My parents and my husband’s parents all live in Ohio. Ever since I got married and moved away, I have called my mom and dad once a week, on Sunday, to check in and catch up. Sometimes when there was news or something to share we would talk more often, but always on Sundays. When we had the kids, that did not change, but something has changed in the past couple of years. My dad calls more….a lot more…and it is backfiring a bit on him.

We have used Skype on Sundays with the boys for years now to make sure my parents got to “see” Jake and Sam weekly (my mother in law has yet to join the internet world:)) For awhile, that was enough but something happened during Kerry’s last deployment. All of the sudden my dad felt the need to call 5-7 times per week…in addition to the Sunday call. Don’t get me wrong, I love my dad, but all of this calling meant to bring him closer to the boys had the opposite effect.

The boys are only 6 and 8 and well, they are boys. They don’t have that much to say or share on the phone. When you ask how their day was you get “fine.” When you ask if anything exciting happened you get “no.” All of this just frustrates my dad and no matter how I have tried to tell him that maybe fewer calls would be more meaningful. Now that my dad has an iPhone and facetime…well let’s just say..it opens a whole new world of calls to make I try to tell the boys it is just because he loves them but they are just not up for a call every night….they have nothing to share.  For now we will just keep answering when he calls and making our call on Sundays.  I know it is all out of love and I suppose the boys just need to accept that and love that he cares that much about them.

What would you do? Would you continue to point out that fewer calls may be better or just let it go?

We celebrated Christmas early this year with my family in Florida.  We have found that the holidays are the holidays when we are all together, regardless of the actual date.  We will celebrate our own family Christmas here in North Carolina on the 25th.

For Christmas, Lincoln’s Grandaddy gifted him with his very first set of golf clubs.  To say Lincoln was excited was a HUGE understatement.  The gift was so thoughtful and kind.  Lincoln has spent hours upon hours swinging his clubs outside, getting a good feel for them and just smiling!!  I guess you could say it was a pretty special moment.  I’m sure someday Lincoln will learn to love golf as much as his Dad.  He will continue to practice, improve and will spend many, many hours out on the golf course with friends and family.

Those clubs will serve Lincoln until he grows out of them.  Then they will be passed down to his little cousin who will then grow out of them and pass them down again.  I am so grateful for the love of family Lincoln enjoys and is blessed with in his life.  I am grateful for his Grandaddy who takes so much time to make happy memories with him.

There truly is something so special about the love of family.  When all else fails, we will ALWAYS be supported and surrounded by family who loves us!!

To others, they may just look like a little set of golf clubs, but to me and my tween, they represent so much more…the love of FAMILY!!!

Does Motherhood ever get monotonous for you?

I love being a Mother…like REALLY love it, but sometimes I get a little bored.  It seems like we do the same thing again and again…change diapers, give baths, read stories, cook lunch, dinner and everything in between.  Sometimes I just need a little breath of fresh air.  I got that this past week.  My breath of fresh air is my Mom…my kiddos’ Grammy!!

She has a way of coming in and making things fun!  She has crafts for us to work on and projects to do.  She plays with the kids and takes pictures of them.  She watches the kids so my husband and I can have a night out.  It is awesome…!!

We all have different ways as Mothers to get a breath of fresh air.  Whether it is getting a pedicure, going for a run, driving alone or strolling the isles at Micheal’s.  We all need that rejuvenation or breath of fresh air.  Then we can enjoy getting up and doing the same thing all over again…it is enjoyable and wonderful!!

I’m so glad my Mom was able to come and give me a little break.  I am so excited for this upcoming week.  Excited to get some projects done, cook some dinner and help my kiddos with their homework.  I love being a Mom…I really do!  But to be perfectly honest, I sometimes get burned out, tired and weary.  Take that few minutes to somehow get a breath of fresh air.  It is important to help you continue to be the Mom you want to be.

What are some of the things you do to get a breath of fresh air as a Mother?

First, let me say, that I LOVE my family. I have always been close to my parents and my brother. I also love my mother-in-law. My husband and I met in middle school so I have known her for a long time and we get along very well. That said….anytime we have a visit back home or any of the parents make a trip south to see us…my stress level goes up a little bit

My mom, dad and brother with the boys in DC

I know my mom thinks I am a good parent. Sometimes, however, between her telling me Sam does not eat enough and her “encouraging” me to let the boys stay up until 10PM, it is easy to feel otherwise. I know she means well, but I have had to learn to bite my tongue to avoid any real blow ups. I just remind myself that she has good intentions and that I should enjoy the time I have with her. Throw in my dad’s lack of supervision when he is alone with the boys (I swear, he thinks they are 15) and it can make for some rough moments. Let’s just say I make sure to tag along on any outings with grandpa

I wish we did live closer to our families, but I am well aware that I also need a small “buffer” of an hour or two. My mom and I always butted heads until I left for college. Some time away and a little distance did wonders for our relationship. I wonder if it will be the same for the boys and I? I suppose they may want a “buffer” from me when they are older. If they do…I’ll have to look back at this post and understand why

What about your family? Are get togethers always stress free?

During our trip to Idaho, we were able to take our tween, Lincoln to visit his Great Grandma.  Whenever we travel out west we have always taken the time to visit Lincoln’s Great Grandma.  It has been a few years since our last visit and Great Grandma has changed alot in a couple of years.  Her hair has gone from a pretty red to a snow white.  She has lost many of her teeth and doesn’t remember much of anything.

Lincoln has always loved his sweet Great Grandma and it is important to us that he is able to spend some time with her.  He probably won’t remember much from these visits, but he will have the pictures and hear the stories of her life. 

His Great Grandma is an incredible woman who has lived a life of  strength and integrity.  Not only is she an outstanding individual, she is also part of his legacy.  She is linked to him in our family tree!  Who she is and the way she has lived her life will always be a great example to Lincoln.

I want my tween to know that he is a part of a wonderful legacy.  His life and the things he does in his life will be remembered forever.  Each of us is important and someday when we are gone, our stories and our life will live on through our family.

Do you have people in your family that you use as great examples for your tween?