A Note from Shari Braendel

Good morning beautiful moms! I’m thrilled to be joining you on Monday night during our Mom-tage online chat and can’t wait to meet you and spend time with you.

I’m the mom of a 15 year old son (who happens to be 6’7”) and adult triplet step-daughters whom I affectionately call my “steppies”! They are each precious to me and I can’t imagine doing like without any of them. My son is a very active athlete who plays basketball year round and soccer in the fall. I am grateful that God allows me to be home from Monday thru Thursday each week to make lunches, run carpool, watch games and write (always doing so with 3 cats and a dog nearby!) I spend most Friday mornings on a plane traveling to a speaking engagement and then fly home on Saturday nights.

I think the thing I’d like to tell you about me is that I’m a real, down to earth girl who just happens to be pretty knowledgeable about all things fashionable. I’m pretty much like your best girlfriends who like to laugh (a lot), and eat (a lot). I guess I do things to extreme and consider myself a pretty radical Jesus girl. I adore the fact that I get to use my passion for fashion to minister to women all over the country. God is so good like that…He created each of us with gifts and talents that we get to use to glorify Him….how cool.

The biggest thing I want you to understand before we go into our chat on Monday night is that you are beautiful. That may sound trite but I really mean it. God did NOT make a mistake with you and no matter your size or shape, you are made in His image…and that is a really good thing.

I pray that you don’t get all caught up in the size on your tag. I’m a size 14 and mighty proud of it. And some days I’m a size 4 when I decide to cut the “1” off that tag…not kidding. LOL!

Girls, we’re gonna have fun together. You’re going to learn some things you perhaps never knew before. But mostly, it’s going to be some girlfriend hanging out time, and that I can’t wait for.

Talk to you Monday night!

Love ya, Shari

www.FashionMeetsFaith.com

Make sure you go over to Shari's site and do your free color analysis!  

Seventh Generation-- Back to School Germ Survival Pack Giveaway

I have become a germophobe during cold and flu season.  I have heard it said that it takes two years to build immunities to the new viruses and bacterias that a person is exposed to when we they move to a new a place.  This has been especially fun for my family since we haven't lived in the same place for more than three years since we've had children.

Colds and flu can not be prevented entirely.  Let's face it, church nurseries are covered in snot, babies put things in their mouths.  Yuck, I feel like I have a stomach virus coming on just thinking about it.   I've become pretty good and jumping on a new cold by keeping noses clean, feeding vitamin rich foods and making my kids drink extra fluids and get extra sleep and avoiding a need for antibiotics by keeping infection away.   But, now that we've lived in our current abode for 2.5 years and have survived our initiation period, I have made it my quest to do everything in my power to keep germs at bay and to boost my family's immune system in hopes of preventing a few of these sicknesses in their entirety.  I figure that if we just avoid a couple of bugs this year, we'll be better off.   And, since I'm also cautious about the chemicals in my home, I was very excited when Seventh Generation offered me and one of our readers, a chemical free, back to school pack like the one below:


Seventh Generation through My Blog Spark has provided us an additional Seventh Generation “Back-to-School” kit for one lucky Mom-tage reader. It will include (1) Seventh Generation backpack, (2) Seventh Generation Disinfecting Wipes, disinfecting multi-surface spray cleaner, facial tissue, and paper towel.





I wasn't surprised at all that I liked these products since I've been using their laundry detergent and dishwashing detergent for years.  But, I will say that the products measured up just as I suspected.  Definitely as my favorite, are the disinfecting wipes.  I've managed to to find ways to disinfect things at home with vinegar but I'm  too lazy to try to make something to take along with me and the disinfectant wipes are perfect to carry along on trips, picnics etc..

I also thought I'd share a video that I use to scare my kids into washing their hands.. Yeah, we'll deal with the psychological effects later.  This video gave my 7 year old such a vivid picture of how germs travel that it has her washing her hands constantly. Scare, successful!




And I also to share is a video that Seventh Generation put together about the history of germs. Very informative! Check it out:



So would you like to try out your own Seventh Generation germ survival pack? Let's keep this simple. To be entered to win, just leave us your best cold fighting or cold treating tip! We'll announce the winner Monday before our book chat!

Okay, Ready set GO!

Monday's Mom-tage Mom: AMY MORRISON from Pregnant Chicken

The Mom-tage is tickled to introduce our Monday's Mom from Pregnant Chicken ~ Amy Morrison.  Amy started Pregnant Chicken as a way to help pregnant women everywhere sort through all the do's, but mostly the don'ts that women are faced with during their pregnancy.  When talking about the time she spent during her pregnancies worried, confused and fearful, Amy says: 
As much as I wanted to discount all these scare tactics, I couldn't help but think "what if". What if I did miscarry because I ate a hotdog? What if my baby was deformed because I cleaned out the litter box? I second guessed and googled everything.  Now that my two sons are here and I'm no longer pregnant I look back on that time with anger. Not because there are warnings of what to avoid when pregnant but these so called experts drop these little nuggets in your lap with terms like "studies have shown" and "experts agree". Then they wrap it all up with the ever endearing "to be on the safe side" to absolve themselves in case your kid grows a tail because you ate a breath mint in your first trimester. You're left rocking in the corner with the ever looming "I told you so" hanging over your head if, godforbid, you decided to have a glass of wine with dinner. So I decided to compile as much as I could find on many of the subjects that haunted me throughout both my pregnancies to shine a little perspective on all of it.

