The "Funny Farm" of the Cowles family.
What mom doesn't like to hear phrases like, "You are such a great mom!" "You are such a fun mom!" "Your kids are so lucky to have a mom like you." "I love your mom!" (Said from your kid's friends.) All those phrases make us feel so good about ourselves and for that brief moment… Continue reading Best Mom in the World
T passed her driver's permit test this morning. Mom's of little ones... you won't have a date to mark the "last bath", the last time you "pick them up for snuggle", the last time "they come running to grab onto your knees when you walk in the door". Cherish those moments. Even when it's a… Continue reading Mother’s Day
T! How in the world are you 16? How is it possible that tiny, little 6 lb baby is now taller than me and is so fiercely independent? I have learned so much from you, my girl. You were a serious baby. As a newborn you were "taking it all in". Your eyes wide, looking… Continue reading What I see in my 16 year old, T
Dear girlies, You know what the hardest part about parenting is... it's that I've never done it before. I don't know what I'm doing! I'm still learning about what it means to be a parent and you are still learning about what it means to be a kid. I've only been at this for 15.75… Continue reading Mom is still learning too
I've just discovered what kind of parent I am. Well, what kind I want to be, based off of Disney Movie characters. There are all kinds of parenting styles in this world and most are portrayed in Disney movies. There is Jasmine's dad, the Sultan, who is worrying about his daughter's future and the path… Continue reading Disney Parenting 101
I am generally a very kind and sweet person. I am usually super smiley and I look for ways to encourage people throughout the day and I try to extend grace and forgiveness to those around me. I wear my heart on my sleeve and on my face. However, deep down inside, when my girls… Continue reading “Momma Bear, Get Back in the Cave!”
I am a pessimist. I don't love being a pessimist but I have embraced the fact that I am one. I tend to look at life and see what could go wrong. When people ask how we are doing, my first reaction is to tell them the negative things going on in our lives. It's… Continue reading The Joyful Pessimist
My Dad is going to be 70 this November. Besides the basic needs in life, he has taught me that a girl can do "boy things" like checking the oil in your car engine and how to mow the lawn. I've learned a lot from my dad in my 41 years. My dad is one… Continue reading Things I’ve learned from my Daddy
We've all heard the phrase, "get back on the horse". The girls have been taking riding lessons for a few years now and they've been stepped on, bucked off, smashed fingers, sore legs and fallen off the horse. They may not realize it, but these moments, in this sport, are actually life lessons in disguise. … Continue reading Get back on the Horse
Confession time! I have a big problem with fear. Now, I'm not talking about the times when you "walk around a corner and almost bump into someone fear". I'm talking about the fear that takes your breath away. The heart pounding, paralyzing fear. Here's an example: In my mind: I hear a bump in the… Continue reading FAITH OVER FEAR
What I would say to the victim... Bullies are just louder than others and those are the ones we tend to hear. Bullies tend to be the only thing we see when we are hurt. We can't see the people who have our backs, or those who are being kind because all we feel and… Continue reading Bullies
The girls and I teach preschool once a month at our church with two other fabulous ladies. The five of us have become a "well oiled machine". Before the preschoolers have their snack, I ask them a series of questions. They have gotten so used my questions they almost ask them with me. 1. "Who… Continue reading Prayers with Preschoolers
T had an art project due in a few days. She was working steadily on it but was getting so frustrated with the look of it because it wasn't the perfect image that she had in her head. I came home to a very frustrated girl. To me it was beautiful. The piece was just… Continue reading The Bigger Picture
T had to write a poem for her English Literature class. The topic was to be choices, serious, and personal. With her permission, I am sharing her poem. Two choices that day: Tell my mom or hide away. I bury my cries in my pillow. Everyone asks if something is wrong. I say no, and… Continue reading Two choices
My sweet girlies, I've got another life lesson for you that most adults haven't figured out yet. Everybody has problems! EVERYBODY! For some reason we think WE should be exempt. No one is exempt. Problems are going to come. Life is not perfect, and usually problems come "at the worst times" in our lives. Times… Continue reading Everybody has Problems!
