Of Milk and Magnets

The first stop we made when we got off the airplane was to our "host" home to pick up our milk. And in with the milk were some dandy little magnets.

[We own stock in two cows, Della and Sandy. They are brown, soft, and have big eyelashes. In case you were puzzled.]

I admire them every time I look at my fridge.

And then I open the fridge and admire the milk.

And then I close the fridge. Then I stand there and try to remember what I was doing at the fridge in the first place.

Public Announcement

Taken from my facebook page, because I am not clever enough to come up with both a witty facebook announcement and blogpost:

The "blonde factory" is producting a new 2012 model. Production is 1/3 complete and final product is expected to debut in early August.

If that is too confusing, we are having a baby. And it will be blonde.

Encouragement for the Stay at Home Mom

What is the essence of a home?


A cinnamon-spice candle? Wrong. (If only it were that easy...)


A pail full of dirty diapers? Wrong. (And thankfully so.)


Wives and Mothers:You are the essence of your home!

Yes. Yes it does.

How easy it is to be discouraged when you are home with kids all day, attending to their needs, disciplining them, teaching them, cleaning up after them, preparing food, and cleaning up after them. Interaction with other adults are brief and often leave you feeling lonely. Any other moms feel the same way sometimes?

Last night an exempt from an old book was a big encouragement to me. It came from a book that I stole from my Mom's library entitled "Free to Stay at Home" by Marilee Horton. I suppose she read it when she was a young mother as it was written in 1982.

I'm quite certain the warping is my fault. It was actually in stable condition when I stole... err, checked it out. Sorry, Mom. It was "bound" to happen. Ha. I will stop now, as this is just a photo caption.

From the end of the chapter on "The Essence of a Home":

Beverly LaHaye, respected for her writing and speaking on the family, puts homemaking at the top of her list of priorities:


Homemaking is the art of making a home for the members of a family. It is the managing and upkeep of the habitation for loved ones and the providing of an atmosphere of hospitality, warmth, and security. It includes the care and training of the children. The homemaker sets the attitude and environment for all members of the family, including the husband. She contributes to their physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual needs and development.


Mrs. LaHaye says that the emphasis has been placed on the necessary trivia, "as mundane tasks, such as changing diapers, mopping up spilled milk, and doing laundry" rather than the "ultimate goals and final result of shaping human lives that will affect future society." If you are dissatisfied, Mrs. LaHaye says you may be "dwelling on the inconsequential and losing sight of the unselfish, paramount, target."


Why did this speak to me? Well, the last few weeks around here have been quite mundane. With two surgeries equaling a full two weeks of down time for my poor little girl, followed by a week long flu-bug for my oldest son, it became quite easy to dwell on the "inconsequential" or "mundane" tasks and feel somewhat sorry for myself. 


Sometimes a reminder that you are shaping lives in only a way a mama can. These thoughts can turn a mopey mood into a mood of gratitude. I am creating an environment that allows my children to learn and grow with security and love. I am able to experience the best and worst of them, each and every day. I am carefully creating my home in a way that brings peace and balance to my family. 

These tiring toddler times don't last long, as any (and practically every) old lady in the store will tell you. 

So carry on, desperate housewives homemakers. Carry on.