tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-90088223065763171372024-02-18T22:00:51.680-07:00Musings on MotherhoodThoughts on motherhood, family life, parenthood, etc.Christie Norrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07771843173833802400noreply@blogger.comBlogger128125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9008822306576317137.post-37524031467906289482017-01-29T08:05:00.001-07:002017-01-29T08:05:13.439-07:00Together as WomenIt takes a lot to get me to blog again, but here goes.<br />
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I've been thinking a lot the past week or so about the scripture in 1 Corinthians 12, specifically verses 14-27:<br />
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"For the body is not one member, but many. If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling? But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him. And if they were all one member, where were the body? But now are they many members, yet but one body. And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you. Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary: And those members of the body, which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness. For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked: That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another. And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it. Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular."<br />
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I am blessed to know some incredible women in my life. I am also blessed to know how very different these women are from each other. And yet, they all have one thing in common. They each want to make the world a better place. They just all go about it in a different way.<br />
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I know women who marched last week for women's rights. I know women who have setup nonprofits to give children opportunities for service. I know women who are heavily involved in their neighborhood organizations and making sure the schools, traffic, construction, etc. are setup in the right way to keep their families and homes safe. I know women who tutor children. I know women who care for other women's children to give single moms a break. I know women who reach out to my children to care for them and be examples to them. I know women who help spread the joy of the arts in their communities. I know women who do their best to teach and raise their children to be good people.<br />
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It makes me sad to hear some women say, metaphorically, "Because you do not serve as I do to make the world a better place, you are not part of the body". We all have the same goal to help improve the world. We are all of the same body of women. Let there "no schism in the body" but let us "have the same care one for another".Christie Norrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07771843173833802400noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9008822306576317137.post-24096910763211626192014-06-20T07:09:00.000-06:002014-06-20T07:09:39.299-06:00Deliberate ParentingSchool is out for the summer. This means I'm reminded once again of how I have a tendency to get lazy in my parenting. When one child is usually gone all day and another one is gone half the day, I just let the little ones play most of the morning without thinking too much about "parenting". And when the older ones get home, we only have so much time to worry about things like homework and piano before I'm working on dinner or the evening's activities. So, I guess it's not just laziness but more like just going with the flow and letting life happen.<br />
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School is out and now all 5 of my children are home all day long. What to do? As much as I love having free time for the kids to just play all day, I also know they need a little structure to go along with that. I've had to do that annual soul searching of "What do I want to accomplish this summer?" or "What is it I want to do with my kids each day or have them remember about this summer?" <br />
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The summer goes by so quickly. I've been reminded of the need for deliberate parenting. What do I want to teach my children? What kind of person do I want them to be? I can't just let them go completely undirected. If I want them to enjoy reading, I need to make sure there is time to read and take them to the library to choose books. If I want them to enjoy doing things outside, I need to make sure we go up the canyon or go to the park or have the opportunity to spend time outside. If I want them to learn to help other people, I need to provide opportunities for them to do kind things for others. <br />
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I know this is something I need to work on year round, but summer is always a great opportunity for me to evaluate how I'm "parenting" my children and what I'm doing to help them become the wonderful people I'd like to see them become.Christie Norrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07771843173833802400noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9008822306576317137.post-48400192295141391392014-05-23T07:01:00.002-06:002014-05-23T07:01:43.334-06:00Emotional Bank AccountsI finally read "Seven Habits of Highly Effective People" by Stephen Covey. (<a href="https://www.stephencovey.com/7habits/7habits.php" target="_blank">https://www.stephencovey.com/7habits/7habits.php</a> I know. I'm like 15 years behind the times here. I learned a lot of great stuff in studying this book, but one of the ones I really like using in parenting is the concept of emotional bank accounts. <br />
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The idea I use in parenting is that we have an emotional bank account with each of our children. We make deposits into and withdrawals from this account. Each positive or good thing we do is a deposit. Each negative thing is a withdrawal. For some of my children, even a little negative item ("You need to clean your room") can be a large withdrawal. I need to make sure I have made enough deposits into the account ("Thanks for being so good about always putting your backpack away"), so that there is a positive balance in the account. <br />
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Very accounting-ish, but what can I say. It works for me to remember this and make sure I'm making more deposits. There will be times when withdrawals have to be made and I don't want to overdraw my account and have it go negative. The fees can be quite hefty when that happens.<br />
<br />Christie Norrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07771843173833802400noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9008822306576317137.post-57109363069626609612014-05-16T07:01:00.000-06:002014-05-16T07:01:49.245-06:00Cheerleader/Coach ParentingI had one of those "out of body" experiences the other day. And no, it had nothing to do with dying and seeing a bright light. I saw myself being "that" mom. The mom running up and down the sidelines at a sporting event, completely oblivious to everyone else.<br />
