#realmomz

Taking care of a home and a husband and little ones is hard work. 

Good, hard work. 

Sometimes just keeping the house from burning down and the kids alive is a victory. 

There have been days I have fed my kids cereal for lunch (gasp). 

Or stayed in my pjs all day. 

Don't get me wrong...I strive the be the Proverbs 31 woman mentioned in the Bible.

And by God's grace and help I am becoming more and more like her each day. 

But some days are not glamorous. 

or pretty 

(whether it be a bad attitude, the condition of my house or fishing plastic Easter eggs out of a poop filled toilet).  

But from looking at my Instagram feed you may not know that. 

You may think that I have it all together all the time (ha!). 

  Sometimes I find myself looking at other peoples feeds thinking the same and feeling the weight of comparison. 

A couple weeks ago a few of us moms were chatting at the park (about this very issue) and we decided a hashtag had to be made. 

To keep things real. 

To give people a peek of the stuff that you shove out of the way when you go to take the perfect Instagram picture. 

But mainly to encourage other moms that we all struggle with the same things. 

We aren't proud of it and we are (hopefully) working to improve the areas that need improvement but we aren't perfect and that's ok.

Plus it's fun and funny. 

I've included a sampling of the #realmomz pics below. 

(In case you missed my original post about the reality behind the perfect Instagram pics read THIS)

I kicked off the feed with a mild picture of the inside of my car. 

This is what it really looks like people. 

On a good day. 

There were a lot of dirty dishes in the feed. 

I'm sure we all feel like we are drowning under dishes all the time. 

Moms rarely get to eat a hot meal. 

Or sometimes a meal at all. 

"So if you are coming over...it doesn't look like this. But the other 6 days a week it certainly does."

Oh laundry. 

I think you will forever be my nemesis.

And this has got to be one of my favorites. 

"I am cooking dinner and saw some awesome pics. I'm proud to add my own. Behind the pile of clean laundry, those pics are of the people that came IN the frames. I don't have time to hang up my own family pics! My kids don't care-why should I?"

Today I added this one. 

"The kids chore is to unload the dishwasher everyday. We are still working on the putting everything away part."

So if I ever say "My kids do chores everyday" you know that this is what it looks like (when one child in particular is doing it).

So please feel free to play along and hashtag your own #realmomz pics.

And tell your friends to keep things real and play along too. 

"That fine line thing is a lie"

You know when your having "one of those days"

well I have been having a lot of them. 

Lately I have been feeling super busy and just plain overwhelmed with life. 

I keep trying to cut back (although that's super hard for me) and to take it easy as I try to pinpoint what exactly is making me feel like I'm constantly trying to keep my head above water, and above the stack of dishes and the mountains of laundry.

And then it dawned on me. 

I have 4 kids. 

Chaos is my new normal.

For a while, maybe forever, I will always be counting heads when I am out in public

and I will often be searching for at least one kid who is missing from the count. 

Lunch dates will never be quiet. 

Actually life in general, before bedtime, will never be quiet. 

Trips to Target will not be relaxing. 

The dishwasher and laundry baskets will always be full

and my floors will always be dirty.

And that's ok. 

I love these little years and all that they bring

but they are hard and exhausting.

Anyone who says they are not is lying.

Or only has one kid. Who is grown. 

I read this quote the other day and felt like it perfectly summed up my life right now

"There's a very fine line between enjoying the chaos and barely surviving. Actually, there's no line at all. It's all mixed up together. That 'fine line' thing is a lie."

I'm praying that the Lord would help me to find joy in the craziness, soak up these little years and all the cuddles that come with them, give me extra grace during the hard days, and help me to be the Momma He wants me to be.  

 Because even though motherhood is hard, it is good. 

Very very good. 

We get to nurture these sweet (and spicy) little spirits entrusted to us and help grow them and shape them into the people they were created to be. 

What a big, exciting, sometimes overwhelming, rewarding, challenging task.

Just call me the coupon lady

I'm a sucker for a good deal. 

Garage sales, consignment stores, Goodwill...you name it. I'll be there. 

There's something so exciting about being able to find a diamond in the rough or a $245 dress (tags still on) for $5. 

 A couple of my friends are couponers.

Until recently I hadn't really done coupons.
I mean we didn't even get the newspaper.