I've changed their diapers. I've dressed them and helped tie their shoes. I've fed them. I've watched every growth spurt, and every tooth come in. I've helped with the "impossible" math homework... ... now they are taller than me and have been doing all this on their own for years. Somewhere along the way I… Continue reading Mom Courage
This time of year, with the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, life can be super busy and sometimes stressful. When you have a business that thrives in the 4th quarter, your days can be so full with simply answering questions and solving problems that you can't even check your emails from the day before. The incessant… Continue reading Lord, run my day.
I remember being a kid and thinking that 40 was old. Now I'm 40 and let me tell you, 40 is NOT OLD! My mom is turning 70 this week! I hope I'm as healthy and happy as she is, when I hit 70. I've learned a lot from watching my mom. Some things I… Continue reading Things I’ve learned from my Mom
I have a dear friend who I can pour out my "MOM HEART" to and she gets it! We began our friendship with PAGES of handwritten letters, unloading everything onto each other when our girls were just babies. Later in our friendship we had long talks on my couch or at her dining room table. … Continue reading I AM NORMAL!
I'm doing it again. It's July! The 4th of July, Independence celebrations have come and gone. My daisies are blooming. IT'S JULY! That place that starts with an "S" is going to start up again in a few short weeks and I haven't had enough time with my babies. I think what is really… Continue reading Mid Summer Freak Out
Change is hard and death... well, it sucks. I've been thinking how "life" can bring these hard times and how awful they can be to go through, BUT how thankful and how grateful I am to not be going through them alone. I think back on my life, a hard time in my family when… Continue reading Change is Hard
I can't believe you are 13! Where did my baby go? So another birthday, another letter from your momma. 3 years ago I wrote you what I thought you needed to know to "do life". I still believe you need those words, but I also know you need more. So, my girl, here are the… Continue reading S, 13 Things Before You Turn 13!
We've hit this stage in our parenting where boys are starting to take notice of our girls. We were out to dinner one night and I noticed a boy "do a double take". I put my head down and giggled. Hubby is SO NOT READY for this stage. He said they can date as… Continue reading Entrust
40 years... 40 years is a long time. 40 years is a short time. It's all about perspective. Some days I feel ALL of those 40 years. Other days I feel like a kid. I've heard the first 40 years of childhood are the hardest. At least I did all the stupid stuff before… Continue reading I am 40
This morning, sitting in our favorite pew in church, singing "How Great is Our God", it hit me how different this church service could have been for the girls and I. Two days ago, Hubby was in the attic at work, running wire to relocate a computer to another part of the factory. While in… Continue reading Heels Over Head
When soccer (or really any sport) is your children's lives, it becomes your life, and life seems to move around the sport. Laundry loads are based around what jersey needs washed for tomorrow's game. Meal planning is essential, and the crockpot is a permanent fixture in the counter. Soccer bags, muddy cleats, sweaty socks, and… Continue reading Life of a Soccer Mom
Sun beating down. I can almost feel each sun ray driving into my skin. Cleats tied up. Ball at my feet. Opponent’s coach says, “This is our biggest rival.” ...Great, more pressure. They have beaten us in the past. This is going to be a tough game. Whistle blows. Move. … Continue reading Soccer is my life
No person is good enough to be loved by God. No one sin is "greater" than another. We all are "failures" when it comes to being good enough. The best part of all of that...God loves us anyway. He loves us despite our failures and faults. He loves us regardless of how we behave. He… Continue reading The Leaning Process
You know how it's hard to see things clearly sometimes, when you're too close? Those are the times we need a perspective change. Kids, as well as adults, need reminders that sometimes our circumstances are not as bad as we are making them out to be. An "attitude of gratitude" is needed. I've started a… Continue reading Give me 5!
