My babies!

Laundry & Snuggles

What an interesting day it has been! To start my day off, I needed to run outside and put oil in the car. I've been borrowing my mom's since mine is in need of a new fuel pump. I had been scared to drive home last night since the oil light was blinking. I could not for the life of me get the hood open to put any in. I drove home worried it would burn up. This morning I could have kicked myself. I had been trying to open the hood and instead had popped the trunk about 5 times! Haha! As I'm laughing at myself, I'm trying to get the oil cap off and end up ripping off my fingernail. It's one of those days. I managed to drop my girl off at school with no incidents. Our washing machine is broken for the time being, so I drove my laundry to my mom's house to wash it while she's at work. I love days when I have extra time with my little boy. There was nothing else to do while I waited for the laundry to finish so we watched TV all snuggled up together under a blanket. It's times like those that I remember my purpose here on Earth. I have brought two beautiful children into this world. They need me and I need them. I can't imagine life without them anymore. I know I had a childhood somewhere in there. I just for the life of me can't quite remember what it was like to not be a mother. As agitated as I can get over the car, my minor injury, and the major washing machine problem, somehow just relaxing and loving on my babies makes it all seem so unimportant. Parenting is a gift. I have been given two little lives to nurture and help grow. What if I mess up? It's hard to look at my children sometimes and realize that I am in control of their future for the time-being. My guidance and instruction will help to shape them into adults. They will leave my house with the knowledge that I gave them and I can only pray that I give them all they need. Bragging time: I felt such an enormous sense of pride last week when my daughter came home from school. She just started first grade. We are big readers in our house and we've always encouraged her to read because it is fun. She very quickly picked up on it and has excelled beyond our wildest expectations. She was so excited when she came home that day and told me that she was on a 4th grade reading "something". "A 4th grade reading LEVEL?" I asked her. She nodded her head. I was shocked. A first grader reading on a 4th grade level.... I needed to ask her teacher about that. The teacher sent me a note home confirming she was the only student in class to reach that level. You could have knocked me over with a feather. I'm always catching her staying up late when she thinks we won't notice. The funny thing is that she's staying up to read her books in bed. I took her sheets off to wash them and found a whole stack of books she had been hiding in her pillow to read after we tucked her in. I love it!

I say all this to point out how little the other things in life mean. The conversation I had with my mom this morning prompted this feeling in me. So many parents get caught up in their jobs, or their hobbies, or stress, or money and can sometimes lose track of the little souls that look up to them and get ousted at times because parents get too busy. I am not making any conjectures about working moms and dads. (See below post) I know that food needs to be on the table and bills need to be paid. I have worked since I was 16 and only this summer got the opportunity to stay home. I miss work, but I love the time I'm spending with my kids (and the time to clean my house). Don't lose sight of what's important. In the end, the little things won't matter. It sounds cliche but it is so very true. I wouldn't trade the time spent with the kids this summer for anything in the world. Hug your kids often and always tell them how proud you are of them. These are the building blocks to a successful and happy adult. What better gift can you give them?

Women's Lib?

This is something that has been on my mind a lot lately. I certainly don't consider myself a feminist. I do believe in equality and women in the workplace if they so choose. However, I have been both a working mother and a stay at home mom and have found both to be enjoyable and rewarding. I believe women should have the right to choose whether they want to work or stay at home. We have gained the right to choose and I don't believe either side should be persecuted for their decision. So while I'm not a feminist, I do have some major issues with women (and men) these days. I am happily married to a wonderful man who has given me so much to be proud of. I love my husband dearly. However, I have been on my soap box lately wondering what Women's Lib was for.... Was it for equality and a way to become something more than servants? Women used to stay at home and have everything prepared for her husband when he came home. She never argued or tried to imply that life at home was more stressful than her husband's job. We have moved away from that era into a new one where women can vote, work outside the home, have an opinion, and become career-minded. I think this is wonderful, but what was it for? Flipping through any channel on TV, one would think that we've done nothing to better ourselves. There are so many shows and advertisements objectifying women and the kicker is that we're doing it to ourselves! What is wrong with us? We wanted to be free from the oppression and yet we have put ourselves back in it. I just can't stomach some of these shows. Don't even get me started on Victoria's Secret. They make some awesome undies, but do we have to have those commercials bombarding us with bodies that we can never hope to possess? Meanwhile our husbands, boyfriends, etc are drooling over them. Does that make anyone else just feel terrible?? I have often struggled with my self esteem, having had two children now. Breastfeeding and pregnancy does a number on your body. I am proud of my stretch marks because they were earned by bringing two babies into this world and nursing them. They are my badges of courage, no matter how much I may hate the look of them. Haha! I look at all this media, though, and wonder how any woman is supposed to feel good about herself and confident about her looks when we have that to compare ourselves to. We can't continue to blame men for feeling this way. Men will be men and men are wired differently. I'm not saying they are blameless, but I believe women are the ones who have done this to themselves. Men are just enjoying it. Why parade around in lingerie or thong bikinis in public or in media? Are you that desperate for attention? This should be something only your husband sees. That is not empowering yourself. You are doing nothing for the female race, but turning into something perverted to only be admired if you have a perfect body. I feel I must make myself clear on this. I am not one of those moms who wears waist-high pants, granny sweaters, and no makeup. I pride myself on having a good sense of style and I do my hair and makeup daily, but that does not make me who I am. There's a big difference between looking good and looking like you want every man's eyes on your chest. I realize I have written a novel on the subject, but I feel it is very important. I hate watching TV. I hate walking into Target and seeing girls wearing nothing but lingerie as I walk to the men's clothing aisle with my husband. One day my son will be seeing these things and I can only hope that through my husband's example and my teaching that he will be respectful of women and not expect a Barbie doll for a wife. Maybe I'm an idealist. Maybe I'm a feminist in denial. Hahahaha! All I know is that I'm tired of half naked women running around the globe complaining that men only see them for their bodies. Tired of it? Put some clothes on.