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Total Mom Failure

Total Mom Failure

It was one of “those” days. Seriously, it was bad.  I absolutely failed at just about every single thing that makes me a “mom” today. Here’s how it all began…It all started over the weekend…the kids were still trying to bounce back from their 4th round of illnesses since Christmas and the onstant coughing is all you hear in our house – ALL NIGHT LONG…it’s never-ending and I’m serious, it ryly_shoppingcartgoes on all night long.  But, I digress…

Somehow, I’ve managed to stay semi-healthy since Christmas and have only gotten really sick with the stomach flu for a week, along with my youngest (and that was not fun).   We have had pink eye, conjunctivitis, stomach flu, coughs, colds, for months now and it very slowly makes the rounds causing the “ick”to  stretch on for weeks….by this past weekend I had absolutely had E-N-O-U-G-H of it.  I needed a mommy break from everything – the house, the cold weather, the coughs and especially from the kids.

The weekend just didn’t go like we had planned, kids were still coughing and I started to notice on Sunday night that my throat was starting to ache a bit, but it was Day Light Savings and therefore we had lost an extra hour or sleep…I kept hoping I wasn’t getting sick, but by Monday, I was really dragging.  By the time I woke up that morning, I had a very serious sinus headache… the cold was coming on…and I was so tired.

Besides feeling crummy, Monday morning started out ok…hubby and I got up early, did our T25 workout workout, made my coffee, did my daily Bible Study and had breakfast hot and ready for all the kids when they got up at 7am. But, the headache persisted.  I got kids to school without incident – phew!

My youngest and I then headed to a friend’s house for a playdate and really enjoyed our time. The day really started to take a turn for the worse after lunch.  I was really starting to feel crummy and knew I needed to take a little nap when the other two were napping.  Napping is such a relative term in my house these days.  My 5 year old daughter always asks to watch a movie instead of taking a nap and my 3 year old usually sits in his room opening and closing the door over and over so you can hear the squeak it makes.   All of this is fine and dandy when I’m not trying to take a little nap myself, but that squeak sure makes it hard to actually fall asleep. Today, I somehow managed to close my eyes for probably a whole 20mins, but did my kids sleep?  Nope.   Did that mean my afternoon felt like an eternity?  Yep.

Since sleeping didn’t happen I got them both up and they played.  That was nice actuall,y and I headed to my office to get in a hour or so of work before having to go pick up my son from school.  I was pretty proud of how much work I accomplished in an hour and then we all made a mad dash, and I literally mean dash, to get my older son.  My youngest likes to push his little yellow shopping cart in a full sprint the half mile to school!  It’s a sight to see – me and my daughter chasing him all the way down the road yelling the whole way to slow down, but his cart wheels are sooo loud, he can’t even hear us. Why I put myself through that torture day after day I have no idea.

So let’s continue on.  We finally get to school in our usual record time and as soon as I got there, a good friend of mine politely reminds me that my oldest has Science Club after school and I really don’t need to pick him up for another hour.  Oh A-W-E-S-O-M-E.  And yes, I felt like the laughing stock of all the other moms standing there.  Was lovely.  Yep, I felt like a total idiot.  Not only was I annoyed that I looked like a total idiot, but annoyed that I could have stayed home and got a little bit more work done, and even more annoyed that I forgot something so silly.  Embarrassing to say the least and somewhat humbling for sure.

I realized then that I had left my phone right next to my computer and was pretty sure it was going off at home reminding me of Science Club.  Since it was finally nice out, we decided to go to the all3_shoppingcartpark.  On the way there, since is March, and there is a ton of melting snow, my youngest goes running through every mud puddle he can find and is soaked with wet mud in minutes.  He’s crying because he’s cold, but still insists on going to the park.  As soon as we get there he manages to fall off the side of the slide and takes a total face plant in soaking wet bark.  It goes up his nose and in his mouth and he looks like a minion trying to scrape that gross jelly off his tongue (hours later he still had a nice strawberry on his face from his fall).

We headed home soon there after and what does he do again?  Falls and totally loses his shopping cart into the street because he was running like his life depended on it…I’m telling you, he never learns.  Anyways, we made it home in one piece and we still had to go get my son from Science Club.  Because I didn’t have my phone, I really had no idea what time it was and we were already running late.  Needless to say, by the time I packed up the kids and got them in the car along with all the library books (we had planned to hit up the library after school so my oldest could pick out the books he wanted and because a bunch of the books we had were due), we were only a few minutes late, but late enough that my oldest son was crying because he thought I forgot him.  Oh awesome, good job mom.  Oh and did I mention that today is my 13th wedding anniversary and I totally forgot to get my husband anything – even a card.  Yep. Good job – again.

