Glimpses into Our Life

March 20, 2013 in family, toddler with 1 Comment

Big Smiles

We’re enjoying these days of March as the weather is warming and we’ve been able to get outside and play.

I’ve been doing some gardening too – last week I started spinach, peas, lettuce and turnips. Our new hens also started laying last week, they’ve laid 2 eggs a day for the past 4 days! We’re looking forward to an increasing egg supply to keep up with our egg eating habit.

Little RiderWeston rode the little 4-wheeler for the very first time last week. It’s so hard to believe that he’s about the age that Paxton was when we got this (it was a dumpster find that needed a battery…we would not have it otherwise!) He had a blast riding.

Brothers

At one point Weston was riding around on his 4-wheeler and Paxton on his tricycle and Paxton insisted that I take a picture of him and brother in front of daddy’s car!
Reality

After a long day of play, the boys were wild and the living room looked like a disaster zone. Of course, this is what our living room looks like at the end of nearly every day!Finger Painting

Weston painted his very first masterpiece last week. He actually did quite well painting, he only tried to lick the paint off of his fingers twice and I was able to stop him. I’ve really been enjoying the toddler side of Weston, it makes activities with both boys easier.

The boys both painted pictures for John David’s grandparents. We made a quick weekend trip to visit them after Papaw’s heart attack last week. He is not expected to recover and we wanted to just be there with family. John David stayed with them the entire time we were there and it was a time that we’ll look back on with both sadness and happiness. (And, those pictures, I forgot all about them while there so we put them in the mail the day after we got back home!)

Snuggling Weston

One drawback to spring in the south is storms and tornadoes. We were under a warning Monday night and I do not take warnings/watches lightly now that I’m a mama. We (me and the boys, my hubby isn’t as ‘cautious’) spent 15 minutes camped out in our hallway with pillows, a crib mattress and Weston strapped to me in my carrier. Thankfully it wasn’t anything serious!

So, that’s a glimpse into the past week of life for the Boreing family.

Mending

March 14, 2013 in green, simple living with 10 Comments

 

Mending

‘Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without!’

While we’ve always lived frugally and green, we haven’t always been completely conscious of our consumption. Lately, we’ve been making efforts on reducing our waste, thinking more about ethical spending and trying to repurpose things to avoid consuming something new.

One of the ways to avoid consuming is by taking time to mend the clothing you already own so you can keep on wearing it.

Button Mending

In the past few weeks, I’ve mended a dress sleeve that was ripped after being caught in the dryer, sewn buttons back on to my favorite dress, mended the lining of a coat and cut up an old pair of my husband’s worn out jeans to make patches for 3 pair that had holes in the knee.

It’s a great feeling to put in minimal effort and revive an article of clothing.

Mending Jeans Front

Now my two dresses are wearable again, my 5-year-old wool coat will continue keeping me warm for many more years and hubby’s jeans will continue to be useful!

Do you mend your clothing? 

 

Glimpses into Our Life

March 11, 2013 in family, toddler with 3 Comments

This space was quiet all last week as I took an unplanned blogging break. I scaled back on time spent connected to devices and focused on connecting with my littlest man while his big brother spent a week away.

Here’s a glimpse into a bit of our life from the past two weeks:
Building Towers

One afternoon while Weston was napping, Paxton and I had a block building party!  He was quite proud of his creations and I had a blast building with him.
Reality

Too often I’m guilty of sharing just the lovely things of life. This is reality. I spent about 10 minutes tidying up a hall closet and turned around to this mess. They had worked together to pull down every one of the children’s books on the bookcase in our room. Of course, it wasn’t too hard to pick up and I was thankful they were having fun playing together.

On March 2, we left Paxton in East Tennessee to stay the week with his Mimi and Papaw. He wasn’t a bit sad about us leaving but he wanted his brother to stay with him!

Happy Birthday

I turned 26 on March 4. I had a lovely birthday, John David and I went out to dinner at a local restaurant (where he snapped this birthday picture) while a friend watched Weston for us! Time alone with hubby plus a yummy dinner is a wonderful way to celebrate my birthday (better than presents!)

I spent all last week soaking up some one on one time with my littlest. It was fun to just interact with him. 1-year-olds are so much fun! He’s at an age where he’s learning so much. Just over the past week or so his vocabulary has exploded and he’s saying several words other than mama and dada. Some of the words he says are tickle, cup (cu), ball (ba), car, hi, bye, book (boo), block (bla) and cheese (ch).

Snuggling Weston

I also had the luxury of just sitting and snuggling him more than normal. Oh, how I love snuggling my boys!

Sweet Sleeping BabyAnd, I love looking at sleeping babies. So, so precious.

We met John David’s dad in Knoxville on Friday and retrieved our big boy. After a week without him, we were quickly reminded of the life (and noise) that he brings to our family. He just chatted away nearly half of our ride back home and we enjoyed talking with him!

I’m looking forward to the coming week, getting back into our normal rhythm with everybody together again and our event free week ahead!

The Best Mama

March 1, 2013 in motherhood, parenting with 11 Comments

The Best Mama
Since becoming a mama, I’ve had moments when I’ve thought I’m not a good enough mother and that my children deserve a better mama.

From talking with other mama friends, I know I’m not alone in these thoughts.

We’re constantly judging ourselves and comparing ourselves to other women while ignoring the fact that we’re in different seasons of life and have different talents, skills and interests.

After a recent rough day, I had the thought that my boys would be better off if I was gone and they had a new mama.

But, then it hit me.

No, they would not be better off.

I am their mama!

I am the woman who gave birth to them, who was there the moment they took their first breath, watched them take their first steps, who soothes boo-boos and has changed countless diapers.

I am the best mama for Paxton and Weston.

You are the best mama for your children!

Stop comparing yourself to other mamas and just focus on being the best mama you can be to your child(ren).

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