Fridays are normally my go to day for getting the house clean for the weekend, laundry gets done, etc. Well today I wanted to get it all done because the plan is tomorrow is cookie making day. So I have cleaned a ton and had the kids bring their laundry down. Easy Peasy right. It has only been 5 days since the last time we did laundry so it can’t be that bad right?

Piles of clothes after only 5 days!! On the right is a stack of dresses that hadn’t even been worn but ended up in their dirty clothes baskets…somehow!!

Oh, and me? Well I get the 29 pair of jeans

We watched movie yesterday about people biking down the continental divide from Banff Canada to Mexico. It is an amazing journey that few have tried and even fewer actually finish. Will have to remember to post about it later (if I remember LOL).

Boo, my oldest,  is always inspired by these kind of things and this movie was no exception. I was inundated with questions on if she could do it, how hard is it fix a bike and finally the one I didn’t want to hear in December. Can you teach me to ride my bike?

Rewind to our old home. We didn’t have a paved driveway. We had one filled with rocks and ruts. So when they tried to ride,  honestly it was just easier with training wheels. We tried once or twice maybe.

Fast Forward to our new home. We now live in a nice development with wide sidewalks and a paved driveway and cul-de-sac’s. So I took her out and tried to help her learn. After watching her carefully I realized what her issue was and once I talked with her about it and kept yelling “Keep peddling” “Tell your brain you can” and “Keep your body straight” it was like she just took off.

I took her to a cul-de-sac and decided to video tape her for all to see. She was doing so good going around and around. When I finally got the video tape going she decided apparently to give us a surprise ending . Enjoy watching it!

So have you ever tried to teach your kids how to ride a bike? How did they do? Any funny stories?

Love,
Aly

PS. My youngest, Loo, told me she thought I could do the Great Divide trail. Glad she believes in me but don’t see that as a journey I would ever want to do!

Sometimes life throws unexpected curveballs at us. After my last post I went to Florida for 5 days for Usborne training with my fabulous friends and fellow teammates. I came back and settled back into life ready to start blogging again and then it hit….that random curveball!

I got in a weird funk….a depressed and anxious state of mind. I prayed, ate better,  started exercising more and tried to figure out what was causing it. Obviously this last year has been very stressful with all the uprooting and changing but it hit me when I felt like I was finally on top of everything. Sure I had started homeschooling and that is kind of tough, but I thought I was the happiest I have ever been. Yet, I would see something random and start crying over the loss of my friends in MD/PA. Take my kids to an event and start tearing up over missing our old church family.

Still not completely sure what was/is going on. I have heard about your body having kind of a letdown affect when things do start to even out. Not sure if that was it. I am still struggling and battling it. But actually admitting that I am struggling with it to myself and my husband has helped me get a hold of it a little more.

I have started reading a great book, Resolution for Women, and the first three days have focuses on being thankful for what we are blessed with and the secret to contentment. This has been so helpful to me. When I start to feel the emotions rise, rather then get mad at my kids, for example, I am trying to stop and think. Will this matter in 5 years or even 5 minutes? How would Christ talk to them? It is helping me slow my quick and often unChristlike response to a more thoughtful approach. They still have consequences but from someone who is calmly informing them of what they are.

I don’t know if any of you have ever struggled with these kinds of feelings, but just know that you aren’t alone. We all struggle. Sometimes we all put up our brave facades…but that is all they are. Masks so people don’t see into our real lives. Just know that admitting to yourself that you are is a huge step towards healing. Being able to admit it to someone close to you is yet another step in that direction.

Just so you know, if you ever need encouragement, you are welcome to write me: scrappinaly@gmail.com

Hugs,
Aly

This morning, as I did my usual FB check in, I was reading the status of a friend and read some heartbreaking news. Cathy, a young teen from our previous church, passed away last night. Boo had gone to school with her and had raised money for her medical bills last year. She has prayed for her and I knew that it was one of those dreaded Mommy moments I was now facing.

Cathy has been battling cancer for a few years now. She was always so brave and even continued doing her schoolwork while at the hospital. She would video conference into the school everyday so she could still be a part of her class.

Since we left a few months ago, we haven’t really heard much about her, so it was kind of shocking to wake up to that.

After waking Boo up I let her know that Cathy had died. The look on her face was so hard as a mom to see. She started crying and asking why…she is a teenager. She has begged me to go back for the funeral, but I don’t see a 3 day trip in our budget or schedule. I will probably go onto a florist site and let her pick out something to send the family or find a place to donate to in her honor.

Death is one of those things that even as adults we struggle with. Boo has had 3 grandparents die since she was born, but she didn’t really know them. This was the first person she really knew that has died.

As a Christian, it is slightly easier to deal with this. We have the hope of Heaven. I reminded her that one day we would see her again.  But the Why question is still sometimes hard to explain. We know we live in a sinful world. We know the Devil is attacking us. But it still is hard to explain.

I am trying to just let her cry when she needs too. If she needs to talk with me, I am here for her. I may take her out somewhere today for some one on one time. I know that in our lifetimes this conversation will happen again. We will all go through grieving processes and as a parent all I can do is to hug them,  let them cry, and be there to help them try to make sense of it all.

To Cathy’s parents my heart aches for you. To everyone else…go hug your kids! Love on them. Take time today to do something special just with them. We already know they are kids for only a short time…enjoy each moment!