notes from a Mommie's desk

Hi Ginny,
I live in Shoreview (ln the north side of the cities). I am soon to be 28 years old. At times I feel older, when the grey hairs clump together, other times I feel too young to be doing what I am doing. But most of the time I completely forget my age and just remember my children's ages.

Books: reading books yourself is the best way to get your children to want to read books. Make a goal to read x number of books per year- and let your children see you doing it. I am almost always reading something. But quite often is is not a good novel. Magic school bus, Dr Suess and the like seems to get a lot of reading around here. The last book I read was one given to Galen for his birthday. It was on Pirates- the history of. I read it all in one night. If your children are old enough read novels outloud to them. We recently enjoyed Charlie and the chocolate factory and I have Charlotes Web and the trumpeter swan on the shelf waiting for the right time.

Don't fret about the house, embrace it as the one time in your life that the item you throw on the floor doesn't stay there to haunt you. It is either covered up by toys or taken away by kids. When your kids grow up you can a perfect pretty house, but now you are to live there, teach there and survive with out going crazy. (Ever seen Martha Stewart with kids around around?) Just immagine that in 20 years your kids won't care how clean the house was, but they will care what kind of activities you did with them.

I have been a mom for 7 years. It blows our mind that our little baby is 7 and will be baptized next year. The first baby was a challange, everything was new, and I knew nothing. Second baby was eaiser, but then the 2 boys seemed like so much work. By the third kids, I knew all about babies and somehow the others ones seemed like a little less work. The 4th kid is so easy. I know exactly what to do. I know exactly what not to be worried over (most of it). This baby almsot never goes to the Dr and is almost always happy. Part of that is blessings but a lot of it is experience. Now the older boys can help with the younger. And all too soon they don't even want to hang around me.

Besides being a mom I needed another challange to focus my mind and energies on, so I started a business. The businesses invovles my higher level math and thinking and planning skills. But in many ways it's just one more baby vieing for attention.

Add to that homeschooling , to better fill the needs of my kids, Family home evening, daily family scripture study and keeping up with classes on Sunday.

How does a Mormon mom handle everything is has to do? but not sweating the small stuff, and taking everything one baby step at a time. Make a little goal (like keeping a clean kitchen table) and work on it until it an old hat. Then add another little goal; like yelling less, and begain to work on that.

Do you know that when I had 2 kids things like poop smearing would ruin my whole day? Now we jsut generally clean it up with out a thought and life goes on. Barf on the shirt? same thing. Nothing is designed to stretch us into Heavenly Father's immage as much as having kids.

Oh yeah, and the grey hairs? Concider them well earned and wear them as badges of courgae, honor and surviving gross things.

Have a wonderful day!
Raya