by Kimberly | Jun 3, 2018 | Books, parenting
(This book review is sponsored by Tommy Nelson Mommies. I was given this book and all opinions are my own. Thanks Tommy Nelson!)
Praying for our children… it is one of the biggest privileges of a parent’s life…and the one I do the least. There are days I’m so overwhelmed by the task of parenting my two boys, wondering how they will come to know the Savior, wondering how they will learn not to strive with their brother.
I can vividly remember mornings or nights, standing at my bathroom sink, tired…and thinking how I need to pray more because I can’t do this parenting thing on my own.
Then I let the cares of every day life – in the moment life – distract me from praying as fervently for them as I would like.
This cute bedtime story book goes through many of the milestones in the years. Giving us as moms ways to pray for our kids. You can tie these into prayers from Scripture (and not just from a book) for your kids. You can keep a journal of these prayers.
One way this book fell short was it ended with a parent’s prayer. Where you could take it: Jesus is our Great High Priest. He interceded for you even when I fail to pray for you as I should. He is the one who prays for you every night and every day. That is His job!
I have a I Prayed For You book to giveaway! Would you like it? If so, just leave me a comment and tell me one prayer you like praying for your little one.
by Kimberly | Apr 10, 2018 | parenting
Spring Break was such a fun time for us as a family. Sun, blue skies, ice cream, and tacos. And our first trip to a theme park altogether as a family of four!
I grew up in Central Florida going to Cypress Gardens, dreaming of being a Cypress Garden Girl, wondering if I would ever learn to water ski (and I can barely do it now), and enjoying all the gardens that were beautiful. I thought Cypress Gardens would always be there. And in a way, it still is.
The grounds at Lego Land Florida are on the shores of the same lake that Cypress Gardens was and you can still watch the ski shows. You can walk through the grounds of lego central and see spots of beautiful flowers and shady trees.
But, the focus of the park is now little plastic building blocks and themed superhero movies and a really fun water park.
My family was graciously given a two day park pass including the water park for the main event of our 7 day Florida vacation. Since it was our first time going I asked around for some good tips. And now, having gone, I thought I would share our 6 top tips for all you parents out there who want to have a fabulous day with your family at Lego Land!
- Bathroom Status. I would probably advise not to go if your kids are still in diapers, or even potty training. Even though the restrooms are equipped with changing tables and there are plenty of clean bathrooms throughout the park, it just wouldn’t be as fun. And, make sure your kids go to the potty before leaving for the park. My husband had to take one of ours to the potty in the parking line (and all the other patrons who saw were laughing and joking with him…they got it). And he took the other one to the Lego Hotel before we went through security. Having kids who are well potty-trained just makes the day easier.
- Pay for the Preferred Parking. Your kids will thank you at the end of the day. Florida in the spring and summer is just warm. We had perfect weather with not a cloud in sight. So, our car was rather warm. But, the second day we chose the preferred parking. We got to park closer and under the shade of solar panels. We got into a perfectly cool car at the end of the day. Our campers were much happier, and so were we.
- Budget for food, snacks, and drink. We chose not to carry anything with us while we were there except our phones and a key and our debit cards. Our hands were free to ride rides and hold little hands. We were so glad we did this. Yes, we could have brought in snacks and water in a small cooler – but then you either have to pay for a locker or carry it or push it in a stroller. And we could have left it in the car in a cooler, but who wants to go all the way back out to the car when you are in the middle of having so much fun. So, when you are doing your budget, plan for a 15$ reusable souvenir cup and food. Your day will be much easier. My favorite ice cream was the caramel vanilla swirl cone near the Pirate Playground. Definitely the best food I ate there.
- The water park is worth it. Our kids loved it. The park provides flotation devices for those who don’t know how to swim, but our two little not-yet-swimming boys thrived well at the park slides for like 90 minutes. They would have stayed there all day. We joined them some and we also kicked back in shaded beach chairs. We loved watching their excited faces!