Pregnant Chicken is a compilation of Amy's whit and personal research on numerous topics ranging from air travel to tanning during pregnancy.  Amy's hilarious outlook on life adds a calming effect to the scary side of pregnancy.  And though Dana and I both claim to be done birthing babies, Pregnant Chicken is a site that's still fun to visit!  So, without further ado, heeeerrreee's AMY!

1. Team Edward or Team Jacob?

I'm going to go Edward here. Something about the whole dog thing with Jacob seems queasy to me so I'm going to go with the surly stalker that watches me sleep. Plus, if he's twinkling in the sun, I can find him easily when we go to the farmer's market. Yeah, I'll go team Edward.

2. Bette Midler in Beaches or Lea Michele in Glee?

Bette Midler. Awesome. She'd totally dig my twinkling vampire and I'd make him run really fast to get us sushi and booze. I love Lea Michele too but I'm worried she would just think I'm a nerdy, fat mom trying to impress her with my high kicks and show tune knowledge.

3. My quirky habits are:

Oh geez, are you sure you want to lift the tarp on this one? Hmmm. Okay, here's one: I don't let my children clean up their toys because I like to make sure they are sorted properly. Whew. I feel better. I don't tell many people about that one because I know it's not a healthy example for anyone involved but I can't sleep if I don't know where all the puzzle pieces are. Sad, I know.

4. My biggest pet peeve is:

The sound of someone clipping their nails makes my ass itch. I hate it. Every house should have a sound proof nail clipping chamber in their house.

5. My most dreaded "mom chore" is:

Putting laundry away. There needs to be some kind of laundry basket storage unit that I just insert them into a shelf. I'm sure IKEA must have something like that. It's probably called Slöth.

6. The thing that has surprised me most about motherhood is:

How much I've had to let things go. My embarrassment. My agenda. My vacuuming. It's made me a much more flexible person and I think that's a good thing cuz I can be intense (see question 3.)

7. On average I wipe 2 bottoms a day that are not attached to myself.

By the time I get these boys out of diapers, I should be ready for them myself. I can't imagine a day where I don't know the frequency and consistency of my children's bowel movements. People tell me this day will come but I don't believe it. That day is like unicorns and thin women with big boobs -- it doesn't exist.

8. The one item I should throw out but probably never will is:

My records. I don't even have a record player anymore but I always convince myself that they don't take up much room and you never know when you'll need to access Duran Duran's Seven and the Ragged Tiger!

9. The last time I swept and mopped was a.) 2 days ago b.) 2 weeks ago c.) 2 months ago d.) not applicable.

2 days ago. That's not the norm though. We just renovated our basement so there is drywall dust EVERYWHERE. I should be sweeping and mopping every 6 minutes but whatev. That ain't happenin', Cornflake.

10. My children are my:

"Life"? The correct answer is "life", right?

They are pretty important to me and everything thing I do and every decision I make is based on how it affects them. Dangit! They are my life! Sneaky buggers! They're lucky they're cute.

New Dad Survival Guide – 8 Essential Tips

~Amy Morrison

I was going to do a post on what dads should do during delivery but decided that was too difficult because so much depends on the guy. Some men get all silent and queasy whereas others are all up in their lady's junk with a camcorder saying "Honey, I don't know how you're doing this!?".

The only thing I would tell a fella who's about to go in to a delivery room is that your name is no longer your own – it's simply "dad". So you'll hear "Dad, do you want to grab a leg?", "That's right, Dad. Just help with breathing and stop talking." or "Dad, if you think you're going to pussy out and faint, get out of the way and don't look down". However, once you get home the rules become a little more universal so here are just a few tips to help make the first few weeks and months smoother for everyone:

1.  If you're going to be late coming home don't wait until the last minute to tell her. Remember when you'd have to do chin ups and you knew you had to do 20? You'd get to 18 and think "I only have two more to go, I can make it" then some asshat comes along and says "Gimme 10 more". How much do you like that guy? Not so much.

2.  Come home and get in the house. When you get home this is not the time to chit chat with the neighbour over the fence about how it's gong with the new baby. Assume that it is always Lord of the Rings orc war in the house and get your ass inside to relive the day shift because your wife has probably been walking around with that baby thinking "I only have to hang in there 30 more minutes....29.....28." (see point above).

3.  Pretend you like the baby. I know, I know, you like the baby but most new mothers are wired with this demented sense of responsibility so even if their baby is screaming like a rabid howler monkey they don't want to leave it. So if you go in and say something like "take a shower, I've missed him all day and I can't wait to hold him" then take the wailing, purple terror and pretend to love it like a playoff game. In turn, she will be more willing to go bathe, eat or generally reset to be less crazy. It's win-win.

4.  Don't ask "What's for Dinner" If everyone in the house is alive when you get home that's a successful day. My friend's husband asked her why dinner wasn't ready because "she'd been sitting at home all day doing nothing". If you ask "What's for dinner?" the answer will be "Your left testicle". Eat cereal, order take-out or drink pumped breastmilk. Your choice.

