Yesterday I went to TOFW with my friend April, in Arlington, and it was really fun! I had a great time being with other women, listening to amazing speakers and music and enjoying the sound of my own thoughts in my brain without being interrupted by children.
The uplifting break brought me back home with a good attitude. The good attitude being the opposite of what commonly results when I'm brought back to my kids through the rude awakening of crying while I'm trying to sleep, whining while I'm trying to drive, or fighting while I'm trying to cook. Coming back after shall we say a nice time out was beautiful. It was beautiful to see my boys and beautiful to cook them dinner. (Even when they didn't eat it.) Below are some of my favorite things I heard from this weekend.
This quote from Helen Keller:
We also heard from the writers of the food blog, Our Best Bites and the two ladies were very cute- I loved hearing from them. I even made their Roasted Asparagus and Mushroom Pasta in Lemon-Cream Sauce tonight for dinner, and it was very good!
One thing they said that stuck out to me was that they really don't spend a lot of time online reading other's blogs. The more they look around at blogs the more they compare theirs and subsequently feel inadequate. People share their triumphs online, not every single waking moment, including the yoga pants.
Lately I have been mostly studying crafting blogs, specifically sewing blogs (that's how I've been learning to sew) and there comes a point where I am crippled; I can read blogs or I can sew, but I can't continually find new tutorials without shutting down because my brain is entering system overload. Not to mention system inadequate. System just wanted to sew!
This explains how I've spent hours and hours last week working on a pair of shorts that are still as yet incompleted. I will show you how awesome they are when they are done! Which means I can't keep reading little boy pant tutorials, I just have to follow one (or two, or three) and then just make the dang shorts!
I had a great weekend. I left the conference with this feeling or thought that I can be in control of my current situation. I can deal with my impatience and anger and I can take difficult situations with my kids and turn them around into positive ones more often. By postive I don't mean I can make my children happy by snapping my fingers, but that I can feel positive feelings of self control and love inspite of difficult moments. I don't have to act on my anger, I can choose to let Christ into my life, into my home even when I'm overwhelmed, or should I say, especially when I'm overwhelmed. I think of this scripture, in Revelations Chapter 3
Usually this means to me that when I open my scriptures, or go to church, or clean my house, I'm letting the Savior in, but yesterday I imagined myself standing in the kitchen frustrated, looking down at two little boys who are fighting with each other and otherwise being disobedient and then hearing the Savior's footsteps on the stairs outside my apartment and having him walk right in. I think I would still be frustrated. But I wouldn't yell and scream and freak out. I'd feel calm and happy that back up was here! And that it was the Lord. I'm here on my blog to say that Back Up is here! And "here" is my heart. This whole train of thought goes hand in hand with allowing myself permission to believe two things. One, that I am doing the best I can. I really am. It's hard to believe because I feel guilty when I get angry at my kids and so I think I'm choosing to be a bad mom, I'm not doing my best. So I have to forgive myself and say, no. That was my best. And now I'm going to do better. That is the second thing. Part of me says, you won't change, people don't change. But I can make a place for greater peace in my heart.
The uplifting break brought me back home with a good attitude. The good attitude being the opposite of what commonly results when I'm brought back to my kids through the rude awakening of crying while I'm trying to sleep, whining while I'm trying to drive, or fighting while I'm trying to cook. Coming back after shall we say a nice time out was beautiful. It was beautiful to see my boys and beautiful to cook them dinner. (Even when they didn't eat it.) Below are some of my favorite things I heard from this weekend.
This quote from Helen Keller:
I long to
accomplish a great and noble task, but my chief duty is to accomplish humble
tasks
as though they were great and noble. Helen Keller
as though they were great and noble. Helen Keller
Try out making a TADA list instead of a todo list
Being righteous does NOT equal being happy ALL the time
We also heard from the writers of the food blog, Our Best Bites and the two ladies were very cute- I loved hearing from them. I even made their Roasted Asparagus and Mushroom Pasta in Lemon-Cream Sauce tonight for dinner, and it was very good!
One thing they said that stuck out to me was that they really don't spend a lot of time online reading other's blogs. The more they look around at blogs the more they compare theirs and subsequently feel inadequate. People share their triumphs online, not every single waking moment, including the yoga pants.
Lately I have been mostly studying crafting blogs, specifically sewing blogs (that's how I've been learning to sew) and there comes a point where I am crippled; I can read blogs or I can sew, but I can't continually find new tutorials without shutting down because my brain is entering system overload. Not to mention system inadequate. System just wanted to sew!
This explains how I've spent hours and hours last week working on a pair of shorts that are still as yet incompleted. I will show you how awesome they are when they are done! Which means I can't keep reading little boy pant tutorials, I just have to follow one (or two, or three) and then just make the dang shorts!
I had a great weekend. I left the conference with this feeling or thought that I can be in control of my current situation. I can deal with my impatience and anger and I can take difficult situations with my kids and turn them around into positive ones more often. By postive I don't mean I can make my children happy by snapping my fingers, but that I can feel positive feelings of self control and love inspite of difficult moments. I don't have to act on my anger, I can choose to let Christ into my life, into my home even when I'm overwhelmed, or should I say, especially when I'm overwhelmed. I think of this scripture, in Revelations Chapter 3
20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
Usually this means to me that when I open my scriptures, or go to church, or clean my house, I'm letting the Savior in, but yesterday I imagined myself standing in the kitchen frustrated, looking down at two little boys who are fighting with each other and otherwise being disobedient and then hearing the Savior's footsteps on the stairs outside my apartment and having him walk right in. I think I would still be frustrated. But I wouldn't yell and scream and freak out. I'd feel calm and happy that back up was here! And that it was the Lord. I'm here on my blog to say that Back Up is here! And "here" is my heart. This whole train of thought goes hand in hand with allowing myself permission to believe two things. One, that I am doing the best I can. I really am. It's hard to believe because I feel guilty when I get angry at my kids and so I think I'm choosing to be a bad mom, I'm not doing my best. So I have to forgive myself and say, no. That was my best. And now I'm going to do better. That is the second thing. Part of me says, you won't change, people don't change. But I can make a place for greater peace in my heart.
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