Boring Random Thursday. What else is new?

I tried a new recipe a couple nights ago for sloppy Joe's and it was a total hit. And SO easy. I forgot to take a picture {you know it didn't happen unless a picture was taken}, but here is where I found the recipe. We use Turkey instead of beef, but otherwise I followed the recipe exactly as is. Also, add coleslaw to the side and you will be set! Did I mention it was quick and easy? Seriously.

These two hooligans have been stir crazy at home. In other words, we have really really bad cabin fever. Yet another snow storm came through here a couple days ago, and I have officially sworn off winter. Me and the rest of the country. In other happier news... we booked our summer vacation!

I am putting together the kids' Valentine's Day baskets, and their books came! They were sent to us by Put Me In The Story and I cannot wait to read it to them. It's personalized with their names throughout the book and has their picture inside. If you are looking for something special, check out Put Me In The Story! {I was sent these books free of charge, but this is my honest opinion and I am not paid to write this}.

Have you seen all these pictures of the toddler napping with his dog? There are probably 30 and they are absolutely adorable!  They sleep in all sorts of different positions, the toddler has the cutest little stuff on, and it just shows how amazing a dog and toddler relationship can be.

Some people have asked on instagram about doing an education post and I just wanted to put out there that I am in the process of working on {as in I have the title, but not anything written yet}. I have done a couple in the past but they have been short and sweet. I would like to put one big one together of all things that we have done from 6months-current. That, my friends, is going to take me a hot second. It will get done. Month of February? That's the goal.

In the meantime, I found some great Valentine's Day worksheets online! This site is full of them, but here is an example of one below.  And for those that are into math already with their older kids, education.com has tons of math Valentine's worksheets that I am loving and printing for when E is able to do them!

Our favorite children's worship CDs are on sale today on Zulily. Elliana has each and every one of these songs on both CDs memorized and it is all we listen to {per request of the toddler} when we are in the car. Would make great Easter basket gifts as well.

Love these boots for only $27! 

Also, 50% off at 1-800-Flowers going on now! Grab yours for Valentine's Day!

And that is all I have friends on this boring Thursday!

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25 Ways You Know You Are a Mom

Just a little mom humor. None of these are to be taken too seriously or thought of too in depth, as I'm sure every single one doesn't apply to every  mom out there. However, if I were a betting woman...I'd put my money on the fact that every mom will nod her head to at least one of these "truths."

----

1. You have no shame talking about private parts, private moments, and things that normally occur in the restroom. To anyone that will listen.

2. Someone that has only been in this world for approximately 20 months will throw themselves on the ground, hit their legs up and down on the floor, and scream at the top of their lungs. For a good 5 minutes. All because you decided to cut the banana instead of giving it to them whole.

3. You're guilty of abusing the 100 kisses per day rule, and you violate space like a hungry animal----nibble on toes, pinch cheeks and thighs, and squeeze your child to the point that they may pop.

4. Your children have more choices in attire than you do. Gone are the days of going on "shopping sprees." Unless, you mean for groceries.


5. And therefore, when you get birthday money, you still end up spending it on your kids.

6. You realize that you failed to attend the mommy language class: BF, ERF, EVB, BLW, CD, LO, BW, A-VAX, CS.  You definitely googled at least one of these before realizing what they meant

7. You find yourself crying in the parking lot all because a stranger complimented on how well of a job you are doing. Happy tears. Words you needed to hear at that exact moment of time.

8. Google is today's doctor. Or as I like to say... the next best thing to an ER " triage ." Might I add, much cheaper as well.

9. You've seen the message "iphone storage full, cannot take pictures" on more than one occasion. So you scroll through your album of 5,000 images to decide which pictures out of the 100 you took yesterday to delete. All of which consisted of your baby eating their first baby food. But then the dilemma----how do you choose?! They all look the same by the way.

10. You've said "I would never.... Fill in the blank" and was guilty as charged. Probably more often than we care to admit.

