When your hands are on your hips....

It can only mean ONE thing....

If you are a parent,, (more presumably a mom),,, and you find your children asking you...

"Why do you always stand with your hands on your hips like that?"

Ummm...
Well...
What do you say?

1.)  It is more comfortable for me to stand this way...
2.) God gave me extra padding after you were born, and it is a good place to rest my hands...
3.) It is my new glamour pose.. you like it?

Or....

1.) I am upset with your actions, and this is my way of having an attitude
2.) I am hoping that I will regain some patience with my hands here while I stew over your mess
3.) This is my way of pouting, being angry, and showing the family that I am really frustrated right now

I don't know about you, but I have been caught in the "Act of... My Hands on my Hips," ... a lot.
And when it comes right down to it,,  there are probably a lot of other little mannerisms that I do, and you as a parent do also.
And our kids will mimic them.
Good or Bad.

 -Biting your lip?
 -Rolling your eyes?
 -Clenched fists?
 -Smoldering sighs?
 -Hands on your hips?
 -Quick to reply and not wait for explanation?
 -Pursed lips?
 -Biting the inside of your cheek?

What are some things you find yourself doing, and maybe your children are noticing?

We can change our responses by 1st recognizing our actions.
Change and grow.
Let daily tests grow you in grace.

Don't You Just Love it When....

Don't You Just Love it When:

 - You find that last piece of gum in the bottom of your purse or gum container?  Just when you think that there isn't any left.  Ahhh!!

-Someone else has replaced the toilet paper roll...Not you.

-There is a clean cup available for that thirsty moment.. no scrambling and using a glass mason jar.  Which we do...  a lot.

-The gas gage on your car goes a little farther than you thought it would... especially when you spent your gas money on a latte... or two.

-There is actually some hot water left for your shower,, and the tank isn't asking you to take a frigid one.

-When you get something other than a bill in the mail..  No,,, This is a more than a love moment!

-It is time to leave the house and your children actually have found their matching shoes... and better yet,,, have them on after you have driven down the road.  Pure relief.

-You wake up to a friend texting you that they have been praying for you through the night.  Blessings.

-Your kids tell you that you look so pretty,,, five minutes after you wake up,,, no fuss pretty I call it.  My kids Love it!

-When you find money in a book that you are re-reading ,,, used formerly as a book mark!

-When your toddler wakes up in the middle of the night to use the potty, and she has permanent marker all over her legs in big circles and shapes that was NOT there when she went to bed.

-When your teens all stay up suggesting "Don't you love it when..." Ideas!?  
Crazy ones at that!

I do!

Add to the list...

Don't you Just love it When:

-

Don't Deny It...

Perhaps we are all in denial once in a while... 

well...

maybe more than once in a while.

I will be the first to admit that I have those moments...

Distracted with tasks..

Overwhelmed with responsibility...

Upset with my priorities..

and..

desiring a different surrounding..

Here is what I am seeing today,,, because I purposed in my heart not to deny God the blessings that He is giving me.

- Quiet moments with my little one's - singing songs full of His love, and watching their eyes as they study my lips, and follow my voice as I sing to their hearts.  

Don't miss the moments... they are always there.

-Watching my son mimic his father's ways... and taking the steps to becoming a man - someday.

-Listening to my girls cook in the kitchen and chat up a storm with their plans of when they are grown...their own restaurants... missionary to China - living underground... and drawing in Europe.

-Washing the baby in tub,,, finding one little toe-nail painted bright red.  Her big sister playing a little joke on me, and I am finding it rather funny.  Something I would normally get up-tight about.

-Sitting up late nights talking with our oldest children about the Lord, laughing about the funniest things, and knowing that some day I will be able to sleep... these are the days for meeting with their hearts.

-While having devotions with my children, and looking up to find attentive eyes,,, so big and full of learning... eagerly awaiting the next part of what God's Book has to say.

How can I ever deny this moment?  

-Laughing at a silly song with my children. singing and singing until our faces are hurting from laughing.

-There are many moments in my life that I have not captured and seen as blessings.

Days of weary to the bone,,, resenting the moments of noise and demands.

I will not deny that.

But when I deny the blessings to be lived out in my life,

then...

I am denying the Lord's good work he has planned for me that day.

He Chose me.

He Chose me for His own.

He Chose me for these very purposes.

I will not deny His Good Work.

There shall be showers of Blessings...

