Back in the Saddle Again...

I've been away for awhile, but am back to talk more about Full-Time Moms!  I think the gap in posts is what happens to the best of us...we try and do it all!  We take on so much, try to juggle all the balls in the air and before we know it - we've spread ourselves too thin.  Instead of doing a few things really well, we are doing lots of things in a half-hearted (or insert another word here) way. 

This blog is something I am truly passionate about.  I have rearranged some priorities and am ready to devote the time, talent and energy to make this blog meaningful to parents like me who are trying to be the best we can be (no rhyme intended). 

It is summer time, the kids are out of school and our family is trying to focus on spending some quality time together.  While I tend to use the weekends to catch up on errands, housework and all the things I don't get to during the week, my husband and kids remind me that summer is about having FUN!  So our family  mission is to find fun things to do in our area (Orlando, FL) that are low on cost, but high in fun!  Along the way, I am learning more and more about my kids, my husband and myself. 

Recently, we all went bowling.  There is something about the stale smell of a bowling alley and goofy shoes that screams (ok, maybe whispers) relax and have fun.  I saw the carefree, "girls just want to have fun" side of my daughters, soaked in the view of my husband and what a great dad he is and even caught a glimpse of the silly, spontaneous mom that I aspire to be. 

It is easy to get caught up in the hectic, chaotic day-to-day and forget the magic of summer.  This week, lose the "to do" list for a few hours and spend some quality time with the ones you love the most.  Trust me - you'll create some great memories and the laundry, grocery shopping and other errands will still be there when (or if) you're ready to return...

Do Full-Time Moms get Sick Days??

Murphy’s Law – the week of Christmas 3 out of the 4 (OK - 5 counting our Cocker Spaniel) are sick!  I’m all for the spirit of giving – but I think my 3 year old took it a little to far.  What started as an innocent little sniffle, turned into a full fledged, doctor going, nebulizer needed crud!  And of course, it has now been shared.  You know it’s bad when the prescriptions from the pharmacy need to put in a shopping bag!  

How do you cope with sick kids when you are sick yourself?  Do you get to take a “sick day”? 

The War on Happy Meals...

So I just heard on the news this morning that there is this big lawsuit against McDonald’s related to the dreaded Happy Meal.  Litigation like this is beyond comprehension for me.  As a parent, I am fully aware that it is 100% my responsibility what goes in my children’s mouths (regardless of what toy comes with it).  It is my choice to offer them crap to eat, it is my choice to provide organic food, it is my choice to offer a vegetable at dinner – bottom line – it is my choice as a parent.  (PS - it is their choice to eat what I provide and there is not much I can do about that – ever try to force a 7 year old to eat something they don’t want to eat – not pretty and definitely a post for another day!!)

As a busy mom, I will admit that I am tempted by the convenience of the drive-thru and have struggled with the whining from the back seat for Mc Donald’s, Chik-Fil-A or another fast food chain.  And yes, I occasionally take my kids to McDonald’s (collective gasp!), but together we choose what they will eat (and drink) and I still have veto power.  I also choose whether the fast food run is a treat or becomes a regular staple of their diet.

Why do some parents abdicate their responsibility to their kids?  Don’t get me wrong - I am no where near the perfect parent and I make a huge amount of mistakes everyday (more than I can count), but my kids know that Mom and Dad are the parents and they are the kids.  There are some decisions they can make and then there are some decisions that Mom and Dad need to make.  This approach can be a struggle, but at least for now, it’s working (not sure if I’ll be posting a drastically different point of view in about 10 years). We love our kids so much that we teach them and help them to make good choices, and when necessary, we will make the tough choices for their benefit – even when it isn’t the most popular choice.

How do you ensure your family is eating healthy?  What tips, tricks, products, etc. can you share?  What other choices do you struggle with as a parent?

Mommy Confessions (and other lessons learned from SATC2

I watched SATC2 last weekend and two scenes really resonated with me (not counting seeing Aidan again - sigh)...

1) Charlotte has a breakdown in the pantry. How many moms have reached a breaking point with their kids and just didn't know how to handle it? I admit it - I locked myself in the bathroom one time - but I didn't have the nanny coming to my rescue!

2) Charlotte and Miranda have "Mommy Confessions"! We all need a mommy confession time...a safe place with a trusted friend to admit that we don't have it all together all the time (shh...don't tell anyone!)

It all started with three simple words...

How exactly to you appropriately begin a blog?  How about with a quick explanation of how we got here.  So it all started with a comment - three simple words really.  I had been participating in a Financial Peace University class through a neighborhood church.  This incredible 13-week class is facilitated via dvd lessons and group discussion.  The author, Dave Ramsey, (whom I LOVE), made a comment during one of the lessons about his wife being a "full time mom".  For more context, it was specifically that he went to work while his is wife stayed home and was a "full time mom".  This one comment hit me like a ton of bricks - it caught a hold of me and it wouldn't let go.  Throughout the 13-weeks, he made the "full time mom" comment several times.  I continued to run it back and forth in my mind.  It was the catalyst to the question I was continuing to ask myself - "What mom isn't a full-time mom?"  Regardless of whether you stay at home, work outside of the home or even work at home - we are all looking for ways to be better moms, wives, daughters, friends.  

 

I then reached out to some of the best women I know and posed the question to them and the crazy idea of starting a blog for all "full-time moms".  So here we are...not quite knowing what we're in for, but incredibly excited for the ride.