Just Say No

Anyone remember Drug Awareness week in elementary school? I remember red ribbons, and a few songs. 

"Just say no. No! No! No!

You've got some courage to show!"

Okay, maybe I only remember that song. 

Since then, I have found that saying no applies to a lot more than someone offering you drugs. Saying no probably comes naturally to some people, but for a people-pleaser like me, it is a skill that I have had to develop. For me, part of being a better mom this year involves saying no to more things. Good things like group bible studies. Fun things like nights out with friends. I was thinking about this last night as I tossed and turned in bed, and this morning I found an email from Productive Parenting titled "A resolution to do less". I love it when that happens! An unexpected confirmation.

"What if you resolved to have less commitments on your daily schedule which might provide a greater margin of time to be present and patient during the time and transitions between the few that remain? 

 

What if you resolved to lower your expectations of each day so that your success as a mom was more aligned with how you loved rather than what you did?"

                   -Productive Parenting

Exactly! Some days I feel so bogged down by my own expectations. So today, I am hoping to do some laundry. The kitchen counters may still be cluttered, the toys may still be all over the floor, and I may not get a shower until late in the day. But I will have the time, energy and patience to enjoy my children.

Already, I am seeing benefits to this new "resolution". I enjoyed some precious moments with my family this weekend that I would have missed had I not said no!

Babies in a Boat

First Solid Food

Grandpa D supervising Strawberry Shortcake time

What's For Dinner Wednesday

So I thought I would post what we had for dinner, but it turned out to be an epic fail. I did not want to take pictures of it. I had attempted Jamie Oliver's Creamy Chicken and Leek Stroganoff. It may actually be really good, but in an effort to be healthier I used 1% milk instead of heavy cream. After I added the milk, several adorable distractions took me away from the stove.

The milk boiled.

It curdled.

It looked gross.

We ate it, and Robbie said it tasted good. But he dumped a bunch of soy sauce (what?!) on it first.

Lunch was a much more successful endeavor. I sauteed spinach and mushrooms in a little water, added 3 egg whites and topped with a little salsa. Yummy!

My goal is to be much more intentional with my food. It certainly is more difficult to put a meal together with three little ones demanding my attention, but I realize that as the person who is responsible for meals, I direct the health of my family. Yikes! I am hoping to limit the processed foods that I have started to rely on.

Nutella counts as a health food, right?

Take 2

Okay, I am going to pretend that I did not start this blog over two years ago and then completely neglect it after one post. :) Rather than fill in the past two years, I am going to jump in to where I am in life now. This is going to begin a documentation of my attempt to be a better and healthier mommy to my three sweet peas.

photo by studio e photography

Today, I started the day with a 30 minute walk. It is the first of what I hope to be a daily occurrence. I do not like to think that this is a New Year's resolution, since I usually try to avoid those (and breaking them). Rather, it is a necessity for regaining my own body. Three kids in four years has taken its toll, and I am ready for a change! The alone time is also a necessity. I enjoyed listening to Matt Redman and watching the sunrise in peace.

When I walked up the driveway, I was greeted by two children who apparently were traumatized to discover I had walked away in the morning. Selah and Titus ran out the door barefoot and crying into the freezing cold morning. We cleared up the confusion and moved on with our day, which included a lot of farming.

Are you making resolutions this year, or are you like me and usually try to avoid them?