5.  Don't whine about how hard your day was. This is important, Gentlemen. Even if your day consisted of being gang raped by angry silver back gorillas, she can trump you. Not only can she trump you but it may include details that you otherwise wouldn't have known about and don't want to hear. You're tired. You're stressed. But don't open Pandora's box. Also consider that this is someone who is up all night looking at your peaceful, sleeping vulnerable body. Don't give her yet another reason to smother you with a nursing pillow. She's probably already plotted your death a couple of times by now so don't push her over the edge.

6.  Don't say you're babysitting. The mother of your child may be too tired to catch this slip but any woman who has had more than 20 minutes of consecutive sleep is going to do a slow, Chucky-head-turn and hiss "You're not babysitting. You're parenting." In your defense, I totally understand this statement. If you're not the primary caregiver and you're stepping in to take care of the baby then you are technically babysitting. Use terms like "Daddy Duty", "On call" and "At the helm" to be on the safe side and if you catch yourself saying "babysitting", quickly guard your nuts.

7.  Don't lie on your back and hold the baby above your head facing you. They puke. It's the infant equivalent of the Funny Home Video guy pitching to the kid with the baseball bat and getting squared in the pills. All guys seem to like lying on their backs, hold the baby in the air and fly them over their face. Babies LOVE this and this joy often sends a surge of yak right into your who's-daddy's-airplane-open-mouth. They give no warning. They are vomit grenades.

8.  Be CIA guy. Too often I think Father's get shoved to the side and it's all about the baby, and to a lesser extend, the mom. Love the shadows, my friend. Be a gazelle in the grassland and don't draw attention to yourself because you're in the trenches and there's no glory in the trenches. Be like those awesome CIA guys with the silly putty in their ear who silently, seamlessly get the odd glass of water before it's asked for, load the dishwasher and do those slow motion body blocks when your dirty cousin with the cold sores tries to stick her finger in the baby's mouth. Your work will go unnoticed at first but when the dust settles you'll be revered and adored.

Your job at this time is really important. You're the voice of reason, the pillar of strength and the cavalry wrapped in to one. You need to be there for your spouse because she's probably like Newt when Ripley first finds her in Aliens – terrified, tired, dirty and overwhelmed and the worst time is mostly at night. Mostly.

It takes a great guy to step up and dig in during those first few months, but a guy who says "I'll be home early, I'm bringing dinner and I want to take the baby for a walk as soon as I get home", now that's a freakin' man.

Just a quick reminder...

You've got one week to finish GOOD GIRLS don't have to DRESS BAD, by Shari Braendel. 

Even if you haven't had time to read the book, check out her site, and the segment: What To Wear Wednesday, and you can still get some super helpful tips and advice.  Then, meet us back here on Monday, September 20th at 8:00 pm Central/9:00 Eastern to chat live with Shari Braendel herself!  We're going to have a blast!  Before you come, Shari recommends you make sure and get your FREE color analysis by that time at http://www.colorenalysis.com/ so you know what she's talking about when it comes to color. 

Just as we did during the last book chat, a representative from Zondervan Publishing will be giving away door prizes through out the chat!  So, please make plans to join us.

We hope to see you there!
Love, Holly & Dana

TEACHING KIDS A HEALTHY PERSPECTIVE ABOUT SEX

DISCLOSURE: When Holly and I started the Mom-tage, because of a desire  to foster a community where mothers could support each other, we decided up front that we would make a concerted effort to keep our priorities straight and never put it above our friends or family.  Well, it just so happens that the homework of second grade is kicking our tails and we both have friends that are going through terribly difficult times.  And since we're both at a phase when we think that there are things in our lives that need attention that just can't wait and well, I can't think straight to save my life, I am unapologetically posting a re-post.  And about something that shouldn't require too much thought if life is overwhelming you as well: Sex of course :).  And if by some chance life has some how slowed down for you, we gladly open the floor of The Mom-tage  to your thoughts.  ~Dana

Thanks, to my mom and dad for the inspiration for the following article. Sorry I exploited your sex life for a mere blog post.  

TEACHING KIDS A HEALTHY PERSPECTIVE ABOUT SEX

After a long day of playing outside with my then, three-year-old, and fervently re-applying sunscreen to her delicate skin, I was sporting a nice little sunburn of my own. As I was standing their in all of my naked glory, while my husband applied one of God’s miracles, aloe vera gel, Emma pranced into the room. With worry in her eyes, she exclaimed, “Don’t let daddy see your bottom”!! Since she was getting older, we had began to try to break her, much loved, streaking habit by trying to teach her the importance of modesty. No wonder, she was confused about my lack of modesty in front of someone not on the list of acceptable people to see your bottom: IE: doctor, daddy, etc..

My husband and I looked at each other with a look that said, “Wow, what do we do with this one” while at the same time, trying to hold in a little snicker at the thought of “being caught.” In the hastiness of trying to make a decision on having to deal with the issue at hand, I looked down at her and laughingly said, “It’s okay for dad to see my bottom. He’s my husband. One day, you’ll be married and your husband will like seeing your bottom too”. Because of the look of surprise from my husband, maybe even shock, I could no longer hold my laughter. And though both my daughter and my husband stood there looking at me like my hair was on fire instead of my skin, I felt sure that I had said the right thing.