Are you DENYING his Blessings daily?

It is easy to do.

Enough love to go around?

Ya know.... I get a lot of comments about having a large family...

But the one that I am always puzzled about is this..

"How do you have enough love to go around?"

Spend a little time with our family, and you will see that there is enough love in our bundle of 12 people to go around, and more importantly,, as I tell my children daily..

To SHARE with the WORLD!

Loving more than one child is not the tricky part... it is showing them all in their own unique ways of receiving love and giving it as well.

Look at your children...

Have you been able to hone in on their unique gift of love?

Here are a few examples:

One of my children loves Quality time...
I will often find this child sitting amongst my husband and I when we are talking with others in the evenings,, and she also tends to choose family togetherness as her special pick when we are trying to decide what to do on a particular day.
She thrives with "just being" around us...
She loves to be all together, rather than everyone going their separate ways.
QUALITY TIME

Another of my children loves gift -giving...
She will do extra chores to save out that money,,,
and buy special little gifts for everyone.
She will write little cards, and mail them,
and I will often find home-made notes of love to my husband and I on our pillows when we go to bed at night.
She is filled with JOY when we give her an extra special little token of appreciation or love.
GIFT-GIVING

I have a few children who thrive on the aspect of Physical touch and closeness..
As in...
Back-rubs
Hugs
Holding Hands while on a walk
A Thumbs-up of affirmation from across the room...
And plain ole; being held ... even if they might be 12!
CLOSENESS

These are just a few examples of simple, yet profound ways of finding out HOW to connect and share the love with your children in a more EFFECTIVE way.

God gave each of us endearing qualities of giving and receiving love.

Find those in your children today, and fine -tune your skills as parents...

A Little Love goes a Long way - the RIGHT way!!

Imagine how far a LOT of love will go?

Can you guess what Lydia's Love-Language is? 

Yep,,, This is me..not the most flattering picture..

but Lydia LOVES Quality Time!

What are your children's Love -Languages?

Mother of the Year Tip #2- Share!

So, It has been said that... Motherhood is boring, confining, restricting, and old-fashioned... I would love for you to visit my home for a day...

I can guarantee that you wouldn't be bored, confined, restricted in any way, and we are certainly not old-fashioned here..

I mean, truly,, My kids are doing puzzles, schooling, snacking, running in circles, washing dishes, doing algebra, practicing violin, flute, piano, and voice, and I am navigating all the same...

Nope.. not bored,....

It is Monday,... again.. and I am passing on the Mother of The Year Award to YOU!

So, as before, we will share our tips and tricks of Motherhood, and pass them on to others.

Leave your Tips below on the comment section, and we can all glean from your experiences.

Mother Of the Year Tip #2-

Don't be afraid to teach your children manners.  What they learn before they are FIVE, becomes a HUGE part of whom they become.
For younger children... it is never too early to teach them how to hold their silverware properly,, or say, "please & thank you."  How about not interrupting?  Use an approach for you and your children that help them know when you are talking, and how to get your attention with OUT interrupting.

Take advantage of the tips shared here... and share yours as well.. I am taking notes.. for I still have a LOT to learn.

Blessings to you Moms!

Fun by the Sea!

Take a Peek - Grab some JOY

 Press the pause button on  the Music player on right side-bar.. then push play..

Sharing some of our JOY here at the McCarthy Household.

Books with Character for Kids- GREAT!

We own a lot of books... some of them we read once, and some are on our "favorite to read more than once" list!
If you have the desire to give your child a book of meaning- one with true character lessons, and grit...
then try the two books I share here:

For the special young lady you may want to share a Book with special meaning:

The Princess and the Kiss

A loving king and queen present their daughter with a gift from God - her first kiss - to keep or to give away. The wise girl waits for the man who is worthy of her precious gift. Where is he and how will she ever find him? The surprising answer in this marvelous parable will touch the heart of parent and child alike.The Princess and the Kiss beautifully portrays the ageless message that "love... comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith" (1 Timothy 1:5 NIV)

For that special young gentlemen that you wish to share a gift of a lifetime:

The Squire and the Scroll

This captivating adventure follows a young squire who travels a long, dangerous road beside his brave knight, on a quest for their king. The action builds until the final face-off with the monstrous, evil dragon. Only then does the squire learn of the secret beyond the cave that ends in a joyous celebration for the entire kingdom.Children will gain valuable insight as they learn, along with the young squire, what it means to face the dangers of temptation, and what it takes to guard one's heart from all that is impure.