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My children have never played organized sports before. My 8 year old, though, decided this year that she wanted to sign up for the Orem Track Club. Random. They each get to choose one activity each year, and that's what she chose. (After finding out the archery class was filled up). <br />
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We went to her first track meet, not really having any idea what to expect. She is not a fast runner, so she came in last in most of her events, but she still finished with a smile each time. Isn't that part of the reason we do these things, to enjoy ourselves, not just to win?<br />
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Anyway, we had some discussions about maybe trying some of the longer distances, even though they were for the older kids. She does not come from a family history of sprinters. :) We decided the 800m (about 1/2 mile) might be better for her. So, we mapped out how far that was around our neighborhood so she could practice. She ran the first time in 6min 8 sec. (For perspective, an Olympic time is just under 2min). The next week she ran it in 5min 33 sec. She was so excited that she got faster. Her comment was, "I guess track really does help!"<br />
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Race day came and it was time for the 800m. It was near the end of the meet, and was only supposed to be for ages 11 and up, so we had talked about how because it was older kids and boys and girls combined, some of the kids might be really far ahead of her. She didn't care. She still wanted to do it.<br />
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The race started, and she was, as expected, at the end by quite a bit after the first lap. As she neared the last corner for the race, I ran down to meet her and cheer her on. For the last straightaway, I found myself cheering for her ("Go, Catherine, Go!"), encouraging her ("You're almost there, you can do it!"), coaching her ("This is where you sprint!"), to help her make it to the finish line. I think I was almost as excited as her when she crossed the finish line. She was elated to hear them say her time was 4min 48 sec. Even though she was probably almost a minute behind most of the other kids, she had gotten even faster. She had worked hard and accomplished something.<br />
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I know I looked silly running alongside the bleachers and track yelling for her, but I didn't care. I was there to be her #1 cheerleader. It even caused some of the other parents to cheer for her (which happens with the last kid in a race a lot of times). I thought "Wow. I'm <u>that</u> mom being loud and almost obnoxious." But, isn't that kind of my job? Isn't it my job as a mom, not just at a track meet but in life, to run alongside my child cheering and coaching her? Not running the race for her-I can't do that-but encouraging and helping?<br />
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I also thought about how God treats us. Isn't he our biggest cheerleader/coach? Doesn't he run alongside us cheering for us and giving us help/hints on how to succeed? I imagine the joy he must feel as he sees us work hard at something and succeed on our own. I'd like to be "that" parent.Christie Norrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07771843173833802400noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9008822306576317137.post-64712137819457524862014-03-21T06:56:00.000-06:002014-03-21T06:56:44.811-06:00Feeling like a good momI had a moment yesterday where I felt like a good mom. I know. I should feel like that a lot, but to be honest, it's easier sometimes to remember the times when I feel like a bad mom. It was 60 degrees outside, but I had to run some errands. So, I piled the kids in the car to run to the bank and stop by the library for my daughter to run in and get her book on hold. I then made an impulsive decision to just go to a random park to play, rather than bringing everyone home to play outside our house. I just googled on my phone to find the closest park to the library and we went and played for an hour. <br />
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It was awesome. Everyone had fun and I wasn't worried about checking the phone or being home getting dinner ready (thank goodness for leftovers). It was just a beautiful day at the park. I looked at all of my kids being happy and having fun and thought "Look at these happy kids. I'm a good mom for bringing them here." A moment of positive affirmation. I think that sometimes as moms we need more of those. And I think that sometimes God just gives us those moments to remind us that we're doing okay. I'll take those when I can get them and try to remember them in those moments when kids are yelling at each other or me and I'm not feeling like such a great mom.Christie Norrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07771843173833802400noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9008822306576317137.post-78790630976673050222013-12-18T21:28:00.000-07:002013-12-18T21:28:23.707-07:00What kind of husband does that?My husband is with another woman right now. Actually, he left work early today to spend time with her and is spending several days at her place. He even cooked dinner for her tonight. Actually, I'm quite pleased with this fact. But, what kind of husband and father does that? He left the state and left me with 5 kids to take care of the week before Christmas. I'm pretty sure he bought some things for her as well. Again, what kind of husband does that?<br />
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I'm thinking he's not going to be doing much sleeping tonight. Of course, that may have something to do with the new baby in the other room. And his willingness to get up in the middle of the night and help feed the baby if needed. And change poopy diapers. And swaddle and rock a baby. What kind of husband does that? For a child that is not his? <br />
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He's visiting his sister right now and helping out with her new baby. It made more sense for him to be there as there are 5 kids here that need taking care of, and his work is flexible enough that he can work away from the office. His sisters and mom and dad have been taking turns helping out, and he's taking his turn. I believe his brother is taking a turn in a few weeks. Again, what kind of husband does that? Just when I think I couldn't love him more, he does something like this to remind me what a good deal I got in marrying such a good man.<br />
Christie Norrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07771843173833802400noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9008822306576317137.post-9125526851671135182013-12-05T06:58:00.000-07:002013-12-05T06:58:09.614-07:00Becoming a responsible adultI clearly remember the feeling of responsibility I had when I bought my first car. I signed all the documents and they then gave me the keys and I drove off. It seemed a little unreal to me that they were going to let me just take the car. I kept wondering if they were going to make me bring it back. I was so used to at least reporting back to my parents that I was taking the car somewhere, it seemed strange that it was all mine.<br />
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I had the same reaction when I bought my house. The numbers involved were much larger, but really I just signed some papers, they gave me a key, and it was mine. No worrying about a landlord or reporting back to anyone. The bank really seemed to think I was a responsible adult and that I was old enough to take care of a house by myself. <br />