It was just one of those days when I felt like an epic failure on every front, as a mom, as a wife, as a business owner, etc.  And I still feel like I’m getting sick.  Thankfully it’s also one of those days when I’m reminded that the Lord is so much bigger than everything – me, all my problems, and all my failures.  Thank goodness.

Psalm 40:5 came to mind since we had been studying it in my weekly Bible Study I attend:

“Many, Lord my God, are the wonders you have done, the things you planned for us.  None can compare with you; were I to speak and tell of your deeds, they would be too many to declare.”

I’m sure you are wondering why I’m oogling about how amazing the Lord is when I’ve had such a rotten day?  Well, it’s nice to know that someone has it all figured out and that He holds me in His hands and even though I feel like I failed all day long, I should focus instead on His wonderful works and how He has my life perfectly planned for me.

So, how was your day?

 

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March 10, 20150 commentsRead More
How I Potty-Trained My Stubborn 3 Year Old

How I Potty-Trained My Stubborn 3 Year Old

 

How I Potty TrainedOk, this might be a dicey topic to tackle but I’m going to share my journey to potty-training my very stubborn, strong-willed 3 year old.  Meet Rylyn, my adorable, fun-loving, very adventurous, super strong-willed 3 year old son.  Rylyn turned 3 in November of last year, depending on who you ask he is either ‘way past the age he should be potty trained‘ or ‘just barely 3.’  If you are still scratching your head trying to figure out how old he is, he’s 3 years old and 3 months.  Ever since he turned 2 I’ve had friends, relatives and random moms I’ve met ask me when I’m going to get him potty-trained.  It’s like there is some unwritten rule that every child must be potty trained as soon as they have their second birthday or you as a mom are doing a terrible job being their mom.  I’m here to say, that is absolutely WRONG!  Hate me if you want, but it’s wrong.

Here’s my story.  I’m a mom of 3 children.  Rylyn is my third child.  Oh I can hear the gasps out there – yes he is my third child, this is myrylyn_jeep third time down the potty training road.  Before Rylyn was born I was on the same team that said you should really have your child potty trained sometime after they turn 2, and if it took until they were 3, then your mommy potty training skills must be lacking.   Let me take a minute to explain my older two children.  My oldest son, Coen, is a very inquisitive, too-smart-for-his-own-good type of child and he was interested in the toilet and how it worked when he was a year old.  By the time he was 18 months old he was asking to use the potty like a “big boy.”  Before his second birthday he was completely potty-trained, and at the time I totally thought that was because I was an amazing mommy that deserved a “gold star” in all things potty training.  In reality his personality was one that went hand in hand with being potty-trained early.  I got lucky, and he was my first!

My middle child, Makenzie, is a very agreeable, easy-going girl.  She loves to please and do what she is told and is always wanting to help mommy with everything.  I was due to have my third child, Rylyn,  in November, and had no intention at all of trying to potty-train Makenzie before he was born since she had just turned 2 in June.  I vividly remember being hugely pregnant with Rylyn, and planning to go grocery shopping with Makenzie one Sunday morning.  Before we left she very shyly asked me if she could wear panties that day.  We had never talked about potty training or even had her sitting on the potty or wearing Pull-ups.  I was surprised she asked, and thought it was the worst possible timing to potty train just weeks before Rylyn was born.  But, I said ok, and she never once had an accident in those panties.  She knew she was ready and it was a non-issue.  Done and done.  Now, again, I was giving myself a huge pat on the back and claiming my next mommy potty-training trophy.  In reality, she’s a girl, she just got it, and she decided she was ready.  I got really lucky with her too.  (She’s like this with a lot of things so far, she’s just a great kid and easy to be a mom to – she makes me look like I’m doing a good job being a mommy).

