momonthegoinholytoledo

Summertime to me is…

July 13, 2012July 13, 2012momonthegoinholytoledo

Summertime to me is…..

A baseball game with the family…Go Mud Hens!

Long relaxing mornings at the library….and fun events and programs throughout the summer.

Getting dinner fresh from the farmer’s market…

Walking hand in hand…

Painting pottery with our kiddos at In2Art…..

Spending long mornings and afternoons at the park, Fort Imagination…

Enjoying meals El fresco…..

One dirty, allbeit happy dog….

Swimming in the pool…

Ice cold glass of cucumber water on the front porch…

Visit from the Ice Cream truck…this was our first experience with the ice cream truck, the kiddos liked the concept. In fact they wanted to know why there weren’t more trucks, like the pizza truck. I have to agree, how come there is no pizza truck?? (Moms would come running from blocks away, lol!).

Sidewalk chalk, paint, etc…

Sneakers and Princess dresses…

Vacation with the family…

Tricycles….

A fresh pedicure from Lisa’s Manicure and Pedicure Spa…

Just relaxing in the grass together…

What does summertime mean to you? What is your favorite thing to do in the summer?

Boyd’s Retro Candy Store

July 9, 2012October 23, 2012momonthegoinholytoledo

Boyd’s Retro Candy Store

Our little man has a birthday party coming up and what’s a birthday party without candy? So we took a trip to Boyd’s Retro Candy store to pick out some candy for the party. I also allowed each kiddo to select a few candies for themselves on account of good behavior while they were stuck at home for a week. As you walk into Boyd’s Retro Candy store you can’t help but be taken back to your own childhood, with all the retro candies. For lack of a better definition, you feel like a kid in a candy shop, lol! We had so much fun……

Boyd’s Retro Candy Store is a great place to visit with the kiddos when it is too hot outside, too cold, when you are looking for that unique candy treat, planning a party, or perhaps a nostalgic gift for a friend, etc. Boyd’s Retro Candy store also has online shopping, so fill your carts and feed your sweet tooth. Do you have a favorite candy from childhood?

The Storm

July 8, 2012July 8, 2012momonthegoinholytoledo

So Thursday was such an exciting day for me. After being quarantined to the home for 6 day with the kiddos I was finally going to have a few hours away. And let me tell you I needed it. I love my children more than my life, and I would do anything for them but I was running low on patience and ultimately “niceness”. So, in order to be a better mom I needed some time away, to relax a little, and return home as a refreshed mommy ready to give, be patient, and renewed. I think this can be a very difficult task for us moms but one that is very much necessary. We feel guilty leaving the children but than if we never have time to ourselves to recoup and renew we are doing our children, ourselves, and entire family a disservice. We are not capable of being the best moms we can be if we never have a break.

As I left the house that afternoon I had an uneasy feeling but I figured it was just the typical guilt setting in that I knew I would have to push past. It is getting out the door that can be the most difficult, especially when our toddler grabbed ahold of my shoes protesting my leaving.

Long story short……

I pick up my cousin around 2:45/3pm for a long waited fun-filled afternoon that included a makeup consultation apt (I remember my mom taking me when I was around 15 and I was so honored to be included in her milestone) and as I am pulling out of her neighborhood I looked in the rear view mirror and there is nothing but darkness behind us. That darkness followed us all the way down the road. We arrived at Merle Normans just in time. Within minutes of our arrival the storm hits! All of us gals inside the store jump with the first atrocious crash of thunder. The lights go out, air condition stops, all power is lost. The wind is unbelievable; I even ducked a few times behind the counter for fear of the windows giving way. The power is still out and this includes all the traffic lights around the area. So we figure, why not continue, we are in no hurry to get out in that crazy traffic. So like a real trooper we moved her chair to the window for natural light and the consultation continued. This was what my hubby dubbed “extreme shopping”. We women always find a way. Granted the credit card machines and registers were not working since the power was out so that meant that cash was the only option. So that might have limited the amount we purchased but we still completed the shopping process and they cashed us out with good old hand-held calculators and hand written recites, like in the olden days, haha.

Storm Damage…..

The damage produced by the storm was shocking. There were trees down, power lines down, transformers hit, etc. The following video is a close up of the power lines catching fire from the storm. This happened right outside of a dealership. The end is unbelievable (Warning: bad language at the end)

The expressway was closed and practically all stop lights were lacking power and the intersections became 4-way and some 6-way stops. The roads became parking lots while traffic tried to maneuver around down power lines, branches, limbs, and trees. A drive that would normally take ten minutes was now taking an hour, which was kind of nice because I got to spend that time with my cousin, what was supposed to be an hour trip turned into a Gilligan’s Island saga. It was crazy!