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I remember having a similar feeling when I had my first child. Granted, I had spent 9 months carrying her around with me and "taking care" of her. But, when they checked me out of the hospital, I just took her with me and went home. No nurses at the house, no "adult" checking up on me to make sure I was doing everything right. I was supposed to be a responsible adult, and care for this little child. It was more than a little bit overwhelming. You'd think at 34 I was old enough to consider myself responsible, but I'm not sure anything can prepare you for that type of responsibility. <br />
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As I think about it, though, I don't "own" this child in the same sense that I "owned" my car or my house. She's on loan to me. She's God's child. I'm not really left alone with her. If something with her needs "repairing", I can always go to Him for help. He feels the responsibility I feel for taking care of her. He for some reason considers me a responsible adult capable of taking care of His child on a very long term basis. Knowing this makes me feel the responsibility even more, and at the same time comforts me in knowing I'm not alone in caring for a child.Christie Norrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07771843173833802400noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9008822306576317137.post-57279212059128459792013-11-04T13:29:00.000-07:002013-11-04T13:29:22.810-07:00"When I grow up, I don't want to be a mom""When I grow up, I don't want to be a mom". My 7 year old has said this to me several times. It always makes me a little sad. I figured I wasn't letting her know how much I love being a mom. Maybe I complain too much about the not so fun parts of being a mom, like changing diapers and dealing with whining children. I think I'm extra sensitive to the comment also because when I was growing up, if you asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, I would say "A mom". The mom guilt was setting in every time my daughter made this comment.<br />
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Well, last night at dinner I finally discovered the source for the comment. I was asking my children what they wanted to do for a job when they grew up. These answers are constantly varying from Lego designer to rockstar dressmaker. Here was my 7 year old's response.<br />
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7 yr old: "I don't want to be a mom when I grow up."<br />
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Me: "Why not? I love being a mom. It's the best thing ever."<br />
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7 yr old: "Does every mom have to do taxes? I don't want to do taxes."<br />
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I can now breathe a sigh of relief. Apparently it's not that she doesn't want to be a Mom when she grows up. She doesn't want to be a CPA and do taxes for clients like her mom does. She thought that because her mom works from home and does taxes, that every mom has to do that. That's it's just part of being a mom. After much laughter, we explained to her that no, not every mom does taxes. She can be a mom and still do something else. I love getting rid of mommy guilt.<br />
<br />Christie Norrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07771843173833802400noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9008822306576317137.post-17439996920270996472013-10-25T07:01:00.001-06:002013-10-25T07:01:31.039-06:00Color blindnessWhen I look at my growing up experiences, I've always thought of myself as growing up "color blind". Meaning, I had friends of all kinds of nationalities and races, but they never really seemed that different to me. I kind of patted myself on the back for not really thinking my friends whose parents were from Korea were any different than my friends who were half-Puerto Rican or African-American. This kind of goes along with the idea of America being a giant melting pot. (Too much <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-__GGvzmfXQ" target="_blank">Schoolhouse Rock</a> as a kid, I know).<br />
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As I've gotten older and looked at it and tried to teach my children, I've realized I've kind of missed out. I've had Jewish friends, Iranian friends, and Indian friends, but by trying to treat them all the same, I really missed out on understanding who they were and learning more about their cultures. My kids will make a comment about someone like "They have a brown face and black hair", and I'll say "Yep. They do. And you have blonde hair. Everybody has different color skin and hair, don't they?" Really, though, isn't it okay to acknowledge that someone is different and say, we should learn more about the country Venezuela where our neighbor just moved from, rather than just saying, we're all the same? I guess that's the idea of America being more like a giant beef stew rather than a melting pot. <br />
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I don't want my children to be rascist by any means, but I think that if we learn a little more about each other and where we came from, there's a lot more understanding and appreciation for differences rather than just being completely color blind.<br />
<br />Christie Norrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07771843173833802400noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9008822306576317137.post-74166658181074794522013-10-18T06:48:00.000-06:002013-10-18T06:48:52.925-06:00BFFsI never really had a BFF. I had lots of good friends growing up, but I was never really a "best friend" type of person. I was always more comfortable with having lots of different friends, even if we weren't really that close, than I was with having a "best" friend. Part of this has to do with the fact that I switched schools several times growing up. I switched in 3rd grade, and luckily 2 of my friends switched along with me. I switched again in 7th grade, going back to school with some of those from 1st and 2nd grade. However, my junior high was shutdown after 7th grade, so I ended up back with friends from 3rd-6th grade. The school boundaries then changed, but I wanted to stay at the same school as my older siblings, so once again, I switched back to friends from 7th grade. This also means that my neighborhood friends went to the new high school. And, last but not least, my parents moved right before my junior year of high school, so my neighbors/church friends changed, but I got to stay at the same high school. Of course, amidst all of this, other kids were moving in and out of my schools, and high school brought along friends that had gone to a different "feeder" school that I had never met.<br />
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I contrast this a bit with my husband's schooling experience. I'm pretty sure that almost everyone that went to his elementary school also went to the same junior high and then the same high school together. In fact, I don't think there was a 2nd junior high, so really, it was mostly the exact same group of kids that went to school together from 1st through 12th grade. Wow. <br />