- Don’t buy a fast pass. I wouldn’t have thought of this one until I was a parent, and experienced some things, so hear me out. One of the things we constantly try to teach our children is that we should put the needs and interests of others ahead of our own. And I think the fast pass does exactly the opposite. When you’ve been standing in line for 45 minutes and you are about to get on, and a family comes and delays your ride because they have a fast pass, your kids (and you) and certainly disappointed. But, it also teaches them that the person holding the fast pass is better than everyone else. It teaches them that you can buy first and you don’t have to practice patience. It also seems to be a status symbol. Like often times it is those with more money who have a fast pass. We decided that we wouldn’t buy a fast pass for our family because we want to teach them more important things than just getting to the front of the line.
What are your survival tips for theme parks?
by Kimberly | Mar 21, 2018 | Books, parenting
Ad. Book from Litfuse Publicity Group for honest review.
Most people right now are thrilled with personality tests. It started out with simple ones, and has moved to complex ones. My favorite is the Enneagram. I’m a three with a 4 wing. What are you?
Hettie Brittz, in her book Growing Kids with Character, delves into parenting and shepherding your children based on their personality types. This is a simple way of talking about her book.
I didn’t think it would be that. But, it is what it is. I checked out her personality types and didn’t really see my boys on the grid, so honestly, I didn’t read the rest. But, I read the first two chapters and loved her thoughts about God being a present gardener who attends to his children. And how we can attend to our children, especially in their formative years.
Maybe you know someone who would benefit from reading this book. I think every parenting book is a good place to start, to read, to be encouraged from. Even if it is just one sentence!
by Kimberly | Nov 13, 2017 | Books, mothering, parenting, Uncategorized
Six years ago, we were newly married, starting our journey together as husband and wife. We weren’t even pregnant yet. We decided we would go through the book of James together. My husband memorized it. I prayed it daily for him, myself, us, and our future. We entered into our marriage with difficult relationships around us. We needed wisdom for how to navigate these relationships and for how to head into our future together. James was a perfect book to study through as newlyweds.
Today, our boys are five and four. And I’m going through the book of James again with a small group of women. I need these verses and the Lord’s voice to enter in to my parenting and give me great wisdom as to how to parent these two little boys. With the Lord’s help, not the world’s wisdom, we can parent well.
He has promised to help us. He has promised to give wisdom to those who ask. He has also given us His Word. This is how the Lord defines wisdom from above. How can we have parenting that is wise – with His wisdom. The following is from James 3.
(Parenting) wisdom from above is pure. It is not bought or coerced. It is done with pure motives. It is without error. This is why we need Jesus in our parenting. We are not perfect. We will always fail in our parenting. Our boys do not ultimately need us – they need Jesus.
(Parenting) wisdom from above is peaceable. Where we don’t raise our voices or cut off our children because we are doing something and they are interrupting. We seek to bring peace (not fairness) to our children’s lives when they are interacting with each other. I seek to appease and pacify, but I find it truly difficult to bring peace in our home. That is why our sons need Jesus – He is our Prince of Peace.
(Parenting) wisdom from above is gentle. Amazingly I find this difficult unless I’m showing affection. I get irritable because I’m being interrupted. I am not gentle if they are doing something wrong. I need a Gentle Shepherd to shepherd my heart so I can in turn shepherd my children’s hearts.
(Parenting) wisdom is open to reason. This is getting easier for me, by the grace of God. Open to reason in parenting is (I think) being willing to hear help from others. These tips and help may come from my husband, my friends, my pediatrician, books I’m reading, etc. Find those moms and dads who are (generally) ahead of you in the parenting game and seek them to pour into your life as a parent. Watch them. Learn from them. And that is why we need Jesus, He is all-wise and the perfect teacher.
(Parenting) wisdom from above is full of mercy. Isn’t God so rich in mercy! I love it. I apply this to some discipline. And hear me out – this does not mean never disciplining your children when they have disobeyed. This means walking in step with the Savior who showed you great mercy and plead with them to know how to interact with your children at all times. They may have done something wrong. And the best way to show them Jesus in that particular moment is by talking to them about Jesus – not giving them a timeout or spanking. Jesus is lavish in mercy to us!
(Parenting) wisdom from above is full of good fruits. Abundantly pouring out in good fruits. This is an opportunity for you to encourage your kids. One saying we use in our our is “God is helping you become more…” We don’t want to tell our kids that they are acting better to focus on their good works. We want to help them realize that everything good in them is from God. And to not wait for the big things they do, but be encouraging them in the times you see any kind of good fruit – even a little bud. And Jesus helps us bear fruit if we abide in Him!
