Mamas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Rude, Impolite Bullies.

I often chose to use my blog as a place to preserve joy and memories to always have to look back on and for my girls to cherish as they grow older.  I like to use Haus of Girls as a place to encourage, enlighten and give hope to other moms that are busy, multi-tasking and, at times, overwhelmed,  just like myself.

But today I feel the need to write about a few things that have been weighing heavy on my heart as I often find myself looking around at the next generation of children with great sadness.  

I want to reach out to other moms and encourage them to be the best they can be.
To not give up and throw in the towel just because this is what society is telling you to do.

Everywhere I look, parents seem to be filling their children with things, PRESENTS.
However, what your children need is your PRESENCE.  For you to be there. 
For you to WANT to be there.

Everyday I see the lack of PRESENCE in so many kids’ lives that is leaves me speechless.
Therefor, I type.

I type to any and all who will read and make a change to be a better parent. 
Our future needs you to step up to the plate and raise kind, loving members of society who FEEL LOVED.
Not self-centered children who are desperate for attention and love seeking it in all the wrong places, pushing others down to get ahead in life, struggling to discover who they are by bullying and being cruel.

If more parents took the time to invest in their children’s lives and spirit, rather than investing in their wardrobe, fancy cars or image, I would have hope for our future.  But unfortunately, that is all I see around me.   Sad, overwhelmed, unfulfilled adults unable to emotionally fulfill their duties as a parent.  Leaving their sweet children in the dust. 

Remember the song, “Mamas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys?”
I feel like my message, if it were a song, would be “Mamas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Rude, Impolite Bullies.”

Our future depends on all you moms and dads.
Invest in raising your children to be good, kind and loving human beings.

A fun thing that I did to bring back old school politeness earlier this summer was a politeness marble jar.
Every time I hear one of my girls being polite, especially saying “yes ma’am” rather than the awful, “yea” or “uh-huh” I give them a marble in their special jar.  Once it’s filled they get to pick out a prize.
They love when I catch them being polite and the sound of the marble dropping into the glass jar.
It reinforces positive behavior in a fun way rather than always harping on their bad behavior.

It has worked really well for our family.  One day this past fall, a teacher that works at my big girls’ school ran into my Mom at the salon.  When she found out that Sophie was her granddaughter, she referred to her as the “most polite little girl in the school.” 

This made me so proud.
Proud of the way my girls represent our family and what we stand for.
Proud that they choose to make good choices, even in a world that makes it so easy not to do so.
Proud that Steve and I have made it our first priority to instill behaviors in our children that effect everyone around them in a positive uplifting way.

Since I spend my days surrounded by children, I know how wonderful it feels when a child is respectful, polite and kind to me, as well as their friends.  When I hand them something and hear the sweetest, “thank you, Marta!” it makes my day.

Today, I am challenging you to bring back the basics in life that are meaningful and reintroduce them to your children and home.  For example, teaching your children the importance of treating adults with kindness and respect, not being rude and playing on your phone during a family get together,  writing thank you notes,  showing people love rather than an attitude, saying please and thank you and overall being happy for others.

Where have these things gone? 

I like to dream about growing up in the 1950’s when life was simpler. 
Like in “Back to the Future.” Best movie ever. 
Life was not about things.
People cared about others, not just themselves…except Biff. 
Mamas raised their children to be respectful, thoughtful and kind, not self-centered and superficial only caring about the latest and greatest iPhone.  Barf.

Stop and think about who you want your children to become rather than what makes your life easier in the moment.  Raising loving and kind children is not easy, but it’s worth the extra effort in the end when you look back at your life when you’re 85 years old sitting in a rocking chair.

Sure handing them a video game or phone keeps them entertained and makes your life less stressful for the moment.  But will it truly create happy and whole human beings?

In the end you will ask yourself “Did I give my children enough love and encouragement and the tools needed to be good people? To be a good friend not a bully? To be an encourager not a spirit breaker?”

