#1: Don't participate in them. Don't read the infuriating articles, don't get angry at someone else's post, just pass right on by them. When someone starts a conversation about how bad another Mom is, start talking about cupcakes, The Declaration of Independence, or how you had a bad haircut in 7th grade.
#2. Understand that just because another Mom thinks what you're doing makes you a bad mom, doesn't actually make you a bad mom, or turn you into a bad mom. My 3 year old will be all upset at her sisters and come up to me crying, "She called me a baby, but I'm not a baby!"
I'll ask her, "Are you a baby?"
"No."
I'll ask again, "Does her calling you a baby turn you into a baby?"
"No."
"Then what are you so upset about?"
Roll your eyes and move on.
#3. Realize that when you think you are being judged, it might be all in your head. Let me give you an example.
You and I go to the park with our 3 year olds. After an hour of playing, my daughter comes up and asks me for a drink. I pull out a box of good old Mott's apple juice. Your child looks thirsty, too, so I ask you, "does he want one, too?" You say "no, thank you." Then I say, "Oh, really, I brought extra, it's not problem." You then very nicely say, "He's actually not allowed." Or maybe you say, "Sorry, we only drink organic." I most likely will automatically feel judged, or think that you think you're a better mom than me, but you don't actually feel this way. Just because another Mom does something differently than you, doesn't mean she thinks the way you are doing it is wrong. It's just different.
You will enjoy Motherhood, being around other Moms, and just have less anger and stress if you follow these tips, promise!
Wednesday, August 6, 2014
Sunday, July 20, 2014
Shoeless Feet
The song Kings and Queens (by Audio Adrenaline) details the lives of the orphans in Haiti. The lyrics start out “Little hands, shoeless feet, lonely eyes looking back at me.” I was immediately gripped. I love shoes. I worked two different jobs for the shoe industry. I went on a missions trip to Mexico in high school where we built and painted a house for a family. While doing the work, I got paint on my sneakers, and for months after I got home, whenever I saw the paint on the sneakers, I was reminded of the family in Mexico, and specifically how the mom and the daughter shared 1 pair of shoes. I focused on the part of the song describing “shoeless feet.” The song lyrics go on to say “These are the lives that the world has forgotten, waiting for doors of our hearts and our homes to open” and “If not us, who will be like Jesus to the least of these?” Matthew 25:40 tells us, “The King will reply, 'Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”
Danny and I have the opportunity to serve the very children depicted in “Kings and Queens.” We are going on a missions trip to the children’s villages in Grand Goave, Haiti on July 14th, 2014, with the organization The Hands and Feet Project. We will be working with the older orphans, ages 9 and up. We will be doing a construction project, a VBS, and be able to interact with the children and the community.
Will you help us out by committing this trip to prayer? We ask that you pray for the children, the people on the missions team (including Danny and I), and the work we will be doing there. I’d also like to ask that you pray for my Girls who will remain at home.
Would you also consider supporting us financially? The trip costs $1500 a person, so $3000 for both of us to go. A donation in any amount would be very helpful and much appreciated. If you would like to learn a little bit more about the trip, or make a donation online, please click here .
Now, do yourself a favor and go watch the video for Kings and Queens: http://www.godtube.com/watch/?v=WDGYYGNX .
Danny and I have the opportunity to serve the very children depicted in “Kings and Queens.” We are going on a missions trip to the children’s villages in Grand Goave, Haiti on July 14th, 2014, with the organization The Hands and Feet Project. We will be working with the older orphans, ages 9 and up. We will be doing a construction project, a VBS, and be able to interact with the children and the community.
Will you help us out by committing this trip to prayer? We ask that you pray for the children, the people on the missions team (including Danny and I), and the work we will be doing there. I’d also like to ask that you pray for my Girls who will remain at home.
Would you also consider supporting us financially? The trip costs $1500 a person, so $3000 for both of us to go. A donation in any amount would be very helpful and much appreciated. If you would like to learn a little bit more about the trip, or make a donation online, please click here .
Now, do yourself a favor and go watch the video for Kings and Queens: http://www.godtube.com/watch/?v=WDGYYGNX .
Tuesday, April 8, 2014
Saige is 3!!!
Happy 3rd Birthday Miss Saige Girl! She was very happy to receive a Sheriff Callie Costume, a 15 pack of gum, and a Frozen Book with a wand!