Images of my parent’s backyard….

Counting our blessings…..

Once I arrived home I was shocked by what I saw. It looked perfectly normal. It didn’t even appear as though we had a storm. No limbs, branches, or trees down. Shoot there wasn’t even a leaf on the ground. The storm had not hit our side of town. But it definitely hit Sylvania and Holland Ohio where our extended family and many friends live. My hubby and I started making calls/texts to inquire on their safety and any damage. All our family and friends who live where the storm hit were without power but were safe, thank GOD. This included my parents, hubby’s parents, aunt, uncles, cousins, and our dear friends. There is damage that will need to be addressed in the coming days and we still have friends without power but all are safe and for that we are counting our blessings.

(Images source: Toledo Blade Facebook page and http://www.dwroofingandconstruction.com/)

4th of July Treats

July 4, 2012October 2, 2012momonthegoinholytoledo

Well, we weren’t able to see the fireworks this evening and hang out with extended family but we did make the most of our situation and had a nice buffet of 4^th of July kiddo friendly treats at home together. And while we ate my hubby gave the kiddos a mini-history lesson on the significance of the 4^th of July. We are looking forward to our freedom from being quarantined; it seems rather apropos that it just so happens to be on the 4^th of July.

The Declaration of Independence was the birth certificate of the United States of America. The words are still memorized by at least some of our schoolchildren and can bring a tear to the oldest American eye with little effort. The principles they communicate have informed our history as a free people and inspired our neighbors in other parts of the world to stand up against all forms of tyranny. As we reflect upon the text today we need to remember that our forebears were not declaring their independence from Divine Providence. Rather, they were trusting in the primacy of the Governance of God over their own lives and their noble undertaking.

They sought independence from a monarchy which had become tyrannical precisely because it had forgotten the implications of the primacy of Divine Providence. The principles set forth in that Declaration were a rallying cry which called forth extraordinary sacrifice. They were rooted in something much greater than political expediency. That is why those principles became a measuring stick against which all governments of men would be measured in the future.

The courageous men who signed this document were influenced by the great treasury brought to Western Civilization by the Christian Church. They believed there actually were truths to be held and that those truths are self-evident. Those truths include the existence of unalienable rights which are given to all men and women by a Creator. They believed that those truths and those rights can be discerned by all men and women because they are revealed by the Natural Law which is written on all human hearts and is a participation in God’s law. To read more http://www.alwayscatholic.com/?page_id=3916

God Bless America

Day 5: Ready to throw in the towel, and then…I counted my blessings

July 4, 2012July 4, 2012momonthegoinholytoledo

The day started off like any ordinary day with breakfast, feeding the cat and dog, doing laundry, tidying, the kiddos played a game of basketball, made a fort, watched a movie (did you know there is a Leave it to Beaver movie?) etc.

Then the kiddos inquired, “What else can we do today”? I stood there for a few minutes thinking to myself……Crap!! What can they do? What do we have left to do? We have done it all!! I am burned out!! I wish the children came with pause buttons. Maybe I could somehow convince them that staring at the wall quietly for an hour was a game? My brain has no more ideas, I am out! Please, can I tag someone else in, please? Please God, please help!

Ring…Ring…Ring……

Me: Hello

Alison: Go look outside your door.

Me: What?

Alison: We dropped something off to get you guys through these last few days.

Me: No!! You are so kind. Thank you!!

So I opened the door and this is what I was greeted with……

She had left me a huge iced coffee and magazine, the kiddos a fun game, our toddler an Elmo book, our first grader a book she has read five times over because she likes it so much, and a Spiderman activity set for our little man. She left us a bucket full of what I call “sanity”. I don’t think there are enough words in the English language for me to express my gratitude. And the timing, the timing couldn’t have been more perfect. I felt like I was mere seconds from officially losing my mind.

But that’s not all….for dinner, I was off the hook. I didn’t cook because my parents had arrived back in town and showed up with this…..

That’s right!! Bob Evans down on the farm. It was like a mini Thanksgiving feast, precisely what we needed, what we craved, comfort foods! It was so nice to have a hot delicious meal that I did not have to cook. And for dessert…that’s right, they brought dessert too! Baskin Robbins!! I almost cried, tears of joy of course…the love was so intense.