After ten years in ministry, I have seen many, many Christian women that struggle in their sexual relationships with their husbands. At first, this phenomenon took me by surprise. A lot of the women that I have spoken to about this issue followed all the rules, saving themselves for their husbands. Therefore, I was shocked that with them having “followed all the rules”, they didn’t have the most amazing sex life possible.

But, after having some time to analyze this situation, I came to believe that after years and years being told , “sex is bad, sex is bad”, many women, maybe men too, are unable to make the jump to, “oh, you’re getting married? Sex is GOOD”..

Though I can’t express the number of times I rolled my eyes in disgust at my parents as a teenager, I am so thankful for the display of affection that they displayed on a regular basis. Though it was not inappropriate in any way, I was very aware that they were intimate and it wasn’t just my dad that enjoyed it but my mom as well. I have thanked God many times since I’ve been married for the healthy view of sex that He gave me through witnessing my parent’s relationship.

I don’t believe that “sexual purity” is a bad thing to want for our children. But, I do believe that this goal alone is anemic. I pray that my husband and I, like my parents did me, teach our girls that sex is a wonderful, gift that God gives to married people. Teaching them will, no doubt, include the fact that sexual impurity cheapens that gift, leaving it less than the blessing that God designed. But our prayer for our girls, is not only, that they remain “sexually pure” but, that my husband and I will display marriage in the way that God intended it to be. And, that they will in turn, live a lifestyle that will help them to fully embrace the blessings that God desires so badly to give them.

Dana Ellis

"Thoughts on Life and Dirty Diapers"

Monday's Mom-tage Mom: Nellie on Histiocytosis

A little over a year ago, I was sitting in the waiting room with a friend, Janell,  waiting to hear the results of an MRI on what the doctors thought was a simple benign tumor on her two year old son.  I can remember sitting and joking that day.  We were a little worried because the tumor was close to Benjamin's eye but confident that it would be easily resolved.  Just minutes later, I was desperately trying to fight back tears (though totally unsuccessfully) after the Ophthalmologist reported that "it looked like cancer".. I sat helplessly, watching my friend's life as it was turned upside down..   It turned out that the disease that Benjamin has isn't actually cancer but rather, a very rare disease called Histiocytosis, that is also treated with Chemotherapy. Over the last year, I've seen Janell and her family show such strength  as they've fought this disease. And, I was so happy to have the chance to rejoice when I received Janelle's  phone call that the results of Benjamin's last MRI was "totally clean".   It turned out to be a very good thing that Janell is a biochemist by trade and could understand the medical terminology. And, since I still don't totally understand what makes Benjamin's disease different than cancer (even though Janell has tried to explain it to me several times), I'll let Janell have the floor.   ~~Dana

1.  Edward or Jacob?

  Neither.  Team Benjamin all the way!  My son is waaaay more brave than Edward and Jacob combined, and when he takes off his shirt, nurses faint in the hallway. ;) 

2.  Bette Midler in "Beaches" or Lea Michelle in "Glee"?

  You know, I'm going to have to go with Bette.  I could totally, toooootally see myself doing the "Over the Shoulder Boulder Holder" skit. :D

3.  My quirky habits are:

  As we say in Microbiology...my quirky habits are TNTC (Too Numerous To Count)!  But just for fun, I'll share a couple.  I loooove Tie Dye and it forms the majority of my wardrobe for the week.  I am also a tortilla snob.  I'm sorry, but that stuff they sell in the grocery store is roughly the consistancy of cardboard.  That's why, every time I make a trip to visit family in AZ I always bring back 50 lbs. of tortillas with me.  Lasts me about a year if I ration them out well. :) 

4.  My biggest pet peeve is:

  When people tell me that at least my son doesn't have cancer.  Believe me, I hang out in the Hematology ward.  Some of my best friends have children with cancer and it's a rough, rough journey.  But Histiocytosis isn't exactly a joy ride either.  Best to keep to Thumper's Mom's advice "If you can't say nothing nice, don't say nothing at all." 

5.  My most dreaded "mom chore" is:

   Oooooh...tough call.  It's a toss up between the laundry hyrda and vacuuming.  I think I'll go with the laundry hydra though, since it keeps regenerating.

6.  The thing that has surprised me most about motherhood is:

  How strong and loving children can be.  My son and daughters have been so amazingly strong this last year and have been a source of inspiration to me when I thought my world was falling apart.

7.  On average I wipe __1__ bottoms a day that are not attached to myself. 

  This one's mostly due to my own paranoia.  Benjamin could wipe his own bottom any time, but while he's on chemo, I'd rather wipe his bottom than worry about infection risk. ;) 

8.  The one item that I should throw out but probably never will is:

 Benjamin's baby blankets.  Just can't bring myself to do it..

9.  The last time I swept and mopped was a.) two days ago.

                                                                b.) two weeks ago.

                                                                c.) two months ago.

                                                                d.) not applicable.

Unbelievably, it was yesterday. :)
 

10. My children are my: 

Inspiration.   There's something amazing about the strength and courage that they have shown this past year. 

And now: Janell tells us about her experience with Histiocytosis:

Histi...what's that again??