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Now that I've reconnected with friends from high school, junior high, and even elementary school on Facebook, sometimes I'm a little jealous when I read their comments about knowing each other's families or funny things from their early childhood they experienced together. I don't really get it. There are very few people in my life that were consistently around for my entire childhood. One more reason to be thankful for a family of 6 children, where my brothers and sisters were always there and could be my "best friends".<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBKoJ_OuGS6ftqHL-uIKhuOlHtjcQ9nkoByNhVnfxZehD1cV6HhVZQCgDVs5fNz8lr0UvYVTUExloFiHvUQ1Bu1qRIrmYwGTN__qjBO08354i4s7vsub4mQxUnnVB_bK_AOuiSIuY9QUY/s1600/100_4564.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBKoJ_OuGS6ftqHL-uIKhuOlHtjcQ9nkoByNhVnfxZehD1cV6HhVZQCgDVs5fNz8lr0UvYVTUExloFiHvUQ1Bu1qRIrmYwGTN__qjBO08354i4s7vsub4mQxUnnVB_bK_AOuiSIuY9QUY/s320/100_4564.JPG" width="320" /></a>I started thinking about this when I went to an assembly for my 2nd grader. All the 2nd grade classes put on a Folk Song Festival. My 2nd grader has a "best friend". Actually, I think sometimes they fight as much as they get along, but she's still her "best friend". I looked at all of those kids there lined up in classes and realized that, if we didn't move and lots of those kids stuck around, they could really end up going to all of elementary school, junior high and high school together. That's such a foreign concept to me. Having the same good friend consistently for 12 years. Wow. I have an older sister that experienced that, but not me. One more thing I will learn from my children, I guess: How to keep a consistent friendship going through all that life throws at you throughout your childhood and teenage years. How to be and have a BFF.Christie Norrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07771843173833802400noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9008822306576317137.post-45515483136362065452013-10-04T06:49:00.002-06:002013-10-04T06:49:53.090-06:00Zoning out - kid styleWe all need time to zone out every once in a while. You know, when you're brain dead, and feel like you want to just sit on the couch and stare at the wall for an hour - preferably in silence, which isn't going to happen when you have kids around. <br />
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I've learned that kids need this sometimes, too. My kids have learned to say "I need my alone time", when they just need some space and quiet to unwind. Or, sometimes I tell them to go have some alone time, when the fighting has reached too high of a level. My 4 year old will play Barbies by herself for alone time. My 5 year old will do Legos. My 7 year old will usually go read. A few weeks ago, though, my 7 year old, pulled out Bop-It for her alone time. I wasn't as happy with that, and not just because it's an obnoxious game.<br />
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I confess that video/computer games scare me a little. Not because I think there's anything inherently wrong with them. We mainly don't have them because my kids are little and I think it's easier and better for them to play games together or that involve them using their creativity. And, I have a fear of turning my children into Zombies who don't know how to entertain themselves. As my 7 year old sat and played Bop-It for her alone time, I could totally see her zoning out. I know it's okay to zone out every now and then, but I think that addictive behaviors sometimes start because we need to zone out and we're looking for something that doesn't require our mind to think. <br />
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I know. I sound completely paranoid as if my 7 year old is going to be an addict to something because she plays Bop-It. That's not really it. It just made me think about teaching my children to zone out productively, if that makes sense. I'd much rather they sit and read or play music or draw when they need to zone out rather than rely on electronics. I know that for me, it's much more refreshing to zone out by playing the piano or reading a book, than watching TV or going through Facebook. What do you think? Am I being paranoid? Or is there really such a thing as teaching children to productively zone out?Christie Norrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07771843173833802400noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9008822306576317137.post-28124624714043878132013-09-27T06:56:00.000-06:002013-09-27T06:56:55.751-06:00Panic attackI just read <a href="http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865586972/Getting-to-know-the-many-faces-of-anxiety-disorders.html" target="_blank">this article</a> by Jason Wright in the Deseret News yesterday and I had to nod my head in agreement. I had heard people talk about having anxiety issues or panic attacks, and I kind of had the same attitude of "just get over it and be brave". That is, until I had my first panic episode. Apparently, it's not uncommon to have panic attacks when you're pregnant. I didn't know that. It had never happened to me until I was pregnant with child number 5. I just assumed they were talking about the stress you feel in having a baby and how that kind of freaks you out. I didn't realize it meant, in my case, flying on an airplane when 5 months pregnant and feeling claustrophobic to the point that you felt like you couldn't breathe and had to get out. Needless to say, you can't really do that at 30,000 feet.<br />
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My apologies to anyone who has had anxiety attacks before and had someone like me who just smiled and nodded without really appreciating what that means. I spent most of a 4 hour flight standing in the back aisle of an airplane. The thought of sitting in that little space between two people was more than I could stomach. Literally. I had another panic attack shortly after the baby was born. This one happened at home late at night, but it was so bad that I really felt like I couldn't breathe. I couldn't make the air go into my lungs and I thought I was going to die. It was very real. It was not just a "Boy, I'm feeling a little overwhelmed at the moment." Happy to say I haven't had to deal with it since then. But to all of you who deal with this or have family members who deal with it on a regular basis, you have my complete sympathy. Wish I could do more to help. Maybe understanding is enough for now.<br />
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<br />Christie Norrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07771843173833802400noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9008822306576317137.post-586419671460337732013-09-13T07:00:00.002-06:002013-09-13T07:00:55.463-06:00Counting kidsI find myself constantly counting kids these days. And it's not just to make sure all of them are there. Really, it's more to make sure the correct number of kids are there at the right time.<br />
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Going to church: 5 kids all here?<br />
Picking up from kindergarten: 5 kids - 1 still in school + 2 extra ones to take home = 4 kids<br />
Taking to preschool: 5 kids - 2 at school = 3 kids<br />
Picking up from preschool: 5 kids - 2 at school - 1 at preschool = 2 kids<br />
