Mom In Progress

I'll never cease to be amazed by the things we do for our children. We miss events, spend sleepless nights, go without, watch obnoxious children's television (have the Wiggles died their TV death yet?), and in one recent case of my own... caught vomit in my bare hands.

Fortunately, that is not the topic of this blog. For the love of my children, I went camping. There is something that seems simple about camping and somehow epitomizes the family vacation. I worried for weeks about all that could go wrong out in nature. I fixated on the amount of dirt that would be involved. I played through my mind the scenarios that could cause a trip to the ER. I envisioned meeting a bear or mountain lion on the trail. And, perhaps worst of all, I imagined the discomfort in which I would sleep.

I was right about two things for certain: lots of dirt and very little sleep.

I don't know if there is any single vacation plan the involves as much work as camping does, and it's the one thing ou…

We all do it, moms. The purse clean-out. It may come at the beginning of a new season when it's time to switch purses or at random. I was so entertained by the contents of my own purse that I thought I would share it. Apparently I would never survive on a deserted island, but at least I would look good with my lip gloss and nail polish in my final days!

Receipts galore (gas stations, fast food, restaurants, groceries, mega mart... you name it)
chewing gum
chewed gum
gum wrappers
lolly pop sticks (thank you First Bank)
crayons
toy cars
hair bands
lip gloss
nail polish
chip clip (???)
pills
sewing kit
Canadian money
other coins of all kinds
plane tickets
boarding passes
business cards
feminine goodies
keys (some I don't know what they open)
brochures
flyers (some of which were attached to windshield, unsolicited)
coloring pages
shopping lists (from months ago)
Bible
planner
water bottle
phone
scraps of paper... who's phone number was that now???
mirrors
plastic bags
batteries

This is honest to goodness what…

There is no shame in saying it: some times I just don't have the energy to deal with all that motherhood throws at me. Earlier this year, I read the blog of a fellow mother that inspired me to write these seven "mom tips" for the 21st century mother... we're no June Cleaver!

1. Do you like to use short cuts? As early in life as possible, convince the kids that homemade simply means you made it "at home."2. Want to feel good about helping to educate your kids? Spend a little educational time at the library. Everyone gets their own computer and you are guaranteed at least 30 minutes of relative quiet to read a magazine.3. Ironing to do? Hang the wrinkled item in a steamy shower of 5 minutes. If it's still not wearable, toss it in the hamper and wear something else.4. Have a housekeeper? I think the "don't ask, don't tell" rule applies. (No one needs to know...)5. Roasted chicken anyone? Here's my recipe: Drive to the deli. Purchase ho…

We had a mediocre dinner at a chain restaurant that will remain un-named. Frankly, you could fill in the blank with most chain restaurants and get the same result: mediocre.

Now there is something to be said for chains: you know what you are going to get almost anywhere in the country. But, if you are looking for excellent quality, home-town service, and local flavors you can't beat your local or family owned restaurants.

If you are a mom, going out to eat should be one of the highlights of your month... maybe the highlight of your week if you are lucky enough to eat out more often. But it's not just about you either. You want your family to have great tasting, healthy options to choose from. Not only that, but it feels great knowing that you are supporting your neighbors my heading to the local eatery.

Take some time to leave a comment and tell us about your favorite local spots, the flavors we'll experience, and the people you love there (whether that's the owners, serv…

Those who know me well probably realize this odd irony about me already. In fact, they may have not been so shocked by this oddity that they couldn't even call me on it. I am in fact, a strange combination of both planner and procrasitnator.

There are some things that I tend to plan for. For example, I usually have dentists appointments on the calendar 6 months in advance. If we are going to take a vacation, in general I like to have that thought through for more than a few days.

But then there is the spur of the moment that I absolutely live for. Even though we are already busy people and it doesn't always work out, I LOVE to get the phone call about the friend wondering if they can just swing by later or who would like some company for a trip to the store or the park.

I think life holds more excitement and satisfaction when I have the proper mix of planning and spur-of-the-moment. But here's my point: as most moms are looking a new school year square in the face (we're …

I made the errant decision to take one of those Facebook quizzes. If you visit FB, you know what I mean. "What decade do you belong in?" "What is your best name?" "What state should you live in?" These are all ridiculous questions, of course.

Obviously, what decade I belong in holds very little significance when I'm living, well... NOW.

But answering the questions made me think about the way we define ourselves. The questions were as trivial as my favorite beverage and as meaningful as how I would spend my final hours of life. No pressure.

But am I really defined by my favorite drink or the way I spend money or my preference of music? Well, probably. Some are more revealing than others, but I cannot extricate myself from these things that when combined and churned through the years of my life make me who I am.

And here I am, a mom, with the life of my children in my hands. Who do I want them to be? How do I want them to spend their time? What do I want th…

I was standing over a sink full of dirty dishes again and wishing I was doing something else. Been there? My guess is you have. Maybe your bane wasn't dirty dishes, but piles of laundry, a stack of bills, or yet another poopy diaper.

Somewhere along the way I got tired of the sulking and depression that was always looming over my mundane tasks. I began to realize that if my sink was empty it would mean I had not cooked for anyone. Or when I looked at the puddle of pee from my recently potty-trained three year old son, I couldn't help but be glad for him in spite of the mess. And the piles of laundry, although daunting, meant that there was life being lived around me.

Do you see what I am trying to say??? It's time to be thankful! Please try this at home.

The next time you are wallowing in pity about the hours of work involved in raising children or loving your husband, remember to be thankful for them. There are plenty of things to be thankful is you just stop and give yourse…