Think: "You think you can, You think you can, You think you can" & one day say: "You thought you could, You said you could, You knew you could" & thus, at least: you thought you did.

Archive for September, 2016

Moving Mountains

moving-mountains

“Are you excited?”  Tia asked  “Excited!”  That’s the emotion I’m supposed to be feeling!  “Yes,” I grinned trying my best to fake it.  Hopefully, she won’t detect the fear and dread.  Hopefully, no one will.

This day has been creeping up on me for a while now, and I’ve felt helpless to do much about it.  It’s like staring up at a huge mountain in front of me.  There’s no way around it, I’ve just got to climb.

It’s moving day today.  We’re moving all of our essentials into a new house on the far outskirts of town, out in the country.  The property is beautiful with a lovely (bigger) house; a perfect place to raise our family.

So why fear?  Because I don’t embrace change easily.  Having Bipolar disorder, even good change can throw me off kilter.  Big life events have affected my stability before and I don’t want that to happen in the midst of a move!

And why dread?  Because I have to pack years worth of things and get rid of what we really don’t need.  This should be easy but I can be overly nostalgic at times.  Plus, there’s a lot of my deceased and beloved father in this old house that I’ll be leaving behind.  Memories of yesteryear and things of his still in the attic…  at least I’ll have another week after this one come back and go through that stuff (we’re just moving the main things and ourselves today – we have another week or so to get the rest out).  Then there’s the part about moving with two two-year olds.  Enough said.

It’s going to be a hectic day.  It’s almost 6 am the kids will be up soon and no, I haven’t packed all my essentials yet, but I’ll have some help from my husband, Amor and Sister and brother-in-law.  With a little luck and a lot of prayer, I’ll climb this mountain today and at least get to the top!  (I’ll worry about unpacking, moving the rest and climbing down later.)

Dear God,

Please take this mountain before me and move it.  Cast it into the sea.  Give me the strength to make this move with ease and not feel like I’m climbing or falling.  Help me to remain stable through it all.  I trust in You to keep me in perfect peace during this move.  In Jesus name, I pray, Amen.

(Sat. Sept 17, 2016)

Double Talk Quote:  “Daddy’s Joe-ing Moe’s yard”   (Daddy’s mowing Joe’s yard) – Mica, laughing at herself, “You should use that as one of your quotes, mommy.”

Bible Verse: “…if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”  Matthew 17:20

Word that has lost its meaning: excitement (I’m sure I will be once we get settled!)

Relatable Lyrics:  “Where the Green Grass Grows” – Tim McGraw

“I’m gonna live where the green grass grows
Watch my corn pop up in rows
Every night be tucked in close, to you
Raise our kids where the good Lord’s blessed
Point our rockin’ chairs towards the west
And plant our dreams where the peaceful river flows
Where the green grass grows”

earthquakers-twins-micaela-grace-edible-school-yard-childrens-museum-summer

KISS – Keep It Simple & Silly

Twins on wheels

I am a twin mom, a mom of multiples, a mom of many.  I also have bipolar disorder and Anxiety issues.  There are moments, that I know other moms share, when I want to scream and pull my hair out.  But instead, I KISS myself.

When life is coming at me too hard, too fast, and too strong, and I feel that stress building I (try to) remind myself “Keep It Simple & Silly” (Adapted from the slogan “Keep It Simple, Stupid” I won’t speak stupidity over myself or my kids, regardless of the not-so-smart things we sometimes do). And instead of calling myself “Silly” I try to keep the situation from becoming too serious, because, let’s face it, in the scope of eternity, it probably is silly.

Here are a few easy mom things that can simplify your life and make things a little less hectic (I plan to write a future article with even more helpful tricks, but these relate to keeping things simple during potentially stressful moments.):

1. Invest some time in getting organized.  Get in the habit of putting things back exactly where they belong or you’ll lose your head (along with your keys, cell phone, remote control, diaper bag, etc).

2. For moms with young kids, keep your main diaper bag in the car and only carry around a basics bag when you go places. (Mine has 2 diapers for each baby, a few wipes, 1 juice box per child, and maybe 1 small toy per babe that only comes out with that bag).  Try to keep your basics bag small enough to fit in a bigger purse or small backpack so you only have to carry around one bag for everyone!

3. Have dinner figured out by 10 a.m.  This will help you remember to thaw out anything that needs it and you’ll avoid any evening scrounge sessions.

4.  When you feel like yelling, take a deep breath and whisper instead.  It may take a few tries for your kids to catch on that when you whisper you mean business, but it’s a technique worth trying.  You’d be surprised, even my husband knows I’m serious when I whisper.

5.  Pick your battles.  For example, little one wants to wear her butterfly wings to the store and refuses to put on her socks and shoes.  Make a deal – let her keep the wings but insist on shoes.  Some things just aren’t worth the fit.

6. Finally, KISS your precious little ones – Keep It Simple & Silly – enjoy the ride and don’t get too stressed. Focus on what’s right, not what’s going wrong.  Sometimes that hard to do in the heat of the moment. But ask yourself this:  ten years from now, will this really matter?  The answer is probably “no.”  What will matter is the relationship you have with your children and how they remember you growing up.  You want their childhood experience as well as your parenting experience to be positive ones.

Micaela and Grace

(Twins 2, Mica 8, Hope 7)

Double Talk Story:  I was explaining how to play football when my phone fell.  Mica laughs hysterically, “You dropped your cell phone while charging!” (play on words – I was literally charging)

Bible Verse: “Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.” Proverbs 18:21

Term that had Lost its meaning: date night

Relatable Lyrics:  “Sing” by The Carpenters

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