11. You legitimately wanted to hurt a kid that was mean to your kid. And then you realized how crazy that sounded.

12. You stare at pictures of your kids after you put them down for a nap.

13. You understand when I say that multiple kids napping at the SAME TIME requires a little happy dance. But remember... this is how naps go---they sleep long when you need to be somewhere, and short when you need the time to finish something. Always.

14. Laundry is considered done after it's been in the dryer. No one said anything about folding.

15. You learned how to become a mastermind in shower taking and dinner making. All which should be easy tasks, yet required planning prior to in order to keep the kids attention.

16. Leaving the house now takes you triple the amount of time. And keep adding time with each kid that you add on.

17. You find yourself giving this advice to new moms: follow your mommy instinct, oh and never post car seat pictures. I mean....

18. You forget when your kids aren't in the car and still jam to the itsy bitsy spider, including doing the hand motions at the stop light. That is until you pull up next to a bunch of teenagers laughing at you.

19. Which speaking of car, it's amazing how your preference quickly changes to what will make your life easier versus what looks better.

20. You experience deja vu every time you clean the playroom. " I swear I just did this...."

21. Graduating high school, college, receiving your first job ffer or anything else that you found exciting prior to children won't even come close to how stupidly excited you will get over your child laughing for the first time. Rolling over for the first time. And even, I hate to say this, but go in the potty for the first time.

22. You make 3 meals a day and 2-3 snacks prepared for the toddlers, yet you're lucky to eat one "real" meal for yourself. No worries, you make up for it in the form of ice cream and chocolate chips. All of which you have to sneakily scarf down so that crazy toddler doesn't catch sight of what you are eating. (Remember the meltdown over a banana.... Can you imagine then...)

23. Never did you think going to the restroom would bring so many tears from such a small little body. One minute folks, one minute. The horror.

24. You get excited to do something as simple as grocery shop on your own. You may even take a selfie to document it.

25. When you realize that good parenting not only encompasses compassion, love, understanding, patience, teaching, and growth--- but also the beauty in discovering the art of bribery, breaking all the "rules" from time to time,  and finding the advantages of technology-- thank you TV, iPads, iPhones, and computers. Clearly discovered just for moms.

A childless life.

Thank you trash can for this lovely picture...you can tell I didn't even have time to "sit" down.

I was going through my albums trying to find the perfect picture to use of Andrew and myself for an upcoming blog post when I stumbled upon this particular one. Something about this picture did it for me--put me in deep thought. I looked at this couple and I could not help but think back to 4.5 years ago when this very picture was taken.

Coincidentally, I just happened to read a blog post about a woman who thinks that other women who become mothers and wives are stupid and should not be celebrated. That one. But, really, If you were to ask for my honest opinion, I'd tell you this--- I didn't read all of it, I was pretty bored, and I was definitely not amused. It was obvious that the blog post was written simply to stir up controversy, and controversy she got. But regardless on whether or not the author actually felt that way {about married women and mothers}, there are people in this world that actually do, sadly. And that's what got me thinking the most.

And right about that time, the above picture was staring right at me. A Becky I didn't quite recognize... yet knew so well.

Childless.
Married {a couple days}.But childless.

Other things that come to mind?

Happy.
Tan.
Young.
Naive.
Clueless.

Free 

In love. 

And....Childless.

I try to think back on my life prior to children. I remember not having a care in the world. I remember sleeping in until 10, 11, sometimes noon on the weekends. I remember my dog being my baby and front and center of my life, alongside my husband. I remember picking up extra shifts at the hospital. Just because I felt I should. I remember buying things. Things. Buying designer bags, designer glasses, even a designer car. I remember caring about my looks---being tan, being thin, having white teeth, the perfect hair, and the polished nails. I remember just getting in my car and driving. Wherever I wanted. Going to the mall. Going to the store. Going to get my nails done. All easy tasks, and all ones that I never had to think twice about. I remember the time I got to spend with Andrew---some of the best memories I can remember. Being inseparable is probably the best way to describe it. Our dinner dates. Movie dates. Dates, period---whenever we wanted. No rush, no responsibilities, nothing but ourselves and our own priorities in mind.

