For me, the absolute most freeing thing that has ever happened in parenting happened just recently.
I am a very Type A personality. I like to know how things work, I like to be good at what I do. So, when I became a parent, I knew I was going to be good at it. I had been babysitting my whole life, read tons of books, had many great examples. HA!
I mean, don't get me wrong, I think I'm a pretty great mom(said in complete humility) but there was a lot I did not know. In fact, sometimes I want to go back about a decade and smack myself. However, I was very confident in my ability to care for and provide for my children as infants and toddlers. It's my absolute favorite stage of childhood.
So recently, when our oldest hit the big 13 I was ready to hit the panic button. There was a lot going on anyways and I thought I was going to be totally cool with it; but I found myself literally crying in prayer one day begging God for the confidence to parent my children through adolescence that I had when they were babies. Every decision seemed to be carrying so much more weight with it. It was way more life altering than what brand of diapers and what kind of craft or snack. These decisions seemed bigger. I just kept saying to myself, I don't want to mess this up.
AND THEN, IT HAPPENED...
You know that inaudible, but deafeningly clear voice of the holy spirit? Yep. It said "don't you know that I love them way more than you do? You can't mess them up and even if you do, I'm there to pick them up."
WOW!!
I mean really, we all know this, right? But have you had the moment where it becomes real yet?
In that instant I just felt so much relief from needing to do everything perfectly, because guess what?!? God's strength is made perfect in my weakness. So sometimes, maybe instead of internalizing all of the mistakes I make in parenting, I should own then. Apologize to my kids and let them see me fail, because I don't want them growing up thinking that everything in life has to be perfect or we are failures. To let them know, that there will be times in life that I have the best of intentions but I don't live up to my calling, or I make the wrong decision, and that's okay, because God is forgiving, and we all make mistakes.
I can't count the times that I have sat and cried, to God, and to Kevin... "I'm failing at everything. I'm trying to do it all for everyone and now I'm not good at any of it. I'm too tired to do it well. I'm a failure". I'm really hoping I'm not the only mom whose been there. I'm here to tell you, that your probably not failing. The only failure is in not trying!
Our kids need to know, that as much as we love them, God loves them so much more.
They need to see us make mistakes and own up to them.
They need to know that when they make mistakes they can come to us, and God with them.
This concept not only blew my mind this week, but also the minds of my 7 and 4 year old. When I told them that I loved them, but that God loved them even more than I did, they were in shock.
"That's too much love mommy. No one can love us more than you do."
I know baby, it's hard to believe, but it's true. God loves you and God loves mommy, and God loves teaching mommy how to love you more and more, everyday.
"God's a good teacher mommy."
Yes, yes he is...
Monday, January 28, 2019
Sunday, January 20, 2019
Shaving cream to remove urine smell
Alright #boymom friends...
I know you've all seen it and wondered if it worked so I'm trying it out for us all.
Pinterest says that shaving cream around the toilet will get rid of the urine smell and keep your bathroom from smelling like a truck stop urinal. So I'm trying and I'll review it when I'm done!
Lord please it work!
I've seen this quite a few time recently on pinterest, but never actually read what it said. The house that we recently bought only has one full bath which means that the main bathroom is essentially the kids bathroom, and Kevin and I have a half bath in our room. This means we shower and bath in the main bathroom.
I went in a few nights ago after a really stressful day, with my diet coke, bath salts, and lavender EO. I started the water, slid into the bath, but unfortunately lavender is not what I was smelling. I mean why do we place toilets and bathtubs next to each other at the same level anyways?!?
I thought to myself "that's it. I'm trying the shaving cream!"
I have my own cleaning business, I know most of the tips and tricks for a good deep clean, but for whatever reason, this porous tile that is in this bathroom just seems to hold onto that disgusting smell. So, what the heck, it can't hurt anything to try.
The next day when I went to the store I got a bottle of #Gillette foamy regular shave foam. It cost me a whole $1.89(because they were out of the store band for $.99)
So for inquiring minds(or desperate moms who are sick of smelling urine), there you have it!
I know you've all seen it and wondered if it worked so I'm trying it out for us all.
Pinterest says that shaving cream around the toilet will get rid of the urine smell and keep your bathroom from smelling like a truck stop urinal. So I'm trying and I'll review it when I'm done!
Lord please it work!
I've seen this quite a few time recently on pinterest, but never actually read what it said. The house that we recently bought only has one full bath which means that the main bathroom is essentially the kids bathroom, and Kevin and I have a half bath in our room. This means we shower and bath in the main bathroom.
I went in a few nights ago after a really stressful day, with my diet coke, bath salts, and lavender EO. I started the water, slid into the bath, but unfortunately lavender is not what I was smelling. I mean why do we place toilets and bathtubs next to each other at the same level anyways?!?
I thought to myself "that's it. I'm trying the shaving cream!"
