I guess I've been a bit  busy lately!   I  apologize for the lack of personal posts !!  I  know,  I need to get roll’n.   Well I  still have a few things to  accomplish , before I get full on swing’n on this blog.  

  Today's post has been in the  making for the past week!  and I'v decided  no more Procrastinating!   it’s gotta  get done !  

OH AND !   a  big shout out to  my guest posters !!   they  pulled me out  a pinch  this week, with out them  I would not have had anything  for you all to read  this week !   - THANK- YOU-  Melissa , and Jess

How To Be a Responsible Mom and still be Young

If you think your  youth is long gone  and down the drain, then think again. You need to be a responsible mother ,  but you  don’t need to   wear mom jeans.

1. YOUR CHILD FIRST!!!  
   Keep in mind  that your son or daughter comes first!   no matter what you are  faced with.
   Before Making any big decisions about your  own life,  always ask  yourself this  question; "How  would this  Affect my child ?, is  it healthy for them or not ?”  With all that in mind you can proceed.

2. First and Foremost, BE RESPONSIBLE !!!
   Ok, yeah I know ,  this is all  about being young, but  responsibility comes when you are very young. and  assuming your parents  taught you well. you should have no troubles being  responsible.  After  all  I’m pretty sure most of us   started understanding responsibility at around 5 or 7.

3.  Don’t forget your real age.   
   I  think most  young  moms who have chosen to raise  their children tend to  get so  engulfed  in  proving we are mature enough to raise children,  that we forget who we really are or what age we really  are. I for one was telling a 19 year old about how  when I Was her age I never…. I’m 19!!! what do I MEAN when I was her age ?!!  that statement just made me look like a naggy old woman.

4. Remember, Your Friends  probably are all still 17-23.
   Don’t  forget  that your friends  probably  don’t have children. So don’t be upset when they avoid the parenting talks, the stories of your  kid and so  on. With That in Mind….

5. Avoid Talking About Your Child  While Around Your Friends.
   It is not wrong to  talk about your child  to  your friends, but learn to know  when its a good time !  Nothing kills a conversation more than when you steer the  convo towards  how adorable your kid is. Plus most of your friends probably , aren't even imagining having kids.
   
   
   
   
   
6. Don’t Hang Out  with People Who make you  uncomfortable  about your choices.
   Choosing to carry a baby  full term  is  a big accomplishment.  To want to raise that baby all the way to adulthood is amazing in itself ! So ,  of course  there will be those who  won’t think you are up to the game or that  you are wasting your life, and those people will try to bring you down.   Avoid them.  They will blur your judgement of what it means to be a good parent.
   
   
   
   
   
7. Don’t Dress Like a MoM.  
   Sure you are a mom! but seriously, it doesn't mean you can slack off on looking good, or  start wearing them mom jeans and button up polo shirts.  Also avoid wearing mom hair.
   
   
   
8. Dress, Accordingly!
   Ok, well   we said  not  to wear MoM gear,  But  there are also things to keep  mind when dressing though. If you are  nursing , whatever you wear, whether you chose to  nurse in public, or pump  while out, has to be easy to do it in. So,  don’t wear the one piece jump suit you think you look hot in. If you  aren't  planning on doing  any of those things , or don’t  do them to begin with, then there is no problem.
   BUT!  if you are bringing your child with you,  keep in mind, that color  should matter. so no whites, or light colors. or anything that is dry clean.
   
   
   
9. Don’t Take Your Child to Parties.
   or any where that will have drugs, alcohol, or loud music. It is not a healthy environment.
   It doesn't mean you can’t go,  but keep in mind you are a parent who is trying to prove she can raise a baby at a young age. So don’t be stupid and leave your kid with your parents , just so you can get wasted. Not worth it.
   
   
   
   
   
10. Take a Small Break from Your Child.
    FIRST!  taking a weekend off from parenting or a night off,  is a “PRIVILEGE NOT A RIGHT” so with that in mind, try to once every 3 months take a  day or weekend off from parenting to get in touch with your inner teenageness, we know the need and desire to be young and free is still there so  take a moment to acknowledge it.
     Keep in mind that  different children react differently to how long a parent is gone for,  so  choose   how long you are going to be gone from  your kid according to  his habits. If they are used to nursing in the middle of the night , then its  best not to be gone overnight wait  until  you’ve  overnight weaned.  Also if you are going to be gone  overnight  leave your child  with  someone who  you  fully trust and  who your child knows  really well.  Don’t be gone for more than a week-end.
    
    
    
    
    

11. Remember that You are Still You
and that's all there is to that. sure you had a kid grew up a bit, but I bet you still sleep with that dingy old teddy-bear - come on  now…  admit it !

