If you give a mom a beautiful day, she is going to send the kids outside and open the windows.

Seeing the dirty, fingerprint covered windows, she is going to clean them.

Feeling the cool breeze blowing in, she will remember to turn off the a/c.

While turning off the a/c, she will think to check the filter and notice the thick layer of dust, so she will change it.

When she goes to throw away the used filter, she will decide to go ahead and take out all the trash in the house.

While emptying the bathroom trash, she will notice the toilet needs to be cleaned.

Since she's cleaning the toilet, she decides to clean the whole bathroom and wash the shower curtain.

When she puts the curtain in the washer, she sees the stacks of folded laundry that need to be put away, so she takes them to the kids' bedrooms.

After putting away the clean laundry, she notices a damp towel laying on the bedroom floor and takes it back to the bathroom.

Being in the bathroom reminds her of the shower curtain in the washer and she figures it is probably done by now.

She takes the shower curtain out of the washer and decides that the dryer will heat up the house, so she takes it outside to hang on the clothes line.

Once she gets outside, she remembers that it is a beautiful day and decides to stay outside with the kids where there aren't any chores to be done.

This is the day the Lord has made;
We will rejoice and be glad in it.

Psalm 118:24

Note: The above story is a based on actual events in this author's day. It is also an original creation and is not to be used without giving credit to the author - Christy at RaisingKnights.com. Thank you!

Linked to Mama Moment Mondays.

Huge Back to Home School Giveaway

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They provide live, interactive and engaging instruction in American Government and Free Market Economics for a variety of ages. Winners will win the following: Sensational Signers of the Declaration of Independence & Choice of ONE: Government 101 OR Economics 101. (Note: Semester of Economics or Government class must be used Fall 2013 or Spring 2014 and has no cash value if not claimed or used. If you have no high school students, you may substitute Economics or Government for the Young Patriot's American History.) Total Value - $221 Bright Ideas Press - Enter to win a year of your choice of Illuminations plus the corresponding science and history books that go with it (either The Mystery or History or All American History and a year of Christian Kids Explore Science). Tired of planning it all yourself? Do you long to teach your kids together at the same time? Have you ever felt overwhelmed by all the planning you need to do? 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Behind the Curtain

photo credit

Remember the scene in The Wizard of Oz where Toto pulls the curtain back and reveals the secret...that the Great and Powerful Wizard is really just a man pulling levers and pushing buttons.

"Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain!"

Well, blogging can become like that. Many times, we, meaning mom bloggers, make our blogs look pretty and write positive, uplifting things and post beautifully staged pictures of our homes and projects, giving the impression that we have it all together. Not necessarily me. It can be unintentionally deceiving and discouraging to other moms who only see this facade and don't know what really happens in our homes and lives. They don't see the struggles, the mistakes, the same things that they deal with. The nature of blogging requires a balance of privacy and publicity. Of course, we have to be careful what and how much we share with the rest of the world and, naturally, we want to show our best side.

I'm pulling back the curtain a little here.

Honestly, there are days when, no matter how good my intentions are, no matter how much I've planned, it is just pure chaos here...morning to night. There are dirty dishes piled up and mountains of dirty laundry to be washed. Clean laundry that was folded and stacked has to be refolded because a little person was looking for his favorite shirt. The three-year-old is hiding under the table nibbling on a block of cheese or writing on his belly with a marker. Or he noticed the door was left unlocked and he is running down the driveway in his underwear...or naked. The six-year-old and nine-year-old are arguing over a toy, book, TV show, the color of the sky. The teenager disappears every time I ask him to do his chores and only shows up when he's hungry. I'm not up for the bedtime battle and I let little boys fall asleep on the couch watching cartoons. These are the days that wear me down. The days that I don't want to share because they make me feel like I failed somehow.

The truth is that these days aren't necessarily a failure in themselves, but they are the ones that define me. How will I respond? Will it be with grace and love? Or will it be with selfish impatience and anger? Another truth: I don't always respond with grace and love.

Being a mom is beyond hard.

Blogging gives me a creative and social outlet and allows me to develop another facet of myself. I am the woman behind the screen, pushing buttons and clicking the mouse, creating the vision of me that I want you to see.


Shared at: Fellowship Fridays

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Just look at those chocolate-studded muffins. Don't you just want to pluck one right from your screen? While I would love to take full credit for them, I can only say that I know how to follow a recipe. The recipe for these little gems comes from Maryea at Happy Healthy Mama. I followed her recipe almost exactly, using honey instead of agave and choosing mini chips over regular. They are delicious! Now, when I'm in the mood for banana muffins, I'll have to choose between these and my other favorite recipe, Banana Nut Flax Muffins. Decisions, decisions...

*Tip: Suitable for Feingold Stage 1, if you replace applesauce with pear sauce.