My Life as a Super Extra Ordinary Mom

My husband and I are often asked, "How do you two do it?  How exactly do you manage to get everything done with such a large family?" We attempt to keep life simple and have found the following tips have worked for our family. 1. Empower the Kids- We really encourage the kids to be as independent as possible and allow them to meet their own needs whenever possible.  If they can use a stool to get something to drink or grab a snack, that is exactly what we want.  We have taught them to make a few kid-friendly food items such as peanut butter and jelly sandwiches or Ramen noodles.   We also instill in them the importance of assisting each other as often as possible.  Having this level of independence definitely helps when we are involved in other tasks that require our full attention. Josiah enjoys cleaning the tables. 2. Keep them Engaged- We expect the kids to help around the house. We tell them that we are a team and that we need to work together to ...

In just a few days my son will leave the comfort of our home to travel to Parris Island, South Carolina.  This is not a vacation adventure.  No, the trip is for basic training...to become a Marine. I fully support his decision to serve our country and have known for several months that this day would come.  So why do I have a lump in my throat and feel churning in the pit of my stomach? Recently, I was listening to National Public Radio (NPR) and the featured story of the hour was the involvement of the United States Marines Corps in World War I.  The Battle of Belleau Wood was cited as "one of the bloodiest and most ferocious battles U.S. forces would fight in the war."  This historic battle, which occurred near the Marne River in France, is where our soldiers received the nick name, "Devil Dogs."  This term of endearment was a result of the soldiers' diligence, ferociousness, sacrifice and valor exhibited during the battle. To hear the full story, v...

Join us during the month of March as we cover our children in prayer.  We will use Stormie Omartian's "The Power of a Praying Parent" study guide as a resource. #ProtectOurSeed. #IBelieveTheChildrenAreOurFuture #PrayingParents Day 1 - Becoming a Praying Parent Father, as we commit the month of March to praying for our children we begin by praying for ourselves as parents. We release any feelings of guilt and condemnation we have felt in the area of parenting. We thank you for covering any mistakes we may have made and for your grace and mercy. You have selected each of us to serve as a parent. We do not take that for granted and know that we can do all things through you, even being the best Mom and Dad our children need. Ephesians 6:12 tells us that we do not wrestle against flesh and blood and with that knowledge we stand with our armor of God ready for the fight. We know that in James 4:7 we are to resist the enemy and he will flee. So we are joined toge...

It was a warm sunny day and our entire family was out enjoying our new community.  My husband and I stopped to admire a beautiful bed of flowers near the pool gate.  There were splashes of yellow and pops of purple, truly a lovely display of greenery and a warm glimpse of spring.  Suddenly, sporadic movement within the flower bed caught our attention. As we approached, scuffling and flapping noises grew louder.  Upon further inspection, we discovered two birds trapped under a protective wire mesh!  Mesh that was intended to keep animals out was serving as a temporary confinement for these small creatures.  Clearly our presence near the bed startled the birds and caused this recent flurry of activity.  It occurred to my husband and me that those two birds represent how many of us experience life- seduced and trapped. We imagine the birds saw the flowers from afar and were seduced by what they saw. The vibrant colors enticing them ever closer to t...

Nina, my three year-old has developed a strong sense of identity.  There have been a number of instances where in my determination to not call her one of her siblings' names, I have called her "Sweetheart," "Honey" or even "Sweetie," to which she has replied, "My name is not Sweetie.  My name is Nina."  Initially, I chuckled at her cuteness and figured it was a one time occurrence.  But she has remained consistent.  Whether it is a family member or a cashier at a store who has made the mistake of calling her anything other than Nina, she has been quick to offer clarification. I was born with the name Shatanese over 4 decades ago.  My mom always told me my name came from an Egyptian queen.  I never researched this information and have chosen to live with a sense of mystery surrounding the origin of my name. Throughout my life, I have often been asked, "What does your name mean?"  Or, "What is the origin?"  These types o...

I have a secret.  I have never told myself that I am awesome.  Hard to believe?   I was conversing recently with friends and family when the topic of self-esteem came up. "What exactly is self-esteem and how do you tell someone how to increase it or obtain it if they do not have it?" I asked. "It's a state of mind," my husband responded. "It's what you tell yourself every day" our close friend chimed in. She continued by saying, "Self-esteem is telling yourself that you are awesome on a regular basis." Telling myself I am awesome regularly?  Hmmmm....I had to think for a moment.  I realized I have never viewed myself as awesome.  I mean, of course, I have viewed things that I have done as pretty good but not necessarily rising to the level of awesome.  Could this explain why high self-esteem for me has felt at times as an elusive characteristic that only others possessed? Intrigued, I looked up the definition of awesome and...

I have heard the word "perfectionist" used at times to describe me.  I have repeatedly denied these claims as I do not ascribe to being a perfectionist.  I do not wake up each day and say to myself, "I am going to be perfect today."  I do, however, detest making a mistake.  What I did not realize is that I was creating a nearly impossible existence for myself and possibly for others around me, such as my children. What drives the need to avoid making a mistake?  Perhaps growing up as a performance-driven, people-pleasing child had something to do with it.  Achieving and doing well in school was something I could control.  I was involved in numerous clubs and attempted to be the best at everything.  Now as an adult, that same drive has manifested itself as a type-A personality who is seen as a perfectionist. A dear friend encouraged me to "STOP striving and start enjoying His blessings and His love." "He is NOT judging your performance,"...