Coming home from mommy mingle at the park: 5 kids - 1 at school = 4 kids<br />
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It's no wonder I get confused sometimes. During the summer, it's easy to always do a roll call in the car and have 5. We do almost everything together. School has started, and I'm pretty sure it's only a matter of time before I forget a child. Or two. I used to think counting kids was just a sign that maybe you should have another child (which is a post for another day). Now I realize it's a matter of making sure you have the right kids.Christie Norrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07771843173833802400noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9008822306576317137.post-69102457436364100522013-09-06T07:11:00.000-06:002013-09-06T07:11:26.170-06:00Caught in a lieWe've been a having a little honesty problem around our house lately. Nothing big. Just little white lies. <br />
"Go brush your teeth."<br />
"I did."<br />
I feel the toothbrush, and it's completely dry. No teeth have been brushed.<br />
Well, the other day, we have actual video/camera evidence of a lie. It was a little embarrassing for the kids.<br />
I was out running/going to the grocery store early on a Saturday morning. Dad slept in a little, which means the kids were left to their own devices. When I came home, the 7 and 5 year old promptly tell me that the 4 year old has been eating candy.<br />
"She stole some candy!"<br />
"What?"<br />
"She stole some candy and was eating it downstairs!"<br />
"What candy?"<br />
"Dad's candy bars. [For his lunches]. She had a Crunch bar. And a 100 Grand."<br />
"Where are the wrappers?"<br />
"They're downstairs."<br />
Meanwhile, the 4 year old is protesting, "I did not! They ate some too!"<br />
While the 5 and 7 year old are strongly denying eating any.<br />
It sounds so neat when you write it down like that, but really, it involves 3 children yelling, accusing, and denying simultaneously. I wish I could have taped the chaos to truly describe it. They bring up wrappers for 2 Crunch bars, a half eaten Crunch bar, a partially eaten 100 Grand, an open bag of peanut M&Ms and a bag of chocolate covered caramels. Needless to say, the treats have now been hidden and the 4 year old doesn't get any treats for the rest of the week.<br />
<br />
Later that day, we found the camera hidden under the bed in our room. The 7 year old just recently learned that she can take pictures and video by herself. Here's what we found in reviewing the tape:<br />
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<br />
<br />
<br />
By the way, this is the 5 year old, not the 4 year old. One who vehemently denied eating any of the candy and blamed it on his 4 year old sister. Obviously, the thought that Mom and Dad may actually look at the pictures never entered his mind. It's actually a great shot taken by the 7 year old.<br />
<br />
And there's more. Like I said, the 7 year old also learned how to take videos on the camera. Kind of.<br />
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Needless to say, I don't think there will be so much playing with the camera. Certainly not when kids are doing something they shouldn't. As for the lying, I'm not sure this will stop that.<br />
<br />
<br />Christie Norrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07771843173833802400noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9008822306576317137.post-58139274338707718042013-08-30T13:50:00.000-06:002013-08-30T13:50:24.592-06:00Stress dreamsGrowing up, my nightmares/stress dreams seemed to revolve around school. They usual involved my showing up at school and not being able to remember my locker combination, forgetting what class was next on my schedule, or having to take a test in a class where I hadn't attended all year. Of course, there was the random show up to school naked dream, but really it was mostly not remembering something I should have remembered.<br />
<br />
When I finished college and moved on to the working world, I would still occasionally have the school stress dream. However, I also started having spy dreams. I'm pretty sure this has something to do with watching to much "Alias", but I seemed to do a lot of running from people that were trying to shoot or kill me. I was a pretty good spy, though, so I usually was fairly indestructible in a Sydney Bristow/Jack Bauer fashion.<br />
<br />
When I left my overtime-working accounting job, I went to work substituting at the elementary schools, along with other things. My stress dreams during this time period usually involved having to substitute for a sixth grade class of hellions, or the dreams had something to do with showing up at my old accounting job to work part-time or just for tax season. I always knew, waking up from one of these dreams, that I must be stressed about something.<br />
<br />
Enter parenthood. Rarely do I have the locker/school dreams any more. It's been a long time since I've had a spy dream. I kind of miss those. I don't usually dream about my old jobs anymore, either. My dreams not revolve around my family. But not always in a happy way. They usually have to do with children waking up at 5 am and trashing the house; or extended family members descending upon my house at 6 am looking for food. Or having a child get lost or drowning in the bathtub. Apparently these are the things I now stress about subconsciously.<br />
<br />
How about you? What are your stress dreams? Do they in any way reflect your true life and stresses?Christie Norrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07771843173833802400noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9008822306576317137.post-68794542384513960702013-08-02T07:01:00.000-06:002013-08-02T07:01:29.874-06:00Every morning is ChristmasWe have a tradition in our family, that on Christmas morning all the children come into our room when they wake up. They wait there until everyone is awake, and then we all go downstairs together to the front room to see what Santa has brought. Apparently this tradition has stuck because our children, when they wake up in the morning, on any day, come immediately into our room and don't seem to want to go downstairs until everyone is awake and ready to go down for breakfast.<br />
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We'll have 5 children rolling around on our bed or our floor, asking us over and over again "Can we go down and have breakfast now?" It doesn't matter how often we tell them "You can go downstairs anytime you want. You don't have to wait for us." They seem to treat it like Christmas, where they can't go downstairs until everyone is ready and Mom and Dad say it's okay.<br />
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I have no doubt this is one of those things that when they are older I will miss. Knowing that my children want to see me first thing when they wake up in the morning and that they want to be together. It would be nice if they would occasionally wake up on a morning when I finally get to sleep in, and decide "I think I will go downstairs and play quietly by myself rather than waking Mom and Dad up and staying in their room until everyone is here." I have my doubts about whether this will ever happen, and I guess I'll miss it when it finally does.Christie Norrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07771843173833802400noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9008822306576317137.post-74040144285471175062013-07-26T06:55:00.000-06:002013-07-26T06:55:38.734-06:00Early to bed...Benjamin Franklin has the following quote attributed to him: "Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise". Besides health, wealth, and wisdom, I can think of many reasons why I should go to bed earlier at night. Here are some of them:<br />
