Sydney Sings!

Sydney's teacher asked the class if anybody wanted to sing today. To her surprise (and mine), she raised her hand...and DID IT!  She sang Jingle Bells in front of the entire pre-k class of 66 students!  She is amazing.  I am so proud of her! FYI, at home when we ask her to sing for us, she tries and after a few seconds she starts to cry from embarrassment.  This was HUGE!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=2uzrV_6zCUI

Motherhood

I read this article and had to share with my mommy friends.  It is by far my favorite article on motherhood in today's society.  I struggle everyday with feeling like a failure.  Especially now that the Pinterest phenomenon is running rampant in every mommy/friend/church group.  Can I feel any more inadequate please?  Really...I hate that site (even though I refer to it on an almost daily basis).  It is the WORST!  If I go to one more party inspired by Pinterest,  I am going to freak out. (Sadly it will most likely be my own party since I do have that keeping up with the Joneses complex).  Gah!  Motherhood blows sometimes!  Can we please not invent more crap that will have to compete with the already no free time that we have, and that will determine our social/mother status?  Thanks!

Amy Morrison

Blogger, Pregnant Chicken

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Why You're Never Failing as a Mother

Posted: 12/12/2012 3:01 pm

I've gotten a lot of emails from women saying they feel overwhelmed by motherhood. Not in a dangerous way, just in a "I totally suck and I don't know how I'm supposed to manage all this" kind of way.

To this I say, you're not supposed to.

If you think about it, if you had a baby thousands, if not hundreds of years ago, you would have had your mother, all your sisters (all of whom were probably lactating) and your nieces all taking care of your baby. They would help with food preparation, show you how to manage and make sure your baby wasn't eaten by a bear. Your kid's feet probably wouldn't have touched the ground until they themselves would be able to carry around an infant.

Back then, the point of a child was to have free labor in the fields and someone to take care of your old ass down the road, and not much more.

As for the past generations that like to tell you that they raised six kids on their own and did it without a washing machine? Well, sort of. Keep in mind child rearing was viewed pretty differently not that long ago and you could stick a toddler on the front lawn with just the dog watching and nobody would bat an eye at it -- I used to walk to the store in my bare feet to buy my father's cigarettes when I was a kid. As a mother, you cooked, you cleaned, but nobody expected you to do anything much more than keep your kids fed and tidy.

My grandmother used to tell the story about how she forgot my mother at the grocery store in the early '40s. She walked up to the store with my mother sleeping in her carriage, parked it outside with all the other sleeping babies (I'll let that sink in), went inside to do her shopping, then walked home, forgetting that she'd taken the baby with her. She quickly realized her mistake and walked back and retrieved my mother, who was still sleeping outside the store.

There were no flashcards, there was no sign language (unless you were deaf), there were no organic, free-range bento boxes -- your job was to just see a kid through to adulthood and hope they didn't become an idiot.

Hey, I'm not judging, and I'm not saying one way is better than the other, but I'm just saying that we are part of a generation that considers parenting to be a skill. Like a true skill that needs to be mastered and perfected and if we don't get it right, we think our kids suffer for it -- and that's hard sh*t to keep up with. That's not to say other generations didn't have it tough or think parenting was important, but there just wasn't the same level of scrutiny that could be liked, tweeted or instagramed all at once.

You are in the trenches when you have a baby. To the untrained eye it seems pretty straightforward and easy -- you feed them, you bathe them, you pick them up when they cry -- but it's more than that. It's perpetual motion with a generous layer of guilt and self-doubt spread on top, and that takes its toll.

Feeling like you also need to keep on top of scrapbooking, weight loss, up-cycled onesies, handprints, crock pot meals, car seat recalls, sleeping patterns, poo consistency, pro-biotic supplements, swimming lessons, electromagnetic fields in your home and television exposure is like trying to knit on a rollercoaster -- it's f*cking hard.

We live in a time when we can Google everything, share ideas and expose our children to amazing opportunities, but anyone that implies that they have it figured out is either drunk or lying (or both), so don't be too hard on yourself.

Your job is to provide your child with food, shelter, encouragement and love, and that doesn't have to be solely provided by you either -- feel free to outsource, because they didn't just pull that "it takes a village" proverb out of the air.

