Stop and Enjoy the View!

This past weekend I took a trip to Rogers, AR to visit my family and friends....alone!  Yes, I left my poor kids and hubby at home to fend for themselves.  Sorry, guys!  Although, I did have groceries stocked and dinner ready to pop in the oven.  Hopefully that helps my case!  ;)  Anyway, I spent the entire weekend relaxing, eating junk food, and drinking wine.  Although I missed Eric and the boys dearly, it was perfect!  I intended to come back to St. Louis well rested and ready to blog about how crucial it is for moms to get away...yadda, yadda, yadda.  But instead, my ride home took a detour and so did my thoughts.  When I arrived home, there was just something else in my heart...  

It was the sign indicating "Incident Ahead" that started it all.  Soon after that dreaded sign, I came to a complete stop.  And my first thought was, "Oh great!  How much is this going to set me back?"  Don't tell me you haven't thought the same thing when coming to halt on the highway.  We are human after all.  But have you ever just stopped and prayed for what might be happening ahead instead of thinking about how much of an inconvenience it is?  Or have you ever stopped to enjoy the view?  Trust me,  it took highway patrol diverting me off the highway and 15 minutes of driving the scenic route for it to kick in, so don't praise my award winning attitude just yet.  But here we were, a long (really long) line of cars traveling through the small Missouri town of Newburg, and something clicked.  Maybe it was the beautiful view.  Maybe it was the quaint little small town.  Who knows?  All I know is that I was overwhelmed with gratitude that God allowed me to take this detour.

It was exactly what I needed to conclude my weekend away.  And as I was enjoying the view on my drive, I vowed to take more time away from to-do lists and the million other things moms juggle and focus more on enjoying the view at home.  Yesterday, for instance, the boys sat together and Cooper read books to his little brother.  Mixed with 'once upon a time' and 'the end', it was breathtaking!  And I might have missed it if I hadn't stopped putting the laundry away to take it all in. 

I still don't know what happened on the highway, but I pray that no one was injured or worse.  But here are some pictures of "the views" I speak of, and I hope that you will take some time to take it all in as well!

 

"I will never do THAT with MY kids"

 

"I will never do that with my kids!"  Admit it!  You have said this statement (or thought it) at one point in your pre-kid life.  Or, chances are, if you don't have kids you have probably said it today.  Well, I'm guilty!!  Let me give you an example.  "I will never let my kids sleep in bed with me...ever".  Turns out, the joke's on me!  But when your kid gets up at the crack of dawn...scratch that!  More like before the crack of dawn!  Your first instinct is to plop him in bed with you because you are so tired and desperate for another few minutes of sleep and you tell yourself, "just this once."  But let me go ahead and spoil the ending for you.  That wake-up call gets earlier and earlier until the next thing you know, you're getting toddler toes to the face and it isn't even midnight yet!!  What the heck just happened?!

In my defense (here come the excuses), we took the binky away from the poor kid and he was left with nothing to help him get back to sleep when he woke up.  We thought we were rock star parents when he would only take the binky for naps and bed time, but all it took was a little thing called hand foot and mouth disease (I know, gross!) to get me to give in and give it to him while he was sick (excuse #2).  And he was attached again.  Then that big confident pat on the back you gave yourself went away in an instant and there goes your rock star parenting status.  Again, what just happened? 

 

So, we went cold turkey with the binky and let's just say, we are now going through "sleep training."  We are not only teaching him how to fall asleep on his own, but also trying to avoid the need for him to come into our room in the middle of the night.  I. Am. Exhausted.  But I have to remain focused and consistent.  Take notes, moms!  Turns out, consistency really pays off!  Instead of coming into our room now, he calls for me when he wakes up.  Not the end result we are looking for yet, but definitely progress!  And let me go ahead and put it out there.  I'm not saying there is anything wrong with your 3 year old sleeping in bed with you.  It just didn't work for us.  If I ever have any advice, it would be to do what works for you and only you!

So needless to say, once you become a parent, all of your "I will never"  plans, become survival plans and you just end up doing as best you can.  So do yourself a favor and stop thinking "I will never" and start thinking "I will".  As in, "I will love my kids and take care of them as best I know how".  And while you're at it, take time to tell a mom what a great job she is doing.  I'm sure we could all stand to hear that! :)

 

Here are some throw backs of my Binky Baby

 

 

 

I Must be Crazy!

I know, I know...another mommy blog.  How original!  But if there is one thing I know, it's that you can't go from working full time, to being a stay at home mom without doing something other than dishes, laundry, and diaper changes!

December 2012  was when I made the decision to leave my career as a licensed professional in the insurance industry in order to stay home with my kids.  It was one of the hardest decisions I have ever made, especially considering I had the best co-workers a girl could ask for!  But the more time I spend with these boys, the more I know I made the right choice.  Cooper is just shy of 3 and Luke is a year and a half.  They are both wild and crazy and I wouldn't want it any other way!  And let's not forget my handsome, very hardworking husband Eric, who is the reason I am able to be home with them in the first place. No one works harder than he does for his family and I couldn't be prouder of that overachiever!  I knew the first year at home would be the biggest challenge I would face in my new "career", but I had no idea just how challenging it would be.  So I have decided to join the blogging world to tell the tale.  I know...I must be crazy!  As if there aren't enough blogs, books, and websites devoted to parenting.  And, as if I didn't have enough on my plate with raising two very rowdy toddlers, taking care of a household (and husband), and leaving enough time to take care of myself.  But what the heck?  I need something to fill my time while waiting for my lives to replenish in Candy Crush.  So here it goes! 

I will never claim to be an expert in mommy hood, but I hope I can reach out to others so we can learn from each other...and laugh at each other along the way!

So, thanks for stopping by for my debut, and I hope you stay tuned for more posts to come!