<br />
I can wake up earlier.<br />
I'm more likely to exercise.<br />
I have time to read my scriptures before the day begins.<br />
It's not as hot when I'm running outside.<br />
I get to see the sunrise as I run.<br />
There aren't as many cars on the road when I'm biking.<br />
I'm up before my children and have a little bit of quiet time.<br />
I feel more rested.<br />
I have more patience with my children and everyone else.<br />
I'm more productive.<br />
My brain functions more clearly.<br />
I have lunches made on time.<br />
I'm not late for morning appointments.<br />
I get my morning chores done.<br />
I don't feel like falling asleep at 4 pm.<br />
I'm happier.<br />
<br />
You'd think with a list like that, I'd be completely motivated to go to bed early. And yet, I have a hard time stopping at night in time so that I do go to bed early. Maybe I need to hang this list up somewhere and review it every night after the kids go to bed, to remind myself to go to bed early. It's kind of like eating healthy. You know you should do it, and you know you feel better when you do it, and yet somehow, it doesn't <strike>always</strike> usually happen. Maybe I need help from some of you that do go to bed early. I'm pretty sure someone must go to bed early or at a reasonable time. How do you do it? Set an alarm? Rewards for going to bed early? A more comfortable bed? Any tips?Christie Norrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07771843173833802400noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9008822306576317137.post-66148811972808825842013-06-28T07:08:00.001-06:002013-06-28T07:08:54.002-06:00Overscheduled kidsI always hear stories about how kids are overscheduled these days. Too many lessons, practices, and other activities and not enough free time to just play, and lots of time spent driving around in the car. This week I experienced it, and hope to not experience it again. At least not for a looong time. As part of a plan to not overschedule my kids during the school year, I let each child choose one activity to sign up for this summer. My 5 year old chose a city sports camp where they go for 1 hour each day for 4 days and learn a different sport each day (soccer, baseball, basketball, and football). My girls each chose a dance camp put on by the local theater, that was 2 hours each day for 5 days with a little performance on the last day.<br />
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I thought I was being clever by having both girls sign up for the same week. Even though one would go in the morning and the other in the afternoon, I thought it would be better to have the girls go one week, and my boy go a few weeks later. Ugggh. What this really meant was that 4 times a day I was driving to the theater to drop off or pick up. While hauling 4 other children around with me. We went at 9:30, 11:30, 12:30 and 2:30. I hated it and my kids hated it as well. The first day, my 5 year old started throwing a fit at the last pick up. "I don't want to go! I hate this!" I had to agree with him. After that first day, I decided we weren't going to do "school" for the week or worry about practicing piano. I wanted them to be able to have time to play. <br />
<br />
I still am glad my girls went to the camp. They had a blast! And I'm still glad we chose to do one week of dance camp rather than worrying about every week taking them to a practice during the school year (and paying for it every month). But, wow, I'm recommitted to not overscheduling my kids as they get older. If nothing else, there's no way I want to spend that much time in the car. I can think of much more enjoyable and productive uses of my time.Christie Norrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07771843173833802400noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9008822306576317137.post-87862685978228469632013-06-14T06:48:00.000-06:002013-06-14T06:48:48.147-06:00Remember when...Remember when...<br />
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You thought it was difficult to take your one child in a car seat to the grocery store<br />
You could sit and quietly read as you constantly fed your first baby<br />
Your child's pants didn't yet have holes in the knees<br />
The nurses and doctors in the delivery room didn't quite respect your opinions<br />
You worried when your baby got a runny nose<br />
You made sure to keep the entire house quiet when the baby was taking a nap<br />
You could fit other people in your car with your family<br />
Your child watched Baby Einstein videos instead of Superhero Squad<br />
You took 10 minute videos of your child breathing/smiling/giggling<br />
You didn't have a routine<br />
You could stay home all day when your child was sick<br />
You wondered who really bought applesauce or bread or milk in bulk<br />
You made sure your child's hands and face were always clean<br />
When a toy/bottle/pacifier dropped on the ground, you took it home and sterilized it<br />
Your crib didn't have teeth marks on the railings<br />
Your stroller/high chair/exersaucer didn't have any stains/spills on it<br />
You could own a white couch<br />
You could sleep in if the baby had a rough night<br />
Your house was quiet at times<br />
You thought your sister's children were loud<br />
You didn't understand the magical quiet of library day<br />
You had time to iron and owned clothes that needed ironing<br />
You could follow the advice of napping when your baby napped<br />
People didn't even really notice when you walked into a store<br />
You had time to completely fill out a baby book and document everything<br />
You had a cute scrapbook for your baby instead of unprinted pictures on the computer<br />
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Remember when you didn't understand that the more children you have, the crazier life gets, but the more love that fills your heart and your house?<br />
Christie Norrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07771843173833802400noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9008822306576317137.post-1461872955974149132013-06-07T06:47:00.001-06:002013-06-07T06:47:28.830-06:00This motherhood stuff can be hard workSo, I came to a realization this week that this motherhood stuff can be hard work. Not that it always is, but it certainly can be. I know. 5 children later and I'm just realizing this? <br />
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School got out for the summer this week. Really that means my 7 year old is now home all day with her 4 younger siblings. Not that much of a change really. I decided I didn't want her to forget everything she's learned in 1st grade (although I'm pretty doubtful that could really happen, especially since she loves to read), so I decided to do "summer school" for all the kids. After quiet time each day (have I mentioned how much I love quiet time?), the kids get out their "journals". My 7 year old's is lined paper where she just has to write 4 sentences or so. The 5 year old draws a picture and tries to write about the picture. The 4 year old draws a picture and I write what she tells me about it. The 2 year old scribbles all over a blank page and throws the crayons all over the place. I'm giving the 4 month old a reprieve from school. After journals, we do one activity for the day and the 2 older ones then practice their piano. Monday we did handwriting/practicing letters, Tuesday was a math worksheet for each one, Wednesday we did an art project, Thursday we did a science experiment, and Friday we talked about a "social studies" topic.<br />
