What Kind of Mother Am I?

I’ve had a lot going on lately….I haven’t denied that.  I know whether you are a working mom or a stay at home mom we all have our own daily battles.  There are advantages and disadvantages of both situations.  I could stay at home like this mom who supports their entire family on 14K a year.  She’s amazing.  Is there a perfect number for happiness?  Several studies have shown that if you make too little you are not happy, yet if you make too much you aren’t happy either.  Why is that??? 
It’s because happiness cannot be found in things, houses, new clothes, cars, or any other possessions.  It can only be found through the path you choose for your life.  You have a choice at every turn.  Do I make the right choice or the wrong one?
I choose to follow Christ and I am a believer.  I personally believe that has a lot to do with my happiness.  Whether or not you believe in God is your choice.  That’s why Jesus died for our sins and we are able to make that decision in our hearts.  We are freed.
Decisions….life is full of them.
Do I need that or do I want that?  Is it a necessity?
I choose to work.  I don’t have to work.  I also don’t want to live in debt.  This is a choice we have made so we can provide a better future for our family and they won’t have to carry a financial burden.  And- hopefully one day we’ll be able to bless others.  I love to give.  It makes my heart happy! Hopefully by the end of this year we’ll be debt free, minus our mortgage.  Then we can start saving to pay for a car in cash.  It hasn’t been easy, just ask Terence, but we are a team.  I enjoy the adult social interaction I get every day from my job.  Connor loves school and his friends.  His teachers probably come up with more things than I ever could teach him during the day.  Whether you stay at home with your kids, you work by choice, or because you have to….life is what you make of it.  Don’t ever feel like you aren’t doing good enough.  Own your decision and make the most of it.
This life we live day in and day out can seem repetitive and full of twists and turns.  How you handle the turn around the corner is a choice.  Terence and I have really felt TV has become a “God” in our household.  We come home and sit in front of the television and eat our dinner, but the sad part is Connor is in our bedroom watching a cartoon eating his dinner separately.  Now, we do eat dinner at the table together sometimes…but not all the time.  We are both so tired and that has been our excuse for lazy parenting.  Terence has a long commute and we both work over 40 hours a week.  Regardless, we knew something had to change.  We felt a tug in our hearts to make a change and do it now.
We are looking into lowering our cable plan to just the basic channels and one DVR instead of two.
I’m proud of Terence because he has been getting up every day to run.  I’m taking my tennis shoes to work and I’m going to start doing the stairs on my lunch hour.  We were both feeling sick and sluggish and down right awful.  Inside and out.  We are also looking for a jogging stroller so Connor can go with us on walks in the evenings.  Any recommendations???
It’s easy to blame the stress of a job or house chores for your laziness.  I do it all the time.  It’s hard to get everything done especially when you are OCD like me! ha!  All I can say is do the best you can and God will take care of the rest.  Everything will fall into place.  There have been some major changes and my job lately and my work load has increased a lot.  I’m trying not to get too overwhelmed, but some days it’s just hard.
You’ll probably see a little less blogging from me for awhile.  My first priorities are and should always be God, my husband, and son.  Lately they’ve not been at the top of my list and I’ve prioritized other things over them.  That is going to change.  I’m missing the best moments of motherhood and family time because I’m busy doing other non-important things to make me feel important??? 
I guess in some small way this blog is validation.  Validation of my self worth.  That people really do like me and enjoy what I have to say and they like seeing pictures of my kid.  Why am I valuing myself on what other people think of me? 
I catch myself constantly ignoring others because I’m on my phone or watching TV.  Would I ignore Jesus if He was in the room standing next to me?  Probably not!  Next time you go to a public restaurant look around you and open your eyes.   Count how many people have their heads down looking at their cell phones.  It’s become a security blanket for almost everyone.  Clutching their phones in their hands fixated on what’s on the screen.  We are turning into zombies.  We aren’t feeling or doing…..we are just reading and texting.
Now, I don’t want you all to think I don’t love this blog or the friendships I have made from it.  I love social networking and all it has to offer.  There is also a lot of good that can come from it! I’m just saying that I’ve prioritized it over other things and lately have felt the need to change that.
I’m still going to love and nurture this blog, it is after all my journal.  A place to post my beloved memories and pictures.  A place for friends and family to read about what is going on in our lives.  I also love reading about all of my “bloggy” friends lives too!
I just wanted to share a little bit about what has been on my heart lately. 
If you are still reading this….thanks for sticking around and thank you for caring enough to read.
If you need prayer or are struggling with something right now like I am there is a whole community of people who will pray with you and support you.  You just have to make the decision….and ask.
I pretty sure you’ll be welcomed with open arms 🙂
xoxo Becky
I’m off to go play with this silly kiddo…..

Busy Week

Its been a crazy busy week.  Lots going on & I don’t really have time to blog a lot! Sorry y’all….
Blogger Biggest Loser we resume on Monday for the finale & then I’ll choose winners.  Thank you all so much for your support during this time.  A lot of changes have happened since January but Ive tried to remain conscious of my eating habits.  If you feel like continuing to link up with some of the people you’ve met through the challenge that’s great!
I’m not doing so good at maintaining this link up and I’m sorry :-/  But looking forward to Monday and reading about all of your progress!
Hope everyone is having a good week!
Connor had a great 3rd birthday yesterday & says thank you for all the happy birthday wishes!

