Small Victories

I have only been a proud member of the mother hood club for 8 months, but I am already too familiar with motherhood guilt. That guilt you feel when you believe that you have let your spouse or kids down. When you feel as if you haven't accomplished enough in your day. 

I hate the guilt. I hate the unnecessary pressure that I put upon myself. The expectations that I feel like I am supposed to be living up to; expectations that aren't even coming from my own heart. 

I had to have a heart to heart talk with my father, God, about the pressure that I was feeling, and he placed upon my heart the words that He spoke in Genesis after He created the heavens and earth. "God saw all that he had made, and it was very good..." Genesis 1:31

That made me think. What if I lived my life that way? What if I found joy in the small things and celebrated what I had accomplished instead of lamenting what I hadn't been able to get done?

What if I didn't stress over the small things? What if I simply was thankful for waking up every morning? Thankful for my boys being alive, healthy, and happy?  I bet my days would go a lot smoother, I would probably get a lot more done, and have more peace, if I focused on the positive. 

So that is what I have been doing. I have been counting everything joy. I have been thankful for every accomplishment. Reveling in the small victories, because that is what life is all about. And so far, so far it has made my life so much more enjoyable. 

I Let T.V. Babysit My Kids Sometimes. So What.

When I was pregnant I made an idealistic, far from realistic, list of things that I was going to do and not going to do with my beloved double blessings. As many first time moms tend to do, I was very rigid in my stance and views on the way I was going to raise my children, and the things that I was going to allow them to do. 

On the top of my list I vowed to never let the television babysit my kids, especially at a young age. I always had a ridiculously self righteous view on this. My children were never going to sit glued to the tube. Never. 

Now I definitely do not think it is right for kids to sit in front of the television for hours, that is a definite no no, but I was viewing even small amounts of TV watching as unnecessary. 

Well after the twins popped out, my idealistic motherhood bubble was popped as well, as I began to discover the need to have a moment free to take a shower, and how two screaming babies can ruin a wonderful 10 minute shower time. 

This is when I discovered Comcast's OnDemand, (thanks mom for introducing this beautiful channel to me :) ) where there is a channel just for babies. Where 10 min Baby Genius shows, with songs and colors galore, are found. Where my twins learn 10 minutes of Espanol while I shower off baby spit up, dried up sweet potatoes and pears, and wipe all the breast milk spots off of my tired twin mom body. 

Who knew how glorious ten uninterrupted moments of time could help recharge your batteries and give you the extra push to jump full swing into loving and nurturing your little ones. Mom's have one of the toughest jobs on the planet, and we can get burned out way too easily sometimes. 

I suggest taking advantage of the telly every once in a while, because 10 minutes can turn a worn out, exhausted mommy, into a Disney princess, full of theme songs and laughter. 

iLove: Chai Tea

When I was a girl I had one goal and one goal only, for the most part, and that was to be a princess  lady with class. 

I read classy lady books, shout out to Louisa May Alcott for "Little Women", watched classy lady movies such as movies that had girl spies as the main character, wore classy lady clothes, which consisted of skirts and dresses, and wanted to ride my bike side saddle just like any classy gentlewoman would. 

My motto, right after "what would Jesus do?'

Anything that strikes me as classy, and speaks to my inner hippie, I immediately add it to my list of loves; which is why chai tea is a prominent fixture on that list.  

Ahh chai I doth love you so!

Is it because of its creamy decadence when milk is added and stirred in a clockwise motion? 

Is it because it has half the caffeine content of coffee and gives you an even range of energy, instead of rapidly spiking then dropping your energy level?

Is it because it centers my chi and makes me feel like I can take over the world?

Or is it because everytime I drink a cup I feel like I am Audrey Hepburn smoking a cigarette in one of those fancy cigarette holders? 

It is for all those reasons and more that I am the self proclaimed spokesperson for all things classy  chai.