She had an fun run and kicked it in gear at the end. Hoping she'll post about it herself (hint, hint).
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She had an fun run and kicked it in gear at the end. Hoping she'll post about it herself (hint, hint).
]]>Raising Tarah is a gift. My little girl is independent and still my baby, has her own opinions but still values mine, and is confident but unsure. She is witty and creative, is a voracious reader and has a flair for the arts. Tarah is an amazing little girl who is growing up. Finding, testing, and discovering her way as she grows, there will be days when friendships shift, kind words are in short supply both from and to her, or things just don't go her way.
Tarah is bound to hit a few bumps in the road and that's where I come in. I am the MC of things to come and I'll be standing by with the car keys. Yes, the car keys. When the bumps get her down, off we'll go for our yet-to-be-inaugurated "Bump in the Road Day." We'll go shopping, get our nails done, hang out at the library or watch the birds at the park. We'll grab the dad and head to the cities or meander through the towns. Maybe they ditch me and the dad and kid tube or fish, fire up the four wheeler, or catch a show. Anything to give her the space, the love and the fun to keep it all in perspective.
I am the master of second guessing myself, hashing/rehashing and letting the little things get me down and it's not what I want for my daughter. "Bump in the Road Day" here, soft shoulder, heavenly hug or a swift kick in the pants there and with two parents who love and adore her, Tarah will have the confidence and strength to know that no matter what the bump, it's not going to define, derail, or disappoint her for long - if at all.
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Each June for the past few years, we've left the husband behind and hopped on a motor coach for a weekend with Girls Fun Adventures, LLC. It's a blast. We get on the bus Saturday morning, are dropped off Sunday evening and the entire time in between is a weekend full of surprises for us. We never know where we are going or what we are doing and always have a great time.
We found out today that this year's trip is postponed until November. The kid is bummed.
So, we decided to create our own adventure in and around the Twin Cities. We have the things we always do - waterparks, bowling, shopping, bookstores - and we don't want to do those. We want to do something different and I want the focus to be on the kid. A Build-A-Bear stop is a must for her, a great coffee/bakery shop a must for me but after that . . . .?
What do you think a mom and her 9 year old daughter can do in the cities for a weekend away?
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Every year, the elementary school has a spring music concert. This year was no different. Last year, Tarah played her guitar for the audience to open the concert and because it is now a tradition, she informs me and my husband that she is going to it again this year.
Now, the kid has not taken guitar lessons for over a year and she shares this tidbit of information with us on Thursday. The concert is on Tuesday.
She searches for her guitar Thursday night, selects a song and runs through a few lines. No talk of the guitar over the weekend so I breathe a sigh of relief when I think she has forgotten about her guitar idea and moved on to the business of memorizing her songs.
Monday night, we go to buy her a fancy schmancy dress for the show and she reminds me we have to get home early because she has to practice her guitar. What? I suggest she not do the guitar solo this year. Why? Because I don't think she'll be ready. She turns to me with that, "do you know at all what it means to be a mom" look on her face and says, "You are supposed to be encouraging me, not discouraging me, mom." Hey, give me a break kiddo, I'm just a realist.
Nonetheless, we buy a beautiful dress and new shoes and take our Subway subs home to eat so she'll have more time to practice her guitar. Sh eputs about 15 minutes into it and puts the guitar away.
Long story short, she was one of three students volunteering to showcase her musical skills. She moves to the front of the stage, gets into position and plays Lightly Row. That darn kid hit EVERY SINGLE NOTE IN THE ENTIRE SONG.
Hmmph. Who's the realist now?
]]>Did you know that I am now officially a Bizymom too? That's right! Bizymom.com was interested in offering their community insights into human resources (HR) as a profession. It was a please to do the interview and an honor to be asked. Interested in learning a little more about how I landed in HR or about HR as a profession?
Check out Information on Human Resources and let me know what you think.
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Bizymoms.com is one of the largest and fastest growing sites in the US dedicated to moms. They have been serving moms for over 12 years and offer 25,000 plus articles, 1000 plus experts and 200,000 plus pages across 60 plus topics and 880 plus cities.
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She has this blog that she lets me share with her. Her page is the front page because she writes much more than I do. One of her posts inspired a highly respected leadership blogger Mary Jo Asmus to write Leadership Lessons From Children.
She is working on her writing, "if you want your posts to be linked to, you have to write more details," sharing her space with guest authors, and is not afraid to share her feeling about others. She experiments with video, T-Rex Tango, and she shares her creative side via The Artist Within.
She knows that if one source says something she doesn't think is right she looks further. Just because something is in writing doesn't make it true and if you write something bad about someone you can hurt their feelings.
She is not online without our permission, she does not have a Facebook page or a Twitter account and is just beginning to e-mail. Her texting is limited to family members. She is interested, she is engaged and she is digitally distinct. Are you?
My committment is that my daughter will never doubt for a fraction of a minute that she is the most important little girl in the world to me and she knows that when she needs a mom, I've got her back.]]>
Are you having a night where troubles weigh you down and sleep eludes you? Are your thoughts swirling as the flood gates open and, in your mind, you move from peaceful slumber to imminent failure?
When you are in the thick of things and can't see the forest for the trees, know that you can get out of it, without cliches, and totally on your own.
When you are in this state, don't accept over generalization, look for someone to blame or give ultimatums to yourself or others. Do accept it for what ever the heck it is - nothing more and nothing less. Own the challenge, be brave and know that you are much more in control than it seems.
Do something, do anything but prepare to face your doom. Guess what? The doom is not coming and everything will look so much clearer in the morning.
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A mother's state of mind is not something to be assessed late in the evening (after her bedtime) when the kid is upset because she doesn't want to go to day care on her day off from school, is working on her own day off, hasn't had a conversation of more than a few sentences with her husband all weekend, and feels she really has not been a good friend.
Trust me, it won't look pretty if you do.
It will look like two working parents, after school activities, and just enough time for homework after dinner; childhood memories, parental expectations and a commitment to always be there when your daughter needs you; fast food, dinners on the fly, and setting a good example (or not); I take thee, see you tomorrow (or when the kid grows up), and love you on the go.
The thoughts swirl and spin and although she tries to pull them out of the depths and into words to share, they come out as only simple statements of fact: we need to eat better, exercise, and be home together more.
Doubt. It's a slippery slope and what is needed in these moments is a dose of reality. The kid doesn't want to go to daycare. That's the reality of it all. Nothing more, nothing less.
And enough to send this mother into a somewhat peaceful slumber.
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God's Little Princess Devotional Bible is a children's bible written, as you can guess, for the little princesses in your family. The characteristics focused on in this Bible storybook will help your little girl blossom into the princess she was created to be. Virtues such as compassion, sharing, and truth are highlighted in fun and engaging ways.
Bible text selections are from the International Children's Bible and are right on and relevant. From choosing between cleaning your room and playing outside to deciding what to do when you get antsy in church, every young girl will find something in here she can relate to.
My daughter is 9. She is outgrowing princess tiaras and moving into the Nintendo DSi. She says the Bible is "maybe just a little too young for me but I will still read the stories." Starting at the beginning, she enjoyed Genesis and simply was amazed when she read in "Make It Yours" that, in the beginning of time, some people lived close to 1000 years!
Offering a message delivered through stories, songs, activities, and questions this children's bible is one your child will come back to time and time again. This is a Bible I will keep in mind for gifts for other young girls in my life.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their Book Review Blogger program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
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