Kat_Rylyn_zooNow, let’s move on to my third boy, Rylyn.  He is very sweet, but full of spice little boy.  He goes 100 miles an hour all the time, and would leap tall buildings if he was allowed to.  He’s very stubborn and loves to throw tantrums anytime he doesn’t get his way.  He’s like fire and ice – all the time.  Now, when this child turned 2 he had no idea what the potty was for and didn’t care one bit – all he cared about were his trains.  At 2 and half, I was hoping and praying he would get a clue about the potty, but still showed no interest and in fact cried when the little potty magically showed up in the bathroom one day.  Around this time a lot of his little friends were starting to use the potty, he still showed no interest at all.  When he turned 3, I was really starting to stress about it.  I had well-meaning friends and family members ask me over and over when I was going to get on the ball and get him potty trained.  I’ll tell you what mommas – I chose not to listen to any of them, and here is why.  I’m his mother and I know my child best.  Period.  What I know about my child was that he is stubborn and pushing him to do something was going to make him dig in his heels even more.  I also know that he is a very smart child – so trying to bribe him with little gifts, or toys, or candy wasn’t going to work (we had tried that for a few weeks and nothing was motivating him).   Thirdly, after having two other kids go down the potty training road, I do know that their body needs to be ready and so does their mind, the two have to work together in order for potty training to click – and Rylyn at the age of 3 just wasn’t ready – he just didn’t get it and he didn’t care.

So, we didn’t push him.  We noticed he was starting to put the pieces together when his favorite cousin was visiting for Christmas (his cousin is about 5 months younger) and was regularly using the potty.  For whatever reason, Rylyn really seemed to pay attention and we noticed he started to get embarrassed when his diaper was messy.   About three weeks later, out of the blue Rylyn asked me if we could go to the store and buy some Chuggington (his favorite thing in the world) underwear because he was ready to be a “big boy!”  And later that day, we did just that.  He picked out his new underwear and it was a done deal.  I knew he just needed to make up his own mind to do it and as much as I pushed him, he was going to push back.  So we just stopped pushing and removed all the pressure and he just decided.  He is now 3 years and 3 months old and wears his underwear proudly everyday and has had very few accidents.  I’m completely confident that he gets it and I don’t stress about him having an accident when we are out and about.  I’m so glad that I listened to my own intuition and I didn’t force it on him.   I’m very proud of my little guy and the potty-training journey we went on together!

My advice if you are knee-deep in potty training woes:

  • Don’t listen to what anyone else says is the right time for your child.
  • Listen to your intuition.
  • Pay attention to your child – after all you know them pretty well.
  • Don’t put any pressure on yourself or your child to be trained by a certain time or date.
  • Find what motivates them – if it’s a toy, or candy, etc – and use that to your advantage.  (For Rylyn it was being a “big-boy” like his siblings and getting special “big-boy” privileges such as going to the “big-boy” class a church rather than the nursery with the babies)
  • Encourage them through the whole process.
  • Learn to bite your tongue when you are frustrated or when they have an accident.

You got this momma!  Potty-training is so hard, but chin up!  One day you will look back and can have a party when you get to pass all those unused diapers on to someone else!  WAHOO!

Comment below and share with me what things you have tried on your very own potty training journey.  What worked?  What didn’t?  What mistakes did you make?  What do you wish you have done differently?  I’d love to help, if you need advice or tips let me know! Hugs!

How I Potty Trained

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February 4, 201529 commentsRead More
Stop Expecting Your Family To Be Perfect

Stop Expecting Your Family To Be Perfect

PerfectFamilyThis is the time of year when I just want everyone to get along. Wow, that sounded so cliché’, but really, I just want everyone to get along! Even in my own house. Our little family of five – I want all of us to just get along and when we don’t, I literally feel like screaming and throwing my own adult tantrum. Let me guess, your family makes you crazy, especially around Christmastime? Am I right? It seems like more family fights are hatched about really silly stuff this time of year. There are misunderstandings, hurt feelings and tears. It’s hard to keep your own family happy as well as the in-laws, and if you are like a lot of families you may have more than just two sets of in-laws to keep happy. I have one friend that has five different houses and five separate family get-together’s that she has to attend on Christmas day alone. How completely exhausting!

There are no perfect families. Every single one is messed up in one way or another, but they are your family. God perfectly designed you to be in that family to teach you something about yourself and for you to teach others in your family something. There is a plan – it’s not an oversight that the Lord made you and planted you exactly where you are. He knows you, He created every single person in your family and He knows all the inner-workings of how your family relates with each other. No one is perfect and a lot of times if you keep looking for the perfect family and don’t just LOVE the one you have, you are going to miss out on a lot of fun, love, and life.

