Project 52:12 | Grinning

Project 52:12
Motherhood is:

Grinning.
Cause some days that silly face
is all you got.
Embrace it.

To be honest, I have felt a little bit swamped lately. Not much time has gone into my blog - which drives me crazy! I have been scouring the house for anything and everything to tag for my garage sale next week. Clothes, lamps, dishes, ALL my decor and the list goes on and on . . . it's all going bye-bye.

So in between my cleaning rampage, daily home maintenance (ha!), sickness, kid time and any needed bookwork everything else has been neglected. And I'm left tired! Now, I'm just trying to decide if I should embrace my new level of tiredness as normal.

So today, for my sanity, I am changing up the routine. It's on to Hobby Lobby for some therapy with two little grinning (hopefully) faces in tote. And not to replace everything waiting in the garage for the big, two day "moving" sale
(which I'm praying won't have a rain delay).
It is RED. I am looking for splashes of RED. Nothing too extravagant, just a little touch of happiness for that perfect spot.

Adios!
 

Project 52:11 | Guiding

Project 52:11

Motherhood is:

 Guiding

 our children as they

engage in the game of Life.

An umbrella of opportunities

awaits as we take on the challenge to

parent the next generation.

This is no small task.

I do a LOT of guiding these days. I figure I will for the next eighteen plus years or so. It just comes with the territory. Sometimes I feel like a broken record. And other days my guidance is rewarded with a kind, generous and obedient attitude. 

Boy do I cherish those moments!

It seems we are constantly trying to "figure out" our children. What discipline method works best? or Can I minimize how frequently I discipline by using clearer instructions and better management? The list could go on and on. There is never a dull moment in parenting, but there is always room to learn and make improvements.

 

Now, if only I had TIME to bury myself in the stack of books awaiting me on my kindle app! Too much on my list for today. Maybe tomorrow . . .

(p.s. I love to get FREE books for my kindle app & right now  

Crock Pot Cooking: 50 No Fuss Recipes is FREE!)

Project 52:10 | Graced

Project 52:10

Motherhood is:

 Graced

with all sorts of beauties.

Consider the blessings

bestowed upon mothers

and contemplate the rewards.

As for me, I am extraordinarily thankful.

 

I'm so thankful to be a stay-at-home mom this year. Although it has it's challenges, there are so many freedoms that accompany this career.  An afternoon at the park, meeting comrades at MOPS on a Wednesday morning or craft time after breakfast are always nice treats. And on weeks like this that include sick kiddos, it's nice not having to scramble for a substitute or work up an extra set of plans 

for the class while I am away.

These may seem like small pleasures, but they sure add up quickly.

And I wouldn't change a thing.

Project 52:9 | Generational

Project 52:9

Motherhood is:

Generational.
Each and every family creates their own traditions.
Customs with deep roots.
A passerby may observe them as peculiar, quirky or unimportant
but rest assured they are prized treasures.
The matriarch perpetuates the practice
and the heritage continues.
Carry on, mothers, carry on.

This is the art of noodle making.
 Where I come from, we eat noodles instead of dumplings and they aren't bought from a store they are homemade. Homemade noodles with roast and mashed potatoes has been a family favorite for as long as I can remember. When the "kids" make it back home to visit, we are guaranteed at least one meal with homemade noodles. We eat until we are stuffed and then we get another spoonful.
And the welcomed, unspoken rule: No one eats just one helping.

My mother has fond memories as a young child of learning how to make noodles from her Grandma Estie. And after watching my mom roll out and cut the dough countless times over the years, I have learned this special art. Now, my mother has taken it upon herself to train Sadie. Honestly, I don't get too many opportunities to practice and perfect noodle making because my mom stocks us up when she comes to visit. It is not uncommon for her to whip up 18 eggs worth of homemade noodles. We bag and freeze them and I'm set - at least until her next visit.  : )

So I must confess that this picture was not taken in 2012. It was captured during one of my mom's visits last fall. To me, this photograph speaks volumes and I felt it was worthy of Project 52. 