I’ve worked with children for five years in my home and have had my own children for almost eight years.
What I have noticed over the years is heartbreaking.
Broken spirits, sad and snippy children who aren’t respectful to their parents or adults, unhappiness that leads to putting down other children. 
I’ve seen this all first hand.  With my own eyes.  When I see a “friend” of my daughter’s put them down for liking something that they don’t like anymore because “it’s for babies”,  or arguing about something they know nothing about because they are just crabby and sad, it breaks my heart for our future and for my daughters.  I want them to surround themselves with positive happy loving friends.  But I often wonder, are there any of these left for them?

Luckily I had three of them, my sisters, and needed not to search far. 
I am so thankful my girls have each other.  But, maybe this can be a wake up call to all the parents to make a change.  It’s NEVER to late to start. 
Politeness boot camp, talking with them about the true meaning of living a life filled with happiness and being a GOOD FRIEND. 

I say this everyday to my girls as they leave me, BE A GOOD FRIEND.

I am creating a challenge to encourage more parents to do the same.
Let’s do all WE can to stop bullying and hurtful behavior and words. 
Take it upon yourself to be a better role model and encourager of the kind of behavior you should expect from your children.  Don’t let them get lost in the shuffle. 

Too many children are being hurt with words these days.
Smashing spirits has become a new hobby.  It was not like this when I was growing up. 
Let’s change this bullying, sassy, impolite epidemic.  It starts with you.

So please won’t you join me?

What are a few things you could change in your home to encourage better behavior from your children?
Maybe it’s as simple as opening the lines of communication about how important it is to treat people kindly?
Or that words and negative comments are just as hurtful as physically hitting someone.

Link up your posts on this and let’s make a difference in 2012.

They are watching you.

Just in case it slipped your mind, they are watching your every move.
They want to be just like you, act like you, treat people like you do, say the things you do.
You are their first teacher. 
Remember this always.

I was happily reminded of this fact as I watched Gracie “reading” one afternoon…

 

I wonder where she learned this cool “turn the pages better” trick?

I Feel Pretty…Unpretty

 

The girls and I love Glee. 
Well, what I should say is that the girls and I love music. 
Therefore,  we love watching Glee.
We love hearing all the fun ways our favorite songs are interpreted and transformed. 
We grab the nearest microphones (hairbrushes, pens, etc.) and belt out along with the television.   
The “mash up” below was on a couple weeks ago and I loved the message it conveyed. 

Being from a very un-plastic surgerized family, it seems so foreign and creepy.  But at the same time, I know that the majority of other people I meet have most likely had something “changed.” 
Don’t get me wrong, I am totally a supporter of making the most of the medically advanced world we live in today, and there are so many people who need and deserve to alter their appearance.  I just had my vein lasered remember?  That was awesome. 
And who wouldn’t love to change their “flap jacks” for boobs after breast feeding three girls in less that four years?  (The inflation and deflation that occurred so rapidly in such a short amount of time is mind boggling!)

But, I truly feel so sad that the world we live in today forces so many people to feel that they must change things about themselves on the outside to conform to what society thinks is beautiful, instead of embracing what God gave you.  Valuing what you inherited from your parents, rather than looking for ways to change it.  

It took me awhile to accept that I would always, for the rest of my life,  when entering a room,  be one of the tallest people in there.  The stares, comments and glances at my shoes to see how high the heels were, have always made me feel a bit embarrassed.  But I know that I can never change it and that it’s just the way I’m supposed to be.  I embrace it and stick to wearing flats.  :) 

Now having three daughters of my own,  I struggle trying to balance what I teach them about the importance of beauty.  I want to tell them how beautiful they are so that they know they are perfect just the way they are.  Encouraging the growth of their self esteem so that they never feel insecure being who God made them.  Hoping to enhance their confidence.  But I also don’t want to put so much value in the outside appearance.  I want them to always know that the most important thing in life is to treat people kindly and with respect.  Being a good friend is so much more important than being a pretty friend.  


Do you tell them how beautiful they are, or does that only stress that beauty is important?
If you don’t tell them they are pretty and perfect, does that inhibit the growth of their self esteem and confidence? 
What a balancing act.

“My outsides are cool.  My insides are blue…..

You can buy your hair if it won’t grown. 
You can fix your nose if he says so. 
You can buy all the makeup that man can make, but if you can’t look inside you, find out who am I to be in the position to make me feel so damn unpretty.”