Mommy and Me classes, homemade lactation cookies and learning Cantonese is all gravy, and if you can throw them in the mix once in a while, good on ya, Lady. I have about 9,000 things I've pinned on Pinterest and I think I've done four of them, which is fine by me, because those are above and beyond goodies, and not part of my just-scraping-by norm.

It's an amazing and exciting time to have a baby right now, but always keep in mind, no one has ever done it like this before -- you are pioneers that have to machete through the new terrain. Chin up. Hang in there. And remember, you're doing a great job.

SUPER LION

Sydney was voted SUPER LION at Central Elementary School! 

Every other month or so each teacher nominates two students to be recognized in the classroom. One for Learning Lion and one for Super Lion.  Dylan just received his first award last month for Learning Lion which pretty much is for exemplary learning and participation.  

A Super Lion however, is one of the greatest honors that a student can receive because a Super Lion is a student that is well behaved and shows respect and concern for self and others.  Both are great honors and I am so proud of my kids!  

(Sydney was the second student in her class to get this...and in her first year of school! She is so obedient and loves her teachers and her class so much!)

Here she is shaking the principals hand.  She did great!

 Mrs. Casey (her teacher), actually showed up to the meeting just for Sydney.  Can you believe that!? The teachers generally do not come because it is during the evening, but she did just so she could walk Syd up to  receive her award.  Could We have been any more lucky with this teacher!?  NOPE!  I am so amazed and grateful for all that she does.

Here is just a pic of Syd being "silly".  She likes to get blocks and toys and put them in her clothes...today however she took all of the corn kernels from the sandbox and stuffed her whole body...she definitely is a silly girl!

Tis the Season

“It Christmastime and the ponies…”-Jim Mount

It is that time of year again:  Lights, cinnamon, ornaments, fires, holiday music, giving, loving, hot cocoa…I LOVE IT!

This year we have begun yet another family tradition that I am VERY excited about.  We have started our 25 days of giving countdown.  I bought an advent calendar and made little activity cards so that the kids can look forward to picking out a giving/service activity for that specific day.  It is a hit!  The kids LOVE IT! Just yesterday I took the kids out to pick out a toy at the store, and we drove it to the fire station to put in the Toys for Tots Drop off  bin.  It is such a great learning experience for them, and they were so excited to pick something out for a kid in need.

Some other things that we have in our calendar are:

-Drop off our change to the Salvation Army red kettles

-Call a grandparent (that we haven’t talked to in a while) to just say “hi”

-Make cookies and decorate them and bring them to a neighbor

-Jingle someone’s house (leave goodies and ding dong ditch!)

-Do a travel Nativity

-Bring treats to the local Firemen

-Adopt a family for Christmas (and buy gifts for them)

-Babysit for a friend who might need a date night

-Donate blood (Yes they are young, but they can watch me do it and do it as they get older)

-Make dinner for the missionaries

-Random Act of kindness (we have a few of these) …like pay for the people behind us at the drive through, pass out change at the store for the kids to play an arcade game, etc…

-Bring hot cocoa to the men/women working at the tree farm

-Make a gift for someone

-Write someone you love a letter of thanks (teacher, sibling, etc)

- Write a letter to Jesus about what you will give him this season (we do this for FHE at the beginning of every December and put the letters under the tree)

-Donate canned food to a food drive

-Go through our toys and clothes and donate to the needy

-Help make and bring in treats to the classroom

-Help put together teacher gifts and write a note of thanks

-Read a book about the greatest gift (Christ), as a family

-Give the gift of time and watch a Christmas movie with the family

-Make a meal for a family who could use it

-Do a service for someone in need  (we helped a family move homes…Dylan helped Cameron pack the moving truck J)

-Tell everyone in your family that you love them and give them a big hug

-Help with a chore (of moms choice)

-Christmas carol at a retirement home

-go to the dollar store and buy presents for everyone in the family

We have a few others and that way I can pick something that will work with our schedule that day.  I think we have about 30 to choose from. 