And then my friend (the couponer) told me about this awesome newspaper deal.

You could get Sunday newspapers (that's the one that has all the coupons in it) for a whole year for $10! 

So I got 3 (I told you I'm a sucker). 

And then she told me about another deal where you could get the other local Sunday paper for a year for $1. 

Seriously, how could I pass that up! 

So now I get 4 newspapers. 

Every Sunday.

That's A LOT of coupons. 

Since I get a bagillion coupons every week I considered myself an instant coupon lady and had to do a little research on how to put my coupons to maximum use. 

I decided to assemble a binder to organize and hold the coupons (thanks to the Krazy Coupon Lady for most of my new found knowledge and binder organization).
And thanks to Totally Target, All Things Target, OC Deal Mama and the Krazy Coupon Lady on facebook they tell me what to buy and when to get stuff free or super duper cheap.
It's like couponing for dummies.
And already I have got free toothpaste, deodorant, make-up and a bunch of other things for super cheap.
Next thing you know I'll be on Extreme Coupons :) (totally kidding) 

I hate chalk, and paint, and definitely play dough

Happy Friday everyone!

Ok I have a confession...I hate chalk, bubbles and play dough. And paint. And glue.

With (little) kids that is. 

They are super messy and stress me out. 

But yesterday I sucked it up, pulled out the chalk and graffitied our driveway with the kids. 

I even managed to get these fun pictures of them.

and even though the kids (and my floor and then part of my couch) ended up covered in chalk dust it was worth it. 

Because they had a blast doing it and we were doing it together.

Quality time with my kids takes time and energy.
And sometimes it takes me sacrificing the things I want to do (or need to do) to be the kind of mom they need me to be. 

Some days it means me reading the same book over again for the fourth time in one sitting or spending 20 minutes cleaning up a painting project that took 5 minutes to complete, or pushing them on the swing for an hour, or giving up my free time during the little ones nap to chat with the big ones, or fill in the blank. 

But this is motherhood.

This is my calling. 

And I want to do it well 

for my kids and for the Lord. 

Even if it means lots of bubbles, and chalk and play dough. 

Shopping with kids

Being out with 4 kids ages 5 and under can either go really well or really bad. 

Most shopping trips are somewhere in between. 

God bless Costco for making a shopping cart that fits 4 kids.

Sometimes all 4 kids are whining or crying or fighting and I am sweating trying to get out of the store as fast as I can. 

75% of all shopping trips end with at least one kid being banished to sit in the cart with their mouth shut and their hands folded. 

And every now and then we have a really peaceful shopping trip where all 4 kids do really, really well.

The other day I was at Target with the kids.

It was a fairly normal shopping trip (no major meltdowns or anything).

In the 20 minutes I was there six people made comments to me.

They were as follows...

1. and 2. "Wow, you have your hands full." (I got this one twice)

3. "Hey only one more and you'd have a basketball team. So you might as well have one more. Are you going to have any more?" (I'm pretty sure there are more than 7 people on a basketball team)

4. "Wow, you are serious stuff. I only have two and I'm going crazy. I don't know how you do it with four."

5. "Wow, 4 kids! And they are so well behaved. Normally I see people's kids climbing out of the cart and screaming." To which I replied..."Good thing you didn't see me a few minutes ago."

6. "You are busy!"

Lol! Every time I go out with the kids someone says something but I don't think I have ever gotten this many comments in one trip. It was so funny!  

Proof that all Target shopping trips don't go smoothly.

Madelyn, a bottle of opened sunscreen plus a crying baby. 

Just keeping it real people. 

What is the funniest thing any one has ever told you while you were out with your kids?

honeybees

I just stumbled upon this verse thanks to French Press Mornings awesome prints. 

It was just the verse we needed to teach the kids at this season when it seems like they are competing over everything. And not always using kind or encouraging words to each other. 

So this week (and beyond) we are going to be focusing on making and being little honeybees. 

Check out the other awesome free prints from French Press Mornings as a part of her encouraging Wednesday posts.

Perspective

Being a stay at home mom is an adventure.

Although some days (most days) are filled with the mundane

laundry. breakfast. dishes. coloring. park. lunch. diapers. playing. cleaning. dinner. dishes. repeat.

 there is always a sense of excitement

because no matter how well you plan your day you never know what will actually happen.

