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The Everlasting Impact Of A Father
Growing up without a father meant that, among other things, I always found it difficult to understand and appreciate the dynamics and beauty of a relationship between a father and his child(ren)… That is, until I got married. It was a strange sight to see. The love and adoration my kids feel for this man that holds my heart! To be honest, I still struggle to fully understand it. I never knew it as a child, so it still surprises me a little when I see the unbridled love and affection my kids have for their father. My lack of understanding notwithstanding, it’s a beautiful sight to behold! Relationship I…
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Dear Friend – With No Kids!
A little while ago a very dear and special friend made a passing comment that she never read my blog because she wasn’t a mom. As human nature would have it, I was a tad offended. However, once I was able to get over my self pity and think a little deeper into why she made that comment, I was sad for a different reason! You see dear friend, I too know what it feels like to long for a baby. To watch as others are filled with an unspeakable joy whilst I sit in the background broken and hurting. I remember all too well all the Dr’s appointments, all…
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5 Silly Songs We Sing That Enforce Our Family Rules.
Every family has it’s own weird little quirks… In our family we tend to sing silly songs about family rules…Or whatever really! Just today my husband was telling me about a song that he and the boys made up in the car on their way back from a haircut. It goes a little something like this… SIR is a pie, SIR is a pie, SIR is a pie… A smartie pie – And each kid gets to carry on with the song, filling in whatever pie they want to be. Yup, it’s a little weird, and super silly, but the kids love it! We use the same theory when trying…
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The Joy Finding Bucket List
A few weeks ago I wrote a post about “Finding My Joy Again“. In it I explored the question of whether or not it is possible for a mother to find and enjoy the same unbridled JOY that our children seem to revel in. They always seem so carefree, without stress, and purely happy! The answer to this question is: Yes! Of course it possible… It’s just simply a matter of “how?”. This post is an exploration of that… Last weekend I was fortunate enough to have some time out at a wonderful ladies retreat. It was here that I started to think more deeply about real and pure JOY. I…
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Finding My Joy Again
I often catch myself thinking, while watching my children play, how I wish that I could experience that same unbridled JOY that seems to ooze out of them. The pit-of-your-stomach kind of laughter, the smiles, the giggles, and innocent teasing that fills their play. I must admit, sometimes I’m a little jealous of their JOY. a joy so unencumbered by the concerns of this world… I wish I could bottle it up and take a sip each morning as I open my eyes. That it would flow through my veins and sustain me through the day. That JOY! Now this does not mean that we are unhappy in life.…
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Sometimes the answer will just be NO.
The challenge of raising children in this day and age is fraught with tension between intention and pretension. There is a constant tug-of-war between doing what you think is right (intention), and doing what you think other parents believe is right (pretension). It’s a game of: “Should I … shouldn’t I?” We carry an invisible burden of guilt, because we choose to stand firm on a particular decision that other parents may have disagreed with, or considered a little too strict. (Their argument is that we may be “psychologically” damaging our children by being strict. And I say that carefully, because this is another issue I have with today’s ideology of…
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Is the Table Set?
Now that our children are older, we try to have our meals seated at the table. We don’t always get it right because our lives are so busy and sometimes our schedules won’t allow it, but we do our best. Why do we strive to eat at the table? Read the following 5 reasons and let us know if you agree, or disagree, or if you would add anything? 1.Table Setting. Teaching our children how to set a table creates an awareness of etiquette which I believe is a fundamental learning point. It gives our children a sense of pride in setting things ‘right’ and incorporates working as a team with…
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Our Infertility Story
That moment… you look into each others’ eyes, you say I do, and for those few seconds, time stops… Absolute bliss, perfect romance, pure delight and unwavering love (family). The next few years seem to rush by in a flash. You make a home, putting your own unique touch on everything from furniture to cutlery. You embark on new adventures and explore all sorts of new experiences. Finally, when you both decide you’re as ready as you’ll ever be the time comes to start A FAMILY. Well, it didn’t quite work out like that for me. When my husband and I decided to start trying for a baby the excitement took over… It…
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Daily Pleasures
My husband and I found ourselves oversleeping this morning. Which doesn’t happen often and after yesterday’s eventful wake-up call, (Read my blog post “Are You Cross Mommy?”) it felt good to have a little reprieve and lie in! A little pleasure to our day! There were no major hiccups with the morning routine. No tears or tantrums. My eldest was sent off to school all smiles and the younger three left playing with Duplo in the family room. I was able to get all my morning chores done and even a few extra. Since becoming a stay at home mom, I have felt every emotion one could imagine. I was…
