Mom's Summer Report Card

School has started!  The rhythm of life continues~

I always have mixed feelings about school starting back up.  I'm sad  because I will miss the kids, I HATE helping with homework {with Nolan it is very involved!}, our days are split up with drop-offs, pick-ups, and I don't like navigating the car maze after school.
And yet...
Hooray! School started!    Two kids are there from 8:45 to 3:30!  I only have to care for 2 kids! Easy peasy lemon squeezy as they say in my house!  Carly will be at preschool 3x per week for 3 hours too so I will only have Beckam all day.  And while he is still young and needy I can at least put him on my hip or close all the bathroom doors and let him crawl around. Unfortunately, I can't do anything on the computer when he naps because his room is the office too.
Also good: We are back on a schedule: Dinner at 6:00, clean-up, homework, FHE or Nova, then baths, get ready for bed, reading time, then lights out.  That's the outline I'm going for anyways...
Yes, here they are~ ready to fill their minds with knowledge and make friends and gain a little more independence.

TATUM- 7yrs

NOLAN- 10yrs {very soon- the 12th}

As a stay at home mom it's my job to cook, clean, teach, love, care-for, discipline, lead, guide, walk beside, help me find the way stuff.
And when it's summertime- it's allthetime.  And it's hard to be the mom I want to be all the time. So how did I do as a mom this summer with no school for reprieve?
I was inspired by my friend Nichole Christensen's private blog to do a report card on myself.


Mothering:    C+
Keep in mind this is Dan's busy season so I am at home all day with 4 kids. I don't think I did too horrible this summer considering I had a baby to pack around.  I took the kids to the free lunches at the park 4/5 weekdays. I planned and pulled off a combined birthday party for Dan and Beck. We did the Goodie's Tour, we went to the Library, swimming pool, baked and had playdates. We all went to the grocery store!  Not the most fun trips let me tell ya!  I broke up fights, put on bandaids, and read to them. I put the baby down for his naps pretty consistently.   One thing I continue to struggle with is making the kids do their share of the cleaning. I always think: "Oh, I'll just do it; it's faster." And they only clean after I threaten to throw away toys all the toys on the floor.  Also, I'm not setting a very good example with my eating habits.  I regularly bake treats or reward myself with an Ida's cupcake.  I love to enjoy a good cupcake.  It's what I deserve after all my hard work, right?!  Sadly, everyone asks me what's for dessert after every dinner.  If I say nothing, then they offer to eat a scoop of Nutella.    Another thing I struggle with: listening to them. Sometimes I just say "Uh-huh" in the car and realize someone was just talking to me but I was thinking about something else.  Still, at the end of the day after I kiss them goodnight and tuck them under the covers I  love them and they know I do.  Even if I threaten to spank them if they get out of bed. I remind myself that these are precious years. No other success can compensate for failure within the home.

Wife:   B+
Well, the times we spent together this summer were nice. We went on several nice dates thanks to our super awesome babysitters Lexie, Kendra, Missy, and a few others.  Mostly Kendra & Lexie. {Ladies, if you're reading this please know that if the whole college thing doesn't work out, you can be my nanny! Who needs an education? Come on!} But I digress.  I planned a fun golf themed party for my 30 year old man!
 I pretty much dumped the kids on him as soon as he got home, but he's such an awesome dad he just plays with them and holds Beck all the time for me. Danny is such an awesome husband too. He will help with dinner, clean the house, and take me on dates.  He always lets me have my way and I love it!  He is so easy to get along with.  We never fight. Really.  I get mad at him like twice a year usually because he was out golfing too long. Which is why if he ever dies I will stay a widow because no one can compare to his awesomeness.   I love him and I'm so glad that we will be together forever!  I want to be a better wife by telling him to golf more and making myself better looking for his arrival home! haha

Spiritually:  C
Maybe a D is more like it.  I haven't cracked open my scriptures in over a year.  I swear I have read 1 Nephi  20 times.    Ugh... It's just so boring.  I finished the Maze Runner series a few months ago in a week.Ya my house was a dump and the kids ran free, but hey, I was in the depths of a great story!   Why can't I read the Bible like that?  
I have been a counselor in the Young Women's presidency at church for 15 months now. Which counselor you ask?  I can't remember.  It should be an easy calling  right? We only have about 8 girls that come every week and I only have to teach once a month.  But sometimes I can't even do that.  Why can't I plan ONE lesson a month? (I wont blame this new curriculum either!)
Typical Sunday for Renae:  say goodbye to Dan as he goes to work at 6:00am.  Get eveyone breakfast. I haven't fasted for a good 8 years. Get myself ready for church. Shower? Nope. Get the 4 kids ready for church.    Sweat through sacrament meeting. Try to listen between telling kids to be quiet, sit quietly, and only take ONE piece of bread.  Thank goodness for Janice Malnar who takes B for me when I leave the kids alone in the bench to calm the baby in the back of the chapel. I walk the halls during Sunday school because Beckam is too young for nursery.  I go the the Young Women's room for the last hour.  I don't last long there. I end up walking the halls after a while too.
 I wish I could magnify my calling but it's so low on my list of priorities right now.  Sorry to everyone who picks up my slack.  The closest temple is 3 hours away. I haven't attended in 18 months or so.
BUT to bring up my grade: we do Family Home Evening once a month and we say family prayers  and evening prayers regularly. Of course we pray over meals, etc.  Dan gave the kids sweet blessings before school started which was great. And we always talk about His hand in every day life. I can't wait for general conference to start in October.  I love to hear the wise counsel of men & women of God.