Let me say it again – There are NO perfect families – the only perfect family is the one the that doesn’t exist on this side of Heaven. If you keep expecting everything to be perfect and then get angry when it isn’t, you are going to find yourself just plain unhappy. Most likely your family dynamics are not going to change – but your attitude can.   Your attitude of love and acceptance and remembering that we all have your issues, we all mess up, we all have people that we don’t get along with very well, but you are still a family. You can walk away from your friends and bad relationships, but you can’t just walk away from your family. Your family is special and important and if it’s just a simple thing you are frustrated about, get over it and realize that it’s not worth it.

Here are a few tips on how to survive Christmastime with your imperfect family:

  1. Your attitude is your choice – the smallest adjustment on your part can totally change your experience.
  2. Forget the little things that drive you crazy and focus on offering grace to others instead.
  3. For the person you have the hardest time getting along with, find and focus on at least one thing about them that you like – instead of the many things that you don’t like about them. I promise your outlook on that person will eventually change.
  4. Take a moment to tune out all the chaos and focus on Christ and all that makes Christmastime amazing!
  5. Remember Christmas is what you make of it!

PerfectFamily

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December 17, 20140 commentsRead More
No One Noticed My Shoes

No One Noticed My Shoes

NoOneNoticedMyShoesDoes this time of year make you feel like you are living in a blizzard of people, parties, gifts, cookies, and no one really even notices that you exist?  This is a perfect example: Today, my daughter was very sad when I picked her up early from school (which she knew was going to happen and was soooo excited about before she went to school).  She would not tell me what was wrong until much later that evening, but all day she was not being her normal, sweet, bubbly self. I figured she was just tired because we had a very busy Christmassy weekend of Christmas lights, church events, family events, dinner with friends and ended it all with a ride on a train, hot cocoa and lots of cookies (it was a really FUN, but busy weekend). I assumed she was just tired from all of that. After a full afternoon of her snapping and being short with both her brothers, she finally dissolved into tears and said she was so sad because no one at school noticed her new shoes. We had a nice talk about how it doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks and it only matters what God thinks, and that she can’t let something like shoes put her in a bad mood. I also told her that her attitude is her choice and she was choosing to let the fact that no one oooohhhed and aaaahhhed over her shoes to dictate how she treated others. I also told her that I liked her shoes! She smiled and we laughed and we moved on.

But isn’t that true of us? You want someone to notice your shoes? Or your new outfit? Or that you just cleaned your bathroom? Or did five loads of laundry?   Or that you made an amazing lunch of chicken nuggets and Cheetos? Or that you single-handedly answered a work phone call while changing a poopy diaper on a squirmy toddler who really should be using the potty? I’m 100% guilty of this. I like to be noticed. I want someone to say “good job”. Let’s be honest, being a stay-at-home-mom, you very rarely hear from your 3 year old that you just did a really good job mopping your kitchen floor.   Often when no one notices all that we do, we feel unloved and unappreciated and then we are guilty of seeking approval from a cup that won’t ever be filled. We are seeking worth from men, who are just as unworthy as we are. WeNoOneNoticedMyShoes2 should instead be seeking worth and approval from the Lord who gives it willingly.  He has a plan for your life, you are unique to Him and your purpose is to serve Him using all the talents He gave you with a sense of JOY.  That’s the key – Joy. Find joy in all the small tasks you are blessed to have to do each day for your kids and family.  The joy is there, you just have to look for it.

“God’s kingdom isn’t a matter of what you put in your stomach, for goodness’ sake. It’s what God does with your life as he sets it right, puts it together, and completes it with joy. Your task is to single-mindedly serve Christ. Do that and you’ll kill two birds with one stone: pleasing the God above you and proving your worth to the people around you.” — Romans 14:17 (The Message)

So when no one notices your shoes, it’s no big deal – your worth is not found in your shoes, it’s found in the Lord.  He loves you more than you will ever grasp and longs to fill your cup everyday with JOY!

If you ever have any questions about whom the Lord is and what He means to me or can mean to you, please ask. I’d be more than happy to share more about the Lord of my life.
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December 9, 20140 commentsRead More
Exercise Is Hard

Exercise Is Hard

Fact: Exercise is hard.

