The year of Double Digits

My kid turns 10!

This January on the last day of the month my oldest boy turns 10.  A decade old, imagine that!  How fast this time has flown by for both of us.  I reflect on his early years of life, his life lessons learned and many experiences that have shaped both he and I over the past 10 years.  It is amazing! 

Dear Oldest,

As you turn 10 this year and are fighting for more and more independence I want to express to you a few observations as I have been your mom for 10 years now.  From the moment I knew we (your father and I) were going to have you, I was overjoyed with thoughts what kind of personality you would have, what you would aspire to do, who your friends would be, and what impact you would have upon the world.  Little did I know you have challenged me to be a better parent with each year you grow.

Within your first years you loved on our animals and built special relationships with them.  Jake, Cali and Bailey were so kind to you, allowing  you to love on them, sit on their backs and pull their tails. But let's be honest you also have thrown your share of fits and demonstrated shy tendencies as well.  There are times that your father and I were not sure what the deeper story was that you were trying to share with your behavior and that posed some difficult times for us to support you the way you needed.  Needless to say we have learned how to ask the rights questions to get the full meaning to be able to support you.

During preschool we found out you hated photos.  HA and now you are more amenable to them as you have understanding around the meaning of pictures, sharing a moment in time, a memory if you will.  We learned that you love having friends, hate the cold and hate being left out.  You met your life long friend to this date your second year in preschool and have been able to share many moments with him despite not attending the same school and then your baby brother was born.  

It is not easy being an older brother, having an annoying little, bug you, take your toys, want to be just like you, but you do look after him.  It has been an adjustment for me as a parent to understand your need to fight for independence away from him, allow you to be your own person and support that, but also support your brother. What a balance, and someday with your own kids you will understand where I come from.  But despite the constant seemingly nagging I have for you both to get along, when it comes right down to it you care for your brother deeply.  When he is ill or sad you give him hugs and kisses, you give of yourself to him when he is feeling left out. I try to share to you that being a brother is amazing, having a sibling is amazing and when you are older my hope is that you will be good friends and continue to look out for each other.  

As a parent it is not easy to see your kids feel left out or stressed out or be picked on.  As you entered first, second and third grade these things became evident.  You were challenged with some life lessons around friendships, "real vs fake" an early lesson to learn. And you didn't always understand why your father and I made some prayerfully made decisions regarding where you were being schooled for your current fourth grade year.  BUT despite all of that you are flourishing. Your grades are up, you are working hard at school and care about it and you have found a sport that you love soccer.  When it comes down to it I love watching you grow up, I love the changes that you are making, the confidence that you are building and support you in all endeavors you ask about.  My goal as a parent is to help you find your niche in the world and to be the best you, you can be! 

As you turn 10 my hopes and dreams for you are to continue to increase responsibility, be a genuine friend, be honest, work hard and continue to love life and be empathetic to others.  Make your bed, know when you are being taken advantage of and learn how to deal with that in a positive way. Treat others with kindness, continue to communicate and love your family with all your heart.  Happy birthday son! You make me proud!

Love you to the moon and back,

MOM

Momlife Means Busylife

I have been using the hashtags: #momlife, #boymom #busymom quite frequently these days.  But what does that really mean? 

You never really stop, stop for yourself or stop to cherish and be present in the moment.  With two kids who are active, working fulltime as a school principal and taking on more because my husband works full time and works 70 miles a way one way that is enough to keep one busy. I could go on and add many other things to make this description better or busier but you get the idea.   These are not negatives but rather all parts to the life that I have and currently am building and I wouldn't change it for the world.

#momlife

This refers to my childrearing activities!  HA that is fancy talk for my daily grind with my own kids.  It means keeping my kids and myself to a schedule so that I don't accidentally forget to get my kids ready for school, keep an appointment that was made 6 months prior, to manage my kids activity calendar but make unscheduled free time for them to just learn to be kids and use their imagination. It also means enjoying special moments or conversations and stopping to savor those moments.  Watching your kids grow and have special twinkles in their eye when excited about something or seeing the confidence building with activities and coach/player interactions, or watching the independence find its way to your child's repertoire are many of the rewards that #momlife provides! 

Don't get me wrong this hashtag is also used with snarky or sarcastic tones as well!  For example when I have to drop things at work or my own time investments in me such as getting my hair done or reading a book, to address a child broken arm or the emergency of the moment such as needing help to tie a child's shoes, or working through a frustrating moment with my son helping to problem solve but increase abilities to work through life lessons.  #momlife is just that!