This has been a wonderful addition to our holiday season.  I hope that it will help the kids understand the true meaning of Christmas during a time when it is so easy to be distracted by monetary things.  The toys for tots day was by far my favorite because the girls really wanted the items that they picked out, but yet, they were more than happy to put it in the bin when we reminded them that other little girls would get to have a toy on Christmas.  It was so sweet when Sydney said, “the girl can have the princess baby mommy,”.  

Here are a few other Christmas time traditions:

Our Elf, Buddy, came on the first day of Christmas to keep an eye out for good/bad behavior.  He is always getting into something!

The Carrollton Christmas parade!  I love small town communities so much during the little parades that they put on...this one is always my favorite! We went with some of our good friends, The Haralsons.  

SANTA!!!  

(If you ask Sydney what she wants from Santa, the only thing that she says is, "a horse". Yes.  A  REAL HORSE. I know a lot of girls ask for ponies, at least in the movies, but really, where did this come from?  Within the last month she has this obsession with horses...So... I bought her a horse purse to carry around her always wanted chapstick and gum.  Is it a real horse? No.  Will she be just as excited with a ghetto 3 doller purse?  YES!  I'm actually very excited to give it to her.  LOL!)

 Syd doesn't like being told what to do from strangers...smiling is not an option 

Our Christmas lights!  I didn't put the wreaths on the windows in this pic...but you get the idea!

Advent Calendars:

Uncle Timmy and family sent this awesome Christmas gift this year!  Dylan has actually asked for one of these every year...this year he got one!  He hates it...can you tell?

Our Giving Advent Calendar:

bringing treats to the firemen:

 Toys for Tots:

Volunteering in the classroom:

Yes I was given the job to paint every kids foot, and hands.  Lucky me!

Quote of the Day

Yesterday we were driving past a storefront that had two men dressed up as Elmo and Cookie Monster holding signs.  As we drove past, the girls screamed with excitement while Dylan said,

Dylan: (Serious)They are not going to lure me into their store for Christmas.
Me: (Laughing) Where did you learn the word lure, Dylan?
Dylan: Last year grandpa taught me while we were fishing...when we had to lure the fish in.

Boom. SMARTY-PANTS!

Milestones

I finally have reached my picture limit with this blog L, and I have to delete a lot in order to put new ones up.  This is sad for me, but I have backed everything up and have printed books of my blogs, so I am not worried.  It’s a tad sad though because I can’t flip back as easily to when my kids were so little and compare their milestones with one another.  Lame Blog site!

Oh well.  It’s a milestone for me because it is proof that I have really kept up with this family history.  Yay me!

On a similar milestone note, Macey Jane Mount is Potty trained!  Yup, you heard it!  My last baby is done with diapers!  I still can’t believe it.  After almost 7 years of diapers, I AM DONE!  She is completely potty trained…even at night!  She screams bloody murder if you even attempt to put on a pull up or diaper.  It is insane.  She is STUBBORN!  But it’s a good thing...I think.  J    

Anyway, I think I have to have a party.  I AM FREE FROM DIAPERS!  FREE AT LAST! 

Ok I think I might cry…look at this big girl!  

Thanksgiving 2012

Thanksgiving came and went and I do not have a whole lot to show for it, except for a few extra lbs of course.  This year we went to The Mounts (Heidi and Jason's) and it was probably the BEST Thanksgiving we have ever had in GA...and that is saying A LOT!  The kids were all so well behaved,  and it was so much more peaceful than normal...it was amazing!  The adults all were able to sit at a table together, At Heidi's beautiful table with beautiful China, and NO KIDS!  It was wonderful!  The kids had their own table in the other room and really enjoyed their selves as well.  I love having cousins around!  (That was my favorite part about thanksgiving growing up)

Every night during the month of November we as a family talk about what we are grateful for...this year we decided to make a gratitude tree.  I think this will be our new yearly tradition!

 The Table looks just as good as the food!  Beautiful!

A little Black Friday shopping with my baby girl.  I came home with a bag in my hand about a month ago and she said, "did you get something for me?" Then proceeded to pull our a couple of clothing items talking about how "cute" they were.  I wanted to take her out and let her have fun picking things out with me on black Friday.  It was super fun! I love that she is starting enjoy things like that and is forming her own opinions.