All I can hope for are three confident daughters who know who they are.
Three daughters who don’t feel they need to be someone else to fit in.
Three daughters with high self-esteem and positive feelings about themselves, because in the end, each one of us will be old and wrinkly one day (no matter how much Botox you inject)  and will most likely think back to our youth and wish we would have loved ourselves, imperfections and all, a little bit more.  
After all, when you compare what you have at age 90 to what you once had, you will realize just how beautiful and perfect we really were!  

So how about not waiting until your 90 years old to realize just how lucky you are to be you and be grateful for what God has given you.  Don’t waste any precious time unhappy with the things you can’t change, because in the end your nose and chin mean nothing at all.  

I feel that if everyone stopped focusing on the negative things you wish you could change, and simply focused on being the best/happy/healthiest YOU you can be, our world would be a much happier place.

 

Haus of Drama

The past week or so have been hectic, filled with drama and exhausting.
I feel bad complaining when there are so many other more important, sad, terrifying things going on in the world. 
My broken washing machine means nothing in the grand scheme of things and I really don’t like to use this blog as a place to gripe.

However, I also feel like I’d like to document the Debbie Downer moments, just as much as all the happy things we have to share and celebrate.
I think of it as, keeping it real.
Because we all know, life is not always sunshine and daffodils. 
That would be too easy.

Something that truly has not been easy for our family for the past year or so and that is actually very real and serious to us, is our oldest daughter Mia’s health.

Last January through May, when she was in Kindergarten, she was constantly sick. 
It went something like this.
Ear infection… sinus infection… strep throat.
Then sinus infection…strep throat…ear infection.  

{Watching Aunt Maggie play at Purdue University last Spring.}

All while we were road tripping the country watching my youngest sister Maggie play softball for the University of Michigan several times a month.   
I think back and feel awful for what she must have been going through. Not feeling 100%, but being such a trooper.  She rarely even said her ears or throat hurt, but when she went in to see if her previous infection was better, it usually turned out that she already had another infection.

We finally had her blood tested, since the only time she was infection free was when she was on an antibiotic, to see if there was something going on with her immune system. 
Sure enough there was.

She had very low levels of one of the five antibodies that all of us have to help us stay healthy by fighting off foreign things, such as bacteria or viruses. 
The one she was low on, is the IgG class of antibodies, which just so happens to be the most predominant one we have.  Most of the antibodies in the blood and the fluid that bathes the tissues and cells of the body are of the IgG class.

{Last summer at her first appointment with the immunologist. On her 6th birthday.}

She saw an immunologist in July and was given another vaccination (one that all babies get) to see if her immune system would respond and produce the antibodies she was low on to defend itself.  Thankfully, it did just that!  This means her immune system is functioning.   
We were so happy that her levels were back to normal and she has been healthy up until recent weeks.
She had strep and then a double ear infection and another sinus infection.
Once again, no fevers, no complaining.  Just a bit of a headache.

I am so glad we took her in because we have learned that her levels have dropped again and unfortunately she must be on antibiotics for the next few months to keep her healthy. 
30 days on. 10 days off.  30 days on.  10 days off. 
A journey we are still unsure of and praying that everything will work out in the end.  Praying her little immune system will grow strong and overcome this.  

After reading this blog written by a mom of a little boy who suffers from the exact immune deficiency as Mia, I found myself discouraged and in a fog.  What this little boy has been through is so upsetting.  A life with such trials and tribulations.  I can’t begin to imagine.   

However, my hopes were heightened after talking with a mom at the girls’ dance studio whose daughter suffered with the exact thing as Mia since she was one year old.  She is now seventeen and is perfectly healthy!  She did have to have infusions, through a port near the heart, of the IgG antibodies from age one to ten, but by ten her immune system was strong enough to not need the infusions!

So we continue to pray and hope for the best for our sweet Mia taking it one day at a time.  Sometimes feeling so in the dark, and others feeling extremely positive and thankful that we are happy to know what her situation is and that’s it’s a manageable issue, even if it means that she must endure infusions at some point. 

As if Mia’s health is not enough, we have had many other drama filled adventures the past few weeks.  What you ask?

For example, I came home from preschool to a flooded laundry room.
Our ten year old washing machine was a goner.