Thank goodness, motherhood is generational.
And thank goodness for homemade noodles!

Project 52:8 | Messy

Project 52:8

Motherhood is:

Messy.

One glance in the opposite direction and 

BAM

an unpleasant surprise most certainly awaits.

Thankfully, most are uncomplicated or

require minimal cleanup.

Just keep your second pair of eyes on alert.

The next innocent mishap lies moments away. 

Some days motherhood is just messy.

 It's just been one of those weeks. You know, the one that's just messy?

Every room I walked into this week looked like a disaster. I never seemed to be able to check anything off my to-do list. Showers were rarer than normal. Something always interrupted nap time and woke up the kids. We ran late for everything . . . except bedtime. HA! Elam's bottles always came out of the dishwasher at feeding time instead of the cabinet. I put off blog work until the very last minute. We ate hot dogs, frozen pizza and mac & cheese more than we should have. I would wake in the middle of the night to look for a text update on my niece in the hospital. Sadie had a hard time listening and Elam's quick grip caught plenty of items just in time for a good spill.

Have you ever had a messy week?

I'm ready for the weekend and a fresh start with renewed motivation. 

Don't get me wrong, there were bright moments in our week. Our struggles and mishaps were minor in comparison to so many. And every evening as I kissed the kids goodnight, my heart smiled, knowing that my blessings truly overflow. 

Weeks like this are bound to happen. I'm just thankful they are few and far between.

Project 52:7 | Motivated

Project 52:7

Motherhood is:

Motivated
by small but powerful moments 
engraved in our memory.
Recollections of impromptu humor, 
unselfish generosity, childlike faith 
or a simple smile to melt the heart.
~ We live for every moment. ~
And from time to time they're captured in a photograph 
for all to enjoy. 

Although these sights tend to occur in sparse intervals at our home, they are cherished moments. It appears the gift of a younger sibling is excellent training for the art of sharing. I am quite certain my almost 3 (going on 10) year old would agree that learning to share is really not very fun. 

Every so often she decides that helping her little brother is more profitable than running away with his toy. In a short time he'll learn to fend for himself. Until then . . . the training continues.

After all, I believe a child's first classroom is the home. And I'm quite certain there were days when managing thirty students was easier than managing two! 

But I wouldn't trade this hands-on, non-stop job for the world. 

One snapshot like that above motivates any mama to keep training .  .  . 

just to catch a glimpse of the next little triumph.

By the way, this photo put a big smile on a proud daddy's face! 

Project 52:6 | Maintaining

Project 52:6

Motherhood is:

Maintaining

consistency in the daily routine. 

It takes discipline . . .

to nurture friendships, marriage & the soul.

Unfortunately, it's not always easy 

to sustain enough energy & sanity. 

Just keep going.

One day we will wish little hands still kept us so busy.

 In the meantime,

 simply maintain. 

This Daily Docket keeps me sane and is probably the most useful tool in my Home Management Notebook. It helps me stay organized and motivated throughout the day. I created my own based off of Tsh Oxenreider's book, Organized Simplicity. You can find Tsh's Daily Docket on her blog (which is packed full of great info). For me, mine didn't need any of the "extras" and I wanted to get as many days possible on one piece of paper. It's not perfect and I may tweak it later, but works great for now. 

In a nutshell, the to-do list is essential. The first three items listed are considered my Most Important Tasks (MITs) for the day and are primary. An additional seven spaces gives me plenty of room to add items that I would like to accomplish. I rarely put more than five ~ they just don't get done. Items left unattended get bumped to the next day. Then I list any appointments we might have and the menu for the evening. This prevents a last minute scramble before dinnertime.   

There have been days I did not complete my Daily Docket. For the most part, it was somewhat relaxing. But at the end of the day I sat and wondered what I had actually accomplished. So on days I plan to rest and catch my breath . . . that's exactly what I put on my to-do list! After a nap and shower, I mark them off and rest knowing I accomplished my goals for the day!

So do you keep a Home Management Notebook or something similar? 

If not, what system helps you keep up with housework and your family's crazy schedule while staying sane at the same time?