I totally agree. I don’t wake up every morning and bound out of bed because I’m so excited to kick my butt and get all sweaty. Nope. Not at all. Every time my alarm goes off, I’m 100% tempted to stay in bed and I have all sorts of ideas going through my head about how I can get out of exercising. No joke, it’s a total mental struggle I have – every single morning. I try to reorganize the day and figure out how I can work in my exercise to some other part of the day like right before dinner when the kids are screaming at me because they are hungry. Perfect timing right? Uh, no. That would never happen! But it sure sounds tempting at 5:45 in the morning when I’m still tired from getting up in the middle of the night – twice – because my potty-training son had to go poop (who does that in the middle of the night? I think he just wanted some candy…oh well).  ExerciseIsHard

I am not one of those super-fit chicks, you know, the ones who can do one-handed handstands and have abs of steel (and they do these on the beach, I can’t even do that against a wall, let alone the beautiful beach…)? Deep down I wish I were. Really, I wish I was, and at one point in my life, right before I got married, I was probably the fittest I will ever be. I look back at those pictures fondly – and I reminisce about how great my arms looked in sleeveless shirts (I was really proud of my arms and shoulders – so silly of me, but I was – just being honest). I was also in my early 20’s, in my last year of college, and had tons of time on my hands to worry only about me. There was no late night feedings of a baby, there were no diapers to change, there was no school pick-up line to sit and wait in – three times a day, there was no daily dinner to cook to for five people, there was no grocery shopping trips with a toddler, or piles and piles of laundry to do every week. I had time back them to devote to myself and work on my appearance, and the funny thing is, back then I thought I didn’t have any time at all to do anything! I thought I was “soooo” busy! Isn’t it funny how we think, how our reality changes?

Now my everyday reality is that I’m getting older, have had three kids and my weight has gone up and down and up and down since the day I said, “I do.” I know one thing about myself; I’m a very planned person. I’m regimented and organized, I make lists and I really do follow them. When I decide something, I go for it, and I have an uncanny ability to stick with it and complete the job no matter how hard or how long it takes to do it. This proves why I can train for a half marathon for 16 weeks without missing even one workout. I know it’s only a half marathon, but it was so hard – oh let me tell you. But that’s another post in itself that I’m sure I’ll write about soon.

Back to my reality – so, as I was saying, I’m a fairly organized person that likes to compete with myself. This is helpful when dieting and with exercise, because I won’t quit, I’ll see it through, and I’ll stick to the plan. Throw in everyday life, kids, potty-training toddlers, sickness, and the fact that I had 2 surgeries last year, I know I’m just not the same person I was 15 years ago. I’m trying to accept my new reality and give myself a break. When you have a bad day and you don’t get up early like you had planned to exercise, it’s not big deal. It’s not going instantly make you gain 5 pounds instead. If you are a control freak like me, it’s tends to totally ruin my day – I will beat myself up for not getting up when in reality it’s just one day. Give yourself some grace. Who knows, maybe you will find the time later that day to exercise.

Some days, you just need a break too. Which was my day today. The hubs and I had totally planned to get up early like we always do to do T25, but I woke up with a pounding headache and he was just plain exhausted. Needless to say we skipped our workout. Instead of going back to sleep though, I got up and made a cup of coffee and curled up on the couch with my Bible and spent the next 30 minutes with the Lord. Was an excellent way to start the day even though I didn’t get to exercise. It’s a huge step for me to not beat myself up and realize that tomorrow is another day and another opportunity to exercise. Hopefully tomorrow morning is better and I’ll be right back to my routine.

See what I mean? Exercise is hard.

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December 3, 20140 commentsRead More
Help! I’m A Control Freak

Help! I’m A Control Freak

I know I’m a control freak, but nothing proves that more than when we do arts and crafts around my house, especially crafts that involve paint. Ok, sopainting3 today I decided it would be a great idea to do a painting project that I heard about. I’m enough of a control freak, that when I heard about this craft I was thinking that it would be the perfect craft to do because it didn’t sound very messy at all, and it was something that all three of my kids would enjoy doing. Boy was I wrong! Let me start at the beginning…

It’s late November, it’s cold outside today, super cold and snowy. We are on Thanksgiving break from school so all three kids are home and it’s not vacation time yet for my hubby, so I’m entertaining the kids this week until Thanksgiving day by myself. We don’t have any family visiting this year, so there are no cousins to play with and most of our friends are busy traveling that we don’t have a lot of playtime with our friends. We are basically stuck inside for 3 days and if I don’t plan things to do for the kids, I (yes, me) go crazy with them asking to play computer or watch movies all day (I think technology has a way of sucking their brains cells and turning them into little devils so I don’t like to let them play too much). My usual go-to when it’s cold out is to painting4craft something. My older kids LOVE to do crafts, my youngest, not so much.