And after a week with no washing machine, I can finally do laundry in my own home again.  Thank you to all who allowed us to lug our dirty clothes over to do a few loads. You saved this mom’s sanity for sure.

And the list goes on…

-Sophie’s brand new birthday Barbie’s wing broke. 
Drama.

-I have been caring for some sick children this week, while trying to also take care of five healthy ones.
Drama.
Snot sucks.  Pity party.  Bring on summer.

-If you recall this post, I chose to have a vein lasered in my leg and I am unfortunately still limping around like a weirdo.
Drama.

-Our trampoline was picked up in a recent storm/tornado and ended up on our roof.  We flipped it over to see if was still functional, and it’s definitely not.  The girls are sad.
Drama.

-It snowed on Monday.
Then Thursday is was 83 degrees and sunny.
My sinuses want to explode.
Drama.

-I watched my cat barf on the top of my Suburban yesterday.
Awesome Drama.

-I drove off Wednesday night in a tizzy to get my three girls to dance on time, along with our neighbor’s little girl, with my iPhone on my bumper.
Drama.

*Luckily I have so many awesome and generous people in my life, and thanks to one of them, my friend Kristy Bradley, I now have a new iPhone! She gave me her old one and I am so thankful to be back in the cell phone loop.  How did I ever survive without an iPhone?

-And finally, the finale…we woke up this morning, the start of Steve and the girls’ Spring Break, to find and smell about 15 piles of dog poop upstairs. 
Green none the less, in honor of St. Patrick’s Day.
We now have a sick Gussie dog.  I am wondering if she ate something last night in the back yard as they were outside for about five hours celebrating the nice 80 degree weather.  
Drama.   

Thank goodness I have so many fun and positive things to lighten my spirits as life gets dramatic….

Like these two bucket heads….

who may or may not be princesses as well…

a sleep-talking ducky-on-the-head-wearing crazy kid…

bowling beauties…

a Sophie Cat in the Hat….

and sisters who go line dancing with me.

Life doesn’t get any better than that.

 

PS I need some hair help.
Here it is now.  Long.  Too witch like?

 

This is what I would love to do. 
My sister Haley sent me this picture and I stole it to use as an idea for my hair. 
Thank God for sisters.

What do you all think?
To cut or not to cut?

Have a great weekend!

Why My Kids Sleep

When I hear parents talking about their difficulties
in getting their babies & children to go to sleep, stay asleep,
or having their child wake up at the crack of dawn, I can't help but cringe.

I feel, being a parent is difficult enough as it is, but the thought of screaming fits every night as bedtime approaches or waking up super early to a crying child makes ME want to cry.

For me, life has enough stressors.
Sleeping should NOT be one.

But to answer a question I have been asked a time or two,
why do my kids sleep?
It's very simple. 
They sleep for the very same reason that they say please and thank you. The same reason why they do not hit people,
throw things in my house, or jump on furniture.
The same reason they don't run in the house,
say nasty things to people, or throw their food at the dinner table.  We taught them.

A concept I feel many parents overlook in regards to being such an important tool for any child to learn.
A healthy independence if you will.
Something they will have to do the rest of their lives.
Like brushing their teeth or getting dressed.
As a parent, it is your job to teach them these things.
It always puzzles me why parents don't take teaching their children healthy sleep habits more seriously.
To me, it’s one of the most important things you can teach your child!

Steve and I have tried to teach our three girls (and are always in the process of teaching) them correct way to behave, in our opinion, politely, kindly, and lovingly. This goes the same for teaching your child how to sleep.

I always say that your baby comes out of your belly knowing
NOTHING.  So it’s your job as a parent is to teach them how  want them to behave.
If you WANT them to get up at 3:00 am and come in your room and sleep in your bed with you, then bring them in to your bed.  I, however, did not want this.
I wanted the stress free nights of having my girls each go to sleep in their own cozy beds so they could get enough sleep and be healthy.

If you want your children to get up 20 times every night, that’s fine and totally up to you. No judgment.
If you want to get up at 4:00 am to a crying baby, that’s your choice. Again, no judgment.
I, however, wanted none of the above.
So I made it happen.
I'm the parent.
I'm in charge.
And I definitely not claiming to be an expert, by any means.
But I am a Mommy and know what’s best for my children and my sanity.  

