Things My Mama Has Taught Me

My mom has taught me a lot of things over the years. Here are some lessons highlighted this summer.

1. I can be wasteful. If some thing is expired in the fridge--even if it is one day I tend to throw it out. Small tear or tarnish--it's gone. I feel like I use to really save everything but now I am pitching everything. I have to get better at balancing my desire to have less "stuff" and being wasteful. In my defense though I do donate a lot of stuff to charities. So I am winning in that area.

2. Homemade coffee is just as good if not better than Dunkin'. *Gasps* Maybe it's because this comes like  a tea bag and I don't have to technically "brew" it myself (me and coffee pots don't get along). And altogether it's only 82 calories...get out of here. Two a day isn't even a problem--and with grad school this is slowly becoming the norm.

3. You can make a meal out of pretty much anything. I am not very creative in the kitchen unless I am baking but my mom helped me to realize that I can use what I have in my cabinets when I have no idea what to make or if I can't make whatever it is I have planned. This may sound simple but I never really did this until this summer. No tortilla shells? Taco night turns into taco salad night--yum. Definitely makes my life easier and saves me random trips to the store.

4. Toddlers can behave. No really. My son didn't even cry at the barber when my mom went with him and my husband WTF?!?! We will test out if she was really the difference when he goes back but I think she was. I must say that I am pretty lax in most areas with my son, I want him to explore and learn, but now that he is getting older, I really have to reign him in so he isn't a nightmare when we are out or visiting other people. I was in awe at how she would tell my nephew and son to sit while she ran into the kitchen for something and they would really sit and wait...grrr I think these boys are playing me for real. There is enough room for fun and discipline...see below (sent to me by my mom).

5. Teaching kids how to pray starts now. This I definitely knew but something simple as saying grace, my son has picked up quickly just from practicing at every meal. He obviously hasn't mastered it but he know when he sits down to a plate to put those hands together.

6. I have to speak up for myself. Now in my professional life this isn't a problem but in my personal life, I sometimes let things blow over or don't let people/friends know when they are doing something that bothers me, My mom pointed this out to me and I will put that in my things to work on bucket because she is right.

6. We parent differently and that is OK. I must say a few times I wanted to cringe when my mom had to reprimand my son for whatever reason, but I realized that instead of interceding all the time (because y'all know I had to say something a few times) I need to let them build there own relationship. We both learned a few things from each others style that I think my son will benefit from in the long wrong. Biggest lesson-don't tell a toddler learning to talk to sit on their butt unless you want to here them repeat it every chance they get--even in church.

7. We are more alike than we are different. I never really thought of myself as a mommy or daddy's girl but if I had to pick, I am definitely all about my mom. We always have something to talk about and even when we seemingly disagree, all we really want is the best for each other. My mom is a lot of fun. We get each other on more levels than I think either of us ever realized.

Today is a sad sad day because my mom has gone home. I almost took to begging her to stay but maybe a little space is healthy (I think she could get that space by moving a few miles away but that's neither here nor there) we have had an amazing month and a half. I can't wait to see what the next visit brings.