But wait there is more….

While eating our neighbor stopped by to kindly inform me that our tire was low on our SUV parked out front and he was concerned about me driving the children around town with a low tire. He also brought over treats for our dog that was in need of a little TLC. His bad leg and healing process kind of got pushed to the back burner when the kiddos came down with HFMD. Don’t get me wrong, I still gave him his meds but we were not as attentive after the kiddos got ill.

…and more….

In the evening we put our toddler down to sleep and let the older two kiddos stay up and play Fruit Ninja, the game that was in the “sanity bucket” that Alison had dropped off. It was so much fun, just the four of us playing a game together; we had never done that before. It is amazing how an act of kindness can evolve into a memory to cherish.

Then, once the children where in bed I checked my email, blog replies, and facebook while cleaning up the day’s mess. The first comment I read was this one in response to the Day 4 post, from a good friend Tammy…..

You had no idea your kids were sick, please don’t be too hard on yourself! I’m sure the other family understands that if you knew you wouldn’t have been there. You have done a great job entertaining the kids this past week and keeping as much sanity as humanly possible. After the kids go to bed, pour a glass of wine, take a warm bath, play some relaxing music…you deserve it! Nothing needs cleaned or washed that is more important than taking time for yourself.

Precisely what I needed to hear, today my prayers were answered. I needed someone else to tag in and boy did God listen!! He tagged in my amazing parents who are also amazing grandparents; they have given me the skills, faith, and fortitude necessary for life and that is a gift that is truly priceless. God tagged in and has blessed me with an amazing group of friends who have been so supportive throughout this entire ordeal. Friends who have their own lives, issues, family, children, wedding to plan, family trips/vacations, etc. but yet have taken a moment to think about my family…thank you Alison, Lilly, Tammy, Allie, Jill, Cheryl, Mary, and ALL my dear friends for your replies, texts, emails, and words of encouragement and support.

I think I know precisely what we can do for the family I spoke of yesterday. The family who contracted HFMD from us, I would like to pay it forward and drop off a “sanity bucket “and dinner for them on day 5, when it is needed most.

As I lay in bed last night I thought about how I almost lost my cool today. How I had prayed to God to please help me get through the day and boy was my prayer answered. I also thought about all those moms out there who have children with compromised immune systems. Moms like Piper and the Kids, and a dear friend Allysa whose daughter is undergoing surgery today, who have to endure weeks, even months of staying indoors so that their children’s lives will not be compromised. I don’t know how they do it! I pray for all those moms today who are quarantined to a home, hospital room, etc. with a child. I pray that they have a strong support system of friends and family.

Day 4: Mommy Olympics (It Happened! Please pass the tissues)

July 2, 2012July 2, 2012momonthegoinholytoledo

I was so emotionally, mentally, and physically tired last night I didn’t get a chance to post. While lying in bed I was watching the Olympic gymnastics qualifying trials and it got me thinking, I feel like I am training for the Olympic qualifying trials for moms? And this is why…..

Mental challenges….

All this time at home has turned our soon-to-be first grader into quite the artist and novelist. And her younger sister is trying so hard to keep up!

She has been painting and writing non-stop. Wait, strike that, I have been technically writing, or should I say spelling non-stop. There has been a lot of, “mommy, how do you spell….” going on in our home. Meanwhile our little inquisitive son has been asking how EVERYTHING works. I caught him doing the classic open the refrigerator door, close the refrigerator door, repeat, routine the other day trying to determine if that light actually stays on or not. This is a good thing, don’t get me wrong, but, I feel like I need a refresher course and maybe even an all-nighters, on the various mechanisms around our home. I am contemplating studying up on the carburetor and transmission today, just in case he pulls a question like…”Mommy, what is under the hood of the car?”. Thankfully I noticed that the show, “How it’s Made” is on Netflix now, that will at least give me a little breather from my studies. I would also like to give a shout out to another screen, the computer screen and the EWTN kids. We obviously didn’t go to church but we did read the Sunday readings and the kiddos got a chance to play on the EWTN kids site.

Physical Challenges….

