A Day Of Fun a.k.a. What Were We Thinking

Last week we ventured for a day out. Starting with a farmer's market in the morning and ending the day with bike rides at my mom's house. It was quite the day.

I know that from pictures it seems that everything is perfect, but it wasn't. Kids were hot and cranky - they didn't listen to a word I said. The baby needed to be changed. I was dying from heat (who wears all denim outfit when it's 80 out?) and frustrated. There were a lot of groceries that didn't fit anywhere. I was ready throw in the towel and my mom reminded me to laugh and smile. It was comical - us trying to take pictures, baby crying, kids throwing a fit and me yelling at them to smile. Ha! Life isn't perfect, so don't be fooled by the little snippets of time that seem like they are. Most of the time there is a lot of non-perfection going on behind the scenes!.

Thank you for stopping by! 

Attitude of Gratitude {Motherhood Challenges Series}

Lately, I've been counting my blessings. Twice.

There is nothing really major going on in our life, or any health scares that would make me appreciate life that much more. I just think it's part of growing up.

Hubby and I spent our anniversary weekend staying in, cooking, relaxing and spending time together (while Jonathan was visiting the grandparents). We didn't go out to any fancy restaurants or did any extra curricular activities, but simply relaxed  without the toddler running around (read: pure bliss). I think out of all the times that we did plan to 'do things' last weekend was the most memorable. It made me realize how blessed I am.

That is one thing I struggle with, especially when I start comparing my life with other's. Comparison truly is a killer of all joy! There are many things I can complain about, and find negative in my life, especially when you look at social media staged perfection. But when I look closer, when I actually see how many things I'm blessed with, my heart overflows with gratitude.

I'm beyond thankful for a supportive and caring husband, who cares so much for his family. I'm blessed with a man who understands that time doesn't stand still, life is short and family is the most important.

I'm so thankful for the privilege of being a stay at home mom. It fills me with gratitude knowing that we are taken care of, and I don't have to work to support our family. Knowing that my husband takes care of us so that I can take care of our home, be there for our babies and spend time doing what I love is beyond humbling.

I'm thankful for healthy and happy babies and the ability to carry them myself. Seeing so many women struggle with infertility or raising special needs kids breaks my heart. Besides the aches and the pains, the swollen ankles and weight gain, it's the most amazing thing that happens in a woman's body.

I'm so thankful for having my family close by, and the ability to have babysitters. As much as Jonathan gets spoiled (read: a lot) whenever he visits his grandparents, I'm so grateful for the memories he's making with them. My heart melts seeing him follow his grandpa and the special bond they share and when he's playing with his cousin, having the most fun of all.

Gratitude really is a change of perspective and all depends on how you look at things.

When I start feeling sorry for myself that it's hot and my ankles are swollen at the end of the day, or that I have to clean up the house for the nth time, or that laundry never (ever) ends I think of my grandmother. A woman, who carried seven children while living on a farm with cows, pigs, chickens and the whole shebang, also had acres of land for crops and daily cooking, cleaning and laundry all the while living with her critical mother-in-law. She worked from sunrise (sometimes even before) until midnight without taking a break and without slowing down. At that moment, my little pity party starts to look silly and I know I have nothing to complain about.

Slowing down and changing the outlook on life, as well as counting how much we have instead of what we don't have brings such a change, It helps see things in a whole different light giving us an attitude of gratitude.

Happy Father's Day

Every year, Father's Day is sort of a bitter sweet holiday. I'm saddened by the fact that my own father wants nothing to do with me, at the same time so very happy to see my own husband become an amazing dad. I think our culture under appreciates fathers and those who carry on the roles of dads. We put a lot of emphasis on mothers and what they do, but the male role in the family gets overlooked more times than not. 

Fathers are not just a half of the embryo equation but truly most important people in children's lives. I think it's time we placed fathers into the position they should be. Of course, there are exceptions to every rule, but I wonder how many fathers would pick up the slack and do their part if only we, mothers, give them a chance. If we respect father's opinion on what the children should do, where they go and how they behave without constant critique, they we will be more involved in their children's lives. And isn't that what we all want? A father who is present and an active caretaker of his children, not just an occasional babysitter. 

So this father's day, I'm happy to see my family grow with another munchkin, knowing that she will be loved, disciplined, spoiled and cared for by her daddy. Although we may disagree on things sometimes, only because I'm a mother my voice doesn't trump his, and vice versa. 

I hope you take time this weekend to thank and honors fathers or those who play a role of a father in your life, or your children's lives. 

Happy Father's day to you dads!

Family Vaca Recap

If you follow me on Instagram, you know that we were taking a family vacation. It was the first time we took Jonathan with us while going away from home. He had the time of his life. From (super nice) family relatives with stayed with to the daily activities, all attention was on him. We visited the local zoo, took walks in the park, went to the beach, ate at cool local restaurants and visited the coolest aquarium I ever saw. It was nice to get away and do things as  a family. Although hubby and I didn't get a chance to get away just the two of us, we enjoyed our selves very much. The roughest part was driving for sixteen hours straight. We had a few bumps along the way - one of which was me falling on and bruising/scuffing my knee. I'm doing ok but the knee will take some time to heal, making me not a very good candidate for fashion posts. Ha! Thank you for stopping by. 

Mommyhood: Potty Training Mistakes and Victories

 

Jonathan turned two years old about a month ago and I would say we have completed his potty training right around then. To be honest, I was a bit optimist starting the process at 9 months old but if I have been a little more persistent, I would have had him (and myself) trained out of diapers earlier.

Long story short we did it and I couldn't be happier. But, do accidents still happen? Yes. Do I forget to take him to the bathroom at a restaurant and he tells me too late that he has to go, while I don't have a change of clothes? Yes. Does he not ask to go to the bathroom while out at a birthday party with his aunt? Yes. But I consider them small mishaps because most of the time he asks to go (sometimes annoyingly too many times). I'm ecstatic that we are done with potty training before the baby arrives because changing two diapers would just be exhausting. Well, here's what I learned from our process.