that, I am overwhelmed!

There are rules for this award. Which are that I must post 10 Honest Tidbits about myself and pass the award onto other bloggers.

1. I am considering doing a half marathon in October 2010 - but I hate to run.  EEK! (should I do it?)
2. For a short time after college, I worked night shift on a cleaning crew at my hometown movie theater.
3. For the past 20 years I have struggled with my weight and body-image issues.
4. I love to organize things...but I have a hard time staying organized.
5. I lived in Chicago (in the city) at the ages 23-25 and I loved the experience.
6. In high school I was in Marching Band - for 2 years I held (I played horribly, so most of the time I just moved my fingers and pretended to play) the frumpet (a marching french horn) and the last two year I twirled a flag - which I loved.
7. After college, I didn't know what I was going to do, but I planned to "get out of Ohio and never come back."  While I do not live in my hometown again - I am back and have been living in Ohio for 13 years.
8. I love learning.  I always strive to learn something new.
9. When I was working on a college campus, I was responsible for putting on a Maroon 5 concert.
10. Finally, at the age of 40, I feel comfortable in my own skin.

As far as passing on the award...I need your help!
While I do have a few ideas, the task of deciding which bloggers are deserving of this award is OVERWHELMING!  I am looking for suggestions from you all! 

Please let me know about blogs that you think are honest and deserving of this award! 

I will follow up with another post listing the winners - based on your suggestions!  THANK YOU! 

SUNSHINE AWARD
I can not believe it...When it rains, it pours!!!!  Tylaine from Just Me, was so kind to give me the Sunshine Award...again, blushing!  Tylaine has a wonderful blog where she shares stories fo her life.  She is a SAHM with three beautiful children that are her little pieces of heaven.  Tylaine - THANK YOU!

"The Sunshine Award is awarded to bloggers whose positivity and creativity inspire others in the blogging world.”

Of course, awards come with rules…
1. Put the logo on your blog and/or within your post.
2. Pass the award on to twelve bloggers.
3. Link to the nominees within your post.
4. Let them know they received this award by commenting on their blog.
5. Share the love and the link to the person from whom you received this award

I am passing this award on to the following bloggers...
Michelle at There Must be More to Life Than Dishes and Laundry
Emma at Toddler Awesome
Traci at 38 and Growing
Adrienne at All These Things
Liz at Eternal Lizdom
Angelia at Ameliorarion
Sharon at Sharon Nittinger's Blog
Nolie at Nolie's Place
Nicole at Chasing my Kids is my Warm Up
The Crafty Girl at One Crafty Mommy
Mary at The Mommyologist
Michele at The Professional Family Manager

Please, checkout these blogs when you get a chance!

And, again...Nolie and Tylaine...THANK YOU!!!!!!

ps... do't forget to nominate a blogger for the Honest Scrap award!

Mad Housewife in a bottle...

Craziness! Being at this conference for the past 6 days has been a whirlwind and I am feeling out of touch with my everyday life! So I need to get back into reality - on my blog, at home and with the boys.

But before I go off to do exciting things like unpacking, laundry, grocery shopping, returning phone calls, while the boys are at preschool, I had to show you perhaps my BEST shopping find EVER!

The back of the bottle reads:

"Somewhere near the cool shadows of the laundry room.  Past the litter box and between the plastic yard toys.  This is your time.  Time to enjoy a moment to yourself.  A moment without the madness.  Dishes can wait.  Dinner be damned.  Mad Housewife Chardonnay."

It is vinted and bottled by Mad Housewife Cellars.  Nobody asked or paid me to share this - I just thought it was too fun not to pass on!

I have much more to blog about (like our road trip home including a 4 hour detour around the poor flooded city of Nashville and a turkey crossing, plus some blogging awards I might have to brag about and pass on to others) - but it will have to wait until after the boys go to bed, I have a glass (or 2) of Mad Housewife Chardonnay and get a good night sleep!  So, I'll be back tomorrow!

Just a Mom...

Being at this conference has really forced me to question myself. As I wrote in my last post, I have stepped into another world and I am outside of my comfort zone. I found, over and over again in the last four days, that I wanted to enter the blissful “I’m ‘just’ a mom” state of ignorance. I consciously questioned that mindset and realized that simply by thinking and saying, “I’m ‘just’ a mom”, I imply that motherhood is an unskilled and unqualified position. In fact, that is not at all true. Moreover, being a mom has added to my skill set and qualifications – not subtracted, like so many would lead you to believe.

So, I realized that I need to change my language and mindsets about being mom. When I thought about my everyday work as a mom, I realized all the transferable skills moms have!

And here is what I realized:

The people moms work with, day in and day out…

Are master manipulators and have no problems pulling out all the stops to get what they want.

And, we have the skills and abilities to evaluate the situation, determine appropriate outcome, and stand our ground.

Place incredible and often unrealistic demands on us multiple times a day.
And, we know how to prioritize, delegate, assess, and produce successful outcomes.

Procrastinate, ignore requests, and rebel.
And we are capable of getting their attention, redirecting negative energy, and encourage them to accomplish tasks.

Have a hard time focusing to acheive their goals.
And we motivate and provide call-to-action incentives that encourage their success.

Continually ask more and more of us.
And we persist.

So to hell with this “just” a mom stuff! We are highly skilled and qualified. We are MOMs!  (insert ROAR here!)