It's amazing how three words can change your life!!  A little over a year ago, if you would have asked me what Histiocytosis was, I would have shrugged my shoulders and happily told you that I'd never hear of it.  That all changed last August.

Shortly before his second birthday, I started noticing something weird about my son Benjamin.  In the beginning it was something "off".  I would look at his eyes and go "There's something wrong with his left eyelid...".  It was so small a change that everybody would look at me and go "I'm sure it's ok."  By July of 2009 the "something" became more pronounced and it became obvious that something was wrong.  At first, it looked like his eyelid was badly swollen.  Later, a large bump formed (about the size of a grape cut in half) and pretty much obscured a large portion of his vision on his left side.  By this time, the pediatrician had referred us to an ophthalmologist.  Because his sister has a hemangioma (a benign tumor of blood vessels), the Dr. felt fairly certain that this bump was a hemangioma too.  Before he went any further, the Dr. told us we'd need and MRI, and so he scheduled one...for *six weeks later*.   As we waited out our six weeks, the knot in my stomach grew bigger and bigger.  Something was wrong with my baby and I had to wait six long weeks to find out why!  

Time passed slowly.  The Monday of the week he was supposed to get his MRI things got worse.  Benjamin's right eyelid began to swell.  I took him to the ophthalmologist who assured me that it was probably nothing related to the left eyelid and since the MRI was just another couple of days we should just wait.  That evening, Benjamin ran a low grade fever and I had had enough!  I bundled him up and took him to the ER.  One way or another I was going to get answers!  

Little did I know that it would take four long days, CT's, MRIs, surgery, and a bone marrow aspiration to get our answer.  On August 28, our two year old son was diagnosed with Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis.  Histiocytosis is a rare blood disorder that causes the immune system to turn in on itself and start attacking the body.  These cells can attack the skin, bones, lung, liver, spleen, gums, ears, eyes, and/or the central nervous system.  In Benjamin's case, it ate two holes in his skull, one in his leg and caused enough damage to cause one of his vertebrae to collapse.  He underwent a year of chemotherapy and numerous hospital stays and is now finishing up the last few months of his treatment.  

Our family is so thankful that Benjamin has responded so well to his treatments.  We are hopeful that this will be the end of his journey and that he will not have a recurrence (the recurrence rate for his presentation is roughly 40%).  Mostly, we're determined to get the word out about his disease so that one day soon researchers will find a cure for this horrible disease that has taken too many childrens lives and brought pain and suffering to so many.

Because there are so few cases of Histiocytosis, government funding is almost non-existant.  At this point in time, some of the most basic questions about this disease are still unanswered.  Is Histiocytosis caused by a genetic defect, or an environmental trigger?  Which part of the immune system triggers the body to turn in on itself?  The list goes on and on.   September is Histiocytosis Awareness month.  Currently, most of the funds for research come from fundraising efforts from organizations like the Histiocytosis Association of America.  So I'm asking for your help.  If you blog, would you please consider adding this button to your blog for the month of September?  If you're not a blogger, then please consider heading over towww.histio.org to find some great ideas on how to spread the word.  The more awareness we are able to bring about this horrible disease, the better the odds that one day we will find a cure.

You can keep up with Janell and little Benjamin over at "Keep Your Head Above Water"

Please grab the button below and join us in spreading the word about Histiocytosis!







<a href="http://histio.org"><img border="0" src="http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n235/danaellis/Histio.jpg" /></a>

O Me of Little Faith

Do you ever struggle with faith issues and questions about life as a follower of Jesus?   I do!  And I was so excited to get a chance to write about my struggles with faith in my guest post "Haunted by Questions" over at the blog of Jason Boyett, author of "O Me of Little Faith: True Confessions of a Spiritual Weakling" .  

 I'd love to beg invite you over to see it.  And, if faith is something that you struggle with, I encourage you to bookmark his page, grab his book etc.. It's been such a comfort to me to see other Christians struggle yet still follow.. 

Blessings,

Dana

Monday's Mom-tage Mom: Mandy at "Life's About a Dream"..

Meet Mandy from Life's About a Dream:

Preschool teacher, dear friend to everyone she knows,   fun and witty mother of three vivacious boys and the only person we know that's clever enough to give a life lesson with just a picture and a few words.  Mandy is also the star of one of the pictures in our header (top second from the right).  Thank you for sharing with us Mandy!  The Mom-tage loves you!

1.  Edward or Jacob?  

Who?? Is this a Twilight reference?  I think I am the only person on the planet who has NOT read these books or seen the movies.  And I have no plans to do so.  I don't do vampires or werewolves no matter how hot they are.

2.  Bette Midler in "Beaches" or Lea Michelle in "Glee"?  

I have never seen Glee, but from what I know, I am going with Lea Michelle.  Bette is a little much for me.

3.  My quirky habit is:

I cough when I clean my ears out with Q-tips.  Please don't stop reading because I am weird....

4.  My biggest pet peeve is:

It really irks me when people make comments about my all-boy clan.  Things like:

"You sure have your hands full!"

"Don't you know how to stop having kids?"

"Are you going to try for that girl?"

