When I Look In The Mirror - My Mother Looks Back!

Lately I've been noticing that when I look in the mirror, the reflection that looks back resembles more of my mom than the face I'm used to seeing. This is probably a natural part of aging, or perhaps my coming into a maturity I did not have before. I have noticed this especially around my eyes.

I realize this is probably a natural progression to aging - That you begin to look more like images you have of your parent(s). (Not that they were truly as old as we remember them to be).

When I was younger, there were plenty of years spent where I would have resisted the notion that I was anything like my mom. However, in recent years, I have come to enjoy it.

These eyes that belong to my mom share a lot of love in my life. Though, there were moments when her eyes shed a disapproving look upon me - She often reminds me that I once told her she didn't yell at me with her voice, but rather, with her eyes. What I meant was that the loving look that was naturally befitting to her face would change when she showed disapproval. I did not like this, because I wanted her approval.

There is something special about a person's eyes. The Bible says that the eyes are a window to our soul. I think this is true.

My youngest daughter will turn my face toward her with her little hands. When I am crabby, she wants to make sure I am not angry at her. My response to her has always been, "Look into my eyes. Do you see love there?" So, now when she turns my head toward hers, she will announce: "Mommy, I see love in your eyes."

My mother's eyes display her emotions. And, now I see it in my eyes as well. Though once rebelling against the notion, this is something I am now finding to actually enjoy.

My mother's eyes have shined on me a lot of love.

They have seen me through many middle-of-the-night scares when I would nearly stop breathing because of severe tonsilitis and allergies.

They have guided me through youthful foolishness.

Her eyes cried in prayers for my protection for years.

They have let me look into them to see a portion of who she is

It was a magical moment when her eyes and my eyes gazed upon what would be my wedding dress.
Both of us knew, by one single look, that this dress was the one as tears gushed out of our eyes at the exact same moment.

They had the joy of being one of the first to see each of my children after they were born.

They carefully surveyed cross-stitch patterns to make wonderful pieces of art.

Several years ago, we almost lost my mom. As she woke up from surgery, she had trouble focusing on the objects that surrounded her. We would later discover that the oxygen level used caused damage to her eyes, so she would have blind spots. But, I will never forget her looking at me that day and describing how she saw me. I was a figure that was outlined by my long hair streaming down my face.

As I gazed at her, all I wanted was for my mom to keep on living to see me through more of my, and my children's lives.
She did.

And, now I look into the mirror and see the shape and contour of the eyes that seem to belong on my mother. But, they are now mine.

I will proudly wear my eyes and hope that my eyes will encourage and guide those who look into them..... Like my mother's eyes did for me.

Don't Even Think Of It! Those Heelys are Mama's This Time

The weather was beautiful this week with a cold front on the way.  So, I figured it was the perfect time to try out my pair of Heelys.  Heelys sent me a pair in exchange for an honest review.  I will share my Heelys experience with you by writing 100% my opinion.  But, here's the one thing they asked - That I review them (not my kids).  They wanted me, an average stay at home, work at home, homeschooling mama to put on these wheels under my feet and tell them what I thought. 

 Could this mama really make a pair of Heelys sing?  Oh, imagine how I could zoom through my daily errands.  Maybe I could actually save enough time to have more snuggle time with my little one.  Imagine that I could actually stay one step ahead of my fast-moving kids.  The true test was upon me. 

Before I tell you how it went, I want to mention that Heelys is throwing a Black Friday special!! Between Nov 25-Nov 28, Buy any pair of Heelys, get the second pair for $25. Or buy a Nano, and get a pair of shoes for $25, and get free ground shipping on all orders!


I was very excited to receive my Heelys in the mail.  I was already familiar with this semi-roller skate shoe because my daughter had a pair.  However, I had never seen one with two wheels on each shoe.  The kind I reviewed were the X2 style.  I figured this would provide more stability a I set out to try them out.  You can see all the styles and learn more about Heelys in their helpful guide, complete with pictures.

