Eagle Mamas

I don't know if you know much about eagles, especially mama eagles, but they are very protective of their young. In fact, they do not leave the nest, instead they devote every minute of every day to watch over their little eggs/young. The mama eagle sits, watching, ready to attack anything that appears to be a threat to the safety of her young, and do nothing other than focus all their attention to their growth, development and safety.

Sometimes I find myself wishing that I could have the focus and determination like that of a mama eagle. I wish that I could just sit there next to my boys all day, every day and give them 100% of my attention, taking care of each and every need they have the second it arises.

I want to, I desperately want to, but it seems that there are just so many things demanding of my time each and every day that I often find myself getting torn away and distracted. There are meals to plan, laundry to do, a house to clean, papers to grade, lesson plans to prep, work emails waiting for a response, errands to be run, kids HW to be done, and friends to help/take care of, just to name a few. I wish more than anything that I could stop doing all those "other" jobs and just focus on being completely and solely attentive to my kids like a mama eagle is to her young. And because I do not have the ability to be as focused and solely attentive as a mama eagle, I often find myself judging my mothering abilities. I often find myself discouraged and feeling inadequate as a mom, as a working mom, as a single mom.

But today I realized something.... while the mother eagle is completely focused, never leaving the nest, and fully attentive of her young- even she- at some point has to let them fly. Once they are born, she eventually leaves them alone long enough to get food to feed them. She eventually has to let them spread their wings. She eventually has to help them up when they fall out of the nest, and she eventually has to let them fly.

And this realization was a great reminder to me that being a dedicated, focused, and attentive mom sometimes does require me to go gather food (ie: errands, cleaning, cooking) and it sometimes requires that I step back and let them learn things on their own. Being a dedicated, focused, and attentive mom sometimes means letting go and trusting that they will be ok, but reminding them that I am always here in the times that they aren't ok.

Eagles are strong, attentive, focused, and dedicated mamas... just like me!

Summer Nights with Friends

Tonight our friends, the Cresto Family, came over and we had a cookout, complete with s'mores! The kids all played a million different fun activities including playing in the sprinklers and the water table. There was no shortage of good food or giggles (including from the adults haha). The time of year may be Fall, but tonight felt like an all American summer night- it was awesome!

I guess I should have been more clear with my instructions
on how to use the water table

a perfectly shady place to play dress up, piano, and million other things
with friends 

a little after dinner relaxing and conversation

s'mores--- kids were EXCITED!

LOVE these lashes!

Nathan James: Picture Day

I asked Nathan this morning how he was going to smile for his picture at school today and this is the response that I got..

... Nathan, you're awesome dude!

XOXO, Mommy

Sweet Times

Sweet friends! I love to watch the boys and their sweet moments with friends.

holding hands while walking home from school

lunch times dates

Good Clean Fun

Our new shower head lights up and changes color... to bad we are in a drought or the boys would be playing in the shower all day!

Being A Mommy to Little Boys

Being a mommy to little boys means knowing to point the winer down when putting on a diaper and being peed on at least once in your life.

Being a mommy to little boys means pockets full of dandelions, sticks and rocks. It means cuddles and gestures from a miniature gentleman.

Being a mommy to little boys means hearing phrases like, "boys belong to their future wives but girls belong to their mom forever" and dying a little inside.

It means finding lizards for hours on end and finding rocks hidden all around the house.

It means the volume in your house being so loud that you wish you could constantly walking around with ear plugs in.

It means wincing at cultural slang like, "man up" and "don't be such a girl" and wishing you could put a force field around his tiny spirit.

Being a mommy to little boys means teaching the lesson of "no" especially when it comes to someone's body or personal space. It means not only teaching respect, but modeling what a respectful, strong, capable woman actually is.

Being a mommy to little boys means prematurely mourning his high-pitched chipmunk voice, realizing that you;ll eventually hear a deeper, stronger, manlier voice.

It means knowing that one day you'll be looking up at your child.

It means kissing his cheek and knowing that, one day, it will be prickly or unshaven.

Being a mommy to little boys means always going, moving, running, energy. It means muddy shoes, bandaged legs,  and breath-catching stunts that nearly stop your heart.

It means playing certain games and watching certain shows/movies that you have no interest in but still enjoy seeing through the eyes of your superhero, ninja loving child.

Being a little boys mommy means loving your husband the same way you would want your son to be loved.

Being a mommy to little boys will change you- harden you in some ways, soften you in others- but will ultimately give you the sweetest memories of when, for a brief period, you were everything to sticky faced little boy.

Being a mommy to little boys is the best gift I have ever been given!

Fella Teaches Us About Fall

Funny Times with Fella

Nathan is obssessed with making videos lately! He loves to "talk" about random topics and record it. He just thinks it's hilarious and I think it's pretty dang cute too. Plus I know that when he is 16, I will look back on these videos and wish he was still little like this so for now, I'll make as many videos as he wants :)

Fella, the weatherman

Nathan seeing rainbows

Melt!

I love to see Ben holding hands and making new little friends at school. 

He has such a tender heart and loves his friends dearly!

Arm Update

As of September 25, 2014 I will have had a cast or brace on for 1 year! I thought I was getting it off today but no such luck! Thankfully though, the cast nurse and I are now on such good terms, that we played around today and made a new cast creation. Hey, if you gotta have a cast, it might as well be cute right?!

Nathan's cast are before appt today. He said "so I can hold your
hand mommy"

Ben's cast art before the appt today

skinny arm during appt today

new cast creation: white with (purple, pink, teal, and silver) sparkles

Oh The Joys of Raising Boys

When you are a mom to little boys, you find the weirdest things in the weirdest places. Lately, Nathan has been leaving socks in weird places and I randomly find them and just laugh. Silly boys!

Little Fishies

My boys just love going to Papa and Grandma Donna's pool to swim! They are seriously little fishies and would never get out if I didn't make them. 

checking out the fields with Papa

Ben: aka- Toothless

Look who lost tooth #3!!!

Ben: The Photographer

Ben is really into taking pics. He loves to take them of people and him and me. It just warms my heart when he says "lets take pictures together mom". I love you Ben!

Sweetest Sleeper

Awake or asleep this boy is just too cute and melts my heart! He just realized that he is now 3 1/2 and it is so funny that he uses it as his reasoning for everything: "yeah I did that by myself because I am 3 1/2 now mom". Cracks me up! I love this boy!