When it came to getting my babies to sleep, from the minute I had my first little girl Mia, it all came very easily to me. 
So I want to share with you, a few tips I have learned in the past six years.
I feel that if I can have three sleeping beauties, anyone can!

First of all, I feel I taught my girls that sleep was something everyone does & it's FUN!  From day one, (like first day in the hospital!) sleeping was part of our everyday routine.
Something they anticipated every day for nap and
every night at bedtime.
Something positive.
No drama.

This is just what I created for our home.
I can literally count on one hand the nights I have had any issues with any of my girls not wanting to go to sleep in the past six years.  One hand. 
And almost all of those were when they weren't feeling well or when our Elf on a Shelf was visiting from the North Pole and freaked them out a bit.

I can also count on one hand how many times any of my three girls have gotten up in the middle of the night. Once again, it's mostly been when they weren't feeling well.

And although I am so proud of my mommy accomplishments as it’s made for such a joyous journey, I’m not here to brag.
I am simply here to share a few tips on what I did to make it happen, after several requests from family and friends, in hopes to help even just one other mommy.  I will walk you through our routine from day one.  If you have any questions, please feel free to leave me a comment below.  I’m happy to help in any way!

Newborns…

1. Pacifiers.
I can’t even begin to stress these magical creations.  I care for 6-7 other children in my home during the day and the difference in the sleeping success of babies  with no pacifier to the babies that suck away is night and day.
Babies have a natural instinct to suck.  I compare it to when you have an itch.  You then have the natural urge to scratch it.  Well, imagine the annoyance if you couldn’t scratch it.  Let 'em suck is my favorite phrase.   Babies that use these time-tested baby soothers cut the risk of sudden infant death syndrome, or SIDS, by 90 percent. 90 percent! That is reason enough to let ‘em suck, in my opinion!

2. Start from day one.
The minute you get home from the hospital, set up their sleep space.  Never put your baby there to just chill or play.  It is only for sleeping.  We put all three of our girls in our bedroom for 12 weeks in a the bassinet of a pack and play.  On their 3 month birthday they permanently moved into their crib in their own rooms.  A simple routine like this makes everything run smoothly.  Have a plan and a goal.  It helps in every aspect.  The more calm and collected you are, the more calm and happy your baby is. 

3.  Swaddle.
Babies come out of your small belly where they felt all cozy and snuggled up.  Such an abrupt change in scenery can be a bit overwhelming to some babies.  Snuggle them up in a swaddler every time for naps and nighttime.  It will trigger a signal that it’s time to sleep.  Remember, it’s a learned process and this helps with the greater picture in my opinion.

Gracie, three days old here with Mia, all swaddled up.

4.  Sound machine.
I lovey, love, love the Sleep Sheep.  If you don’t have it, get it.  Having your baby fall asleep to the sound of rain or the ocean is fantastic.  Plus, I see it as another “signal” that accompanies sleep time.  They will soon learn to incorporate the swaddle and sound machine as triggers that it is sleep time.  It’s all about routine.

Bigger Babies…

5. Do not feed your baby in the middle of the night.
Now, obviously this does not apply to newborns! They NEED the nutrition to grow for the first two months.  But, in my opinion, after around 8 weeks, they do not need to eat in the middle of the night to survive and nourish.   If you teach them that when they cry then get up and get to eat with mom, guess what they will do every night?  Cry for mom.  Boo.
Remember the big picture when it gets tough.  You are teaching them the way you want them to behave.  If you want them go cry at 3 am for food every night, then keep feeding them.  I did not.  I wanted to teach them that we, in this Haus of Girls, sleep until, at least, 7 am.  Harsh, I know.  But guess what? This is just what all three of my girls did.  Around 5/6 weeks, all three of my babies slept through the night.  I did a final midnight feeding usually, because I am a night owl, and they learned to sleep until 6/7 am every morning.  I frequently see a lot of moms putting their children to bed too early, in my opinion.  You can’t expect a child to even be ready for bed at 6:30 pm, much less sleep all the way until 7 am the next morning.   That is most likely too long of a stretch for most young babies.    

