pillow fights.

it's friday yall! time to get happy. hope you all have a beautiful weekend. have a picnic, do some yoga, or have a pillow fight. you pick. see yall!

a mother is.

you can read books to know what to expect while you're expecting. you can read books on the best way to parent. you can read on the do's and dont's of parenthood. but let me tell you something. motherhood isn't learned in books. motherhood is learned from the heart.

the chores handbook {kids edition}

no really. you might be thinking, heck chores don't make me happy, how could they make my kids happy?

but they do, they just don't know it yet. 

it's kind of the 'it's for your own good' gist they scowl at now but will thank you for later. 

however, while you wait for the beautiful handwritten thank you note on a mother's day when they've had children of their own and finally get it, i'll tell you why chores are super beneficial to kids.

welcome to my own little handbook.

BOOSTS THEIR SELF ESTEEM

answer me this, when you've had a really good productive day. do you feel defeated or accomplished? and what does that do to your attitude?

it does the same for them. (by the way i hope your answer was it makes you feel accomplished, otherwise skip this point.)

they feel like they were able to contribute something towards their home, and helps them feel productive. that makes anyone feel good about themselves. i'd do anything to have my kids feel that way, so the chores will keep adding up! :)

 MAKES THEM RESPONSIBLE

yes, I know that's a boring word. we'd rather be fun. but responsibility reaps benefits. go to work get paid and go shopping. see?

we want our kids to be responsible with their homework, with their actions. starting at home knowing they have tasks expected from them, gives them the expectation life is pretty much the same.

CREATES EAGERNESS TO HELP

since we started assigning chores to the kids, they will ask randomly if there's anything to do to help. some more than others. my oldest hasn't hit that mark yet, but he will, i want to believe.

case in point. it was not a day for chores, and my daughter out of the blue, pulled a chair up to the sink and started washing the dishes!

this past sunday, they went out and helped their daddy clean out the garage. loved seeing their little faces coming in for water and promptly going back outside to help sweep. although all they were really doing was holding the dustpan! :)

HELPS THEM APPRECIATE WHAT YOU DO

and this is really the reason why we give them chores, no?

they will understand that clothes don't hang themselves up, dishes don't magically get washed and their home isn't cleaned because a fairy visited at night to do it all.

they will gain a new sense of appreciation for their home and room being clean, their clothes being washed, and being taken care of.

for a long time, i thought giving them chores would ruin their childhood or something, until i realized i was not really doing them a favor.

just don't get carried away and ask them to do everything while you sit and watch reruns of the real housewives or something. THAT would frowned upon girls.

next week we'll do chapter two on my little handbook. :)

what are your thoughts on chores for kids? or what are your thoughts today period? have a lovely wednesday!

linking up with:

Mommy brain mixer

going bananas.

fun. easy. healthier. done. 

the kids loved it. momma's happy. and there's that. 

with my sugar and anything unhealthy boycott, it's gotten me thinking about my kids' nutrition. i don't feed them fast food hardly as it is, but their appetite is so limited for anything healthy already, and i'd like for them to start being more conscious about their health. i know they're just kids, and i may be over doing it. maybe i just don't want to be the only one suffering alone! haha. plus those bananas have chocolate chips on them!

 but their nutrition is important and bad nutrition just results in other things i'd rather not deal with. insert high doctor bills and fatigue which equals temper tantrums here.

if you have any ideas for healthier kid approved snacks, send them my way!

have a beautiful tuesday beautiful friends!

linking up:

Trendy Little Link up

texas kids meet snow.

snow. sighting it is almost like sighting big foot around my parts of the world.

the one time we saw something white fall from the sky, it was a few flurries that melted almost immediately.

as soon as we arrived at Snoqualmie mountain during our trip to Seattle, my breath was taken away by such beauty! 

it was truly a winter wonderland. 

you would've thought it was all of the kids' birthdays combined from the giddiness and squeals coming from them, as soon as they stepped foot out of the car.

for your enjoyment, a few of my favorite shots.

completely overjoyed by it all. 'thank you jesus!'

i do realize it is a requirement to build a snowmen when surrounded by three feet of snow, but please understand that we texans, could not get the snow to stay in a perfect ball. dang, we couldn't get it to stay together period! fail.

so instead, they decided to just stand under the trees and be showered by snow. 

even my hunny couldn't stay away from the fun! 

hehe...

have a beautiful day friends!

maker gif



25/75

if you're wondering why my watermark is upside down, it's because the little lady in the middle threw a fit she was upside down in the original photo and mom had to flip it.

when they're not trying to drive me crazy (out of love, i know), my three little monkeys make laugh the hardest.

on our drive home after church one evening, my oldest asked me what my new year's revolution was. no, it's not a typo, that's what he called it. *grin*

three.

You know, some days are overwhelming and exhausting. this weekend felt like that, going by so fast without giving me a chance to take in any of it. do you ever feel that way?

Sunday, we made a day of it at the park, you know to celebrate the cooler weather that finally decided to show. 

And guess what i realized then? i'm blessed threefold.

Shutting it off.

My husband dropped a bombshell on our kids.
No warning, just completely cold turkey.

We shut off the cable.