100 things about 3 Year Old Saige:
1. She thinks her real name is “Saige Girl”
2. She calls Lemonade “Lemon Juice”
3. For most of the year she lived in her Belle costume.
4. The other part of the year, she lived in the Cleopatra costume calling it her “Elsa” costume.
5. As soon as she puts on her “Elsa” costume, she starts singing a Frozen song.
6. She calls her forehead a “horf-ed”
7. She wants to wear her Elsa nightgown every day.
8. She calls pigtails “2 sides.”
9. She loves to brush her hair, your hair, her toys’ hair, etc.
10. Her favorite color is green.
11. If you come downstairs wearing something green, she’ll get excited and say “That’s my favorite color!”
12. She puts on her dress up apron and says, “I’m a bakery.”
13. She calls the oven a “baker.”
14. For awhile, all she would watch was “Sophia the Mermaid One.”
15. She got into Team Umizoomi, Peter Rabbit, and Sheriff Callie.
16. It is adorable to hear her sing the Sheriff Callie theme song. “Got a badge here on my Best (vest)” while doing the motion of spinning the badge.
17. She can sing every word to every Frozen song, and can pretty much recite the movie.
18. She has made up motions to the Frozen songs.
19. When you’re in the way of the tv, she’ll yell “please I can’t see please!”
20. She likes to play that she’s the Mom.
21. She likes to grab my face and kiss it.
22. She gets really sad if you leave without giving her a kiss
23. She knows she’s funny.
24. She likes to change outfits a few times a day.
25. She’s scared of dogs.
26. If the wind is blowing on her, she’ll say she’s cold.
27. She wants to wear a winter hat even if it’s warm out.
28. She knows her letters and numbers by sight.
29. She likes to spell her name.
30. She likes to sing her Address song.
31. If she sees something with any letters of her name in it, she’ll say it spells her name.
32. She can count to about 40, but misses some numbers here and there (mostly in the teens).
33. She buckles herself into her carseat.
34. She likes Look and Find books.
35. If you tell her to re-say something nicely, she will instead just yell, “Nicely!”
36. She likes to hang upside down from the seat of the couch, then flip over.
37. She loves babies.
38. She likes to jump off things.
39. You can instantly change her grumpy mood by tickling her.
40. She loves to play “Monster Game.” Which is basically tag, but you have to chase the other person continuously saying “monster game.”
41. She is obsessed with gum and mints.
42. One of the first things she may ask you is “you have a phone?”
43. She is not afraid to try new foods, and is not picky.
44. She loves apple juice.
45. She loves Dance Class.
46. She calls her little Dora doll that she sleeps with “Pum Pum.”
47. When you put her to bed you have to give her several kisses, hugs, and clap claps (high fives).
48. When she wants a bath, she’ll say she’s “stinky dirty.” Then she may go into further detail and tell you “my face is dirty, and my arms are stinky.”
49. After she washes herself in the bath, she likes to wash her Dora bath doll.
50. If you dry her off with the yellow duck towel, she will quack.
51. If she wants chap stick, she’ll cry “my lips are hurting” so you give her the chapstick.
52. If you do give her the chapstick, she will put on 100 coats of it.
53. If you give one of the other girls medicine, she’ll come up to me and say “I need medicine, I’m coughing” and then she’ll fake cough.
54. After she brushes her teeth, she wants you to smell her teeth.
55. She loves to shout “bye” to Caura as she gets on the bus, but often will call her “Cauri.”
56. She loves when Caura’s bus driver waves to her, she’ll very excitedly say, “She waved at me!”
57. If it’s warm out and she doesn’t want to wear a coat, she’ll ask me if she can be OK.
58. If I tell her she's cute, she'll then say, "no you're cute."
59. She is full of compliments.
60. She loves to wear stockings, but only mildy likes to wear dresses.
61. She’ll tell you her Birthday’s “Name” is April 8th. Then she’ll ask you what your Birthday’s “Name” is.
62. She likes to be the one to unlock the door to get in house.
63. She falls asleep easily in the car, and is a heavy sleeper.
64. She’s scared of the train at night.
65. She likes to play Doctor and Hair Salon.
66. One toy stethoscope we have actually works a little, and she likes to put it in her ears and sing into it.
67. She likes to play songs on the Barbie guitar.
68. She’s pretty good at Memory.
69. She’s close to swinging on the swing by herself.
70. She likes to take the sand from the sandbox and make “cakes” with it in the play house.
71. She loves the trampoline.
72. If she wants to cuddle she’ll whine, “I want you.”
73. For her Birthday, she wanted a real helicopter, and a real horsey.
74. Earlier in the year, you would ask her “why are you so cute?” Her response was “because Mommy turned me into cute.”
75. She likes to hold my arm prisoner.
76. She is good at folding washcloths.
77. She likes to do chores.
78. I’ll ask her “What’s Daddy’s real name?” and she answers, “Hey Babe!”
79. When I ask her what my real name is, she’ll say “Aunt Denise.”
80. She loves strawberries.
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81. She likes to smell candles, lip gloss, anything smelly.