6.  Have a sleep and feeding schedule.
This, in my opinions, is so important.  Your baby needs to sleep and eat a certain amount each day.  One day is twenty four hours.  So try to set up a schedule when they will eat and sleep within the twenty four hours.  Don’t just fly by the seat of your pants and randomly lay them down or feed them just because they are crying.  I see so many moms that do this.  No judgment, but if you shove a bottle or boob in their face every time they cry, aren’t you teaching them that if they cry then get food? Yes you are!  Only feed them when they are hungry.  Otherwise they will never get truly full and just snack every hour.  Awful.  Set a goal like every 4 hours.  This was always my time allowance.  So I would know that they would eat when they woke up in the morning around 6/7.  Then again between 10/11.  Then between 2/3.  Then between 6/7.  And then one final time before bed at around 11.  If you can stick to a schedule like this, it makes your day so much more manageable and organized.  At least it did for me!  That way they were definitely hungry when it was time to eat.  They would eat a lot each meal and get full.  Full equals satisfied.  Satisfied equals happy.  Happy baby equals a happy mommy.

 Gracie was the happiest baby in town.

 

And as they get older…

7.  Stick to your guns.. routine rules.
As your babies get bigger and grow into a more opinionated wanna be rule breaking toddlers, stick to your guns. 
Bedtime is bedtime.  There is no talking their way out of it.  There is no crying their way out of it.  If you give in once, they learn super fast that it worked and will continue to try over and over.  This is no fun for anyone.  It makes my head hurt just thinking about it.  If they scream and cry when you put them to bed, they will stop.  However, if you get them out when they cry, they will not stop.  You have only reinforced their crying power!  After your bedtime routine of bath, brushing teeth and reading a story, it’s time to get into bed.  No ifs, ands, or buts about it.  Ever!  Don’t let them wander around the house and fall asleep where they want to.  This is chaos for their brains. They will learn, as you are clearly teaching them, that getting in their own special bed, is not an option.  Just like it’s not an option whether or not they have to put clothes on to go to school.  They learn the ways of the world, even though they might not always like them, and realize they must abide. 

8. Once you are in bed, you stay there until morning.
This is a fan favorite.  I have used this since the girls transferred into big girl beds.  Once we get into bed, we must never get up, except if we have to go potty.  But since we always go potty right before getting into bed, this should never really occur.  Do not every allow them to get up and wander.  This does not enforce the rules of bedtime and structure needed to have a smooth sailing night.  I have three girls so the thought of putting them all to bed and then having the three of them get up as they please to roam the house, looking for snacks, or playing with their dolls really stresses me out.  It will never happen. 

Sophie, at 22 months, loved having a friend to sleep with.

9.  Never ever allow them to get up and get in your bed to sleep. 
I know some parents are into co-sleeping, and that’s fine.  Steve and I, however, are not into that.  We are into everyone sleeps in their own special space called a bed.  I wanted my girls to learn, from day one, that there are boundaries.  I don’t barge in and sleep in their bed whenever I want to, therefore, they should not come into our room and bed whenever they want to.  I don’t take their special new toys and start playing with them without asking, so they should not do the same with our things.  It’s about respect and acknowledging that other people, besides themselves, have feelings that matter.  After dedicating our whole life to caring and loving for our children and allowing them to enjoy anywhere they want in our home, I feel that there has to be ONE space that is just for  Mommy and Daddy.  Our bed is that place.  Plus, once you allow them sleep with you, they will come to rely on you in order to fall asleep.  I believe in teaching children to fall asleep on their own.  Such an important tool! 

10.  Find a system that works best for you!
Most importantly, every family should figure out a plan of what will work best for them.  No two families are alike.   But realize that babies learn everything from you.   If you want them to sleep in or sleep longer, you really must teach them these things by not feeding them every time they cry or getting them up super early in the morning if it’s not time to get up.  Rules and structure give children a higher self esteem and confidence by allowing them to feel comfortable having a sense of what to expect next!

Have a happy sleep-filled Thursday! 

Our Version of a Hoe Down Throw Down

Every once in awhile Steve and I get to sneak away from Haus of Girls to have a night out sans kids. More often than ever before due to the fact that we have found the best babysitter we could ever dream of, Carly.