The other day my morning started off trying to figure out the best (or least worse) way of rescuing Easter eggs out of a toilet. filled with poo.

Every day I have to wipe down the table and sweep the floor but often I am cleaning crayon/marker off of something or someone.

 Or I'm cleaning something much worse than crayon or marker (feel free to use your imagination here or read this or this for some examples).

Yesterday Maddie got her head stuck in between the bars of our stair banister

She also discovered the joy of sliding down the banister as a slide (thanks to her big brother).

ER here we come.

Some days you open the washer and find that somehow a diaper (hopefully not a poopy one) snuck it's way in there. Always after you have already ran the wash. Count your blessings if this has never happened to you.

Some days your kids get bored with the traditional uses of play dough and start sticking it in their ears.

You get the idea.

Life as a mom is never boring.

And although the examples above are more of the challenging things that keep my day exciting there are also unexpected blessings amidst even the hardest of days.
The other day Wesley jumped into my arms, gave me a big hug and told me that he loved me SO much and that I was the best Mommy in the whole wide world.
Every morning as the kids wake up they make their way into our bed and we get to enjoy some morning cuddles.

The other day nap time was not happening (with the big kids) so we spent the afternoon playing in the sunshine instead.

And then there are those precious moments when your kids say something that reveals they have actually heard and understood an important truth you have been trying to teach them.
Or when they choose to obey. Right behind "I love you" I think the words "Yes, Mom" are some of the most beautiful words my kids can say to me (in this season of life at least).

Anyways...the other day it dawned on me.
Each day is an adventure.
Filled with the unknown.
There will be moments of good and moments of bad.
And some of the time (probably close to 50% of the time) I can't control what is going to happen but I can always control how I am going to react to whatever happens.
I can freak out and let it ruin my day and/or attitude or I can embrace the surprises of life with grace, find joy in the midst and carry on.
I want to choose the latter.
Even in the midst of fishing poopy eggs out the toilet or cleaning Vaseline off the walls.
With the Lord's help of course.

^{Galatians 5:22-23
22} But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness and self-control.  

A day off...

Between packing and unpacking, a million trips to Target and Lowes, trying to get the house in order before the party and my general lack of energy these days

 the kids have been a bit...ummm....neglected. 

Not neglected like I'm not feeding or loving them but let's just say the tv has been a major source of entertainment. often. 

And with closets that still look like this

and loads of chores that need to be done I feel like I may never have time to be the fun mom I want to be. Most of the time I think...if I could just get caught up on all the other stuff then we can just concentrate on having fun. But I'm pretty sure I'll never be caught up on the other stuff. Or by the time I am my kids will be in college.

So the other day I was determined to have a fun day. 

Now that didn't mean I didn't clean up after meals or do laundry but it did mean I was intentional about being the kind of mom I want to be. 

Being intentional about playing with my kids.

And loving them and listening to them.

And training them before a situation arising that requires training (or correction). 

And viewing them as a joy and a blessing instead of a distraction. 

So we made some Valentines

rode our scooters,

and explored a park by our new house. 

And just enjoyed being together. 

I forgot how much I love just enjoying my kids and playing with them. 

And how less stressed I am about all the other stuff when I am able to get out and have fun.

Being a mom is fun and a joy. 

And sometimes I just need an intentional day away from all the work of being a mom to remember that. 

Most embarrassing Mom moment

Yesterday I had my most embarrassing Mom moment to date.

I'll walk you through it...

I run to the grocery store before dinner to grab a quick loaf of bread.

I'm walking down a teeny tiny aisle of the grocery store looking for the kind of bread I need when the following conversation takes place:

Mackenzie (in a very loud voice): "Mommy, I don't like that lady!" (speaking about the lady who is standing right next to us)

Me: "Baby! That is not kind. We don't talk like that. You don't even know that lady. I'm sure she's very nice."

Lady: "Why don't you like me? I'm a nice lady."

Me (feeling awful): "I'm so sorry! Mackenzie, you need to apologize to the lady for talking unkindly."

Mackenzie: "I'm sorry."

Mackenzie starts to smile realizing that the lady really is nice.

The lady smiles back, turns around and starts to walk away but is still very close by.

Mackenzie (again very loud): "Mommy! She is a nice lady! She just has scary teeth!"

So embarrassing.

What's your most embarrassing Mom moment?