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We really only spend maybe 30 minutes tops on all of this, but man, it was hard work. I'm a wimp, I know. I gained even greater respect for my friends and family who homeschool their children. I understand that usually they have a pre-set curriculum they follow, and their kids are probably a little bit older, but still. Hard work.<br />
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One of the things I realized as I do this, is that I don't take very much time to be "actively involved" in my childrens' learning. That doesn't mean I'm not teaching them. I am. But I don't think very much about what I want to teach them and how I should teach them. I think I've been missing out a little bit. I'm pretty good at letting them just play (which I think is also pretty darn important), and hoping I can get something done, like maybe sweep the floor, while everyone is occupied and getting along. Managing the chaos can be hard, but it's not a purposefully difficult task. It can be pretty easy to just let my children manage their own learning or let someone else teach them. I'm not sure that's really want I want, though. I've realized I need to spend some time deciding "What things do I want my children to learn and know" and then plan on what I'm going to do to help them learn this. Hard work. But so worth it.<br />
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Christie Norrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07771843173833802400noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9008822306576317137.post-23741305545570471302013-05-31T07:23:00.000-06:002013-05-31T07:23:33.582-06:00Pop Music Suggestions<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It finally happened. My 7 year old discovered pop music. <br />
<br />
My children are pretty familiar with a diverse range of music. They listen to opera, classical, showtunes, religious music, Doo-wop, and kids' music. But we don't listen to much pop music. I confess that if the music/singer came around in the past 20 years, I'm probably not too familiar with it. I'm old. I know. Even in high school, I listened to classic rock as much as I listened to pop music. I can name a couple of popular singers/groups these days, but I can't usually match the names with music I may hear on the radio.<br />
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My 7 year old has done karaoke in her music class at school a couple of times, and frequently the kids will choose artists like Taylor Swift or Katy Perry or One Direction to sing. My daughter has decided she really likes Taylor Swift. Part of this is because she can understand lyrics like "She wears high heels, I wear sneakers" or "I hate that stupid old pickup truck". <br />
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I decided I would help her out by checking out some CDs from the library for her to listen to. All the Taylor Swift CDs were checked out, so we got two "Now That's Music" CDs that had a Taylor Swift song on them. I'm not sure I can adequately express my shock at the album covers that they had inside the CDs showing all the artists on the compilation. Half of them looked like the type of pictures you used to only find covered up behind the counter at 7-Eleven when I was growing up. Once again, yes, I know I'm old. Most of the music on the CDs also all sounded the same to me, and the lyrics weren't all that great. My daughter also discovered that she could pull up Pandora on the computer and listen to a Taylor Swift station, where they show the lyrics to a lot of the songs so she can sing along.<br />
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So, here's my dilemma. I have no idea what artists/singers/groups I should have my 7 year old listen to. I'm one of those out of touch moms. I have no problem with my daughter listening to appropriate pop music, I just don't know which way to steer her. So, I'm asking for suggestions. Anyone have any ideas of music my daughter would like that I wouldn't be embarrassed for her to read the lyrics and sing along with? Any help would be appreciated so that my child knows more than the music from 1960's Broadway shows.Christie Norrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07771843173833802400noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9008822306576317137.post-74188867262708937502013-05-24T06:41:00.002-06:002013-05-24T06:41:27.432-06:00Repetitive phrasesThere are certain repetitive phrases from my childhood that I still hear in my head. To this day, if I'm running around in my socks, I'll hear in my head "Either put your shoes on, or take your socks off". When my children ask "What's for dinner?" I respond as my mom did by saying "Pickled pigs feet and sauerkraut." There are other phrases I repeat to my children, that I wonder if 40 years down the road, they'll still hear in their heads. Phrases like the following:<br />
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"Shoes and coats!" "Hair and teeth!" "Wipe, flush, wash your hands."<br />
<br />
Or these:<br />
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To my 7 year old: "Coat, shoes, backpack away." "Feet down." "Stop shoveling your food."<br />
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To my 5 year old: "Sit on your bum. No perching." "Don't throw a fit. Just ask for help."<br />
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To my 4 year old: "Just be patient." "Do you have any underwear on?" [Really. I say this one quite a lot.] <br />
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To my 2 year old: "Don't throw [insert an object here]." "Where are your pants?"<br />
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To my baby: "Read a book, sing a song, take a nap." "Double duty diaper duty!" [This is when I'm changing two kids at once. Which happens frequently."<br />
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Most importantly, though, I hope that 40 years down the road they still hear in their heads "I love you!"<br />
Christie Norrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07771843173833802400noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9008822306576317137.post-23625029407535641932013-05-17T06:47:00.001-06:002013-05-17T06:47:58.647-06:00The smiles make it all worthwhileI love it when my babies finally start smiling and laughing. It makes it all worthwhile. I feel like I must be doing something right, because my child is happy. Here's a little something to share that makes me happy. <br />