Do you have an energetic toddler? I mean the type that will just climb up on anything (within reason) and leap, assuming someone will be there to grab her? We do. I suppose the best way to describe her is to say she is similar to a monkey. I hate describing any of my children as a type of animal but when it comes to an animal that best mimics her actions, or vice versa, the climbing, jumping, and I am sure she would swing from things hanging off the ceiling if we had them (and she really likes bananas but that is beside the point) mimics that of a monkey. So, watching her includes being able to make a mad dash from one room to the next with arms extended ready to catch. She is also currently infatuated with belly buttons and has been doing belly button checks on all family members practically every hour around the clock. I have decided that making dinner while simultaneously emptying the dishwasher, spelling random words, teaching how the oven works, and having a belly button check done to you should totally be an Olympic event….any mommy up for the challenge? Can you relate?

It got to a point yesterday that the kids just had to go outside and play off some of their energy. Thankfully they are, for lack of a better term, molting. The rashes scabbed over and the scabs/skin are slowly peeling off naturally (the kiddos did a great job of not pulling off the scabs/skin). You can still see where the rash was, I am hoping that it is not scaring but rather the final healing process. So we let them have some fun in the water.

And they had a cold treat…

As a precaution I did add a dash of oatmeal to their baths, just in case.

Emotionally……..

As if being a mommy isn’t emotional enough, as I am sure ALL moms can relate. One minute the kiddos will have me in stitches over something they said (Like last week we were in the car and our toddler got a little ornery. I said I think she might be getting her eye-teeth. Our little man was quick to correct me, you mean mouth teeth mom, not eye-teeth, Haha!) Then the next minute they will almost have me in tears witnessing them do a selfless act for one another. Then as fast as a bolt of lightning the mood can change and they can be irritating each other which can lead me to a sense of being overwhelmed.

It Happened…….

But our emotions extend beyond motherhood, in fact sometimes they are in no way related, while other times they can be in a consequential way, which is where my feelings of guilt, sorrow, empathy, and compassion accompanied by a need to rectify have evolved. Remember how we were around other children last Sunday? Well, my hubby received a call….and guess what? Yep!! Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease! Their child contracted HFMD from our children whom they were in contact with a week before. Looks like our children shared more than just popcorn!

Please pass the tissues…..

I feel so guilty for passing this onto another family, if there was any way I knew our children were contagious there is no way I would have allowed them to share popcorn, let alone be in contact, or out in public with children or anyone else. (I am learning so much about HFMD and it seems as though you really have no idea that your child/children have been exposed and are contagious until the rash shows up and it seems to take roughly 7-8 days for the rash to appear after the initial encounter. Once you have received confirmation that your child indeed does have HFMD in order to minimize the spread to others, or out of respect for others, you need to quarantine them until the fluid in the blisters are totally gone, and any sores in the nose and throat have healed and it is difficult to determine when they have healed, especially with small children and toddlers who can’t express their symptoms. Our doctor advised 6 days). I am so sorry. Their family, like ours, has 3 children and as of right now one is showing symptoms, including the rash, but I am sure it will only be a matter of time before all have visible symptoms. I feel so horrible; they were probably looking forward to 4^th of July festivities this week. I can empathize with their mom. I know how the next week will be playing out in their household and I just wish there was something I could do to make things better. I know I can’t make it go away or fully rectify the situation but maybe there is something I can do, our family can do? Do you have any suggestions?

Day 3: I scream, you scream, we all scream!

July 1, 2012July 1, 2012momonthegoinholytoledo

Day three and I think I am coming down with something. I know HFMD is something children get but I have been experiencing headaches, loss of appetite, nausea, and fever. Maybe I am simply experiencing sympathy pains, who knows? But what I do know is that I am more irritable today. The kiddos also appear to be getting a little agitated.

The day started off okay; our little man did think-it-through tiles with me while our girls put on dress-ups and danced to the Disney Princess CD. But then after our little man had finished the think-it-through tiles, played with his Power Rangers, and made a computer out of cardboard he must have gotten bored because he resorted to irritating his sisters. Which resulted in them screaming and eventually I too joined into the mix (so much for Scream free Parenting, perhaps it is time to reread the book?).

So, I screamed, they screamed, and our little man complained because his throat was hurting (the sores in the mouth irritate the throat…the kiddos are constantly asking for ICE water) so what could be better, or more appropriate given the circumstances than, ice cream!!!

We made ice cream sundaes and it was precisely what we needed to cool everyone down.

