Something Cute for My Stay-at-Home Mommy Friends...

Every minute to and fro,

That's the way my hours go;

Bring me this, and take me that,

Feed the dog, and take out the cat.

Standing up, I eat my toast,

Drink my coffee, thaw the roast.

Empty the garbage, make the bed,

Rush to church, then wash my head.

Sweep the kitchen, wax the floor,

Scrub the woodwork, clean the doors;

Scour the bathtub, then myself;

Vacuum carpets, straighten shelves.

Eat my sandwich on the run...

Now my afternoon's begun.

To the baseball game I go,

When will there be time to sew?

Meet the teacher, stop the fight,

See the dentist, fly the kite.

Help with homework, do the wash,

Iron the clothes, put on the squash.

Shop for groceries, cash a check,

Fight the crowds, now I'm a wreck;

Dinner time it soon will be,

"What's for dinner?" they ask.

Wait and see.

Dirty dishes crowd the sink,

Next there's popcorn, then a drink.

Will they never go to bed?

Will I ever get ahead?

"Bring me water." "Get the light."

Turn off the TV, lock the bike.

"Where's my pillow?" "Hear my prayers."

"Did you lock the door downstairs?"
At last in bed, my spouse and I,

Too tired to move, too weak to cry.

But e'er I doze, I hear him say,

"What do women do all day?"

We Have Fish...Oh My!

Makenzie started asking us a couple of weeks ago if she could have some pet fish.  We weren't sure if fish would survive Presley lol so we talked about it a bit & decided if both girls could keep their rooms clean for seven straight days, we could get some fish.  We made a chart to keep track of whether or not they cleaned their rooms each day, and on Thursday, they got their 7th checkmark in a row. Sooo, we headed to pick out some fish!  Say hello to Miley (hot pink), Sabrina (lime green), and Nemo ( black & white spotted).

The girls are sooo excited about the fish & they've been watching them swim around the tank for a while today.  We've talked and talked to Presley about NOT touching the fish tank lol so we'll see how it goes and how long they survive!

Of course, we've already had fights over who would feed them! 

We considered getting both girls their very own fish tank, but we were so worried about Presley destroying it or turning the fish tank over that we decided one tank in Makenzie's room would be best for now. We're going to give it until Christmas & if they do well with them, we'll put this tank in Presley's room & get Makenzie a bigger one.

Hints for a Happy Home by Donna Otto

Here are some practical tips for making the most of your time with your children.

1.  Eat together.  This is an excellent time for teaching table manners!  40% of all households eat dinner with the television on instead of focusing on being together.

2.  Help children not to be bored.  Brainstorm a list of boredom-beating ides for kids and keep it handy.  When you see your child sitting in front of the tv for a legnthy period of time, check your list and have some fun! You can also use exercise for an antidote for boredom!

3.  Provide "don't-forget-to-take-it-to-school" boxes.  Help your kids find everything they need for the day by putting a box, bag, crate, or basket at the door of each child's room.  Train them to put everything into the box that needs to go with him/her to school.  (By the way, decorating the boxes is a boredom-beating idea you can add to your list!)

4.  Prepare your children to make good decisions.  Good decision making starts when children are very young.  Begin with decision-making in simple, noncritical areas and then keep repeating the process over and over again.

5.  Inspect what you expect.  Habits are those behaviors we perform without thinking about them.  If you want your children to devlop good habits, you must inspect what you expect them to do.  If you've instructed your children to tidy their rooms, brush their teeth, and hang up their clothes, make sure they have done what you have instructed.  If you let them off the hook by not checking up on them, you're just making more work for them and yourself.  But if you hold them accountable for what they should do, you will help them create good habits of behavior.

What your child becomes in the future will reflect how you shape them, nurture them, and discipline them today.

First Day of School

It's so hard to believe that my first sweet baby is 4 already and heading off to school.  She has been so very excited, especially the last few weeks while we've purchased school supplies, uniforms, and things to pack for her lunch.  With her being so excited, I've really been excited FOR her.  BUT, last night I watched her Daddy pick her up and hug her tight telling her how he couldn't believe his little girl was big enough to go to school, and I about lost it.  It really hit me that my baby wasn't a baby anymore!  To make matters worse, Makenzie is JUST like me. She's very independent, and she thinks she can do everything on her own.  When I asked her if she wanted me to walk her in on her first day she said, "Nah Mom, I'll be fine."  I just looked at her with a shocked expression on my face and simply said, "No, Mommy IS going to walk you in so that I make sure you know who your teacher is and get to right place."  She seemed to be ok with that.

