Who Needs A Disney Princess When I Have You?

The other day my daughter Olivia called to share a special mom-moment with me. Reuben woke up singing “The Itsy, Bitsy Spider” and she just stood outside his bedroom door listening with joy in her heart and being thankful she was able to enjoy and experience these moments in her son’s life.

Within the last two weeks I’ve also:

·         Skyped with my daughter, Emma, to share her excitement over Essie pulling up to stand on her own two feet…by herself

·         Shared my oldest daughter Elizabeth’s concern for Laney’s rash and her awe in the fact that this little girl can hold her pet rabbit in her arms and swing with him in her swing (and yes, Boots is a real rabbit)

·         Been able to spend time with my daughter in-law, Becca; laughing over the antics of Mack and Macy and watching her be the loving, patient, yet firm mom that she is
 

None of the events the girls shared with me are going to change the world, make the headlines, or make the kids (and their parents) rich and famous. But that’s okay, because while The Little Mermaid and Belle have taken a back seat to Anna and Elsa, I know without a doubt that Reuben, Essie, Laney, Mackenzie, and Macy will never be pushed aside for someone with more sparkles, different songs, or a snowman that doesn’t melt.

As parents, my girls understand that it’s the little things that make their little ones unique, precious, and irreplaceable. They understand that being a mom is about taking the time to notice and enjoy the little things; tucking them away in their hearts for someday when (all too quickly) the kids are grown and they (my girls) are where I’m at now.

How about you? Are you taking the time to really enjoy your children? Are you giving them the time and opportunity to experience life the way a kid should?

Don’t be too busy to miss out on the simple, yet special things that happen in your child’s life—the things that steal your heart and make it sing like a Disney Princess.

Love,

Momma D

                          Copyright 2015-Darla Noble No part of this can be copied or used without the permission of the author

                                                            

Go Ahead...Write Your Own Mom Song

Have you heard the “Mom Song” by Anita Renfroe? Sung (I use that word loosely) to the tune of the “William Tell Overture”, she condenses what she believes to be a mom’s 24 hour discourse with her children into a ‘song’ lasting just under three minutes.

Anyway...I heard the song on the radio the other morning and as I listened, two things came to mind.

1)      The words “I love you” were wedged into the song (near the end) only once.

2)      The words “I’m sorry” were not mentioned at all.

Okay, so I know the song is meant to be satirical. I also know there’s a bit of truth in it, too. I’m not too proud to admit I’ve played the because-I-said-so card a few times. So in some ways, the song is good for a chuckle or two. But what I don’t want is for parents to listen to this song and nod their heads in agreement—thinking that this is what parenting is all about.

Don’t forget that for every ‘brush your teeth’, ‘don’t make me tell you twice’, and ‘no dessert if you don’t eat your dinner’, there needs to be at least a dozen ‘I love you’s’.

Don’t forget that two of the most powerful words you will ever say to your child are ‘I’m sorry’. Saying ‘I’m sorry’ is essential, because let’s face it—you aren’t always right. You do make mistakes and your attitude isn’t always what it should be. You’re human—every parent is. In fact, parents are just as human as their children.

My intent is not to bash Anita Renfroe and her song, but at the same time, I want parents to remember that her rendition of the average day in the life of a mom is not what you should be striving for or willing to settle for. Your kids deserve more than that from you and you deserve more than that from your role as a parent.

So go ahead…make up your own mom song—one that let’s everyone know you see parenting as a privilege instead of a chore of never-ending reminders and ‘police actions’.

"I love you, Zach, Elizabeth, Olivia & Emma Dale and I’m sorry for (you can fill in the blank).": sung to the tune of...

Love,

Momma D

                        Copyright 2015-Darla Noble No part of this can be printed, copied, or reproduced without permission from the author.

