What I Want To Teach My Daughters About Beauty

As my daughters grow up and are starting to become more self-aware I see outside influences changing the way they view themselves.   Whether its friends, the lady at the grocery store, the images projected on their favorite TV Shows, magazines, and those Kardashians – they are everywhere; my girls are constantly watching.  I see how they stare at themselves in the mirror.   I’ve had to call them out on trying to wear make-up at times when it’s not approved.  I’ve had to explain why other children wear fake nails and why they can’t.  Why young girls would choose to have their lips enhanced or heaven forbid other parts of their bodies.  I’ve found myself explaining what real beauty is.

Girls -  real beauty cannot be purchased.  There is no product in this world, medical procedure, or cosmetologist that can create real beauty.  Real beauty shines from within.  It comes from love, kindness, courage and most importantly the way you treat others.  I want my girls to know that when you are beautiful on the inside it radiates and people are drawn to you.

Girls - your bodies are perfect.  Your bodies are strong and useful.  You were born with talents, some you've discovered and some you haven't.  Find your talents, develop them, share them with others, teach them to others.  Be thankful and proud of your body.  Take care of it.  Keep it strong. 

This is why you will wait for things like make-up and nails until your inner beauty has been perfected.  This is why I will beg you to get good sleep, eat well and dance.  Why?  Because I love you…and I am your mother.

A Loaf of Bread, A Container of Milk and A Stick of Butter

Please tell me you remember this from Sesame Street.  This magical little memory game a little girl sang on her way to the store for her mother.  It's here to help your memory.

Every other week I take my 93 year old Grandpa to the grocery store.  Every time we shop he buys the same things;

6 oranges
5 bananas
2 mangos
4 avocados
2 cans of soup
2-36 packs of Diet Dr. Pepper
3 packages of Klondike bars
Frozen Dinners
2 gallons of ice cream
Milk
Buttermilk
Cereal
Sour cream

As I follow him around the store I am careful not to interrupt his memory.  He looks back about every ten steps to make sure I'm there.  He smiles and keeps going.  Every employee at the store knows him.  They don't ever get mad when he digs out ripe fruit or peels one banana off each bunch till he's satisfied he's found the perfect one.  They smile nicely when he tells them to only use paper bags. 
Grandpa likes things done in a certain order and according to his routine.

We stroll out to the car where Grandpa always offers to help load up.  I know by now his legs are tired and he needs to sit.  He pulls himself into the car to rest and I quickly finish the job.  We get back to his house where I run in and "Clear the House".  Basically we look for any bad guys that may have slipped in through the windows that are nailed shut or a booby-trapped door.  (You've seen UP, right?  Every door has at least 3 locks.)  I bring in all the groceries and line them up on the counter where he can spend the next hour putting everything away.

As crazy as it is for me to make the 30 mile round-trip drive to the beach, I know that he needs this activity.  He needs to get out and get moving.   He needs a reason to get up, get dressed and hopefully shower.  He needs me as I need him.  He's still my Grandpa.

Four

Four

(A letter of reconciliation to my Mother.)

It has taken me four children to understand the sacrifices of my mother. 

Four to understand why you didn't come to help in my classroom at school.  

Four to realize why you never rode rides at Disneyland. 

Four to comprehend why you never picked us up from school on time.  

Four to (maybe) forgive you for telling the school nurse you had just laid down for a nap when I fell and broke my arm at school. 

Four to understand why you stayed up all night to make beautiful dresses and dollies for your girls. 

Four to laugh at the fact that "getting to church on time" is a total joke. 

Four to know that those same sandals you've worn for the past three summers will need to last at least three more. 

Four to pray constantly, sometimes every second for just one more minute of patience. 

Four to laugh out loud instead of cry.

Four to forgive, four to love, four to fight for, four to kiss and tuck into bed, four to get up for and try again. 

Thank you Mom for having eight! 

Angels

 “Motherhood is near to divinity.  It is the highest, holiest service to be assumed by mankind.

 It places her who honors its holy calling and service next to the angels.” 

-quoted by Elder Russel M. Nelson

There is no doubt in my mind that angels watch over children.   In my experience thus far as a mother there have been far too many times where only divine intervention saved my babies from being seriously injured or worse.  

A few nights ago I walked in to check on Sybil.  It was 3:30am and she hadn't woken for her nightly feeding.  I was already panicked as I walked in her room.  There she was laying on her tummy blanket perfectly tucked around her.  I rubbed my eyes to make sure that was the same baby I tucked in several hours earlier on her back.  She was sleeping so peacefully.  I rubbed her back.  Then I stood a few more minutes to watch her sleep while silently debating wether I should flip her over.  

Just today I laid that same sweet baby on her back for a nap in her crib.  About and hour or so later when checking on her, she was perfectly tucked in on her tummy.  

Thank you angels for watching over my sweet baby.

 

Excuse Me?

Yesterday afternoon I stood on my driveway chatting with my neighbor.  We watched our boys run up and down the street chasing Karissa on her bike.  

A few minutes later another neighbor and her cute one year old rode up on her bike.  She introduced herself and her little guy then asked me, "Do you do daycare?"

I threw back my head and chortled, yes chortled.  

"Uh, no!  These are all my kids." 

We all laughed and then she explained that she always sees kids getting dropped off and picked up from my house. 

Lol!! Then I explained...carpools. 

Wake Me Up

Ah..mornings....my favorite time of day......in the summer!

Mornings at our house usually go like this.

630a Matt starts getting ready. 

650a Sybil wakes up for a quick feeding. 

715a  Matt starts to rouse the girls. 

Yesterday while nursing Sybil I overheard Matt's morning monologue with the girls.  I couldn't help laughing and then jumping out of bed to intervene.  Here's how it went;

"Girls, it's time to wake-up for school."  Matt sings. 

"It's going to be 69 degrees with lots of sun and no wind!"  Matt continues

(Me in the other room rolling my eyes over the weather report.)

"Come on girls, let's get up and get ready.....I'll make you chocolate chip pancakes."  Matt sings again.

"Oh, it's a beautiful day.  Let's get up and play."  More singing from Matt and more eye rolling from me. 

Matt walks back in our room and I'm finishing feeding Sybil.  "Are they up?"  I ask.  "They are thinking about it."  Matt responds.

"Girls, I hope your thinking about getting up."  Matt coos into the hallway.

No movement from the girls room.  The time is nearing 730a.  Let's see we still need to get dressed, hair, teeth, eat and get lunches packed.  I start to get anxious.  I lay Sybil back in her bassinet and walk into the girls room.

"If you are not up and ready in the next 5 mins you'll be grounded from playdates this week.  Get up and get dressed now."  I command

And guess what, the girls comply.

Boom.  That's how we make things happen. 

And here's Andrew, couch napper. 

Number what?

Yesterday Addi was a little under the weather, so she hung out with me, Andrew and Sybil.  

We did some laundry, cleaned up her room and rested.  

While in my morning cleaning mode I walked into the girls bathroom while Addi was going potty.  

Feeling intrusive I apologized and grabbed the glass cleaner. 

Addi quickly said, "Don't worry Mom it's only number one, not number two or number three...." Then she giggled.  

I laughed too for about a second then timidly asked, "What's number three....?"