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How can you not smile at such a thing? This is one of those things I'll return to periodically and watch just when I want to smile.Christie Norrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07771843173833802400noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9008822306576317137.post-86158100714963478702013-05-12T16:38:00.000-06:002013-05-12T16:38:16.963-06:00Thanks to mothers"When I grow up, I want to be a mother, and have a family. 1 little, 2 little, 3 little babies of my own..." When I was a little girl, this song by Janeen Brady was one of my favorite songs. If you asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, I would tell you I wanted to be a mom. I had other things I would say I wanted to be, but always a mom. Even in high school, I remember having a conversation with friends asking what we wanted to study in college and be "when we grew up". I told them I wanted to be a mom. They kept saying, "But what do you really want to be?" My answer was "a mom". I still planned on getting a Masters degree in Accounting and probably working as a CPA, but I really wanted to be a mom. <br />
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Time went on, I graduated with my Masters in Accounting and started working as a CPA. By the time I was 32 or 33 and still single, I started thinking maybe I wasn't ever going to get married and have children of my own. I remember hearing and reading talks, like this one from <a href="http://www.lds.org/ensign/2001/11/are-we-not-all-mothers?lang=eng" target="_blank">Sheri Dew</a>, that helped me realize that I can still be a mother figure to others. I was also blessed to have a wonderful Great Aunt, Aunt Gladys, who never married or had children of her own but truly is the greatest Aunt ever to all her nieces, nephews, great-nieces, and great-nephews. I thought, "If I can't be a mother, than I can be the world's greatest aunt like Aunt Gladys". I still had that great desire to be a mom, but figured maybe it wasn't going to happen for me.<br />
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Then I met my husband. I fell in love with him almost immediately, we were married 6 months after we met, I was pregnant a year after we met, and less than two years after we met we had our first child. I was a mom. And it was hard. And wonderful. I remember thinking, "I'm not really young anymore, maybe this is it. One child. I have my chance to be a mom and I'm grateful for it." Well, here I am 7 years later and the mom of 5 children. I'm a mom. And sometimes I'm still a little amazed by it. I'm grateful for the chance I have to be a mom and all it teaches me. I don't know why God chose to give me this responsibility and opportunity, but I'm thankful for it. I have plenty of friends who have not had the opportunity to become mothers yet who I know would do an amazing job being moms. Maybe that gives me a little more sense of the responsibility and a little more gratitude for the opportunity. <br />
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For whatever reason, I'm now a mom. I love it. My children at times are loud, obnoxious and drive me crazy. Or other times, like today at church when my 5 year old wants to climb on my lap and sing the hymns with me as I point to each word, or as my 7 year old gives me a tote she decorated herself to give to me for Mother's Day, I'm overwhelmed with the love I feel for my children. I think of the words by Robert Louis Stevenson "Thanks to our Father, we will bring. For he gives us ev'rything."<br />
<br />
Thanks to a loving God who has given me the opportunity and responsibility to be a mother.<br />
Thanks to my husband who helps me be the best mom I can be and without whom I would not be a mother.<br />
Thanks to my own mother and her amazing example of selfless service and how to be a mother.<br />
Thanks to my sisters and their examples of motherhood shared with me even before I became a mother, and for letting me "mother" their children before I had my own children.<br />
Thanks to my sisters-in-law for mothering children with my brothers.<br />
Thanks to my friends at church and in my neighborhood who help to be mothers to my children and set such great examples to me.<br />
Thanks to my friends who are not yet mothers and yet care for my children as they would their own.<br />
Thanks to my children for allowing me to be their mother and for learning with me as we go.<br />
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To finish in the words of the song "When I grow up, if I can be a mother, how happy I will be. 4 little 5 little 6 little blessings of my own."Christie Norrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07771843173833802400noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9008822306576317137.post-36116645951552328822013-05-10T06:58:00.000-06:002013-05-10T06:58:26.020-06:00I want to raise children like that.I was reading an article in the newspaper the other day <a href="http://www.dedeseretnews.com/"><a href="http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865579022/The-gift-of-golf-West-Jordan-student-offers-others-the-chance-to-play.html" target="_blank">deseretnews.com</a> about a local high school student who was held up in his golf game by a group of high school girls golfing in a competition and sharing a single set of golf clubs. He learned that a lot of girls high school golf teams had this same problem of only having a single set of golf clubs, which made it difficult for them to practice and compete. He decided to do something about it. He wrote some letters, made some phone calls and flyers, and started collecting equipment. In the end, he outfitted seven different high schools with several sets of clubs and lots of other equipment. All of this, because he saw a need and acted on it. </a><br />
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As I read this article, I thought "I want to raise children like that". I want my children to grow up to become adults and even teeanagers who see a need and act on it. I want them to have that Christ-like love for others and look for ways to help others. I then realized that if I want to raise children like that, I need to be like that myself. Most children are not going to automatically be able to identify someone else's needs and know how to help. They need examples and the best way to teach them this is to show them myself. It would be fairly hypocritical of me to tell my children "You need to help others", if I am not doing it myself. <br />
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So, I'm trying. I'm looking for ways to help my children learn to look out for others. A woman I had gone to church with as a young single adult recently passed away as she gave birth to her sixth child. <a href="http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=148&sid=25091500&fm=most_popular" target="_blank">ksl.com</a>. A fund has been setup to help her family deal with medical costs, the cost of raising 5 children as a single father, etc. I explained this to my children and told them I was going to put $10 into this account and that they could put some of their money in two. My two daughters each said "I want to give $1 to them", so we're going to the bank to deposit this money. My 5 year old son didn't want to, but I'm not going to force him to. I'm just trying to get in the habit of looking for how we can help out when we hear about someone who needs help. Hopefully I can develop this quality better in my life and raise children like that.Christie Norrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07771843173833802400noreply@blogger.com1