Q of the Week : Any dietary restrictions in your family?
Breathe Coaching deadline approaching ...
Just a quick reminder mamas, Heather’s Breathe : Group Coaching for Moms signup deadline is this coming Friday the 29th … get your mojo on and give it a whirl if you’re anywhere near Baltimore! Deets here, hope you can make it!
Happy Easter and Passover too, may your weekend be a relaxing one :).
Q of the Week : (Manic) Meme Monday
Quick one here, it’s almost noon and I don’t have much time before the boys clamor for lunch. Yes, I’m running behind (go figure!) so a quick post on my end means you can answer in 5 words. I’ll make it a wee bit more interesting by telling you why I’m asking these questions.
Ready?
Go!
1. Favorite flower? … because Fynn spent his entire cello lesson this morning staring out the window at the magnolia tree which is about to burst into full bloom
2. Last time you ate chocolate? … I had my frequent late-night snack last night of a tiny dish of peanut butter, with a dab of butter, a drip of honey, and a not-so-tiny sprinkling of chocolate chips on top. mmmm.
3. Mood right now? … mine changes so fast it’s not funny, and I’m struggling with crabby frustration but want to let it go.
4. What hurts? … I tripped and fell while running yesterday, scraping up my hands and knees pretty well. Fared better than Darah though, who fell off her bike last night and lost some teeth, broke her jaw, fractured her skull, and more! Please send some healing thoughts/prayers her way. Ouch!
5. Word for today? … I just picked one, because I need it. It’s RELAX.
Thanks for playing!
Live near Baltimore, Mamas? This one's for you!
You remember the lovely Heather, of My Mama Mojo, right? She’s written some great stuff for SaneMoms in the past, and has spent the last few months focusing on her coaching biz.
The good news is, for those of you in the greater Baltimore area, she’s offering a Breathe : Group Coaching For Moms class next month! It’s affordable, takes just 4 weeks, and offers two convenient time slots to choose from. I’d go if I was within striking distance for sure, I’ve gotten too bogged down lately and need a sounding board and some “mmhmm, me too!” moments in my week.
What’s it about? Teaching moms how to listen to their hearts, quiet their minds, and thrive as women and moms! Tame the chaos, sort priorities, and feel more joy while raising your kids. You’ll come away energized, refreshed, validated, and ready to tackle your many roles with new eyes and positive perspectives.
The deets? Click here for details and to register, the cutoff is April 29 so don’t miss out!
If the info looks a bit familiar to some, yes the Breathe content is originally from SaneMoms, and I’m so glad it’s being shared with some of you by such a great coach!
Confessions of a Mommy Playgroup Reject (by Jenny Heitz)
It’s been almost ten years since my daughter was born, and a lot has happened. But, one of the things that still stands out for me from the early days of motherhood is my first experience with a playgroup.
Motherhood did not come easily to me. I was 33 when Anna was born (the first of my friends to have a baby), and I ended up with some bad post partum depression. I didn’t really emerge from my hopeless depressive fog until about six months had passed. At that point, Anna was a very cute, tiny, and crabby baby who seemed to need a lot of stimuli. So, I took her to one of those Mommy and Me type classes in West Hollywood.
Q of the Week : How are you taking care of yourself these days?
This issue is an old one, but so central to the premise of SaneMoms that it’s worth revisiting. It was brought to mind again by a comment on Christina’s Inside and Out post.
And sometimes I find you even have to defend those moments when you are doing something for yourself, right? My husband lately realized that I was steadily making my way through a series of books and some nasty comments came out about how lucky I was to have time to sit and read during the day while he’s at work and late home every night this week… My response that one of us had to stay sane competely stumped him. I had to fight off my own guilt too about being able to sit quietly for an hour each day, but seriously, if I don’t take care of myself and we BOTH lose it, what good does that do?
Socializing and Homeschooling
Q of the Week : When do you let yourself ask for help?
The wording of this question is the key. When do you allow yourself to ask for help with things? I’m betting it’s more complicated for some than others, and I’m currently scrambling to get things done before leaving on vacation but have yet to ask for much help. When will I think it’s ok?! I hate obligating people, or being in their debt (yes it’s part of my control issues!) so I always prefer to do it myself if I possibly can. I like helping others though, so why would I assume they enjoy doing the same? Riiiight. Silly question.
So, when do you ask for help, and with what? Please share!
Keeping it real
How do you fit it all in??
The Worst Parenting Advice I Ever Received (Guest post by Heather S.)
Thanks to Heather S. for this guest post, you’ll be seeing more of her around! Don’t miss her links at the bottom.
During my baby shower, a little book was passed around. The guests were encouraged to write their best parenting advice for yours truly. I received all sorts of advice ranging from sleep when the baby sleeps, remember your husband, sleep now because you will never sleep again, embrace the muffin top because it will never go away, and NEVER WAKE A SLEEPING BABY! All sound advice.
But the one piece of advice that stuck with me (and still does) is to “enjoy every moment”.
That piece of advice sucked!
Digging Deep
Food and Kids
No matter where (in the USA at least) your kids get their education, chances are the food program at their school could use some improvement. I can certainly vouch for the craptastic quality of most of what Douglas was served for 4+ years. It’s full of sugars and fillers and all kinds of stuff that we know isn’t the healthiest thing for our kids. I think we can all agree there’s a lot of room for improvement in the public school system!
I’ve gotten a chance to watch the first couple episodes of Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution, and it’s enough to make me hope that he can pull off some kind of change that makes other cities sit up and take notice! He shows that many people have no idea where their food comes from, or what it even is. That a classroom of kindergartners couldn’t identify a raw potato or tomato?! There are some scare tactics in there for sure, but they make a very clear point. We can do better. It’s a cause I’m happy to support, and hope you do too!
The link to his petition is here, and the shows can be seen online here. Check it out, and sign if you think it’s time to change the food served in our schools!
Life is like a box of Crayons ...
Sitter Debting (Guest post by Rahti)
Sitter-Debting
© Rahti Gorfien 2009
Lately, I’ve been hearing a lot of grousing about lack of reciprocity when it comes to watching someone else’s kid(s). ‘I take her kid, and as soon as I ask for coverage, there’s always some excuse…’ I call this Sitter-Debting. Not to brag, but I seem to have the opposite ‘problem’. People won’t take me up on reciprocating! Is it just me? Am I that pathetic? Is my child so fabulous that people feel blessed just having him around? Now I know THAT’S delusional. A friend said recently it’s because I don’t exude neediness around the issue. People sense that if they say no, I’ll be okay; in other words, I’ll manage perfectly well without their help. Well, there may be some accuracy to that observation, but only because I approach child care as a numbers game. I know a lot of parents. I know several with kids who have the same schedule as my son, and with whom he gets along. I won’t presume to say that we’re all so fortunate, but many of us are, even the folks who feel isolated due to being a single parent, or are in the I’m-the-stay-at-home-parent-so-everybody-dumps-their-kids-with-me role.
Now this is touchy. In fact, I’m truly afraid of getting my ass kicked for saying this (metaphorically, of course).