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Showing posts from January, 2015

A TV Mother To Admire

There are many, many tv shows to choose from. Many, many tv "family shows" with tv mothers. But I have not seen a single one that was really worth admiring until I found the Donna Reed Show. This little gem of a sit-com stands heads and shoulders above the crowd of all other family shows, in my opinion. To me, there's the Donna Reed Show and everything else. It's that good. In this show, Donna plays a very devoted and very loving housewife and mother. She is unashamedly respectful to her husband and that alone is awesome to watch. She is loving yet disciplinary to her children and runs her home with efficiency and grace. She displays a generous heart that's too big for her body. She's kind to neighbors, hospitable to guests, generous to the down-hearted, yet she's given a real enough quality that demonstrates her weak sides, too. She's not "perfect". She's just admirable in a way that any loving wife and mother can relate to and admi

When Your Home is Chaotic

As my kids were growing up, I had to set limits so that our home would not be chaotic. After all, mom lives here too! :-) My goal was for my home to be happy, peaceful, ordered and normal. Not museum-like. Just flowing and somewhat organized. But a home is only as peaceful and orderly as its inhabitants. That means a self-disciplined wife/mother who is willing to train her children.  Here are some keys I've found helpful in maximizing happiness, peace and order in my home:  Regulate your sleep.   If you don't get enough sleep, you're setting yourself up for failure and trouble. If you've got infants, it is a trying time because you're losing sleep in the middle of the night.  Work out a plan so that you get at least 8 hours of sleep per 24 hours. Whether that means taking a nap during the day with the kids or getting to bed earlier each night. Try not to rely too much on stimulants for energy.  Plan your meals. Pick out 7 breakfasts, snacks, lunches & din

Girls Night Out Vs. Mr. Mom

A few months ago I watched the new movie, "Mom's Night Out" with my husband. There were definitely some comedic moments I enjoyed, but I actually thought the main point of the story was a bit pathetic...embarrassing...disconcerting. Why? This movie was made to represent modern mothers and how things really  are at home for her. The mom in the movie with younger children clearly loved her husband and children. But her life was depicted as stressful, chaotic, disorganized, and at times, a little depressing. (She curls up in a ball at one point in numb disillusionment and despair.) There's no doubt about the fact that she was completely overwhelmed and for valid reasons. But here's the thing: no one is asking why. What is the root cause for the sad state of affairs that this modern generation of mothers is experiencing and this movie represents? Why these moms needed a night out is the main point of the movie. Nothing wrong with a break from the routine and the ki

A Brand New Year

Baby New Year is here - 2015! We have already been so busy this year! Our teens just finished competing in a 4 day state wide Speech and Debate tournament. My husband arranged his work schedule so he could be with us. The temperatures and weather were icy and freezing every morning so it was a bit of a treacherous trek to get to and from the tournament each day. But the Lord kept us safe and we made it without incident every day. Truly praising the Lord for that because there were a lot of accidents both in and out of vehicles. Some of the people at the tournament were slipping and falling on the ice just walking around. So my honey bear not only drove us there and back each day in his 4 wheel drive truck, but he stayed and helped judge the rounds all day every day with me! We actually won prizes at the awards ceremony last night for being among the four people who judged the most rounds (33 between us!). We were so proud of our kids for their hard work and efforts. They broke in t