Some thoughts on mothers

Lately I have been dealing with myself on a few issues. One of the problems I have often had is that I have gotten so wrapped up in my jobs (mothering, wifing [is that a word? the spell checker things so!] teaching, etc. that all of 'me' has gotten kinda lost. Most people IRL who know me know next to nothing about my likes, dislikes, hobbies (or dreams of hobbies for when I find time for hobbies). When they relate to me they talk about the kids, homeschooling, church, etc. I think quite a few of them would be amazed at the interests I have. For example there is my secret desire to one day have a motorcycle that Dan and I can ride around town. Or there is my budding interest in chain maille jewelry.

I think that since our jobs are so 24 hour around the clock in nature that it gets easy for us to get caught up in all the needs and jobs, etc. that are demanded from us every day. We ourselves forget to take the time to do something else. No matter how much encouragement others give us to do something for ourselves (and Dan is very good at always telling me to go do something away from the kids and house) we need to make the step and commit ourselves to it.

I think we all need to nurture the different parts of ourselves. God made us with varied interests, He made us creative in nature. Wouldn't it be wrong if we never paid attention to those parts of who we are?

Obviously there needs to be a balance. I am not advocating all of us wives and mothers to leave their families home all the time while pursue other interests. We shouldn't not fulfill our roles. God has put us in these positions for a reason.

Does anyone else find this happening to them? What do you do to fight it? I really have no problem with people relating me to my kids and stuff as I love my role as a mother, wife and Christian, but I want to be seen as a full person with my own interests and stuff. Anyway, any advice or stories on how you get people to see all of you?

God's blessings

Today I got a great blessing from God. I spent four hours fellowshipping with a friend from church. She is a wonderful lady and it has been quit awhile since we last got together. She then watched my children for almost an hour while I went to the grocery store. We wont mention the fact that she is Mexican and served me her wonderful but simple Mexican rice and some bean soup for lunch. I wonder if she would mind me posting her rice recipe here? She then gave me the leftovers to take home to Danny.
By the way, someone asked why I don't post pictures here. I have (check the archives for the Pictures with Baby Day amongst a few others) but not recently. I guess that is the nudge I need to get me to post some more often.

A rare blessing

Being the parents of six children means you have to give up a few things in life. One of those things is time spent together *alone*. Last night Dan and I had the rare opportunity to spend some time together without the kids (of course the baby came with us though).

A good friend was gracious enough to watch the kids while we went out for an evening by ourselves. We went out to eat- we used a gift card we had gotten a year ago, which shows how long its been since we went out alone. After dinner we went to see a movie. Dan gives blood at the Red Cross and every so often they offer him movie tickets.

The movie was so-so, nothing special. We didn't pay for it so it was no loss. We were glad that we already had tickets though as it was at the same time as a Harry Potter movie and the line to buy tickets was incredibly long. I ended up dropping Dan off at the door and finding a parking spot so he wouldn't have to get too sore walking. We couldn't even find a close handicap spot.

The dinner was at The Macaroni Grill, one of our favorites. The meal was great. Since it was a Tuesday there was no wait to get into the restaurant, although they had nearly ever table full.

Benjamin sat happily playing with a few toys through the whole wait and appetizer but wanted held right when my food came (of course, its like that at home too). I held him while Dan ate and then Dan held him while I ate. He was really good through the whole movie too.

Overall it was a really nice time to get out together and enjoy some time alone. I think we really should try to do it more often. Anyone wanna babysit?

Those fleeting moments

I have a toddler. He is such a handful! He is full of energy and loves to get into things. Some days I seem to spend most of my day chasing him out of trouble.

It would come as no surprise then that one of my favorite moments of the day then is when I put Tim down for a nap.

However, its not my favorite because I get some relief from having to be on my toes so much. The reason I like nap time is because of the few minutes I get to spend with Tim alone as I put him down. We might snuggle for a few, butterfly kisses are always on the list and I get to tell him how much I love him.

One of the most important things we as moms need to make sure we do each day is take the time to hug our children and tell them how much they mean to us. I find that if I make sure I spend that few minutes with each kid it also helps me to keep my perspective on how much I love them and why I do what I do. It helps me keep my cool with the kids when things get a little rough.

Rain

I don't know about you, but I like summer rain. I am talking about any kind of it too. The downpour of a real good storm, the misty just enough to turn everything really green or the medium sized shower that comes right when we need a temperature change. Maybe that is why I so often allow my kids the pleasure of playing in the rain in their bathing suits. One day I will have a porch big enough, with a roof, that I will be able to be outside while it rains. That way I can enjoy the rain with the kids without getting wet.

I Finished a Book

Last night I finished a book. I read the book The $64 Tomato by William Alexander. A few months back it was recommended by Lindsey at Enjoy the Journey. It is the musings of one man as he goes through the trials and joys of having a garden. It was a really good read, but definitely better for those of us who enjoy gardening.
I don't get to read much, its one of those things I have to make time for. Usually I try to read books that are educational or spiritually uplifting or such- although I will read a novel every once in awhile. I have little time to spend reading so I figure I should make it reading that will accomplish something (like educating me or bringing me closer to God) as apposed to just filling my time with an interesting story.
This book might have given me a little bit of insight into gardening- but it was definitely a book to read for the enjoyment of it. I really think I need to spend a little more time reading books for the pure enjoyment of it. This was a good book to start with.

Butterflies

Every evening for the past few weeks we have had a visitor stop by in front of our house. This little guy will fly all over the place around our neighbor's car that is parked in front of us. Occasionally he lands on the car, but most often he flirts around the trunk a lot. I am curious to know what the neighbor has in his trunk that is attracting this little guy because it is obvious that he is out there looking for something the car has.

For the love of a child

I have been meaning to type this up for the past few days but life has been busy. Monday we dropped our daughter off at camp. Driving her down and saying good-bye for the week made me realize how quickly time flies. This isn't the first time she has gone to camp, nor the first time she has went away for a week but for some reason this time it feels like my little girl is growing up too fast. Maybe it has to do with the fact that she is turning ten in just over a month- am I really getting old that quickly? I don't know what it is but my little girl is growing up and I'm not so sure I like it!
The other thing I have come to realize in the couple of days that Charlotte has been gone has to do with just how much I have come to rely on my girls. The oldest two have helped me out so much. Each child takes a turn helping mom in the kitchen. When it isn't Charlotte or Devorah's turn they are taking care of the baby for me. Devorah hasn't been able to do much in the kitchen while Charlotte is gone because I keep needing her to help with the baby. I am so thankful for my girls. While Dh is out of commission with his injuries they have really stepped up and helped a lot. I think I need to take the two of them out for some mom time and show them a little appreciation.

What My Title Means

I thought maybe I should spend my first post explaining about the title of my blog. I am a wife (for 10 1/2 years), mother of six (ages 3 months to 9 years), stay at home mom, and home schooler. Those are my main jobs, though not my only jobs. Needless to say, having six young ones home all the time (and a husband who is currently always home) and trying to school them and keep up with everything life can get just a bit crazy.
This blog is where I will record all those glimpses of calm, all of the triumphs over struggles, all the stuff that makes up the real reason for life. This blog will be my record of sanity. I will also post any and all information that I have come across that may help you find your calm. I am here to help me maintain the me in all of the mom, wife, church member, teacher, etc. rolls that I fill. I hope you enjoy my little piece of calm in the midst of the chaos of life.