One time I was in line at the pharmacy in Publix with all three boys.  The baby was in his infant seat in the buggy and the older boys were in the top part "driving" the shopping cart.  All were behaving nicely (which, I admit, is a feat in and of itself).  A woman behind me said that dreaded comment, "Boy you have your hands full!"  I smiled and said, "ummmhmmmm," not wanting to converse with her.  The baby then piped up with a coo and the woman exclaimed, "Oh my!  There's another one in there?!?  You DO know how to stop having kids, right???"  Oh how I wish I said the things that were crossing my mind....

5.  My most dreaded "mom chore" is:

ALL "mom chores" are dreaded around here.  

6.  The thing that surprised me most about motherhood is:

I find it incredibly empowering that I had the ability to bring three beautiful sons into this world.  I never knew feelings of euphoria existed as the ones that come just after giving birth.

7.  On average I wipe _______ bottoms a day that are not attached to myself.

I am currently wiping 2 in my own house, with plans to whittle that down to one very soon.  My four year old can be heard across town when he screams, "Moooom...c'you wiiiiiippppeeee me??!?!  As an added bonus, I get to wipe more bottoms AND noses at the preschool where I teach.  Sweet.

8.  The one item I should throw out but probably never will is:

I have yet to trash my bouquet of flowers I carried at our wedding 10 year ago.  Each time I dust (one of those "mom chores" I hate), I knock off a few petals from the roses.  Hey, don't hate.  It reminds me of one of the happiest days of my life.

9.  The last time I swept and mopped was:

Today.  Yes, Mom, you read that correctly.  Baby Frog will put anything and everything into his mouth.  I am sure once he is out of that stage, my answer will go back to d) not applicable. Again, this is something that falls under the yucky "mom chore" category.

10.  My children are my:

Entertainment.  They say the funniest.stuff.ever.

Things I’ve Learned Since Becoming a Mom to Boys

29AUG20103 Comments

by Mandy  

_________________________

Motherhood throws you for a loop.  I still fret over the smallest of issues and baby Frog is my third child.  I have joked with the boys’ pediatrician many times since Frog was born about still feeling like a first time mom.  I don’t think that feeling ever goes away, regardless of the number of children you have.

I was eating lunch with some friends a couple of weeks ago.  All are or will be moms to all boy clans.  Our conversation was wildly entertaining about motherhood and the antics of our children.  Listed below are some of the finer points we covered.

Since school has/is started(ing), the teacher in me is currently demanding these valuable nuggets in a list format:

1.  People are going to say stupid stuff to you while you are pregnant.  Really stupid stuff. You know the comments…“Oh wow. You have really gotten big.” Gee thanks.  “Don’t you know how to stop having kids?  You will never have a girl anyway.” Is it any business of yours how many children I have?  And my personal favorite (insert sarcasm HERE) “Another boy?  You sure are going to have your hands full.” DUH.  Now leave me alone with my chocolate.

2.  It’s OK to ask for help. And I don’t just mean asking someone to cook you dinner.  Although, that would be great.  By the way, this one goes for moms of boys and girls.  I seemed to sail through postpartum with my first.  After having #2, I felt as if I was drowning.  I have never been in a place so dark and isolating, yet I was anything but alone with my supportive family all around me.  I was a victim to postpartum depression and it’s NOT FUN.   If you ever feel this way, don’t be ashamed.  It’s not worth it in the long run.  Get the help you need.  Your kids and husband will thank you.

3.  Having all boys automatically earns you a special place in heaven.God said so.  Ok, maybe that was only in a dream I had, but who else deserves one than a mom of all boys?  I mean, c’mon.  Only the strong can survive theconstant wrestling, growling, and bodily functions.  For realz.

4.  Children make you plan for the future. Think about it.  When else do you get your junk together as far as your will, pick out godparents, and start saving for college educations?  Not to mention the hopes and dreams for great daughters in law and  adorable grandDAUGHTERS.  I need to dress SOMEONE in pink.

5.  It’s an excuse to watch more sports. This one may only apply to me, seeing as how I actually taught my husband everything he knows about the sport of hockey (Let’s Go Pens!).  I seriously go into withdrawals when I cannot attend Clemson games or watch Steeler games on TV.  Thanks to my dad, Pops, for instilling this love of sports in me.  My husband thanks you, too.

Life has changed so much since welcoming three sons.

And I wouldn’t change it for anything.

Visit Mandy at: Life's About a Dream

Perspective... It's a beautiful thing.

Being a grown-up stinks sometimes.  As a teenager, I couldn't wait to be out on my own, looking at adulthood as pure freedom...  Eating out whenever you want, staying up late, answering to no one-- all seemed super fun and extremely enticing.  What I didn't realize was the obvious-- Budgets don't allow you to eat out when ever you want, staying up late is the last thing you want to do (but have to since your 9 month old is cutting four teeth at the same time), and you answer to more people now, than ever before:  The mortgage company, your five fussy children, and your husband, just to name a few. 

Some days a pity-party is in order, and well-deserved.  Others, you just need to put your big-girl panties on and face the day. 