If you have never experienced the Heely difference before, you'll want to check out their complete instruction guide and their safety guide booklet

Visit Heely on Facebook
Or, follow them on Twitter @Heelysworldwide

Here's my experience with the Heelys:

My first attempt out on the path at our local park, I felt a bit like Bambi.  I needed Thumper standing by stating, "Looks a little wobbly, doesn't he?"  I could not figure out how to balance on them without holding onto something.  Thankfully, I had my daughter sitting in her stroller.  I grabbed the handlebar and began to walk behind the stroller, and then try the Heelys wheels.  It didn't take long before I leaned back on the wheels and began to roll.  I do think I could get the hang of them because after only a few short minutes, I was already zooming along pushing the stroller with my little one squealing "Whee, this is fun!" I continued till I reached a bench where I replaced the Heelys with my flip flops.  Funny thing was that once I took the Heelys off, I had gotten just enough hang of the feel of them that I wished I had kept them on to speed along back down the path.  I made this extremely unflattering video of the entire adventure.

Making Bedtime More Peaceful with Night Night Blessings by Amy Parker

Lullabies, rocking, and a last-minute drink of water are all part of many household's nightly routine.  Sometimes our drinks of water go on for hours.  Is your bedtime routine all you thought it would be?  Ours is not always the way it played out when I dreamed of being a mom - when I was just a kid, and my babies were nothing but cloth dolls with open/shut eyes.  It's nice to, every so often, take a moment and snuggle up with a good bedtime story. 

Night Night Blessings, by Amy Parker, is a sweet addition to your child's bedtime.  Filled with comforting, and praise-filled thanksgiving; the book is written on a level a child will understand, and an adult will enjoy.  Illustrated by Marijan Ramljak, the pictures are colorful, yet soothing - perfect for drifting away into a good night of slumber.  How about sending her off into sweet dream land with a blessing, and a prayer - a soft reminder that God is carefully watching all night long.

The book is 16 pages of rhyme and beautifully childlike illustrations that help your child connect the words to her innocent world.  It's sure to calm any night-time fears lurking in the dark.  It is a peaceful reminder of the happy things in your child's life.

The book not only draws your child into a peaceful night of shut eye, but creates a sense of rhythm and rhyme, an attitude of gratitude, and reminds your child that God is in control.  Who could help but have a sweet night filled with happy dreams after hearing this story read, while snuggled up in the lap of mom or dad.

I had the opportunity to review the book as an eBook on my Mobipocket Reader (for the PC - I do not have a fancy Kindle or Nook).  I do have a laptop, and the book easily downloaded for my review, from the BookSneeze program.  I received the eBook free, in return for an honest review.

I Thought To Myself This Is how Child Abuse Happens

In the store today, there was a little girl about 2 years old I would say, screaming, screeching, all through the store the entire time, complaining, squealing angrily at her mother's every request. She caught my attention, because at first her sounds of protest sounded like one of my children. Her mother was pushing a stroller with a baby boy inside who was making his own sounds. She was looking at merchandise as her 2 year old was, well, being a 2 year old.

After several minutes of this, the mother decided to check out. The little girl was holding a toy that she wanted. When the mother tried to release the merchandise from this little girl's clenched fist to give it to the clerk to pay for it, the child began yelling it's MINE!!!! This was not a simple, sweet sound. She was angrily protesting. From the sounds of the tone of her voice, it sounded as though she truly believed that this toy was hers and that her mom and the cashier were trying to steal it from her. Then, her screaming started her baby brother screaming. The mom was left standing there attempting to pay for her items while both of her children were in complete rage and upset. As I stood there all I could think is:

This is how child abuse happens!

It can begin so innocently. A mom had little sleep. She's tired. She's got another child who is crying and a 2-year old throwing a fit. She feels as if everyone is looking at her, judging her actions or reactions to her child's behavior. The heat of the moment is the test. Even the most loving, kind and patient parent is capable of snapping and becoming angry. What they do with this anger or impatience could determine whether or not a child is disciplined in loving guidance (if necessary) or abused.

As I stood there observing the chaotic scene, I watched this tired, stressed out, embarrassed mother keep it together fairly well but seemed to be on the brink of deciding if she would be a kind and patient mom or arrested for publicly unleashing her exhaustion, embarrassment and anger towards abusing her child. As the girl began now to launch into a 2-year old stomp and body thrust while clenching the toy, the mother exclaimed:

Hey! You know what - Swat! We're putting the toy back!

It was a very gentle swat on the child's back side which was padded with clothing. It obviously did not phase the child, however, other than to escalate her screams and shouts of protest. And, there were sounds of not only a 2-year screaming in protest but her little brother screaming and crying as well. She had set him off with her fit of upset.

