Since I've been Gone

I've been gone from the bloggersphere... It's just because I was on vacation for 3 weeks and then school started and then and then and then... well you know, being a stay at home mom is tough! Who am I kidding? It is tough but in a totally different kind of way.

So I started this thing yesterday. I'm going to try to go 7 days without yelling at my kiddos. It's going to be hard because my first reaction to when they do something that I know they know better is to yell. So far I have not yelled for 24 hours. That's a start. I'm going to pray on it though... I need help with this. I keep telling myself that yelling doesn't solve anything. It really doesn't. It just irritates me and makes my kids feel all anxious and what not.

I was talking to a friend today and she reminded me about how we, mothers, are like the heart of our household. That whatever we are feeling and how we are acting is kind of the tone that is set in the house. It's true. I forgot about that. When I'm calm, the kids and the husb are all calm. It's nice. When I'm stressed out, everyone is grumpasaurus'... So we will try this little experiment out. I will try to remember to write about it and see how it goes, maybe I will never yell at my kids again! HA!

December 27 – Ordinary Joy Our most profound joy is often experienced during ordinary moments. What was one of your most joyful ordinary moments this year?

Sitting at home with my kids on a rainy day, watching the rain fall. We just laid on the floor, talking and laughing and watching the rain drops... ordinary day, extraordinary moment...

Travel: Reverb10

Prompt: Travel. How did you travel in 2010? How and/or where would you like to travel next year?

Did we travel! We took our first BIG road trip with our six year old twins this year. They did GREAT! We went to Yosemite and then we were off to a couple of ghost towns in NV. After that we headed to Sedona and the Grand Canyon! It was a very long trip and lots of time sitting in the van reading and singing songs. It was a great trip though. Not too much fighting and not too much mess.

YAY!

We do intend to travel some next year. Maybe schlep over to Canada for a week or so. The kids would LOVE it....

Beautifully Different: Reverb10

December 8 – Beautifully Different. Think about what makes you different and what you do that lights people up. Reflect on all the things that make you different – you’ll find they’re what make you beautiful. (Author: Karen Walrond)

I am different, just like everyone else! What makes me different? I don't really know how to answer that question because if I say I'm a great person it kinda sounds like I'm giving myself a whole lot of credit that I may or may not deserve.

I like to think I live my life as an honest mother of twins. I'm not one of those moms who gushes over every little thing my children do. I just don't. There are things that I expect and things that I don't want to see and they pretty much, for the most part, do it. I'm don't overly baby them or talk to them in a way that dumbs them down. We have NEVER talked baby talk to our children and most of all, when they ask us questions, no matter what they are, I have always tried to be as honest with my answers as I can be. Even if that means that I have to use words that they might not quite know yet. I just add it to their words to look up.

I am generous. I will give until I bleed. This is a lesson my children are learning. I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing.

I smile and try to talk to everyone... I even pause when I ask someone how they are doing because if I asked, I honestly want to know. It's not just a passing greeting for me.

I have a opinions and I am not afraid to share them. I don't condemn or convert.

I think that is all... I'm beautifully different.

Wonder: Reverb10

December 4 – Wonder. How did you cultivate a sense of wonder in your life this year? (Author: Jeffrey Davis)

The only way that I really cultivate my sense of wonder is through my children. Anytime we do something new, my kids have this really great way of expressing how cool they thought it was or their facial expressions or smiles just tell the story. It's awesome! I think that's the cool thing about being a parent. You get to do all the things you did as a child all over again and see the wonder of a common carnival ride in your child's eyes...

Moment: Reverb10

December 3 – Moment. Pick one moment during which you felt most alive this year. Describe it in vivid detail (texture, smells, voices, noises, colors). (Author: Ali Edwards)

I can't really recall just one moment that I felt most alive this year. I have to think hard. My life was full of really great moments this year.

I would have to say that the moment that I felt most alive was when we were standing at the Grand Canyon as a family. Standing on the edge of great beauty was an amazing feeling. I remember being scared for my kids. They were so small up against this majestic background that could just swallow them up and feeling renewed and alive, smelling fresh air. Taking deep breaths and feeling my lungs fill up with the smell of dirt and rock and grasses. I remember hearing the birds cawing so loudly and sitting on the rock and feeling the coldness and hardness and smoothness of it all... It was a great moment...