Recently, I decided it was a pity-party kinda day, and felt deserving of the Guest of Honor title.  To start the party off right, I threw a giant hissy-fit in front of my husband, complaining about our budget that is now so tight it's strangling me, and I stormed out the door for story-time at the library.  Sitting with my three preschoolers, listening to the librarian read, I glanced around the room, as I am an avid people watcher.  One particular family caught my eye.  I noticed that even in the 105 degree weather, the two small children both had on sweat pants.  The mother, had on rugged clothes as well, and looked exhausted. The father, who was unshaven and also dressed in long pants and a long-sleeved shirt with several holes, lovingly held his son, and pointed to the librarian when his 2 year old seemed to be losing interest. 

When story-time ended, I continued watching this family.  They all went and plopped down in the bean-bag chairs with a large stack of books.  My children love to play in the same area, while I look for books to check-out.  As I went to retrieve my crew from the play area, I listened in on the following conversation taking place between the tired looking couple, and their winter-attired children:

"I know they're getting restless.  But, it's just too hot to go anywhere else.  We can just hang out here a while longer."  The little girl in sweat pants interrupted in quiet voice, "Mommy, I'm really hungry."  The Mother replied softly, "I know, sweetie.  We're trying to figure that out, okay?" 

Tears filled my eyes.  Wishing so badly I had the financial ability to help, I smiled sympathetically at the weary mother, and said a prayer for her.  Then, I thanked God for my blessings.  Maybe that family wasn't homeless, or starving, maybe they were just behind on laundry and discussing what to do on their day off.  But, I don't believe that.  As I drove across town, to my air conditioned house, fully capable of preparing a balanced meal, even if we do have to eat PB&J sandwiches and Ramen on a regular basis, I realized what a blessing it had been to witness that conversation.  I sent my husband a text, apologizing for being such a brat, and admitting when I get upset over our financial situation, it doesn't help matters any.

That same day, my friend was having some tests run on her 2 year old daughter, at Children's Hospital.  She called me and described her fears going into the hospital that morning, then how quickly her fears turned into sheer relief and thankfulness as she passed by the many parents and patients whose illnesses and disabilities were far greater than even the worst case scenario of her daughter's possible diagnosis.  She choked up saying, "Holly, right then I realized, no matter what the out-come, I'm still so very blessed."  With a heavy heart, I hung up the phone and cried. 

My disappointments in adulthood are my own fault.
Seeing the daily blessings are a choice, and counting them an important task to complete.

I'm going to dig my big-girl panties out of the laundry pile now.  It's definitely time for me to put them on.

Love,
~Holly

Tuesday's Tidbits-- Ridding your Facebook page of Farmville, Once and For All!

Oh I just learned a trick that is going to make me some friends and probably some enemies too but it's so worth it to share it with those of you that are going to LOVE this little tidbit.

I just learned how to remove all the annoying facebook status updates.. Okay, not all of them.. I can't stop your Uncle Bob from telling you when he pees.  Or, about  the mouse that just crawled across Aunt Thelma's foot.  Nor will it stop Holly and me from telling you about all about The Mom-tage.. But, it will allow you to de-clutter your facebook page by removing Farmville and quizzes and the like.. So read on my new friend and go to bed tonight feeling like you've had a productive day de-cluttering your life.

Instead of hiding each individual app, you can download  F.B Purity .  It's a "Greasemonkey script that alters your facebook homepage to only show the most relevant information to you.

The script is compatible with Firefox, Google Chrome, Opera running on Windows, Mac or Linux or Apple Safari runing on Mac."





I can't tell you how to make a 3 year old stop whining (Tips for that would be greatly appreciated).  But, I'm giving myself points for silencing the cows!

Blessings,

 Dana

Monday's Mom-Tage Mom: Andrea Steed

Today, we welcome Andrea Steed to The Mom-tage!  Andrea, wife to Ben, and mother of two beautiful children, Ayla and Paxton, has a true passion for scrapbooking.  As if Andrea wasn't busy enough being a stay-at-home-mom, she also works for Scrapbook.com maintaining the Learning area of the site and writing occasional articles.

In addition to scrapbooking, Andrea also makes and sells personalized signs.  You can see her incredible handiwork and marvel, as we have, over at SIGNS by Andrea. 

 She's incredibly talented and though Dana and I are not true scrapbookers by nature, Andrea's works of art leave us drooling, and motivated to finally tackle the giant boxes of old photos in our closets.

 Here, Andrea shares some wonderful tips for novice scrapbookers, but first we asked her to complete our silly survey...

1. Edward or Jacob?

60% of me says Edward, if you only read the books. 25% of me says Jacob, if you catch a glimpse of him in the movies (after all, he rarely wears a shirt), and 5% of me wishes Edward would be re-cast for the films. Then I could stop trying to do all this goofy math and just say 100% Edward. But frankly Rob Pattinson gives me the heebie jeebies.

2. Bette Midler in Beaches or Lea Michele in Glee? Did you ever know that you're my hero? Definitely Bette Midler. But then, I've never watched Glee.

3. My quirky habits are:

Order. I like order. It means I'm picking jazz up off the floor and putting things away ALL. DAY. LONG. But it makes me happier to live in order, so I do it. And lists. I LOVE crossing things off of lists. Deleting is no good. It has to be pen & paper. I also feel an incredibly strong urge to eat a bowl of cereal every day. If I don't have it for breakfast (which I usually do), you can bet that sometime later in the day, I'll have a bowl -- or 6. What can I say? I like my cereal.