Day 2: African Safari Wildlife Park

June 30, 2012June 30, 2012momonthegoinholytoledo

Well, I have had some time to process the fact that the kiddos have HFMD. I have contacted all the kiddos parents who planned on attending the b-day party on Sunday and explained the situation. I changed our “yes attending” R.S.V.Ps for all immediate playgroup meetups to “not attending”. And my hubby has contacted the parents of children our children have been in contact with this past weekend. Minus the entire water park of course, to bad there isn’t an app for that. I do feel horrible about the fact that we might have exposed more children. Although, it does seem like HFMD is going around, and as a close confidant of mine stated, HFMD is the new chickenpox, and maybe she is right? Maybe 20 years from now my grandchildren will be receiving the HFMD vaccine and I will be sharing the story of when my children had HFMD. I would tell them about today and how their grandfather called off work to stay with me and the kiddos. How he had a great plan for having a fun-filled family day with the children that did not involve them being around others but was sure to guarantee a memorable experience, one we would cherish……..

We told the children we had a fun afternoon planned but that it would remain a surprise until we arrived at our destination. Sure enough, a tough game of 20 questions followed, they were so eager to know where they were going. Thankfully lunch via drive-thru lead them off the trail for a few minutes and they got to eat their food in the car since they were contagious, which just added to the entire experience. What is it about a drive-thru and eating in the car that is such a treat to a child? Forty minutes later and we were there….

African Safari Wildlife Park in Port Clinton Ohio

It was the perfect park for our little ones. They could stay in the car the entire time so we didn’t have to worry about them coming in contact with others. It was so much fun! I have to say I was honesty surprised at how much I truly enjoyed this experience with my family. We purchased 4 cups of grains and 2 bags of carrots to feed the animals and let me tell you there is nothing cuter than those animals’ big brown eyes peering into the car; of course, they only come a close second to the big blue eyes of my babes gazing back at them. Having the animals come up to your car and feed them was so cool……

Of course it was a little difficult to capture the entire giraffe. His head was so large that his nose took up the entire window cavity. Then my hubby decided to open up the sun roof for easier access. Being able to feed a giraffe while in the car with my family was by far my favorite.

After we, and by we, I mean my hubby, son, and I fed the animals I grabbed the hand sanitizer. Squirting hand sanitizer that contains alcohol onto a child’s hand that has HFMD is not recommended. What follows is screaming, then panting, and a sincere question of “why would you do that?”. What’s even worse is when your mom quickly grabs her water to pour on the burning hand in hopes of cooling them off only to realize she has a lemon in the water.

I felt so horrible, poor kiddo. But besides the hand sanitizing and lemon water incident the day was wonderful. If it wasn’t for HFMD we probably would have experienced this outing with friends and we might have missed out on this amazing family bonding experience. Should I be thanking whoever my kiddos contracted HFMD from? Since it was the HFMD that made us not include others in on this experience? Maybe….just maybe there is a blessing in disguised?

Kings Island,I-75 Scavenger Hunt, and a Lesson on Love

June 26, 2012May 25, 2013momonthegoinholytoledo

For Father’s Day this year instead of doing the typical backyard BBQ my Dad invited the entire family to Kings Island for a fun-filled Family Day. What a Dad, right!?! In order to honor my hubby’s side of the family we went to King’s Island the weekend after Father’s Day. Which couldn’t have worked out more perfectly, we had such a gorgeous day at King’s Island while Father’s Day ended up being a little soggy.

So, in preparation for our road trip to Cincinnati I printed off a scavenger hunt for the kiddos in hopes of keeping them occupied during the drive. I did a quick google search of the various images located near I-75 of the city/towns we drove past and added a few expressway affiliated symbols we would pass along the way. I then pasted the images to a word document, printed them off, pasted them onto construction paper for better durability, and glued an envelope to the back of one of the construction papers, and placed stickers inside the envelopes to act as markers to mark off the images as we passed them on I-75.

Then, at the completion of the Scavenger Hunt, which just so happened to coincide with the end of our road trip they each received a prize. No, your eyes do not deceive you, that is Christmas wrap, lol! (Side note: Kroger’s has a lot of toys on sale. I purchased a Green Lantern action figure for $5, our son loved it! He wants to know when we are having another Scavenger hunt).

At the halfway point, Lima Ohio, I included a snack, mini-M&M cookies, Yum!

So we stayed the night at the Homewood Suites in Miamisburg on Friday night so we could wake up revived and spend an entire day at Kings Island. But on our way to Kings Island that morning we receive a surprising phone call. Our Yellow Labrador did something to his leg and he was in the Animal Hospital. Thankfully our good friends were watching him and took exceptional care of him, even medicated him twice a day and yes, they have their own family of 5 to care for, Big shout out to the Reeds and thank you for taking such good care of our Deuce while we were away.

