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A Plug to be Unplugged

Alright, alright. I know I already posted about how using screens should not inflict guilt, and I stand by that 100%, BUT I want to share something AWESOME that happened in our house a couple weeks ago!!

Maybe I was feeling particularly strong, or maybe my kids had watched a little too much of a very annoying kids show which shall not be named, or I just wanted to be a #meanmom, but I decided to say no. No TV. No iPad. No old iPhone with kid apps on it.

At first the fight was frightening, the wailing and moaning and thrashing on the floor.

But then it stopped! It didn’t even last that long, probably because I deliberately ignored it (woohoo! I usually am not that tough), but really, we were out of it within an hour.

The rest of the day, my kids played so well! The next day, they woke up and went straight to the Lego Duplos where the built towers and cars and, my personal favorite: Mickey Mouse Clubhouses of all shapes and sizes. They worked together and they played pretend for hours. Their “need” for the devices had disappeared!

It was such a nice break from the constant asking for one screen or another. And all it took was me to be emotionally well enough to say no and to calmly deal with the backlash for maybe an hour. It also helped me realize that kids are so resilient, and I haven’t ruined them yet! We can always change things up and improve, no one has to keep life the same day in and day out.

The babes have since gotten sick, and in an attempt to keep them in one place, I put the iPad in front of them for hours, so we are back to square one.

But hey, one day at a time!

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Moms of 3

How do you do it?

When things were going well, and my kids decided to behave and play well and eat their food, I thought I had figured it out!

But then the last 5 days hit. Daddy was gone a lot. Baby hit a growth spurt and was CONSTANTLY hungry. The two year old learned to hit and he does it a lot. And the 4 year old realized that mom can’t discipline while nursing the baby.

Motherhood is such a rollercoaster. Somedays I just can’t believe how truly incredible my kids are! Seriously, they have hearts of gold and just exude love and kindness and helpfulness.

And then all of a sudden (like the last few days) they are something else.

Today I crashed, emotionally. So, I took myself on a date. Just before dinnertime I handed the baby over to daddy and drove away, not really sure where to go but knowing I needed something.

Roaming the aisles of Hobby Lobby, dreaming of all the things that I would love to have, I tried to be inspired by all the sayings they have on their decor.

It didn’t take long before I realized I wasn’t actually feeling all that inspired, because when I though about what things would FIT in our house, I realized nothing did today. Do we feel “so very blessed” or do we “choose joy?”

I would love to say yes. But today I didn’t. Today I got angry. I yelled. I slept. I didn’t make breakfast or dinner. Each time I looked at one of those signs my eyes rolled just a little bit.

However! The signs that stood out to me the most said “Let’s Stay Home.”

And even after this no-good, terrible, very bad, bad day, that sentiment is one I feel in my soul!

I love my home. I know my family loves our home. Being with them is still the best place I want to be!

So tomorrow will be better. I know it will.

Affiliate link (I receive a commission) to the sign in the picture: https://amzn.to/2RGgdMi

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Intentional Artwork

When we moved to Arkansas, it was just us and our 2 cars so we had to be very selective about what we brought. Although artwork might have seemed like something that shouldn’t have made the cut, there are some pieces around my house that are so meaningful to me and they bring a smile to my face when I look at them.

The pieces I am going to show you are all associated with a time of growth for me. A time when I called out to God and He showed me that He was still there.

This is one of the first pieces I found and held onto. We got this one after I lost my first baby. I didn’t feel much of God’s love at that time, but seeing this reminded me of a time when I felt the closest to Him. It looks like it could’ve been taken in Florida, where I served my mission. So much of my heart is in that place! When I see this in my home I think of miracles, people I love, warm humid air, lots and lots of joy.

This set I made to remind me of all things good! I absolutely LOVE Gordon B. Hinckley and his outlook on life. I was studying some of his words and just knew I needed them in my life!! This quote sums up pretty well his attitude:

“We have every reason to be optimistic in this world. Tragedy is around, yes. Problems everywhere, yes. But … you can’t, you don’t, build out of pessimism or cynicism. You look with optimism, work with faith, and things happen.
Do not despair. Do not give up. Look for the sunlight through the clouds. Opportunities will eventually open to you. Do not let the prophets of gloom endanger your possibilities.”

He would acknowledge the bad, but always focused on the good!

These words remind me of him and have helped remind me to be grateful and that life is good.

These may just look like dried weeds to you. But to me they are the hope of better days to come.

This summer I went to the mountains specifically for a chance to find happiness. I was having such a hard time finding it anywhere those days, but I just knew I could find some there.

I had missed those Utah mountains so much! There is just nothing like cool mountain air with the sound of wind blowing through the pines and a river not too far away.

It was the week after school started so my family was the only one there. It was cool and peaceful (and I wasn’t getting eaten by mosquitoes). The happiness I sought was there! I felt hope for a chance that I wouldn’t be sad forever and that was a moment I wanted to capture for those rainy days I couldn’t seem to escape.

Surrounding myself with meaningful things and allowing those things to change my attitude has been a big help on my down days.

What meaningful things do you keep around that bring you happiness??

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Mom needs a nap

Or a shower. Or 5 minutes of alone time.

If you’re like me, you’ve had to go straight to screen time for you kids if you want any of the above. If you don’t, disasters strike, like this:

But then there’re the apocalyptic fits they throw when it’s time to the TV off. And every time you look at Facebook there’s another study telling us we are destroying our kids brains with screens, so there’s also a load of guilt.

Is the shower even worth the fight and guilt?

Short answer: YES!! It is worth it. And so is the nap! Those are the little things that can fill our mental/emotional cup. They can provide moments of peace, free from distraction where we can hear the Spirit and our minds can just rest.

If we are constantly running, helping and fixing others, our own minds struggle and one of the ways our minds respond to that neglect is depression and despair. Just like our children: the squeaky wheel gets the grease. And just like the rest of our bodies, where there is pain we tend to fix it.

So, we need rest. Drop the guilt. A little bit of screen time, or a lot a bit, won’t harm our kids as much as an absent mother will harm them. Get well. Be present! And they will be just fine.