Mom-o-Graphics 

 Parenting. This raising of young.

By: Melissa ( Diaz)  Neely

"You don't know what it's like to have all this pressure on YOU, this weight on YOUR shoulders. Knowing that if the end product is askew, it's because of YOUR faulty planning or workmanship."

 He retorted, to my suggestion that he build the home himself, from the ground up.

 As soon as the words were out of his mouth, a wall around my heart crumbled a little. It's a completely unrelated subject, but his words finally expressed the stress and frustration quietly building up within me.  

 Parenting. This raising of young.

 

 Guide them- don't control them! Teach them- don't force them! Routine is good! Routine is bad- teach them to adapt! Public school is good! Private school is best! Home schooling is the only option! Organic, enviro-friendly, non gmo! No fluoride! Yes, fluoride! Vaccines are the devil! You are the devil if you don't vaccinate! Family doctor or pediatrician?! Don't force gender specific colors! Or toys! If they don't like a sport- dropout! Never allow dropping out! Expose them to the real world! They're too young to know what death is!

 

 

Questions and debates I had already settled for myself. I'd already decided, planted my foot and lived in the bliss of not questioning/researching/comparing. And somehow, without realizing, the doubts and fears and uncertainty crept back in. How did I get here again? How did I circle back to this point again?

Healthy eating habits, self control, polite, respectful, aware, personal hygiene, style, self confident, self-reliant.

 

Age appropriate accomplishments. Age appropriate maturity.

 "My six year old makes and packs their own school lunch every day!"

 "My four year old sweeps and dusts!"

 "My kids make their beds without being told!"

 

Hello, doubt. Hello, sinking feeling. Welcome back, Stress. Nice to meet you, Mr. Inadequate.

 And I greet them. I, alone. Because, it's on me. It's my responsibility. It's my worry. It's my weight. It's my job.

 Who else would decide if they should brush their teeth after breakfast? Who else would enforce it?

 Who else, instead of reaching for the strewn pajamas, calls for the owner of Hello Kitty and Sponge bob Karate pants to remind, to train, to give the opportunity for responsibility?

 Who else decides the menu for dinner? Where to shop, what brand to buy?

Yes, it's a weight. And a pressure. And a burden.

And, at the end of the day,

 when a fit is thrown at the family reunion,

 when sibling fights escalate to biting, hitting, slapping,

when bomb pop wrappers are discarded on the ground,

 when a toy is ripped from the neighbor child's grasp,

 when uncaring words fly,

 when whining for gum or candy or PLEEEEEEEEEEASE JUST ONE TOY resounds through Wal Mart...

 It's my face that burns.

 Because, really, isn't that a revelation of my poor parenting?

 And so, with heaviness, frustration, and a lump in my throat, I pull out my notebook, schedule dinner out with --my supporter, my 'I'll help in any way I can', my 'Mr. Fix It Man, my listener, my encourager, my LOVE--- and prepare to take a nitty gritty look at our family.

 We'll strategize, re-focus, set goals and boundaries.

 We'll get back on track.

 

 We'll answer the swirling questions, allay the doubts and fears.

   Confidence and Strength, this is your Save The Date. Invitation soon to follow.

Thank-You Mom 

By: Jess Crudup

The older I get, the more I realized how hard mothers work. I have such a deeper appreciation for my mom now. I mean, I was always grateful, but it wasn't until aiding in raising my siblings did I realize how much work she did. Changing diapers, Feeding,Washing, Burping,Teaching

TRYING to put to sleep, Giving medicine. And the list goes on.

Motherhood is not for wimps. I saw that she had written that in a poem not too long before she died. It’s tough and it is beautiful. I’m glad she was such a great mom because she being a great mom taught me how to be a great mom. She was a single mother, single handedly raising 5 children and raising them WELL. I owe my intelligence, politeness, kindness and beauty to my mother, who gave me, and taught me these things.

I am thankful for all good moms out there because you’re the ones that will raise children to be good adults, take in children that aren't yours because you care, teach young men how to properly treat women, especially women who will be to their children what you have been to them, and show a kind of the greatest love that so many have experienced. The love from a mother for her children is powerful. It’s what gives a child their confidence, understanding and self-love.

I could never express how thankful, grateful and appreciative I am to all the good mothers out there. You are a child’s first doctor, teacher, coach, relationship and friendship. I have learned just how vital the relationship between a mother and her child is. I have full respect for and I honor the many women that let their children know they love and care for them because that is one of the most beautiful experiences in this life that I am very happy to have experienced.