82. She likes to attack me with kisses, and will kiss my eyelids, nose, ears, cheeks, etc.
83. She still would rather be carried.
84. Some days she will live in sunglasses.
85. She likes to sleep with her Sophia book by her bed.
86. She likes to do “excercises,” which is basically just her version of yoga poses.
87. She likes to wear “sparkle” shoes.
88. She likes to dance and spin.
89. When you ask her if she finished her food, instead of answering, she will open her mouth to show you.
90. She loved playing in the snow, but didn’t like going down the hill on the sled.
91. She likes to make funny faces.
92. She thinks one of the seats on the couch is her spot forever.
93. She loves going to Church because she gets candy from Pastor Randy.
94. She likes to use mouthwash, and she calls it “the bubblegum.”
95. If you ask her to draw a picture, the first thing she’ll do is trace her hand.
96. She can sing all the songs to the “Teen Beach Movie” soundtrack.
97. She’s still somewhat scared to go down slides.
98. She likes to wear clip earrings or sticker earrings.
99. She always wants to watch “her show” and after “her show” is over, she tells you “you can watch your show now.”
100. When you ask her how old she’s going to be, she uses her other hand to hold down two fingers, and says “Three!”
Happy Birthday, Saige!
100 things about 3 Year Old Saige:
1. She thinks her real name is “Saige Girl”
2. She calls Lemonade “Lemon Juice”
3. For most of the year she lived in her Belle costume.
6. She calls her forehead a “horf-ed”
7. She wants to wear her Elsa nightgown every day.
8. She calls pigtails “2 sides.”
10. Her favorite color is green.
11. If you come downstairs wearing something green, she’ll get excited and say “That’s my favorite color!”
12. She puts on her dress up apron and says, “I’m a bakery.”
14. For awhile, all she would watch was “Sophia the Mermaid One.”
15. She got into Team Umizoomi, Peter Rabbit, and Sheriff Callie.
16. It is adorable to hear her sing the Sheriff Callie theme song. “Got a badge here on my Best (vest)” while doing the motion of spinning the badge.
17. She can sing every word to every Frozen song, and can pretty much recite the movie.
18. She has made up motions to the Frozen songs.
19. When you’re in the way of the tv, she’ll yell “please I can’t see please!”
20. She likes to play that she’s the Mom.
21. She likes to grab my face and kiss it.
22. She gets really sad if you leave without giving her a kiss
23. She knows she’s funny.
24. She likes to change outfits a few times a day.
25. She’s scared of dogs.
26. If the wind is blowing on her, she’ll say she’s cold.
27. She wants to wear a winter hat even if it’s warm out.
29. She likes to spell her name.
30. She likes to sing her Address song.
31. If she sees something with any letters of her name in it, she’ll say it spells her name.
32. She can count to about 40, but misses some numbers here and there (mostly in the teens).
33. She buckles herself into her carseat.
34. She likes Look and Find books.
35. If you tell her to re-say something nicely, she will instead just yell, “Nicely!”
36. She likes to hang upside down from the seat of the couch, then flip over.
37. She loves babies.
39. You can instantly change her grumpy mood by tickling her.
40. She loves to play “Monster Game.” Which is basically tag, but you have to chase the other person continuously saying “monster game.”
41. She is obsessed with gum and mints.
42. One of the first things she may ask you is “you have a phone?”
43. She is not afraid to try new foods, and is not picky.
44. She loves apple juice.
45. She loves Dance Class.
48. When she wants a bath, she’ll say she’s “stinky dirty.” Then she may go into further detail and tell you “my face is dirty, and my arms are stinky.”
49. After she washes herself in the bath, she likes to wash her Dora bath doll.
50. If you dry her off with the yellow duck towel, she will quack.
51. If she wants chap stick, she’ll cry “my lips are hurting” so you give her the chapstick.
52. If you do give her the chapstick, she will put on 100 coats of it.
53. If you give one of the other girls medicine, she’ll come up to me and say “I need medicine, I’m coughing” and then she’ll fake cough.