Connor is 3 Today!

My sweet Connor Boy
You fill my heart with so much joy
You are my angel from God above
You fill my heart with so much love
 
I have sung this little rhyme since you were a little baby.  I still love to sing it to you and it helps you calm down.  I can’t believe how fast these last three years have flown by.  You and your Daddy are the best things that have ever happened to me.  I thank God every day for you both.
 
Daddy and I dreamed a lot about how our kid(s) would be someday.  We waited a long time to have you.  I can say you are everything and more I ever dreamed of in my mind.  You are bright, inquisitive, quite the comedian, loving, and enthusiastic in everything you do.  You have taught us so much about life and we can’t imagine you not in it.
 
Every day is a blessing because you are in it.  I prayed before you were born that if God gave me a baby he would use that life to honor Him.  I hope and pray that for you Connor.  I know you will do great things!  
 
I try and enjoy each phase, some are harder than the others.  We work a lot and I hate to be away from you.  In the mornings when you get up all frizzy headed and holding your blankie….I want to remember that.  When I pick you up from school and you run and say “That’s my Mommy!” it makes my entire day worth it.  Your Daddy and I are trying to instill Godly values in you and pave a good path for your future….that makes it all worth it.  We don’t want you to grow up carrying any of our burdens.    You deserve the best and I hope we can do that for you.
 
You LOVE your new school and it’s right down the street from Mama’s work.  Your teachers are so sweet!  I’ll bring you cupcakes today and we’ll celebrate your precious life!  So excited!
 
You love Cars and Toy Story.  Airplanes, cars, trains, tools….you love.  You also love to pick out your own clothes now, which usually have some crazy cartoon on them.  You like to watch the Bubble Guppies, Jake & the Neverland Pirates, and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.
 
Your favorite things to eat are macaroni and cheese, grilled cheese, grapes, crackers, fruit pouches, and tonight you said you loved broccoli!  Ha ha!  You also like coffee too (in moderation-a few sips!)
 
You talk in a baby voice just like I did when I was little.  It cracks me up because your Nana said it was exactly what I used to do.  We are trying to get you to use your big boy voice.
 
You are doing pretty good using the potty.  We are not quite there yet, but hopefully we just ordered our last bulk supply of Pull-Ups. 
 
I am rambling….but I get so emotional.  Waaaaah.  Time stand still for just a second would ya?
We took you out to get a clown cone from Baskin Robbins.  My Dad used to take me and Bonnie there for clown cones when we were little.  You REALLY liked the icing! 🙂

We also went to Toys R Us and let you pick out some things.  You had the best time on your little shopping spree!  You have lots of little cars to play with now….lots MORE cars.  You are a car loving little boy that is for sure!

 

Happy Birthday Connor!


 

We love you!!!!!

 

(your bday party will be in a couple weeks & you can’t wait!)

 

also-

 

No, I did not forget about Biggest Loser, that will be up tonight or tomorrow and it will be finale time!!!!!  So get on it girls!

Spring Shopping for My Lil Stud


Spring has sprung! Well, at least for some of us who haven’t been hit by the crazy blizzard….in Texas it’s been quite warm lately. So I’m starting to stock up on spring clothing for Connor. One thing I’ve been looking for in particular is an Easter outfit. Every year it’s such a fun time; we all get dressed up and go to church and then spend time with family. Of course I always want my kiddo to look like a stud!
I found the perfect Easter outfit on Cookies Kids website. #CookiesKids has become known as the #1 School Uniform Headquarters in the US & the World’s Largest Kids Department store. Cookies Kids has a variety of sizes including big boys, husky boys, plus sizes, juniors, and young men’s. They also offer a large selection of baby gifts and urban fashion from the biggest name brands including: Akademiks, Apple Bottoms, Coogi, Ed Hardy, Nautica, Levi’s, LRG, Hello Kitty, The North Face, Rocawear & more. CookiesKids is your resource for all your school uniform as well as kids clothing needs. This year they are celebrating their 40th year in business! Woohoo! Cookie’s Kids have 7 stores in the NYC area in Bronx, Brooklyn and Jamaica as well as online at CookiesKids.com


So while on my shopping spree at Cookies Kids I noticed they offered a lot of adorable suits in Connor’s size. It’s hard to find a suit for a small child. Especially at a decent price.

Finding the items I wanted was easy. I just clicked on “Boys Dept” and then you can select the right size for your child. From there you can choose the category for the items you are looking for. Easy right?

So many cute suits to choose from!

I ended up choosing this suit. It’s so adorable. The first thing he said when I put it on his was “I look like Daddy, I’m going to work!” Ha ha!


The suit is a little big, so we may have to have Grana hem it. That’s okay because maybe we can wear it next year too! It’s so cute I hope he can wear it for a long time. When it comes time to get another we’ll definitely go back to Cookies Kids. Their prices are amazing!

Love my lil stud muffin!
Check out my Google + story about shopping at Cookies Kids.
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I am a member of the Collective Bias™ Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been funded as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™ and CookiesKids.com #CBias #SocialFabric” All opinions are my own.