Let me pause for a quick background on me to help you understand my craziness even more: I’m an artist. Yep. I am.  I’m a huge crafter, I love to scrapbook, draw with chalk, was an art major in college and have a Bachelor’s degree in Graphic Design. So I’m used to be wild, fun, “out-there” and getting messy.  But as I’ve already mentioned, I’m also a huge control freak who likes to be clean and I tend to clean up as I go when I’m being creative.  I’m much more creative with organized chaos

You would think that getting messy and having fun is what my house is like every day right? So 100% WRONG! I’m such a crazy control freak that I hate when things are messy. Hate it. Imagine trying to raise kids and be such a crazy control freak that you go nuts when they get messy? Do you know any moms that have a huge stash of Wet Wipes in their giant purse they can grab at a moment’s notice when their kids spill Ranch on their shirts, or literally waste an entire package of wipes when you are painting something because they are constantly making their kids wipe their hands every time they get a drop of paint on them? That’s me! I am that mom! UGGGGGH!!!! I must have the best kids in the world because they put up with my crazy neat-freakinesspainting7 and still want to keep doing crafts with me.

So back to our craft from today, it was a painting craft. You get a giant oatmeal container and roll a piece of paper and drop it in the container, and then you coat a few marbles with paint and shake them up inside the container. The paint stays in the container for the most part and it makes a really cool design on the paper. Sounds innocent enough right? I thought so too…but gosh, this was super messy. First off getting paint on the marbles is super complicated – it gets all over your fingers and I had wet wipes flying in the air trying to keep up with the kids and the paint drips. Don’t get my started on trying to get the marbles out of the containers…I had marbles flying all over the kitchen and because they are covered with paint they are super slippery and were rolling all over the table and floor and one even went flying across the room and covered my blinds with a nice line of red paint (because someone forgot to put their lid on their oatmeal container – he shall remain nameless). At first, I felt like a fireman flying around the kitchen trying to keep up with the fires that each one of my kids was setting, but after I yelled for the fifth time and was diving across the floor trying to save the runaway marble that was leaving a line of purple paint all the way to the laundry room, I seriously burst out laughing! The kids laughed, we all did, and the tension in the room that I had created with trying to stay “clean” dissipated! Yeah, we made a total mess, but it was so much fun! I was covered in paint from head to toe (seriously…head to toe), but it was washable paint, and the giggles that escaped my kid’s lips will be a sound I won’t easily forget. The fun was well worth every painting1spot of paint I had to clean up later.

So my point in all of this (and my point to myself) – relax and allow yourself to get messy (Katrina). Enjoy your kids and don’t yell at them when they are making a mess – after all, they are just kids (Katrina, are you listening?). Let them be creative and get dirty. My oldest tends to be pretty messy with just about everything – he always has stains on his clothes either from food or markers, but he’s very creative and he needs the freedom to get messy in order to be creative. I need to chill out – BIG TIME, with him and just let him be himself.

I said to myself, “Relax and rest. God has showered you with blessings.” –Psalm 116:11 The Message 

Such a powerful verse and such a good reminder.  As moms, God calls us to nurture our kids and love them as they are – just like He loves us as we are. So, if you are a control freak like me, chill out and focus on the blessings God has given you. Go get really messy and do it with your kids, and choose to laugh the whole time. After you are done, you will be thankful you allowed yourself the fun time with your kids and you will feel incredibly blessed. Promise. I sure did, and I mean that. After I chastised myself out loud, then told myself to chill out and have fun, finally, we all had a great time! We made some really pretty art too!

If you are a control freak like me then chill out, relax, and get messy! Hugs!