54. After she brushes her teeth, she wants you to smell her teeth.
55. She loves to shout “bye” to Caura as she gets on the bus, but often will call her “Cauri.”
56. She loves when Caura’s bus driver waves to her, she’ll very excitedly say, “She waved at me!”
57. If it’s warm out and she doesn’t want to wear a coat, she’ll ask me if she can be OK.
58. If I tell her she's cute, she'll then say, "no you're cute."
59. She is full of compliments.
60. She loves to wear stockings, but only mildy likes to wear dresses.
61. She’ll tell you her Birthday’s “Name” is April 8th. Then she’ll ask you what your Birthday’s “Name” is.
62. She likes to be the one to unlock the door to get in house.
63. She falls asleep easily in the car, and is a heavy sleeper.
64. She’s scared of the train at night.
65. She likes to play Doctor and Hair Salon.
66. One toy stethoscope we have actually works a little, and she likes to put it in her ears and sing into it.
67. She likes to play songs on the Barbie guitar.
68. She’s pretty good at Memory.
69. She’s close to swinging on the swing by herself.
70. She likes to take the sand from the sandbox and make “cakes” with it in the play house.
71. She loves the trampoline.
73. For her Birthday, she wanted a real helicopter, and a real horsey.
74. Earlier in the year, you would ask her “why are you so cute?” Her response was “because Mommy turned me into cute.”
75. She likes to hold my arm prisoner.
76. She is good at folding washcloths.
77. She likes to do chores.
78. I’ll ask her “What’s Daddy’s real name?” and she answers, “Hey Babe!”
79. When I ask her what my real name is, she’ll say “Aunt Denise.”
80. She loves strawberries.
.JPG)
82. She likes to attack me with kisses, and will kiss my eyelids, nose, ears, cheeks, etc.
83. She still would rather be carried.
84. Some days she will live in sunglasses.
86. She likes to do “excercises,” which is basically just her version of yoga poses.
88. She likes to dance and spin.
89. When you ask her if she finished her food, instead of answering, she will open her mouth to show you.
90. She loved playing in the snow, but didn’t like going down the hill on the sled.
92. She thinks one of the seats on the couch is her spot forever.
93. She loves going to Church because she gets candy from Pastor Randy.
94. She likes to use mouthwash, and she calls it “the bubblegum.”
95. If you ask her to draw a picture, the first thing she’ll do is trace her hand.
96. She can sing all the songs to the “Teen Beach Movie” soundtrack.
97. She’s still somewhat scared to go down slides.
98. She likes to wear clip earrings or sticker earrings.
99. She always wants to watch “her show” and after “her show” is over, she tells you “you can watch your show now.”
100. When you ask her how old she’s going to be, she uses her other hand to hold down two fingers, and says “Three!”
Monday, March 17, 2014
Family Tree
The Family Tree is up! My goal was to have generations of wedding pictures. I am so thrilled to have pictures of my Parents and Danny's Parents, four sets of GrandParents, three sets of Great-GrandParents, and one and a half sets of Great-Great-GrandParents!
Danny and Me, Married August 4, 2001
My Parents - David and Doreen Mellor, Married March 25, 1978
Grandparents - Frank and Rhoda Mellor, Married December 23, 1945, pictured with Rhoda's Parents (My Great-GrandParents) Lester and Lillian Lobenstein (middle), Lillian's Brother, Phillip Marcus (right), and Lester's Sister, Sadie Tannenholtz (left).
Grandparents - Doris and Bob Hansen, Married September 1, 1956, along with Doris' Sister, Selma (left) and Doris' best friend (right)
Great-GrandParents - Louis and Mary Hansen (pictured at my Great Aunt Mary Lou and Great Uncle Doug's wedding)
Danny's Parents - Bob and Terry Castagna, Married June 27, 1976
GrandParents - Anna and Louis Castagna
GrandParents - Richard and Rose Stecker, Married July 1, 1957
Great GrandParents - Joseph and Minerva Orbanus, Married May 31, 1941
Great-Great GrandParents - Catherine and Anthony Orbanus, this is not their wedding picture, but they were married on January 23, 1916
Great-Great GrandMother - Roseanna and Husband Ben Shumacher on their wedding day, September 24, 1966
I am so happy with the tree, grateful to Linda Schoonover for painting it, and for all the family members who helped me gather pictures. It is such a pretty and meaningful addition to my living room.
Danny and Me, Married August 4, 2001
My Parents - David and Doreen Mellor, Married March 25, 1978
Grandparents - Frank and Rhoda Mellor, Married December 23, 1945, pictured with Rhoda's Parents (My Great-GrandParents) Lester and Lillian Lobenstein (middle), Lillian's Brother, Phillip Marcus (right), and Lester's Sister, Sadie Tannenholtz (left).
Grandparents - Doris and Bob Hansen, Married September 1, 1956, along with Doris' Sister, Selma (left) and Doris' best friend (right)
Great-GrandParents - Louis and Mary Hansen (pictured at my Great Aunt Mary Lou and Great Uncle Doug's wedding)
Danny's Parents - Bob and Terry Castagna, Married June 27, 1976
GrandParents - Anna and Louis Castagna
GrandParents - Richard and Rose Stecker, Married July 1, 1957
Great GrandParents - Joseph and Minerva Orbanus, Married May 31, 1941
Great-Great GrandParents - Catherine and Anthony Orbanus, this is not their wedding picture, but they were married on January 23, 1916
Great-Great GrandMother - Roseanna and Husband Ben Shumacher on their wedding day, September 24, 1966
I am so happy with the tree, grateful to Linda Schoonover for painting it, and for all the family members who helped me gather pictures. It is such a pretty and meaningful addition to my living room.
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