I remember a lot about being childless, yet I cannot remember at all. The details, that is.

The life we long for, breathe in, and want to soak up--- I just can't remember it before. I just cannot remember life beginning until my children came into the world.

Looking back on pictures it's easy to be reminded of those things. Life before children. Things slowly come back to you as you flip through the albums of old photographs. You smile as you see yourself laughing. You touch the picture hoping in a way you could connect with the person in it. You want so badly to be reminded of who that person was, yet you have simply forgotten her altogether. It's easy to get caught up in what you looked like, what you had, and how much easier it was to navigate through this crazy world that we live in. That part is easy. But to actually think back on the important things? It's hard. Those details are somehow...lost. Or perhaps, the real answer is that they were never there.

What did I live for?
What did I dream about?
What did I look forward to?
Who did I impact in the world?
Who did I change?
Who did I teach, inspire, and motivate?
Where was life taking me?
What would come next?
What, and who would I leave behind?

So the real question is this: Were you happy?

Absolutely, I believe I was. I believe that I was the happiest that I thought that I could be, that I knew was possible. To me? I couldn't be happier. I believe that even if I had not had children in my lifetime then I could still find happiness in other things that I did. I do believe that. I believe that my husband and I did not need children for us to be happy or content with our marriage, but that children made us an even stronger, and more committed and secure couple.

It sounds easy to want to just take a day, a week, a little time to go back to your past and see what it was like to live before children. It's easy for older generations to say----live your life now while you can before you have children. It makes you wonder if there was a part of them that had regrets, if there was a part of them that had unfulfilled dreams, or a part of them that was unhappy with the way things turned out. It would be easy for us to say... live through your twenties, then have children. Or even your thirties. To me? It's just a number signifying age. For me? It's within yourself to decide what it is that you want to live by and for. And for some? It's their personal dreams. For some? It's their career. For others? For me?

It's my family.

So to answer your question---would I ever dream about going back to my childless life even for a week... a moment... or to experience it all again?

No. Never.

Do I think that being a mother is the most important, honorable, and selfish thing a woman can do if done so with a full heart?

Absolutely.

I believe that motherhood should always be celebrated. Motherhood should always be talked about in a positive way. Motherhood should be something to be proud of and acknowledged by others. No it's not boring. No it's not plain. No it's not average and typical and expected. We're not talking about a handbag, a career change, or a ribbon for completing a job well done.

We're talking about a life. And all the ways that one life has to impact many more.

A life that rewards you in the form of love---watching a part of you navigate through this world and knowing that you are responsible for setting the foundation for their future.

There is nothing greater than that out there. And for that, I will continue to celebrate the beauty, strength, and life of motherhood.

Be prepared. A mom's dream comes true when she figures out how to clean a bathroom in 5 minutes or less.

They tell you a lot of things when you are pregnant.

Be prepared to fall in love over and over again.

Be prepared for little to no sleep.

Be prepared to be awed by every little thing this human being does. 

Be prepared for messes that you never experienced before.

Be prepared to experience pure joy, happiness, and excitement each and every day. 

Be prepared to not shower, brush your teeth, or put on appropriate matching clothing until way past noon.

Just, be prepared because it is unlike anything you have ever experienced or done in your life.

And although not everything holds true for everyone out there, the one thing that is ultimately fact across the board is that motherhood is in fact unlike anything out there. And there is truly nothing to fully prepare you for all that it entails.

The thing that amazes me the most is how prior to children, or any life experience that we find challenging, we always say things like "Wow, I don't know how she does it!" Or, "There's no way I could do it." We see these challenges that others go through and cannot possibly imagine where they find the time or better yet energy to not only take care of the children but always make time for the other things that require our attention.

Like? Cleaning.

Left: Post bath craziness Right: 5 minutes later

Read the rest including my quick routine here.