KID Find!

My 9 year old son and I watched this today:

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This is the 1974 movie rendition of a children's novel written by Wilson Rawls. It is about a boy who raises two coon hound hunting dogs during the 1930's in the Ozark Mountains.

There is a wealth of character development here for a young boy. I especially enjoyed watching the father guide his son into manhood.

Additionally, it is a good movie to prepare young children for the sorrow in life, yet, provides hope in the midst of it. The two coon dogs meet a mountain lion and both dogs die. When the family moves, the boy is discovered at the graves of his beloved dogs, saying good-bye. He notices a red fern growing between the dog's graves. According to Indian legend, only an angel can plant a red fern and wherever it grows is sacred. With this sign, Billy is finally able to recover from his loss.

It reminded me of how there is always a glimmer of hope no matter how bad life gets. I like that concept being passed along to my children.

We will read the book in a couple of years but head's up: Walmart has the 1974 version of the DVD for 5 bucks. There have been a few remakes since then.

By George, I think she's got it!

This mom of 9 children (with 2 sets of twins!) has done a wonderful job of what this site is all about. I don't know if she reads Mom Stuff, and I certainly don't take any credit. I'm just thrilled that she's "got it".

It's too easy to copy someone else and even covet who they are. That leads to discouragement and it spills out in how we mother.

Learn from each other, depend on each other ... but for goodness' sakes, be who God designed you to be and know that He did it for a reason!

enterprising.

(an entry for the Prosperous Writer Prompt)

I suspect many writers are introverts. They gain their energy from within themselves: thinking, reflecting, and writing. That said, I wonder if the caution and lack of ambition for some writers is simply because it is not a natural part of their personality? It may take some learned extroverted personality traits to be enterprising.

If in order to become enterprising, it requires undertaking a project that will change you and cause you to grow, my suggestion is finding a writer friend that is more extroverted. He or she will be naturally enthusiastic, encouraging, and a great nudge!

Additionally, the introverted writer has to believe in him/herself. Outside circumstances cannot be the final say in success. There will be wins and losses. A writer has to weather the rejections, losses, disappointments ... and keep going ... not spiral down into themselves. The creative energy within has to be projected beyond inner thoughts to think big! Yup. These writers need their imagination to go beyond the written page and into the future of possibility.

Writers have to stop saying almost apologetically, "I'm just a writer", like a mom may say, "Oh, I'm a stay-at-home mom".  Enterprising will come when the writer treats his or her craft as valuable. They will then progress to making a living at it.

ta-da!

I took my own advice...

and went out into the snow to play...

so I made a snowman while my son worked on an igloo...

the plowed up snow made a great base...

1 1/2 hours later... ta-da!

I feel accomplished.

there is an end in sight!

Don't get me wrong. I am not promoting hurrying through the days of mothering young children so you can be free from the work. But there are seasons and you will get to a place when it slows down. Once a mom always a mom. It just changes.

That said, it's wonderful when they are grown up and want a Super Bowl party! The house gets clean without you asking! The food gets bought and prepared!

Me? I'm just sitting here with my laptop, my feet up on the heat register, watching it all.

Wooo hooo!

to be or not to be.

Some moms are so efficient that every "i" is dotted and every "t" is crossed. At the end of the day they feel a sense of accomplishment.

Some moms are less efficient and more time is spent finding that misplaced "i" and "t".

And some moms didn't even know there was an "i" or "t".

We come in quite an array of colors, shapes, and sizes don't we? There is no one-size-fits-all.

Don't spend time trying to be someone else. We can get ideas from each other and implement tried and true methods. But in the end, do you have your child's heart?

I started out as an i-dotter and a t-crosser. Somewhere into 5-6 kids it broke in me. It didn't crush me since I am who I am and God wired me this way. What broke was the incessant need and burden I placed upon myself to be perfect. What your kids do cannot be more important than who they are.

Routines, order, and structure is good. But so is chilling when a day or two goes by and there are undone chores.

(I cannot speak to moms who are on the other end of the scale but feel free to comment here on your struggle and/or success in finding balance)

In the end, I think we place upon ourselves more than God does.

If flexibility isn't your thing and you can't remember the last time you laughed, then MAKE yourself go outside today and play in the snow with your kids!

If you are too flexible and find you are easily distracted, then MAKE yourself get that laundry done!

Bottom line, you are the right mother for your children. You know what is best for them. But don't be afraid of some tweaking.  : )