So once we entered the park our minds were a little distracted since nothing has ever happened to our 9-year-old Deuce and he has never had surgery or been medicated in his life. But was had a decision to make, a mental decision, we could either allow our fun-filled family day to be hijacked by thoughts of Deuce and the “what ifs” or we could enjoy our time with our children, my parents, and siblings. It took a moment, I am not going to lie, and yes, I had an image in my mind of our poor dog limping everywhere and needing assistance and wondering why we had abandoned him. But I tried to focus my attention on the amazing gift God had blessed me with, my awesome family, the beaitufl weather, and the possibilites that lay ahead, and I realized it would be insulting to all parties involved, including myself, if I rejected this gift. So I chose joy, happiness, and the opportunity to make some new amazing memories knowing full well that our friends at home would take excellent care of our four-legged family members. And memories, boy did we make some exceptional memories…..

It was amazing how joyful my day became once I adjusted my demeanor and reflected on the love that was exuded in this fun-filled family day. For it was the love I knew our friends had for Deuce that eased my worries and comforted my spirit. It was the love my father had for his entire family that brought about such a wonderful day. It was the patience and love my mother has for our marriage that encouraged my hubby and I to have a family moment with our children. It was the selflessness and love that my sister and brother exuded for me and my children when they patiently waited in line and road the roller coaster, swam, and swaddled our toddler (they are young, not married, and have not children they could have chosen a selfish route, they could have disappeared the entire day, but they did not, they stayed, they helped, they loved). It was the love I have for my hubby, children, parents, and siblings that encouraged a manifestation of joy within me. What an amazing gift to be given, love, when you are truly loved and loved in return you are the richest person on this planet. No amount of money, fancy clothes, cars, houses, purses, exotic trips, or materialistic things, can compensate for the riches of truly being loved. For without love you are bankrupt, and that is a torment within that I pray to God that my children and loved ones never experience.

The tired mother’s creed {with free printable}

June 24, 2012June 24, 2012momonthegoinholytoledo

We just got home from Kings Island (I will be blogging about this later) and we are regrouping before a Mud Hens Game this evening. I went to check my email and saw that a very dear friend sent me an email with a link to the following (boy does she know me, it was precisely what I needed to read at this moment):

For the days we are running on empty. For the days we just don’t think we have it in us to read one more story, play one more game of Uno, wash one more round of sheets. For the days when we think everyone else has it altogether. For the days we’re sure anyone else would do this job better.

For those days. You know the ones.

Repeat after me:

1.I shall not judge my house, my kid’s summer activities or my crafting skills by Pinterest’s standards.

2.I shall not measure what I’ve accomplished today by the loads of unfolded laundry but by the assurance of deep love I’ve tickled into my kids

3.I shall say “yes” to blanket forts and see past the chaos to the memories we’re building.

4.I shall surprise my kids with trips to get ice cream when they’re already in their pajamas.

5.I shall not compare myself to other mothers, but find my identity in the God who trusted me with these kids in the first place.

6.I shall remember that a messy house at peace is better than an immaculate house tied up in knots.

7.I shall play music loudly and teach my kids the joy of wildly uncoordinated dance.

8.I shall remind myself that perfect is simply a street sign at the intersection of impossible and frustration in Never Never land.

9.I shall embrace the fact that in becoming a mom I traded perfect for a house full of real.

10.I shall promise to love this body that bore these three children – out loud, especially in front of my daughter.

11.I shall give my other mother friends the gift of guilt-free friendship.

12.I shall do my best to admit to my people my “unfine” moments.

13.I shall say “sorry” when sorry is necessary.

14.I pray God I shall never be too proud, angry or stubborn to ask for my children’s forgiveness.

15.I shall make space in my grown up world for goofball moments with my kids.

16.I shall love their father and make sure they know I love him.

17.I shall model kind words – to kids and grown-ups alike.

18.I shall not be intimidated by the inside of my minivan – this season of chip bags, goldfish crackers and discarded socks too shall pass.

19.I shall always make time to encourage new moms.

20.I shall not resent that last call for kisses and cups of water but remember instead that when I blink they’ll all be in college.

~ with love from one tired mother to another.

Source

{click here to download the below printable version}

Thank you Kristy

If you can relate, if you are also a tired mother, reply with a brief message expressing so. Please share this with all the tired moms in your life.