Physically:  C
Oh gees,  just reread my mothering topic.
I don't think I'm in terrible shape.  I am less than 120 lbs.  I eat pretty healthy. My portion size is okay... I eat our local organic beef. No fast food. Never soda- unless it's a sip from Danny's cherry Coke.  I hardly ever buy processed snack foods and I drink Almond milk.  I feel like that's pretty healthy.
The thing is.....
I love sugar.
I crave it all the time.  I will eat my healthy dinner then wolf down 2 giant brownies.  If it has butter, sugar and flour in it.... oh ya, I will eat it.  Throw in some chocolate chips and my eyes become glossed over with a ravenous chocoholic rage that will stop at nothing to get my fill of cocoa goodness.
It's a sad situation.
Exercising  would certainly help my fitness level. I just need to do it.   I hate running. What can I do at home that doesn't cost me anything?  You know what I want to do? I want to get a membership in that fancy club across town and play indoor tennis all year long while Carly and Beck do the childcare.  But.... I don't have $500 per month so....   Guess not!   Funny story: I had a consultation with a plastic surgeon a few months ago to see if I was a good candidate for a tummy tuck.  He said I was an excellent candidate (I like to call my tummy "the white raisin")  so when I have an extra $10,000 laying around and 2 months for recovery, I am TOTALLY gettin my restoration work done!  Until then, I will drag my feet to my little treadmill in my room. Let me end by saying I'm so thankful that I have a body. I pray I can use it to lift others up and do good in the world.

Academically:  F
Remember those hopes and dreams I had of becoming a neonatal nurse? Ya, those are dead.  All my siblings {except Riley who is a senior in high school} are either doctors or their assistants.  I have tried to take classes here and there over the years. I can't be a good student and a good mom right now. It's just not my time. Sorry Mom and Dad. I have let you down. I know how important education is.   I really respect and admire those with advanced degrees. I'm super glad that I don't have student loans and interest payments though.   Both my parents are college graduates. So are both Danny's parents.  And his siblings have degrees too.

Financially:  B
Ten years ago I thought that when I was 30 I would have lots of money. Yes, back when I thought 30 was old.  Well here I am "grown-up" and I'm still poor. Remember, I thought I was going to be a rich nurse.   Oh well! I gave myself a good grade because we use what we get wisely. Minus those impulse buys at Target... I don't have student loans, credit card debt, unpaid health bills, etc.and we aren't underwater with our house so my grade is slightly better than average.  I will admit though, some days I wake up and think: Should I go out and enjoy life today... or should I have money tomorrow? haha

Creatively:  B
I painted our downstairs bathroom with stripes. It looks so good. Straight crisp lines and neutral colors look nice on the walls. This next  sentence will knock my "Spiritually" grade down a bit.  I stole a pallet from an abandoned house that I've been watching for 4 years now.  It's the house behind us.  Empty for years. Had some pallets in the backyard. So I strolled around to the other street, walked in the backyard and heaved the pallet over our fence.  I don't think anyone will miss it.  I will make a fun wood sign with it... I've been looking on Pinterest for ideas.  I love Pinterest.  Now that the kids are back in school, I can finish that quilt that's been sitting in the laundry room for months. Bonus points: birthday party, sewing heart patches, good intentions.

Politically:  C
I'm trying to follow the Syrian situation. The United States' international  role and it's foreign policies interest me. I wish I knew more history to fully understand the dynamics of the Middle East conflicts.
Now, I'm more of  a Libertarian than Rep/ Dem so I say we let them destroy themselves over there because anything we do will either never be good enough or seen as completely invasive.  In Time magazine's current issue the headlining article is about Obama's struggle with action or inaction over the apparent use of chemical weapons by Assad on his own people.  It was an informative read.   One one hand I feel terrible for the refugees, but I don't want the US to spend BILLIONS of our dollars to aid the rebels who are basically Al-qaeda. Both sides in this civil war hate America. And we need that money HERE! But we feel we need to show others that "there will be consequences" if chemical weapons are used..... Sigh.  Fighting will not end in the Middle East until the Savior comes. Or, as Golda Meir said, "Peace will come when the Arabs love their children more than they hate us."  I hope He comes soon because the world is on the verge of WWIII.



I don't know why I felt like doing such a long blog post.

Maybe writing it all down helps me feel like I have a voice in the world and I'm not just a mom in sweats that eats a whole plate of lemon bars. True story. :(

Life is short.  Eat the treat.