Diary of a Busy Mom - The Blessing of Trials

It's hard to believe that April 28 was my last post. I really miss blogging, but there has been little time for it. The real estate market is hot and I've had three new listings over the last few weeks. Two of them are already under contract: a sign of the limited housing inventory and how swiftly properties are moving. 

The house is a mess. I’m putting in twelve-hour days. My goal of bringing my office down to the first floor remains unachieved. Reading time is almost as non-existent as blogging time.

Over the last four weeks our family has traveled through and, thankfully, out of a valley. My husband was laid off. Both our cars needed expensive repairs. A dear friend passed away. But God is good! Hubby is back to work. Our friend’s son has been a sleepover guest. I had a chance to participate in my first Author’s Fair at the local library. We’ve had the joy of watching our girls’ concerts as the school year begins to wind down and our annual vacation to North Carolina is coming closer. We are hoping to plan a surprise for the Lil’ Diva’s sixteenth birthday too. Shhhhhh!

Life certainly is a mix of trials and blessings. We learn to praise God not only for the blessings, but for the trials as well. For without the trials, how could we ever come to appreciate how much He truly loves us? Would the blessings seem as sweet if we never traveled through a desert place? I can’t imagine they would. 

Diary of a Busy Mom: How the Heck Did I Used to Do It?

I have just one question to ask. How the heck did I used to do it? Work outside of the house, I mean. Gosh, I'm only three weeks into it and it seems like I'll never be able to juggle it all. 

Is it because I'm older now? Is it because I'm trying to hold onto book promotion work while starting up my real estate career? Is it because it's summer and the girls are home more? 

It's probably a combination of all those things. In the end, I know it will all come together. I'm highly organized, so I just need to stop and think about how to accomplish what I need to do each day. Say a prayer or two for me. 

Diary of a Busy Mom: The Accidental Survivalist

Is there such a thing as an “accidental survivalist?” If yes, I think I am one. Maybe it’s just the harsh winter, but it seems I’ve been stockpiling nonperishable foods for weeks now. My pantry and cabinets are so full I doubt I could slid a package of flour tortillas in there.

And don’t even get me started on what is in my freezer. Since installing the generator last year, I don’t worry about buying a few extras to have on hand. And I already have plans to expand our vegetable garden this year.

Perhaps I’ve been listening to Glenn Becktoo much. He’s often talking about being prepared for the collapse: buying gold and freeze-dried food.  We need to stockpile medicines, clothes, and seeds, then fence in the yard and protect what’s ours with guns and ammo.

Now, I can’t say this will never happen, but I sure hope I’m not alive to see it. 

Diary of a Busy Mom: Life Lesson Alert

Today brought about one of those unexpected life lessons. The Lil' Diva--my strong-willed child, the one I complain about the most, the one I swear has none of my genes at all--received an award at school. Each month the school administration and teachers focus on teaching a different character value. Morning Meetings (see Responsive Classroom) and assemblies focus on topics surrounding this character value. The month of December was "Caring."

For December, the Lil' Diva was nominated by her teachers to receive an award for exemplifying "Caring." Her father and I attended the ceremony this morning, where we had a chance to hear from her Star Time (homeroom) teacher why she was selected for this award.

This was an eye-opening experience for me.

Her teacher described a young woman who is not always the person I see. He called her dedicated to and focused on her school work. He said she was respectful at all times and listens well. And the main reason she received this award is how much she thinks of others. Her teacher cited how every day she wishes all of her teachers a good day or a good weekend, and it brightens their days.

Those aren't behaviors I usually see displayed here, but that's really not the point. No parent can complain when an outsider praises her child. Obviously they see a side to the Lil' Diva that is different from the one I see. And it got me to thinking about how important it could be if I looked at her through the lens her teachers do. What if I saw her as the dedicated, focused, respectful, caring young woman that is part of their classroom five days a week?

My mother-in-law has often says that if I want change, I have to be the one to initiate it. She's right. Perhaps it's my opinion that needs to change in order to encourage my daughter to let those wonderful traits shine through here like they do at school.

I've been incorporating daily Bible reading and prayer in my life since the new year began. Looks like I need to focus on changing my heart and mind toward my daughter during this time.

Diary of a Busy Mom - Working from Home

How is working from home different from working outside the home? If you work from home:

·         Friends and neighbors don’t think twice about asking you to watch their kids;
·         Your children want you to drive them to and pick them up from school every day;
·         Your spouse thinks it’s cute that you call what you do “working;”
·         Potential outside employers think it’s quaint that you call what you do “working.”

Diary of a Busy Mom - End of Summer Blues

There are days I wonder if I am deficient when it comes to motherhood. There are posts all over Facebook from moms I know who are basking in the exploits of their children, praising God for blessing them with their little ones, and sharing all kinds of photos.

Me? I’m sitting her counting the days—13 to be exact—until the girls go back to school so that I can hear myself think. I’m tired of the fighting and the name calling that goes on between the two of them, even though I feel like it’s partially my fault for being so busy lately I haven’t lined up play dates or other exciting things for them to do while their friends are away on vacation.

Every August is like this. We go on vacation in July, but their neighborhood friends vacation later in the summer. Right now, there isn’t a single one of the neighbors’ kids they usually play with around. If I weren’t tied to my computer and money wasn’t so tight right now, we could do more. I could take them out and break up some of the time. But visiting the library doesn’t cut it at this point in the summer and everything they want to do involves spending bucket loads of cash.

Thankfully, next week is vacation Bible school and they are looking forward to it. We don’t have to be at church until around 6 p.m., but I’ll have plenty of running around to do during the day to keep them occupied.