 

 

Have you read this books to your children?  Let me know what YOUR thoughts on these two books are... I would love to hear from you!

Oh, How Beautiful!

"The beautiful design of nature itself shows us that a child grows inside of its mother's body hearing the specific sound of her voice, comforted by the beat of her heart, intimately connected to her very being.

Upon arrival into the world. the mother's arms are her first cradle, and the mother supplies the first food, comfort and security.

Because of the initmacy of that first relationship, the child's heart is naturally open to the mother.

Children automatically turn to their mother as their first source of protection, love, and spiritual, emotional, and mental support.

This is all part of the design of mother, child, and family as unfolded for us in the Bible -

a design that, from the beginning, 

God pronounced as very good."

- Quote from Book -

The MIssion of Motherhood / Touching Your Child's Heart for Eternity

 by Sally Clarkson

 One of the 2011 Choice Book Reads for One September Day

If you care to join me as we read through this book,

leave a comment.

For every one interested in this absolutely beautiful and helpful book,

I will be giving ONE away by January 13th.  If you would love to read this, and get in on the Book giveaway,, leave a comment.

Join the One September Day Book Read for 2011.

Mom of the Year Tip #1

Yep,, you heard right... We ALL have earned MOM of the YEAR Award for 2011.. and we are only 4 days in!!!

I have nominated YOU as Mom of the YEAR...

WHY?
You already have your plans laid out, right?... To achieve the best possible things for Your Lord, Your Family, etc. right?

Well, that is a qualifier right there.

So Here is My MOTY ( Mom of the Year) Tip #1 for you,,, and in turn, you can share one with all of us reading.

(Just leave a comment with your MOTY Tip below.)

MOTHER of the YEAR Tip #1 -

Don't set up expectations for motherhood that don't come from God.  Those would only be our own selfish desires and ideals.  It will drive you crazy. 

And on the practical side..

***

Try Freezing blueberries and grapes flat on a cookie sheet.  After frozen, put into freezer bags for future snacks.  Kids LOVE the frozen blueberries and grapes just out of the freezer.  And healthy too!

What is your MOTY Tip ?

Will they ever grow?

It has been one of those Mondays..  I, myself, was praying about the struggles and victories in life, and find myself surrounded by many other moms who share the same prayers.

The children and I planted some seeds a few weeks ago.  The whole "adventure" was very exciting for them. 
Every morning.. all day, I would find them perched over the seeds to see if they had sprouted.
Water, sun, and much love, I told my children.. and their seeds would soon grow..
Every day... they asked me...
"Will they ever grow?

Moms feel this way don't they..
Every day, we wonder, will this be the way it is forever?

Moms get lonely.  Moms get discouraged, and moms are too hard on themselves.
Remedy,,, It is probably like the Water, sun and much love..

It seems simple, but it is really more complex than that, isn't it!
Just as it looks easy for that little seed to sprout,, God has an intricate plan and hand in the growth and development of each seed.

When other mom's hurt.. I hurt.  Hurt - Sad, lonely, discouraged, hopeless, and resigned to failure.

Can you share in this also?

I told a friend earlier that family life is like a Teeter- Totter...The LORD is the crux in the middle that keeps the balance on each side..
and like a teeter - totter, if a child suddenly gets off of one side of the teeter-totter, then it is way off balance, and someone on the other side falls off and gets hurt.

Family life ( Motherhood ) can only stay balanced with the Lord in the middle, and with PRIORITIES on each side, and when those are off balance in life, then someone gets "hurt."

Feel this way?

Priorities for the married mom, should look like this:
1.)Relationship with the Lord
2.)Husband
3.)Children

Sometimes moms put their children first before the first two, and all too often, this becomes a life habit without even realizing that it has happend.
Children need to see and know that Mom and Dad love each other FIRST and MORE than them.
Sound crazy ?  It is Biblical.  It takes effort, but it is sooo rewarding.

Will life ever change from the monotony of every day life for the mom that has lost her JOY in every day?
Priorotize and find the teeter - totter of life to be more balanced 1st.


Tomorrow, I will post some ideas to make your spouse your #1 priority..

Hang in there moms - there is hope for the High- Calling of Motherhood and the waves of discouragement that comes your way.

See you tomorrow,, and bring your ideas to share!