So this morning after she was dressed and we'd taken a few pictures, I hugged her tight & cherished her last few minutes at home.  When we got to the school, I noticed how wide her eyes got, and I could tell she was a little nervous because I kept having to say, "Honey, get your backpack." She held my hand, and I walked her inside to meet her teacher.  She had the biggest grin on her face, but I noticed her little hands shaking as she laid her backpack down.  She was doing her very best to be brave, and she definitely wasn't letting me know she was nervous.  I gave her a hug and told her I would see her this afternoon then turned and walked out the door.  I never thought I would be emotional on this day, but it took all I had to keep from crying all the way back to my car.  I'm still emotional as I sit and type this, thinking that she's at school and not home with me where she's supposed to be.  I have to fight the desire to pick up the phone and call the school to make sure she's ok-even though I'm sure she's having a great time!  I find myself watching the clock, counting down the hours until I can go get her.  I can't wait to hear all about her day and the new things she got to experience!  Please pray for this Moma though!  I'm having a much harder time letting my baby go than I thought I would!

Being Sick is NO Fun... :(

Our house has been under complete quarintine for the last week...or so that's how it felt to us!  Presley started off our little round of sickness with a slightly elevated temp last Monday.  By Tuesday, she was fine and back to normal.  I shrugged it off as one of those little fever virus things & proceeded to take both girls to the Movies to see Toy Story 3 on Wednesday.  Halfway through the movie, Makenzie climbed into my lap complaining of her head & tummy hurting, and by the time we left, she had a temp of 101.  I ended up taking her to the Dr. on Friday morning because her temp had reached 103 several times & she didn't seem to be getting any better.

Lo and behold, the child had strep so we were given a round of antibiotics.  By Monday morning, still no change and the fever was inching it's way up so we headed back to the Dr. again.  I made them run tests & it was still strep, but she needed a different antibiotic.  By the time we got home, Presley was running a temp again and the cycle started all over again lol.

We've been fever-free for three days now thank God! The girls and I are both going stir crazy from being stuck at home for so long!  Not to mention the fact that I've felt like their getting sick was COMPLETELY my fault.  You see, ever since the girls started taking vitamins from Melaleuca this past year, they haven't been sick.  They've been completely healthy.  Well, when I placed my order last month for my Melaleuca products last month, I didn't realize the girls were getting low on vitamins.  By the time they ran out, I didn't want to place another order with just a week a little over a week left in the month, so I just let it go.  Needless to say, within 3 or 4 days of being off their vitamins, they were sick!  Yep, I know...I'm a terrible Mom & I knew better than to let them go without vitamins.  Ugh...Mommy learned her lesson-no more skipping out on vitamins for my girls!  We got our vitamins in on Tuesday, and I immediately gave them both their vitamins.  By Tues. afternoon both girls were fever-free & have been since.  Coincidence, maybe? Antibiotic, maybe?  Vitamins? Well, in my opinion they definitely helped!  Melaleuca has changed our lives in more way than one, but the best thing about shopping with them is that they keep us healthy!  Thank God I found that store!

101 Tips to Become a Better Christian Mom

I just had to share this article I found by Lara Velez.  I sincerely hope that I will take every opportunity to show my sweet girls how much I love them and be the Christian example to them that God wants me to be.  Enjoy!


1. Smile more. Believe it or not our children need smiles from us…not scowls!

2. Make eye contact when communicating with them.

3. Read to them. Even when they get older, read Scriptures out loud. Even older children like this.

4. Do devotions together…age appropriate, of course.

5. Do a project together. This can be arts and crafts or a school project.

6. Help them with their homework.

7. Cook or bake with them.

8. Create family traditions. They not only help bring the family together, they also provide stability and opportunity to keep the family together.

9. Listen more.

10. Ask more.

11. If you are married, honor your husband. This is vital for your children to see. Strive to be a better wife and pray for ways to improve your marital relationship.