(Parenting) wisdom from above is impartial . See the pure paragraph above.
(Parenting) wisdom from above is sincere. It is hard to be a mom. Even those who love being a mom every moment find some moments hard. But, let us sincerely think about Jesus has called us to. To shape little hearts and minds. To point them to Christ. To grow little boys into men who will one day shape the world around them. Jesus sincerely came to this world to save us.
(Parenting) wisdom from above will reap a harvest. We can definitely know that God will bless efforts to shepherd our children and reward us. It is a promise. And he is faithful.
One tool I’ve found in helping me pass on wisdom to my children – and hope in the Gospel – is Pass it On by Champ Thornton. It is a Bible study on Proverbs, with a great introduction to the book, commentary some, focusing on the Gospel (how Jesus fulfills wisdom). But it is also a journal for you to fill out and pass along your thoughts to your children. I’ve started doing this for my sons. It could be used once a week, 30 minutes, and it would take you less than a year for each kid. What a treasure it would be for your children.
Pass It On was given to me by Litfuse. All thoughts are my own.
by Kimberly | Oct 30, 2017 | 31days, lavish hospitality, parenting
This turned in to a great family weekend. I don’t think any of us opened a computer. We were outside, watching netflix cozied up on the couch, etc. It was nice. But, now – to finish off this series on hospitality!
There are some ways to provide hospitality to your kids – that you may not even be aware of. At least these are some ways that we can provide hospitality to our children – how we can help them feel welcome, safe, and desired. Tehse have worked for us – even in the many MANY moves that we’ve had to make since they’ve come into our lives!
- Stability. Ok – so, we’ve had to move several times. Our older son is 5 and since his birth we’ve moved 6 times. But, we’ve tried to do things that help with the stability. We’ve kept the furniture in our home the same. We’ve tried to keep our schedules (especially their daily schedule) the same. We’ve found this helps them be mostly calm even in the unknown.
- Consistency. This may sound similar but it is different for us. Like, we don’t keep the boys out too late because we’ve learned that they do better with life if they are in bed at a consistent time. We’ve learned that they need to wake up at the same time. Be around the same people. New environments make one of our boys not feel safe.
- Clean. Ok – this is probably the hardest, but thankfully I’m married to my husband. But, in our house, we like things clean because it creates a sense of calm. When we move, we get unpacked quickly. We keep most things really clean. I mean picked up. We don’t leave clutter every where. I wish everything was actually clean – but I don’t wipe down baseboards or sweep every day.
Those are just a few ways we help provide hospitality, security and refuge. These are pretty practical. What practical ways do you serve your children with to provide hospitality to them?
Quote from Tender at the Bone by Ruth Reichl
by Kimberly | Oct 21, 2017 | 31days, lavish hospitality, parenting
Write31 update: I was going to write this post last night after our trip to Stone Mountain. But, even though we were home at a normal time, got the tired boys in bed after a quick bath and family worship, I just didn’t have it in me. Two days of eating a lot of carbs and stress of an all day trip, with Hashimoto’s I’m learning I have to slow down when I need to.
So, you are getting two posts today. I hope you don’t mind!
I am a mom of two preschool boys. They used to be newborns, then babies, then toddlers, and now in preschool. We have made it through every stage with naps, netflix, and mostly the grace of God.
But, one way that sabotaged every minute of my parenting is comparison. Comparison for when my kids walked or talked. Comparison in whether I was breast-feeding or making my own baby food. Comparison as to whether I was using cloth diapers or Huggies. Comparison on how fast my kids are reading or playing well with others or climbing on the big slides all by themselves. Comparison on if they scored goals during their first soccer game.
And I know the comparisons just keep coming. It doesn’t stop when they reach kindergarten or middle school or college.
And comparison is anything but hospitable. It isn’t gracious to yourself as a mom (or a wife or a woman). It isn’t hospitable to your other mom friends. So, just don’t do it. Its hard. But, rely more on the fact that God has created you to be the Mom that you are to the kids that you have right now. And He will give you the grace to complete your task!
Quote from Sharon Hodde Miller’s Free of Me.