Her family recently moved here from Wisconsin and we couldn’t be more thankful for their sweet daughter who often comes and hangs out with our girls for an evening. She is a such a blessing to us, as we have always found it difficult to ask others to care for our girls just so we could do out and do something. It always felt so selfish.
Maybe because I’ve always taken care of them and feel that it’s my number one job, or maybe because we’ve always had a baby. Three babies in under four years is non stop fun but it’s also non stop diapers, bottles, learning to crawl and walk, childproofing, potty training and more.
So much to just pawn off onto others. At least it was for us.

However, Steve and I have just entered a new chapter in our lives.
A chapter than has left the cribs, diapers, childproofing and bottles in the dust. We have three potty trained, big girl bed sleeping, rule following, funny girls.
So now, it is not as difficult to ask someone to watch our girls and get a night out. Especially when you have a girl like Carly to call. She always happily walks four houses over, with her huge tub of Barbie dolls, and the girls smile from ear to ear.

This is just what happened last Saturday night.
We ventured out, without the girls, to a yummy Mexican restaurant with my parents, their good friends of over 30 years Janet and Nelson, along with their hilarious son Kevin and his wife Mary.
After dinner we headed over to a local line-dancing phenomenon called Stovall’s Grove.
Best. Place. Ever. if you ask me.

Stovall’s Grove is a family owned bar that has been around for years. My mom actually went to high school with some of the Stovall’s.
We had so much fun that I’m pretty sure Stovall’s will be a once a month occurrence in the future. Here are some pictures from the night…. 

Kevin may or may not have brought his cowboy hat for the occasion.

My dad had to borrow it a few times.

Steve twirled me around the dance floor, literally.

Who took these with my camera? I had no idea until I uploaded them today.

My mom and dad sharing one of several pee-in-my-pants-style stories.
Seriously. The stories they, along with Janet and Nelson, were telling that night made Steve and I cry laugh.

Kevin and Mary working the dance floor.

My dad and Mary trying a fun step. I think it was called the eleven step, thanks to my sisters’ friend Ashly, whom they went to high school with, I now know how to do it. Holla!

Kevin and my mom dominating.

However, the best dancer of the evening was, by far, Janet.
She had mad skills. I am jealous.

But don’t worry, a flyer on that big post on the right said that they have lessons starting soon. Adie, Haley and Maggie, we must take lessons.

And finally, I conclude with a stellar photo of Kevin “the stud” Glock and Ashly. Love this. And love that Ashly is a self-proclaimed Haus of Girls stalker. What a doll. I’m so happy we ran into her and that she took the time to teach this horrid dancer some moves.

Happy Hoe Down Throw Down Tuesday to all!

Flashback Friday- Mia’s Makeup Fun

Evidently, when Mia was just a teeny tiny two year old, back in 2006, she thought she was a makeup artist.
Several times within a just a few days I might add.

Or it could have simply been the result of Steve and I having our hands a bit full with an adventurous two year old, a six month old baby, all while moving ourselves into our new home…two days after Christmas! What were we thinking?

Either way you look at it, these pictures bring back happy, messy, memories that I will cherish forever.

Happy Flashback Friday to all!

Change

Is a beautiful thing.
Keeping life full of the ever desired feeling of something new.

As people, we are in constant motion.

Always changing.

Always growing.

But then a slight alteration, that could easily go unnoticed, creates such dramatic and beautiful changes.

Like the decrease in sunlight which slowly causes changes like these…..

our backyard on October 20, 2010…..

 

October 25, 2010…..

and today, October 29, 2010.

A total transformation. 
This got me thinking.
If these gigantic trees can change so much in just nine days, imagine what we as people can change about ourselves in the same amount of time?

I feel we are all striving to be better.
Better mothers. Better friends. Better people.
But in order to know where you are going you must know where you’ve been. 
To own who you are and who you want to be really takes time. Time of reflection. 

Take it from these three pumpkins.
One minute they are plain, basic, and closed.
Then they are transformed into something completely unique with a totally different purpose in life.
Something they always knew they had in them. 
The ability to bring so much happiness and joy to three little girls.

{Gracie’s shoe of the week}

As humans, we are always evolving. 
For example, one day we like crocs, but the next we go for the Cinderella slippers and pink socks look.
All. Day. Long.