12. Pray with them.

13. Pray for them.

14. Get silly.

15. Laugh at yourself.

16. Go to the movies together and see what they want. (morally and age appropriate)

17. Have a girls night. (Moms of daughters)

18. Have a date night. (Moms to sons)

19. Try new things and activities together.

20. Play with them.

21. Have a tickle fest. You are never to old to be tickled!

22. Say ” I love you” often. Do not assume they know. SAY it. A LOT.

23. Speak positive words over them and to them.

24. Criticize less.

25. Live by example.

26. Read the Bible to them and in front of them. They need to SEE you have a personal walk with Jesus. They will only do what they have learned.

27. Take lots of pictures. They love to look at old pictures and see the memories and ways you took the time to capture the moments.

28. Scrapbook their lives.

29. Attend their important event and activities. It means a lot when you are in the stands cheering them on!

30. Write them a love letter.

31. Make their favorite dinner for no reason.

32. Cheer for them. We need to be their biggest fans in life. Make sure they KNOW it!

33. Encourage them.

34. Hug them.

35. Kiss them.

36. Put little “thinking of you” notes in their lunch box.

37. Leave a special prize where they are sure to find it when doing their chores or other activity.

38. Allow them to mess up.

39. Forgive them.

40. Apply 38 and 39 to yourself as well. You will never be perfect. There are NO such things as perfect Mothers!

41. Encourage open communication. They need to know they can talk to you and share without fear of your reaction.

42. Let them be individuals. Do not try to live your dreams through them. LET THEM BE THEM!

43. Dream with them.

44. Encourage them to go after their dreams.

45. Be consistent in discipline.

46. Hold them accountable.

47. Reward them for a job well done.

48. Dedicate a song to them on the radio.

49. Compliment them often. We are responsible for teaching them good self esteem.

50. Bring them to church.

51. Get them involved in church.

52. Encourage a life of excellence. Teach them to do well and not settle for mediocre.

53. Teach them to appreciate learning and the importance of a good education.

54. Encourage creativity.

55. Tell the truth. If they hear you lie or you lie to them…they will lie.

56. Expect honesty from them.

57. Teach them the importance of Scripture memorization.

58. Apologize when you mess up. They deserve an apology when needed.

59. Support them.

60. Accept them.

61. Know their friends and parents of friends.

62. Keep track of what they do and who they are with.

63. Nurture their relationship with their dads. It is important that our kids have a relationship with their dad that is separate from ours.

64. Go on trips and vacations as a family…big and small.

65. Have family fun nights.

66. Make them feel special all year long…not just on special occasions.

67. Provide boundaries.

68. Encourage them to have personal boundaries.

69. Follow through.

70. Give them chores. Our daughters need to learn how to be good wives and our sons need to learn how to be helpful husbands.

71. Respect their privacy. (Unless you feel they are in danger)

72. Give them age appropriate responsibilities.

73. Teach them how to resolve conflict.

74. Spend time with them one on one…this is especially important with multiple children.

75. Help them develop a spiritual life.

76. Put them in a youth group at church.

77. Never take ANY church activity away from them as a form of punishment for bad behavior. Even if it is a fun event. It is still with their Christian peers and leaders. They may get convicted and/or it will allow God to work on their hearts. They NEED church.

78. Volunteer as a family.

79. Encourage giving.

80. Learn their love language and love them accordingly.

81. Lighten up!

82. Make a family time capsule and put a time limit on it of about 5 years…that is long enough…you want them still home when you open it! Talk about it…laugh and remember. Great bonding experience.

83. Prioritize them. They need to be a top priority in your life. First comes God (not ministry…relationship)…then husband (if married), then they are next. They need to see they are important…BUT…if married they also need to see that you are lined up Biblically and united with husband.

84. Do not give them everything they want. That can be very dangerous.

85. Teach them to be thankful for what they have.

86. Teach them good work ethics. Encourage hard work.

87. Involve them.

88. Teach moral values. Use the Word of God as your standard…not the world.

89. Pray for their friendships and future spouse.

90. Teach them good hygiene. LOL! Yes…I think it is important!

91. Promote healthy eating and fitness.

92. Yell less.

93. Say “thank you” more.

94. Never take them for granted.

95. Cherish them and your moments together…you only get so many.

96. Pick them up when they fall.

97. Let them vent.

98. Love them unconditionally.

99. Be available when they need you.

100. Limit media influence. The world we live in is a mess. Be vigilant in what you allow into their eyes, ears and hearts.

101. Repeat 1-100 as often as possible!

I hope these tips encourage you to be all that you were created to be as a Mother. God loves us SO much and gave us the precious gifts of our children…let’s be good stewards with the lives He entrusted us with!