                                                                                                                    

                                                                                                      

      

                                                                                                             

No Surprises Here

I am running a bit behind this week. If you are regular followers of the blog, you know Momma D usually ‘imparts her wisdom’ on Tuesday or Wednesday of each week. What can I say, other than it has been a busy week? Reuben is spending several days with us while Momma (Olivia) is recuperating from feeling less-than-perky. I can’t completely ‘blame’ my tardiness on Reuben, though, because I hadn’t decided for sure what I was going to write, either. But once again, God’s timing is perfect because when I checked Facebook this morning I found the following at the top of my news feed:

(I have) the three best in the world. Prayers and thoughts for Liv right now. She's in a fair amount of pain and it’s not supposed to be that way. I'm the big brother, I'm supposed to bear the burden to protect and ensure comfort and happiness in the lives of the most important women in my life. Becca Noble, Mack and Macy Noble, Liv Peters, Boo Boo Vandivert, and Emma Waggoner. I love you all.

My son, Zach, had posted this along with a picture that said “I ©my sister”.  

I can honestly say I wasn't surprised to see this. No, not even a little bit. So why did I share this with you today? To encourage young families (even families raising tweens and teens)--that's why.

Hang in there! Don’t give up hoping your children will learn to get along with one another because they will. Don’t quit hoping that someday they will appreciate each other because they will. Don’t think they don’t love each other because they do.

Continue to teach them how to share…how to extend grace…how to forgive…how to show compassion…how to love.

Continue to share...to extend grace...to forgive...to show compassion...to love.

Make yours a home where family is valued and treasured because they understand that when everyone and everything else has come and gone family will still be there.

 

Love,

Momma D

                                       Copyright 2015-Darla Noble No part of this can be printed, copied, or reproduced without permission from the author.

                                                                   

All That and a Bag of Chips

One of highlights of my kids’ year was the Wyman Carnival, aka, the yearly fundraiser at the elementary school they attended. The Wyman Carnival was a typical school carnival; a fish pond, cake walk, ring toss, popcorn, cotton candy, face painting, and everything else you would expect to find at an event such as this…including the cheap little prizes…ahem…I mean treasures the kids collected for playing the games (over and over and over again).

Oh, who am I trying to kid—the carnival was fun for the parents, too. It was fun to supervise the games; watching the kids react to being at school but not in school and giddy with the excitement that came from the sense of freedom they had.

Yes, you heard me—most of us allowed our children to go from room to room to room with their siblings and friends without us tagging along behind them or telling them where to go and what to do. That’s right—they were on their own. They decided how to ‘spend’ their carnival tickets. They decided how to conduct themselves. They decided which prize to choose after playing a game. It was up to them to find their way from one room to another and to listen to and understand the rules of the game.

Do you see where I’m going with this? As a parent, you have to give your children the freedom to experience life on their own. You have to give your children a certain amount of freedom to make their own choices and decisions without looking over their shoulder to see if you approve or to acquiesce to what you think.

You also have to give them these freedoms away from the confines of home. Giving them the choice between wearing a red shirt or a brown one or whether they want waffles or cereal for breakfast is a great place to start, but you have to let them use these same skills in public and with their peers. Remember…if you give them the opportunity to do this at an early age while you are still able to influence and mold them, they will be better equipped to make good choices in a few years when you aren’t nearly as ‘cool’ in their eyes.

Our days as “Wyman kids” are long gone, but my kids will still tell you their favorite thing about the Wyman Carnival was feeling like they were all that and a bag of chips walking around without me. (Little did they know their freedom was actually a life-lesson in self-discipline and responsibility)

I know it’s not easy for parents to feel like this is an option these days—what with all the scary things happening out there. But there were scary things happening then, too. I just chose to educate and equip my kids to know how to respond and conduct themselves instead of leaving them to figure it out on their own when hovering over them was no longer an option.

I hope you will do the same.

Love,

Momma D

                             Copyright 2015-Darla Noble No part of this can be printed, copied, or reproduced without permission from the author.