We can become whatever and whoever we desire.  
However, changing in hopes of becoming perfect?
A toxic desire. We are not meant to be perfect.

{Sophie’s field trip & Mia’s Red, White & Blue Day}

 

Rather than striving for perfection, embrace your differences that make you stand out from the crowd.
Love yourself.  Embrace your faults and embody who you are.

 

{Mia’s Orange & Black Day at school}

Shift your life goals and instead of it being about what you can get and how successful you can become, make it more about becoming whole as a person.
You can not go through life trying to be perfect and remain whole.

{An Equestrian Champion & Dorothy}

The superficial outside appearances can change in an instant.
But instead of focusing on the outside so much, try to work on the inside changes that you know would make you a happier more whole human being.
Live and examine life.

If all the trees can change so dramatically in just nine days, think about what you can do to better yourself, your life, your children, your world.

Today, Be Joyful {And Win Something Joyful}

One thing I always try to be?
Joyful.

It can be a challenge at times, especially when life gets a little hectic and things get crazy at the Haus of Girls caring for seven kids during the day.
There is lots of spilled milk and dirty diapers and it’s sometimes easy to get discouraged and overwhelmed.

But I take a breath and I look around at all the JOY I have in my life.
I am so thankful for what I do.
Thankful for all I have.
Blessed to be alive.

I feel everyone should take a moment to look around at all the JOY.
Life is short. Too short to be negative and uninspired.

I made these shirts for my girls to wear for our Christmas cards this year. I thought, what better way than to spread a little JOY to all of our family and friends through my girls’ laughter and love for life.

I adore how the littlest things excite them.
Bare feet on a cold concrete bench = total bliss from these three blondies.

Take the time to teach your children the importance of spreading JOY in this, sometimes crazy and sometimes angry world that we live in.

It’s amazing what a simple thank you, or compliment can do to someone’s spirits. Instead of only thinking it, actually take the time to say it.
To your local mailman, gas station attendant, or librarian, to the CEO of a major corporation.

Most people are just like you and I.
Working hard to make ends meet, support their family, pay those overdue medical bills, and feed their children.
Everyone deserves to be appreciated for what they are doing to make our world go round.

A simple thank you can mean so much to so many.
This is what I want to instill in my children.
Will you join me?

Spread some JOY today and tell me about it in my comments.

I will pick one fabulous joy spreader to have their very own set of my JOY applique letters to put on your own cuties.

I will select the winner next week!

Also, I am guest posting over at Mommy Holly today and spreading a little Halloween Joy with my easy peasy Halloween Bunting tutorial. Please stop by and tell sweet Holly hello and enter to win one of my Polka Dot Pumpkin tees.

Good luck!

let ‘em suck

I read an interesting article in one of my children’s magazines
about pacifiers.
I am a big fan, as all three of my girls sucked away for almost
twelve months and then at night for another twelve months.

They never cried.
They were never crabby.
Always content.
And slept like champions.
Literally, all three of them would have won a sleep competition.
If there were such a thing.
And I like to think that a lot of this was because of the
soothing effects that the pacifiers had on them.

I am not quite sure why some moms wish for their child 
to not use a pacifier.
Every mom should do what works for them.
But I know, for me, that a crabby fussy baby makes me cringe.
So luckily, the pacifiers helped sooth them into happy bliss.
And I truly feel that the happier and more content your baby
is, the happier your experience as a mom and your life
in general is.

Sucking is an natural instinct for babies.
Just as it’s a natural instinct for me to want to scratch
an itch.
Can you imagine not being able to scratch your itch?

This article had some very interesting statistics.
Staggering statistics, actually.
I would have never known them, so I wanted to share
the information with you!

It states that there are few medical developments that are
as clear-cut as the recent findings on pacifiers, which show
that these time-tested baby soothers cut the risk of sudden
infant death syndrome, or SIDS, by 90 percent.
90 percent!

Experts speculate that sucking makes babies more alert,
a state that seems to reduce SIDS risk.
Another possibility is that the pacifier acts as a barrier
between the baby’s mouth and anything that could
block his airways, like blankets or sheets.

Whatever the reason behind the pacifier’s anti-SIDS effect,
don’t feel guilty about introducing one; you’re protecting
your baby from one of the leading causes of infant death.