God Bless all the good mothers out there. =)

A camping We Shall Go. This summer we went camping at a near state park. It was nothing special. Just a weekend trip. Micah L-O-V-E-D It ! We couldn't keep him out of the dirt! After our first night , I decided to document the entire adventure. It was uneventful for us, but our neighbors seemed to be having a blast. The Following is my documentation of this past summer’s weekend camping trip to my local state park. I've omitted the most boring parts of the trip  


************************************************************************ Thursday night we left home to camp. We tried to leave so that we had enough daylight time to set up, but by the time we got around it was already twilight and near dark. We set up in darkness and after words, since we had no firewood , feasted on hard boiled eggs and butter bread. Shortly after, We went to bed, tried to get a WiFi connection for a movie but no luck. Our neighbors were noisy, and by 1 a.m fully drunk. Their rowdy loud behavior kept us and other campers awake for half of the night. Micah and I shared a sleeping bag which made it for a very tight and uncomfortable night. Mom slept on an air bed which was flat by 1 AM due to my negligence on forgetting to latch and close the valve. 

*Cute Little Stinker*

 


Waking up at 7:59 sore and sleep lacked. we got into the car and went home. [home is 20 miles away] Getting there we grabbed everything we thought we had forgotten, but I was just informed we forgot our chicken and beef for our dinner tonight and tomorrow. I guess it's going to be hot dogs for dinner tonight.  
It is sad, an old friend has passed away. I didn't know her long, but her old fashioned clothes, high bun on her head and peppermint odor was something I will not soon forget. [We had to take time during our camping venture to attend an old friend’s funeral]
Saturday Micah woke me up at around 7:59 (again). Mom went home to feed the cats and grab stuff we forgot (again). Not to mention she stopped at the store to buy meat because she forgot it AGAIN! Dad and I made coffee and waited for her. and while we did. We had a discussion about hunger. I sat and predicted what mom was doing at home. Now we are cleaning up Thinking about going to get apples and going to press our own cider at the glazier ( an apple cider pressing activity hosted by the DNR) L8trs ! 

Eating an apple that was  suppose to be  cider.

We went went to the apple cider pressing. It was quick we got there and put in our apples (5 lbs). It only made about 2 pints of apple cider. 

We went to bed at around 9 and I slept pretty good till about now. (1:15) The people around us are drunk. They are LOUD, and one of them tripped over my tent. Hopefully they quiet down soon… I don’t know if I can go back to sleep. [ I shall insert the full drunk story here: At 1 a.m the drunk people were full on wasted. I could hear kids running loose. One drunk man telling another about how his wife was a *female dog*. Another tipsy pair walking back from the bathroom tripped and fell on my tent uttering, “ *poo* there is a tent there” By 2:00 a.m they were arguing about football and one woman made sure her 2 cents were in there. The argument was a near fight with the woman in the lead. At around 2:30 one man said he had to get up really early to go fishing, and after that the party died with a couple coming to their camp spot which was next to ours. The details after that shall not be typed here.]


Micah woke me at 7:59 , It rained. poured buckets. nothing in my tent got wet, but it sweated so it dripped right on my forehead like a water boarding.
Dad slept through everything!!. He didn't awake this morning, even after mom banged on his car door.

[Dad didn't like the hard “ground” so he ended sleeping in his car on our last night]


Eventually he did wake up and mumbled something about not wanting people to see his hairy chest which I guess was visible. His car wouldn't start this morning.
Micah was pretty happy this morning. If only he knew this was our last morning and that we are going home this afternoon . 

Boiling some water for grandpa's tea.

Well, this it the end of our weekend adventure. We packed most everything Helter skelter , and ate some really yummy hamburgers. after all was ready to go dad’s car wouldn't start. So we had to “shove” start it. All in all it was an interesting camping trip. 

"The Camping Chair"

Now a Word from Mom:
“It was memorable. Some what relaxing , no rushing around of any kind accept Thursday night. IT ended with Pushing Dad’s Car to start. I was so glad to hear that motor start. I used to do that to my own car. But I don’t remember now. I will be glad to get home to my own Bed.” Now a Word From Dad: “It was really good to get on to the campground and relax. I was a bit concerned about the weather, but it was ok. We need to get new air beds for next year. It was a lot of fun and I wish we had stayed for a week. The wind really blew our tents around.”

Love of the Outdoors.

And a Final word from Micah:

“UmmBA”

Funny  story about this frog; I didn't know it was there until Micah crawled on it then picked it  up and  began to  put it in  his  mouth. The poor  thing  manged to escape, but later  it  awoke  me  by  chirping on the  tree by my tent.