#boymom

Oh wow! A few descriptors:  dirt, noise, laughter, loud,  wrestling, physically active, tough on things, trucks, cars, superheroes and more.

These are just a few of the descriptions I refer to when thinking of being a #boymom.  I have two boys each a bit different from each other but both who love the outdoors, being right, arguing their point, wrestling, watching TV, playing video games, making boy noises when playing with cars, trucks, guns and more.   They enjoy each other, they disagree with each other.  They burp, they fart, they laugh. I enjoy it all and at times get annoyed by it.  That being said I am not so sure what I would do if I had a girl.  I fear there would be too much drama, though I might have a shopping buddy from time to time.  Being a #boymom is such an experience that changes daily.  It is being a referee, it is being a communicator, being physical and active with them and helping them to shape their ideas of being a human being in our world.  It is attending soccer practices, carting kids to and from activities, and standing in the rain! It means constant cleaning in the house, and providing reminders to keep their muck boots in the garage as opposed to inside the house.  It also means teaching them through modeling of behavior how to be respectful and responsible.  I am sure I am forgetting a lot about being a #boymom but that is because I slept with the window cracked open so the boys could sleep in a two person tent for the past few days and I didn't sleep much. (Get my drift?)

#busymom

Well this hashtag just speaks for itself.  The most common statement or question (I suppose) I receive from others is, "I don't know how you manage it all!"  "How do you do it?"  Well you just do! There is no way to really explain how I do it all, except I just feel there is no other choice.  That my kids, husband and work are my life and that I add other things to be helpful  to better my community, or do something that I am passionate about and yes I forget myself at times. I need to be better about that, keeping my routines for work outs, keeping my girl dates, and investing in me.  However, I am not complaining because I love being a mom, being a mom tot boys and being busy.  Some of my best work is due to being busy, and being a great multitasker!

I wrote this from my "mom" perspective because that is who I am and my experience, I am sure this can translate to others like "dad's" or anyone so whatever your hashtag description you use keep on keeping on!

A Resurgence of the Blog.

Dear Readers,

It has been some time since I have last submitted or worked on this blog.  In part because as a full time working mom I have taken time to support my kids education, changed jobs and have really just taken on too much.  You know how it is!  I continue to coordinate auction projects for the school auction, be involved with my kids after school endeavors, listed and am closing on a home, and getting ready to have the adventure of building our dream home on our acreage.  

Life is busy.  I have been looking at ways to subsidize our bills and reduce them as much as possible. It is not easy.  I have two kids in private school an obvious personal choice and one that if I changed could save a tremendous amount of stress in looking how to fund this choice of ours. But honestly that is not a choice I am willing to make at this time.  I have been looking into side businesses, but start up fees are something I don't have at this time as every penny counts when building a home.  I have been looking into what to do from home as I am the parent that is the one who drives my kids to and from soccer practice or t-ball in support of their physical activity.  So really if it was easy to add income, wouldn't everyone be doing it?  So I reflect and continue to see what else I can do.

Recently I have put my faith in God at the forefront of my decisions.  I pray that God will help take care of us, I submit my worries to Him and know that there is a plan for our well being.  Knowing this seems to make me feel better about where we are at with our life.  So while I have taken a break from our Williams Family Adventures blog they continue every day.  I am in need of an outlet again and here we go. I hope that you stay tuned and engage with me as this blog continues to morph!

Sincerely,

Me

A lot has happened

A lot has happened since my last post, since we rang in the new year! 2015 has already proven to be one of life lessons and reflection. Every day there are life lessons to learn if we listen and sometimes those lessons are much more blatant and in your face that what you would like, but that being said lessons and simple reminders that cause me to pause and take note.  I have encountered  celebrations and loss. I have been inspired by others big and small, old and young. I have met new people, and encountered bizarre situations. I have enjoyed watching growth too!



Let me try to take a minute to explain.