Okay, enough whining. I think maybe we’ll go bake some cookies—if we can manage it without one of them calling the other person an idiot. 

Diary of a Busy Mom

I can’t believe it. The Lil’ Diva will be 12 on Sunday. How did this…

turn into this…..

so quickly?

I worry about her sometimes. Have I told her often enough how much I love her? Is she happy?

I know she’s confident and beautiful. Does she really believe I feel that way?

Does she remember the times I sang her to sleep? Does she recall the winter I slept on her bedroom floor almost every night because she was so sick? Do these things even matter to her?

Can she understand I would do anything for her? Does she really think I enjoy saying no? Is it true she thinks I love her sister more than her?

Have I taught her enough about faith and Truth? Will she stay faithful as she gets older?

What career will she choose? Will she get married? Have kids?  Will one of them be as strong willed as she is?

What will our relationship be like when she’s an adult? What can I do to make it better now?

Diary of a Busy Mom - Menopause

Why didn’t someone warn me that menopause stinks? Women spend their adult lives looking forward to the time they don’t have to deal with pads and tampons. At least I did. But I would gladly choose one week of discomfort to days filled with multiple hot flashes, belly fat, and needing to sleep with a fan six inches from my head each night.

In addition to the obvious physical symptoms, I find coping with the fact I can never bear children again kind of depressing. Not that I was desperate to have more children, but at least before this year I had a choice in the matter.

I’m not sure why menopause has come upon me so early. Next Friday I’ll celebrate my 45^th birthday, but many of my friends who are around my age or older still have their periods. I’m not sure I’m ready for this stage of my life.

Diary of a Busy Mom: Vacation

As a busy mom, there’s so much to do to get ready to leave on vacation:

·         Pick up the tickets from AAA
·         Hold the mail
·         Hold the paper
·         Arrange pet sitters
·         Clean the house (so I don’t have a mess when we return home)
·         Make sure we have enough good clothes for the trip (the kids seem to grow out of half of their things before we leave)
·         Pack
·         Help the girls pack
·         Confirm reservations before we leave
·         Confirm coverage for my clients while we’re away
·         Grocery shop so the pet sitters have what they need

Pretty much, I’m exhausted before boarding the plane. Thankfully, when we finally go away, we’re at least going somewhere where we’ll be too busy for me to work. I rarely even read when we’re in Florida.

The other nice thing about going to Disney is that I don’t have to plan meals. When we go to the Outer Banks, I’m usually cooking two meals a day. With Disney, I simply make dining reservations ahead of time for all our meals.

Once we return, I’ll have six days of laundry for four people to wash and then have to go grocery shopping again, but at least once I set foot on the plane, I’m truly on vacation.

What’s your favorite vacation spot? Is there somewhere you would love to go that you haven’t been to yet?

Diary of a Busy Mom - Back to Work

Well, I did it. I got myself a job. Starting next week, I’ll be training to manage an office for a local insurance agent. I need to get my certification to sell insurance policies, but other than that, I expect the transition of working from home to working outside the home to go smoothly.

So why do I feel so anxious? Part of it is that I haven’t really worked for anyone else in over nine years. Suddenly, I’ll have to prove myself all over again. But I think the largest anxiety is caused by the change it will be to my family.

I won’t be able to pick the Lil’ Diva up from the bus stop anymore. I won’t be home when the Lil’ Princess gets off the bus at the end of the cul-de-sac. I have to trust they won’t kill each other in the thirty-five minutes it takes me to get from the office to the house.

Knowing that I’ll have some flexibility with this job is a definite plus, but what about when the kids are sick? Will I feel like I have to send them to school anyway or risk losing my job? There will be no more meeting the Lil’ Princess for lunch at school. There will be no more volunteering at school because my shift is from 10 AM – 3 PM.

Then there’s me rushing home to make sure I get a quick bite to eat before taking the Lil’ Princess off to softball practice on Wednesdays and Friday afternoons and the fear that I’ll miss some of her games or have a hard time getting the Lil’ Diva to concert practice or cheerleading tryouts.

Many years ago, when I was a single parent, I didn’t worry so much about this stuff. It was only me, so I had to work. Now, it seems like I’m throwing everyone’s schedules up in the air just to make a few bucks.

I pray I made the right choice. It’s an exciting opportunity for me. I just hope we can all adjust to the change. 

Diary of a Busy Mom

In case you’re wondering what it’s like to be the mother of a strong-willed child, let me give you a glimpse into the Lil Diva’s brain. Right before Christmas, she decided she would like to write a newsletter to share with her friends. Her first attempt was a sweet one that talked about how awesome her Christmases are and how she hoped they had an awesome Christmas, too.

Now that the holidays are over, I guess it is time to get down to brass tacks and share what’s on her mind. In the spirit of the television show Ned’s Declassified, the Lil Diva has come up with some tips to share with her friends. Here are the first three.

No More Chores for Kids

Nobody wants to do chores. So just say no to parents. It is a parent’s job to do the house work, NOT kids. So no more chores for kids, only adults.

Parents can’t tell you what to do

Parents are ALWAYS telling you what to do. Example: “Go get me that!” Or, “You have to go to what I am going to!” And, “Don’t eat that chocolate!” So, say no when parents tell you to do stuff.

Parents can’t take your stuff

Parents say, “If you don’t do this, I will confiscate this.” That is just STUPID. Just hide it. It is yours, not theirs.

Is it any wonder I started going gray after the Lil Diva was born?