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November 25, 20140 commentsRead More
Today Is Just Not My Day

Today Is Just Not My Day

Today is one of those days when I’m just not on top of it.  Bummed is a good way to describe how I feel.  I realized about an hour ago that I forgot to register for an important meeting for our business and now that I’m late in registering, I’m going to have to pay extra for it. Uggh. Yesterday my son woke up with the stomach flu. Talk about throwing your day for a loop. So I spent the better part of yesterday doing load after load of laundry to keep up with all the fluids he was losing. Not pretty. But on the flip side, I got to spend the day with my oldest son. He’s a sweetheart, even though he was so ill.  He is still home from school today, and it’s a whole different world when you are used to only one kid at home to now having two home and trying hard to keep them apart from each other so they don’t share germs.  On top of it all, I’ve lost my voice. Most people might think that’s God way of giving the world a break, but it sure makes it hard to make phone calls and ask your kids to do their chores. Plus, when I lose my voice that can only mean one thing – that I’m sick, sick, sick. And we all know when mommy is sick the whole house suffers – right? Plus it’s a vicious cycle – when I’m sick, I feel rotten, I have a short fuse, and then the kids are instantly in a bad mood because I’m in a bad mood, and then I forget things I need to do and the whole cycle starts again. Not a fun way to go about your day huh?

me_coen

But on the flip side, today is the day the Lord has made. I know what you all are thinking…”good one Katrina”… “way to sound cliché”… but it’s true. Today is exactly the day the Lord has made for you. He perfectly designed each thing in your day to mold you into the person He wants you to be. How you choose to react to each event that takes place in your life today is your choice, but the choices you make will impact your life deeply.

As my day draws to an end, I’m choosing to reflect on God’s word – Psalm 118:24.

Psalm 118:24
This is the day the Lord has made;
We will rejoice and be glad in it.

I’m thankful for the extra time I have with my older son the last two days – he’s such a great kid – I’m truly blessed. I’m also trying to ignore how much my throat hurts and be thankful that I can talk less and lead my children by example rather than by words. And as far as feeling bummed about my mistake with my business meeting, instead I’m going to be thankful that I forgot so I now know I won’t forget in the future! Take a moment to thank the Lord for your day and to remember that:

This is the day the Lord has made! I will rejoice and be glad in it!

 

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November 12, 20140 commentsRead More
It’s Not All About Me?

It’s Not All About Me?

It’s one of those days, when you feel like no one sees you. When you feel like no one is listening or even cares to hear anything you have to say…it’s one of those days when you feel completely sorry for yourself. It’s one of those days when you post a status update on Facebook and not a single person comments on it…and the sad part is that you actually posted a question hoping that people would respond…it’s been 6 hours and not a single response. Wow. Feeling very loved at the moment – nope, not really. Yep, it’s been one of those days.

Today is a day that I’ve been trying very hard to keep all my wheels spinning…I’ve done loads of laundry, I’ve vacuumed the whole house, I’ve kept my three year old entertained while doing loads of laundry and cleaning the house, I’ve made school lunches and cooked dinner from scratch, I’ve worked on my eBook, as well as wrapped Christmas gifts, I’ve returned a few phone calls for our business, I’ve also dropped by a friend’s house, gone to the grocery store and run all the way across town to pick up my wedding ring from the jeweler. I’ve not once sat on the couch to watch TV or eaten any Bon-Bon’s. I didn’t even get to take a shower, alone. Yet, I sit here feeling invisible and very sorry for myself.

Ever have one of these days? Are you having that day today? Well, mom, I hear ya. I’m right there with you, and I understand.

Now let me be completely honest with you. These are the days that I know I’ve not been in the Word enough. It’s days like today when it’s very clear to me that I’ve not spent enough time with my Heavenly Father. When I let the day press in on me and I let the craziness of life rule my attitude, instead of focusing on the Lord and choosing to focus on the blessings He has given me. Afterall, why do I want people to notice me? Kat_Kenz_wagonWhy do I care if no one on Facebook comments? My biggest problem today is – Me. I think it’s all about Me. Why can’t I just take a step back and be thankful for my amazing daughter who loves me and cooks with almost every night, rather than annoyed that today she’d much rather watch a movie with her brothers.  Why do I need a pile of thank you’s and compliments for all the chores that God has blessed me with the opportunity to do?  Afterall, He’s given me my kids to do laundry for, and this house that I have the pleasure of cleaning, and this great school that my kids get to attend, the ideas in my head for my eBook, and the amazing friend that I was able to visit with today, and joy of living less than 5 minutes from a grocery store, and the amazing husband that gave me my beautiful wedding ring! WHY, in the world am I making all my blessings a curse to feel sorry for myself?

My only feeble answer is that I’m a tired mom who needs to bathe in the Lord’s embrace. Lord, forgive my poor attitude. Help me to be exactly who you made me to be and be thankful for the blessings you have given me. Help me to remember it’s not all about me and that it’s really all about YOU. I love you, and I’m sorry.

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November 4, 20146 commentsRead More