My son turned 7! (I KNOW SEVEN)  It is truly hard for me to believe.  SEVEN.. Wow! It is a true statement that kids grow so quickly and that whatever you can do to enjoy every single moment of that growth is well worth it.  I have been fortunate enough to see Ty grow and develop into a smart, funny, caring and empathetic young boy.  I have seen his academic success and struggles and I have learned about him through that process.  I have seen the way he cares for his younger brother but also strive for independence.  I have seen his tenacity, and desire to build lasting friendships (he sure is social).  I love hearing his laugh and listening to his stories he shares.  He is beginning to ask great questions, and loves to be read to about random things (facts really).  He surprises me with some of the knowledge he acquires around inequity in the world and shares stories of faith too.  So we celebrate.  Unlike many other birthday posts that have preceded this, I did not plan and execute a party where there were matching napkins, prizes, décor and cake.  Rather this party was all Ty.  He wanted what he wanted (and honestly I did not mind).  There is something to say about no clean up and less stress and a place where kids are allowed a little bit of freedom. NO Ty chose to have his party at our local Pietro's Pizza parlor (which was great because for us adults there was beer on tap) and enjoy the many games that the game area offered the kids.  What a great party!  Of course we had a low key family party the next day where we enjoyed root beer floats and each others' company.  Ty is 7.  I took a moment to write a letter to Ty. I place these letters in a keepsake box for my kids for them to read handwritten notes and letters from me about their lives. I am not sure when I will share them or if I will.  It might be something they will find after I am gone (unless I change my mind). 


Celebrations have been happy and sad for us.  Recently my husband and I suffered a shocking loss of a friend and co-worker. It does not compare to the loss that his wife has endured and I certainly do not pretend to understand or even know the void that she and her kids must be feeling.  At 41 our friend passed away due to heart issues.  What is most shocking about his loss of life was that Bill was one of the most real "gentlemen" I have ever met. His work ethic was insurmountable, filled with pride and he was a genuine human being. He had a remarkable way with students, and had a funny sarcastic dry sense of humor.  He was the most humble man I  have ever met.  Truly someone who inspired others to do great things. He was a gifted person in all areas of his life.  His passing and the passing of another young man recently have really put our lives in perspective.  Byron and I are truly trying to walk the walk and talk the talk.  We are open to all experiences with our family and are not taking any of those for granted. 


I often wonder about my own death, my own celebration of life (odd I know) but the reality is that we all will pass at one time or another.  I can only hope that the decisions and choices I make today will support my family, my kids and help them reach for greatness in their own ways.  Maybe I will begin putting ideas and words on paper to my loved ones. Or maybe I will just embrace each day and say the things I mean and mean the things I say!

Welcome 2015

This year I welcomed 2015 by falling asleep early and waking up to hear the sounds of our neighbors firing cannons, and letting off fireworks. A great way to ring in the New Year!  Instead of making my traditional resolution to loose weight, or better myself in someway, I decided to be present in everything that I do.  What I mean by that, is to be so organized that I can enjoy those little moments with my kids, enjoy the big moments life has to share, and continue to be comfortable with ME!


This year has been quite a year! It has been filled with celebrations, lots of change and a new found respect for living and being honest to MYSELF.  It is sometimes hard to take time out for yourself, especially as a mother.  I work full time outside of the home, I am the parent club president for my son's school, I coordinate fundraising efforts, work out, play with my kids, tutor and so, so, so, much more.  One of my own faults is to take on too much.  I rarely say no. 

BUT WATCH OUT I am OWNING my NO this year. 


It is great to be busy and feel like you are fulfilled.  It is great to be able to feel the accomplishment.  It is also wonderful to relax and just kick back.  Well 2015 I am doing it!  I am staying true to myself, I have goals, I am kicking back and enjoying stuff and I am going to rock this year!


Happy New Year..  Enjoy 2015!

Michelangelo, Donatello and More

Today's craft activity with the boys included one of their favorites the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles!!!

Here are the things you need: ribbon in the mask colors of turtles. Eye balls (I chose the ones with sticky backs). Green ornament balls (I bought at Hobby Lobby today for half price 2.00$ for the box.) and hot glue gun not pictures here. 

Cut ribbon to fit around the ornament. 

Hot glue the ribbon on the ornament then peel the sticky backs of the eyes and place on the ribbon!!! Done. Easy, peasy!!

Scrabble?

Each day our advent calendar we are doing a craft activity and talking about one of the readings during advent together as a family!   

One of our activitities was to create gift bags and gifts for our teachers.  Here's one that my boys completed. 

A few scrabble pieces from our local craft store Hobby Lobby. Super glue, only because I couldn't find my wood glue.  Christmas ribbon which we keep on hand during the season and scissors. 

Shhhh don't tell but here is one of the things my son made for his teacher! Super cute.  

We also made stamped gift bags to put our presents in!