Somehow, the mother managed to calmly pay for the merchandise and walk her child out of the store. She did this while juggling a bag of merchandise, pushing a stroller and attempting to navigate a child who was flailing herself about and pulling her hand away with the mom's every attempt to guide her safely to the car.

As I stood there watching this event, I felt as though I was watching myself a couple years ago. What is it about a checkout lane or other places where you are trapped and cannot escape? This is the very moment your child will fall into a fit like no other. As I stood there, I tried not to stare and add to her embarrassment, and I began to pray. I prayed for patience and love to flood this women so she would keep a perspective that these moments are simply moments and won't last forever.

But, I laughed out loud when the clerk told her to HAVE A NICE DAY! I'm sure the thought that crossed her mind fell very short from believing that would ever happen unless he was about to pull Mary Poppins out from behind the cash register.

Frustrated As I Try To Step Inside Hans Christian Andersen Thumbelina

When I was a child, I had a book about Thumbelina. Perhaps this story was charming to other children, but I couldn't get past the cover this particular publisher chose to display the story. On the cover it had a rectangle placed in the center of a flower stem. The rectangle was made up of a picture of Thumbelina with a clear plastic overlay. The overlay had ridges making the Thumelina picture appear to be 3D. As a child, this made me crazy as it looked as though you could truly step inside the rectangle to share with Thumbelina. I attempted in my childlike, wreckless manner, to get inside that picture. I kept tryiing until the entire plastic ridged square was scratched beyond recognition and almost detached entirely from the front cover.

Perhaps, as a child, I knew something that gets lost in growing up. I wanted to literally climb inside that story.

The other day, I was on email or conducting a search or some sort of online activity, and came across the term, "international Children's Book Day!" I wondered, what is this? I was not aware there was an International day for this. Though, I was aware there was a National Children's Book Week. So, I began my search.

I discovered, that it is in honor of the fairy tale writer, Hans Christian Andersen. The author wrote many stories that I just have taken for granted as being childhood stories that I imagine I must have thought just poofed out of the air because I never really stopped to consider who wrote them - Or, at least who wrote the original story.

Here's some great links to find out more about Hans Christian Anderson:

10 Facts Your Child Should Know About Hans Christian Anderson

A Free Download of The Ugly Duckling

Overprotective Parent.....Or, Just Not As Permissive?

The weather today in our city was absolutely amazing. So, like any normal stay-at-home, work-at-home, homeschooling parent, I took the kids to the park. We drove up to discover what I had feared - That the place was packed with kids on spring break enjoying their first nice day all week. So, I braced myself for a crowded day instead of our typical leisurely day of not many people. The kids and I began our walk around the lake, which is what I talk them into doing first since it's my only form of exercise before sitting for an hour or so watching them play on the playground. Before this, however, we stopped to eat at the pavilion. While sitting there eating, this little girl kept wandering away from her mother who was engaged in a conversation with another mother. She would every so often call her back or warn her to look out for a car. But, she was much too far away for my comfort.

On the way around the path, we were almost hit head-on by a child on a skateboard, followed by another carrying his and a mother walking in between smiling. There were more people to dodge before making our way over the bridge and onto the path that runs around the lake. Before we knew it, we heard the sound of rapidly approaching boys on bikes and a father following. Almost as quickly as they passed us, the one boy toppled over into the mud. While the dad was tending to the muddy handle bars and muddy boy, the older boy made his way down to the lake and was standing on a rock dam, and began throwing rocks. My heart sunk. All I could envision was this boy tragically falling into the lake and drowning while the dad casually tended to the muddy boy. My eyes stayed peeled on this child until the dad was able to get to him. No harm was done. No tragedy averted. No tragedy occurred. But, my children remarked at how they were not comfortable with that boy being so close to the water by himself. Have I instilled fear in my children? I don't know. But, I do know from observing these park-going families that I am much less permissive or relaxed than others with wandering children just having fun.

So, am I overly protective? Or, am I just not permissive? Did waiting till my 30's to have children instill a sense of caution I would not have had I bore them at a younger age? I don't know. But, if I do know, as I told my son, that enough catastrophes occur which I have no control over....I want to be careful not to let any happen which I can control.