4. My biggest pet peeve is:
When people say "fixin' to". You're not fixing anything. You're getting ready to do something. Get it right. I also stand firm in the fact that a "toboggan" is a sled, not a ski hat. Perhaps it's the journalist in me that makes me so adverse to these inaccurate terms. Then again, I have been known to speak gangsta just for fun, so maybe I don't have room to talk.

5. My most dreaded "mom chore" is:
Trying to get kids to eat food that's good for them and not snack all day. It's a constant battle, but one I'm determined to win. I think it makes me a better mom. They just don't know it yet.

6. The thing that has surprised me most about motherhood is:
It's 24/7. I'm usually only good to "work" about 6 hours a day. So I have a hard time with those other 18 hours. It's a good thing my kids sleep all night!

7. On average I wipe ____ bottoms a day that are not attached to myself.
1 and 1/2. It's currently a high priority to teach my 4 year old how to wipe her own bottom after going #2. However, at the current rate of independence that my non-walking 16 month old has, I may very well be wiping bottoms for 5 more years.

8. The one item that I should throw out but probably never will is:
A broken (taped-together) 6" glass stir rod that my boyfriend and I stole from chemistry class my junior year of high school. I justify the theft, because after all, I married the guy! It's a reminder of when we first began.

9. The last time I swept and mopped was
a.) two days ago.
b.) two weeks ago.
c.) two months ago.
d.) not applicable.
My husband or I "sweep" every day, and mop about once a week. We don't actually fight over who gets to do it, but we do have tools to make it SO much better. I even blogged about it. And sometimes whoever sweeps and mops gets out of bath time duty, which is always a plus. :)

10. My children are my:
Anchors. They keep me from getting lost in a world of crafty projects, photography sprees, fashion obsessions, and decorating disasters.
Subjects. They're beautiful. They photograph so well. They have gorgeous skin and smiles. They do funny things that I want to remember forever. They make great topics to write about. And I love to record everything they do in photos, words and stories.
Mirror. They're a constant reflection. While I try to improve their behavior, I'm often forced to fix my own first. Because after all, they learn some of their worst habits from me. Lead by example is one of the hardest things to do, but certainly the most effective!

5 Tips to Take Up Scrapbooking

by: Andrea Steed

I love to take pictures, I love to write and I love to create works-of-art. So, it was a no-brainer when I took up scrapbooking as my hobby of choice. Not everyone falls into it so easily. But it doesn't have to be an overwhelming feat either.

First, you need to decide why you're scrapbooking. Is it to record stories? To have a place to put your photographs? To be crafty? All of the above? Any reason is fine, but whatever your reason is, it will be the strongest factor in how you create albums and layouts and it will define your approach to scrapbooking.

For instance, if want to remember specific dates, stories, and reflections, your albums and layouts will be very journaling-focused. If you're looking for a method of displaying and viewing photographs, you may lean more towards photo-album-style books. And then there are those who like the crafty element of creating a work of art, who will spend more time thinking about which products to use on a page, than the photos and words that go with it.

Whatever your reasons, here are a few tips for making it fun and do-able:
1. Set reasonable goals and expectations. Break your scrapbooking projects (which can feel overwhelming and impossible to "finish") into smaller tasks.

Choose photos for an album one day and write your journaling another. On a different day, pick a group of coordinating products to match your theme. In just a few days, you'll have created your own album kit ready to go whenever you are ready to scrapbook those memories.

Instead of scrapbooking *everything*, you can tackle years of back-logged photos with subject-themed albums such as sports, birthdays, school, holidays, etc. Or, divide a year into months, making monthly collages and dedicating only 2-4 pages to each month.

Here are several examples of album organization that I use:

Through the Years Album

Baby's First Year Photo Album (These make great baby shower gifts!)

Basic Baby Album

Elegant Wedding Album

2. Buy product kits. Kits are fabulous. Everything coordinates, you have all the elements you need on hand (paper, stickers, die cuts, embellishments, ribbon, etc.) and you can store it all together with your project, which makes it easy to get started anytime you have an opportunity to work on it.

3. Keep organized. I can't stress this enough. Keep your photos filed and dated, your supplies organized and easy-to-access, and you'll always be able to jump right into a project. There's nothing worse than feeling the urge to scrapbook and having to spend all your time getting organized instead.

See how my room is organized: Scrap Room Video Tour

4. Write what you won't remember. My memory is terrible, so I write everything down - names, dates, locations, and most importantly, the story. What happened? Who was there? What did they say? How did you feel? Keep a journal, a calendar, or a blog to help you write it all down immediately so it isn't forgotten by the time you scrapbook it.

5. Photograph your world. Sometimes the perfect smiling-at-the-camera portraits aren't what become the most treasured photographs. Don't forget to take pictures of everyday activities, the house you live in, the places you go, and the people you love. No matter how blurry, how dimly lit, or how messy the background, you'll treasure the memories of those simple everyday things.

Week in the Life Album - This is one of my favorite albums, full of photos of mundane, boring, everyday tasks. But two years later, it's a great record of our everyday life. I might do this one again in a few more years.

Most of all, stay true to your reasons for scrapbooking and make it fun--for you. Don't worry about how other people do it - just do what you like and what works for you!

~ Andrea Steed, http://www.andreasteed.com/