I have my own cleaning business, I know most of the tips and tricks for a good deep clean, but for whatever reason, this porous tile that is in this bathroom just seems to hold onto that disgusting smell. So, what the heck, it can't hurt anything to try.
The next day when I went to the store I got a bottle of #Gillette foamy regular shave foam. It cost me a whole $1.89(because they were out of the store band for $.99)
So... this is what we started with...
You see that tan tile, with darker tan grout? I mean we all know that every time that pee hits the floor in runs all the way across the bathroom, using those grout lines as a highway to find the low spot, that I will always step in! EWWWW!
So, I sprayed the foamy cream all in the grout lines, along the whole bottom of the toilet, and all around about a 3 foot by 4 foot area. I went and found an old spatula and spread it all around on the tile in a thin coat(you couldn't see the tile through the shaving cream).
I left it for 2 hours, locked the door, and instructed everyone to use the other bathroom for the time being.
Now, I scooped all of the top layer up off the floor and rinsed it in the bathtub. Then used a rag to scrub the thin layer that was left off. This was not a tidy scenario. It was quite the messy project.
All worth it for what it uncovered... that tile is actually cream, and that grout is actually light tan. Mind you, that bathroom gets wiped down daily and gets deep cleaned once a week. I was blown away.
End result, the bathroom smells like a freshly shaved man, 24 hours later. The tile looks AMAZING and now I have to do the other 2/3 of the floor so it will match.
Would I do this frequently?
NO
It was not worth the mess for it to be a weekly project; however, every 3-6 months for a really deep clean it might be a keeper.
That being said, I kind of want to try it in my shower because that will be easier to rinse with the shower wand.
So for inquiring minds(or desperate moms who are sick of smelling urine), there you have it!
Wednesday, January 9, 2019
Our Chiari Journey
It's always a humbling and "fearful" thing to stand in the room of a person who literally held your child's life in their hands.
Makes me nervous everytime.
It wasnt a case assigned to her, she could have been having a bad day and not been alert when walking through radiology 10 years ago, but God orchestrated her presence at the right time, when Carsons images were lit and she found his(at the time) very rare malformation for an infant. After 11 months of searching for answers, she had them.
She gets a ton of reverential fear in my book.
Kind of made me thing of the way we should revere God who holds our life in his hands, even more so than a brain surgeon.
Today, we got to see her again and left with hugs and relief. She says Carsons MRI looks amazing, no need to worry about another surgery at this point.
Anything else that may be causing his symptoms is small beans in comparison to this so we are very relieved.
We will still see many specialist in the coming months but just knowing it isnt Chiari is enough for now.
We will forever be indebted to Dr. Ackerman and her thoroughness.
We can not speak more highly of her!
She printed Carson pictures for fun and I added notes so you can tell what your looking at!
Makes me nervous everytime.
It wasnt a case assigned to her, she could have been having a bad day and not been alert when walking through radiology 10 years ago, but God orchestrated her presence at the right time, when Carsons images were lit and she found his(at the time) very rare malformation for an infant. After 11 months of searching for answers, she had them.
She gets a ton of reverential fear in my book.
Kind of made me thing of the way we should revere God who holds our life in his hands, even more so than a brain surgeon.
Today, we got to see her again and left with hugs and relief. She says Carsons MRI looks amazing, no need to worry about another surgery at this point.
Anything else that may be causing his symptoms is small beans in comparison to this so we are very relieved.
We will still see many specialist in the coming months but just knowing it isnt Chiari is enough for now.
We will forever be indebted to Dr. Ackerman and her thoroughness.
We can not speak more highly of her!
She printed Carson pictures for fun and I added notes so you can tell what your looking at!
Now healthy brain
11 years old
Unhealthy, squished brain
11 months old
Friday, January 4, 2019
Be the support that you will someday need
Read this quote today...
"I wanted to bring her back, to have her arrive from wherever she was inside of herself and see me, sitting across from her, waiting patiently.
To me it was the perfect picture of anxiety or depression and it's effects on families and relationships.
Watching the person you love, slip away, into a place inside themselves, and they are still physically there but they are not present at all.
I know that Kevin and I have both experienced this at times throughout our relationship.
It's a hard road to travel, but one that's not meant to be traveled alone.
Be that person who is waiting patiently for them to come out of themselves, no matter how they try to push you away, because someday, you'll need them to be that person for you.
#stopthestigma
"I wanted to bring her back, to have her arrive from wherever she was inside of herself and see me, sitting across from her, waiting patiently.
To me it was the perfect picture of anxiety or depression and it's effects on families and relationships.
Watching the person you love, slip away, into a place inside themselves, and they are still physically there but they are not present at all.
I know that Kevin and I have both experienced this at times throughout our relationship.
It's a hard road to travel, but one that's not meant to be traveled alone.
Be that person who is waiting patiently for them to come out of themselves, no matter how they try to push you away, because someday, you'll need them to be that person for you.
#stopthestigma
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