Thursday, November 20, 2014

Mom's actions from the turkey's point of view



Dakota has a pine cone turkey this year. And his English teacher is having them keep a "turkey journal" of this week. They have to write it from the Turkey's perspective. It's actually pretty neat. Dakota named his turkey, Ezura (named after a character from Star Wars Rebel). Dakota is doing well with it.....
but.......................................................................


I read his recent entry. Apparently, "Dakota's mom was to lazy and watched her shows in her room. So my house wasn't remodeled with a red roof."
OMG!!! embarrassing!! I told Dakota that was not appropriate to write. I am NOT lazy....who made dinner, who helped you with your homework, who made sure you had clean clothes, etc. He got grumpy with me and I left to check on the girls. Later, I found his turkey journal on the table; so, I decided to see if he changed what he wrote. He did. He changed it to "Dakota's mom was not in the mood so she watched her TV shows in her room while Dakota and his dad watched Star Wars Rebel." 

Lovely...."not in the mood"....But I guess it's better than the previous entry.

To add my disclaimer (so I don't come across as the worst mother in the world)...This was the same evening that my middle child was a bit trying. She tested everyone's patience that afternoon/evening. After dinner, I let Jed take over and I went to my room. Sometimes during trying situations, it's easiest to hand the reins over to the other parent and take a moment.

But it was super frustrating to read from my child's point of view, that Mom was lazy. :( Yeah, I'll admit...It hurt my feelings. It made me want to just throw in the towel with the whole situation. Today,  I was talking about this with some of my close mommy friends and one made a profound statement: "They always focus on the rare moments when mom takes a break, and not EVERY single other moment when mom is super mom!" Yes, that made me feel better. Sometimes talking about your parenting moments with other moms provides you the encouragement that 1) you're not alone. 2) it happens to the best of us.


I know we all have times like this...and I'm not the first mother to find out my actions came across as "lazy/not in the mood". While I may chuckle at this now, I'm hoping it will provide another mommy with the encouragement to continue on. You are doing a fantastic job. Yes, you deserve a break every once in a while....and your kiddos will realize this when they are parents themselves. But for now, press on. Have that extra cup of coffee/tea/caffeine. Smile through the crazy times. And always remember, You are not alone. 

-enJoy

Monday, November 10, 2014

Choose Joy

I usually try to post funny antics from the children. There's a great amount with these kiddos. But today, I've had this thought all morning.
 "Choose Joy"
I know, it sounds a bit conceited coming from someone named Joy. But I think my parents selected the perfect name for me (disclaimer: sometimes, I'm not all that excited to live up to my name..lol) 

found via Pinterest/Etsy

Today, I decide to choose joy. I choose to make the best of my day...first off, by having a happy home. Oh, it only takes a split second to turn the whole day upside down. It could be a sharp remark, choosing to yell back at the grumpy child on Monday morning, or most times, not showing the child you did hear what they said and what they say matters. Just showing them the attention they crave makes a world of difference in their lives/mornings. 
If you've followed my blog from the beginning of the year, my resolution was "patience". This morning, I was patient (I know, one day out of 313 days...winning!!). I didn't yell, I didn't raise my voice. We were out the door and in the van...yes, it WAS after the alarm to leave went off...but I did it without raising my voice.  Being a parent and keeping calm is the toughest task in my book of parenting. With 3 different personalities flying at you at once, and trying to maintain your own....whew!! emotional marathon.... haha.

So, today....Choose Joy. You decide how your day will be. We are bombarded daily with utter chaos, but how we react is what makes the difference. 



-enJoy

Thursday, November 6, 2014

Kids...uniquely different

Each and every child thinks in their own special way. And yes, that's probably not rocket science there. 

Here's a little excerpt from my 2 big kids this morning....
We attended the Bible study at church last night. During announcements, our pastor shared 2 funny videos that he made using an app. It sort of distorts his face (bugs his eyes) and changes his voice. Super funny. I love when we laugh in church. And the Bible Study was about The importance of a spending time in the Word of God. 
So, on to the kids...... I go into Dakota's room checking to see if he's ready for school. He's lying on his bed playing a game. I start out with "Dakota, you're not dressed yet. Why are you playing a game....." He cuts in with, "Well, I already read my Proverbs for today, Mom."  Well, I guess I can't be too displeased with him. :) He's listening and applying with he's hearing during Bible Study.  
Later, Lily in the kitchen...."Mom, those videos with Bro. Bob's head all big...and his eyes super big....those were so funny last night." Me: "Yes, Lily, they were pretty funny."

Yes, both kids were in the same service. Both kids remembered 2 different things from that service. While one could be classified as more spiritual, etc., I love that both kids learned and laughed in a positive environment. ♥
"Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it." --Proverbs 22:6 

-enJoy