Kangaroo Climber

We bought NJ a slide a couple of weeks ago. It has a door in the back that he can open and close. There aren't any steps to the slide. It has a platform that he is supposed to climb or push himself up on. There is a circle cutout on the side that he can climb through to go down the slide. He loves doing that!

Sometimes we start our day going down the slide. He is able to see the slide through the window on the french door. So, if he sees it, he wants to go outside or else!

I have actually enjoyed his love of the slide. I usually sit with my feet up at our patio table. We have had some nice weather, between all the rain, and I have soaked it in. The slide is the perfect entertainment for NJ as my pregnant belly gets bigger. I will enjoy sitting outside watching NJ. I am looking forward to the rest of the spring and summer.

release from perfection

A speaker at the MOPS conference mentioned that the slogan is "better moms make a better world", not perfect moms make a perfect world. I like that. I am tired of trying to be perfect. I don't know why I have felt like I had to be. For some reason it seems like a lot of people have the perfect house, the perfect kids, the perfect hair, the perfect clothes. I am sure there are some assumptions that are wrong or have a wrong attitude behind it.

I feel more comfortable letting people know the real me. I don't have energy to clean my house, so if we have company, I'm not going to stress out trying to get the house immaculate. Maybe it's because I'm pregnant that I'm just tired. I am done with trying to be perfect.

Julie Barnhill is the author of "One Tough Mother". We watched her video at MOPS. She basically said that being perfect isn't helping anyone else out. It isn't an encouragement to other moms to see a spotless house when you have three young children at home. She joked about the "Christmas letter" that people send out. It is usually a list of how perfect everyone is.

I think being authentic is what people want to see and hear. People love hearing funny stories of how I messed this up or said so and so. I want to be honest with my imperfections and laugh at them. And give someone else a laugh in the process.

MOPS-(Mothers of Pre-schoolers)

This coming Saturday I am going to a MOPS leadership summit. I will be the finance coordinator for the MOPS group at our church this coming fall. I thought it would be a good idea to attend the conference. It is at a church fairly close to our house so I won't have to drive too far.

I don't really see myself as a leader because of my quiet personality. I guess to do finance you don't really need a charismatic personality. : ) My responsibilities include taking attendance and collecting the dues. I do see myself as a nice person and I know that's important because I will be one of the first faces the mothers will see when they walk in. This is a ministry that I am really excited about.

So, remember Dust this Saturday because he will be taking care of NJ by himself from 9 am until 3 pm.