When they were babies, and they would cry, I would go though the questions. Is she hungry? Does she need a diaper change? Is she too hot? Do I hold her or let her cry it out? Am I holding her too much? Am I not holding her enough? Then as a toddler... of course… Continue reading The Mom Doubts
I can't believe you are 13! Where did my baby go? So another birthday, another letter from your momma. 3 years ago I wrote you what I thought you needed to know to "do life". I still believe you need those words, but I also know you need more. So, my girl, here are the… Continue reading T, 13 things before you turn 13
A few years ago, we were on vacation in Disney World. Trying to get to one of the shows, my youngest and I were "bringing up the rear" and my hubby turned around and said, "Come on, let's walk a little faster so we can make the show on time." I said, "We are trying… Continue reading Momma, Set the Pace
You've heard the phrase, "Live like it's your last", but I would suggest to you to "LOVE like it's your last" day on earth. We are not promised tomorrow. If I have learned anything in my short 39 years, I've learned that life is short and fast. If today was your last day on earth, … Continue reading Love for Today
I was recently asked to write down words of encouragement for a mom to be. Some of this I have written before, but "it bears repeating". I do not have it all figured out. I am not one to "go to" for all parenting advice. I am just a mom, trying to do my… Continue reading New Mom Advice
God is Alive! (Written by 11 year old S. Written from her heart. We have a little missionary.) People think God is dead but I believe He is right next to you now. Do you? It may seem He is not there but He is there every step of your life. If you are a… Continue reading God is Alive!
(This was written by 12 year old T. She wrote what was in her heart.) If you don’t remember the meaning of Christmas I’ll tell you what the meaning is. The meaning of Christmas isn’t presents or family games. It’s not all about Santa Claus or hanging out with friends. It’s not about eggnog or… Continue reading Remember the Meaning of Christmas?
"Smile from the Heart." My very own, made up by myself, true to my life, MOTTO. Ok, so it doesn't sound like I could have made it up on my own, but I did. Maybe someone, some where out there in the big wide world said it first, but I had never heard it before… Continue reading Smile from the Heart
When someone mentions the name "Abe Lincoln" what image comes to mind? Long black beard and tall black hat, right? Did you know that an 11 year old little girl was the one that told him he should grow a beard? Her name was Grace Bedell. She wrote a letter to President Lincoln (weeks before… Continue reading Change the World
180 days in a school year × 13 years of education =2,160 days 2,160 days × 6.5 hours / day =14,040 hours of their lives they spent in school. Dear School, Do you know the influence you have over my child's life? Do you realize how many hours of the day you have with my… Continue reading Dear School,
I had a meltdown today. Probably could call it a temper tantrum, but it was minus the laying down and kicking part. It was like the world was against me today. Like I could do nothing right! Then I picked up my girls from soccer practice this evening to find out they have "TONS" of… Continue reading Momma’s having a Meltdown
A lot of times we share only the good parts of our lives, but if we can't share the bad, then how can we truly share in the good? So here it is. This morning I woke up to arguing about the cereal box and milk. I let it go. They need to learn to… Continue reading Daily Choice
We are approaching that time again in the year, the time of year I dread. SCHOOL IS STARTING AGAIN! Every morning, ever since the girls' first day of kindergarten, we pray on the way to school. I pray for different things every day, but I always end it with a specific phrase. "Lord, give them… Continue reading Strength, Wisdom, and Courage
I am an organized person. I have been my whole life. Everything has a place. That doesn't mean my house is always spotless though. I hate to clean. However, I'm constantly reorganizing and purging closets or drawers or even whole rooms. Recently I was asked to give my opinion on buying a planner/organizer. Here is… Continue reading Choosing the Perfect Planner / Organizer
It's birthday party time around here again and we were doing a combo party for both girls. S is not a cake fan so we had an ice cream cake for her. T loves cake, like her momma, but I wanted to do something different than a traditional cake. T LOVES swiss cake rolls and… Continue reading Swiss Cake Rolls Cake
Prayer Journal entry a few months after T was born.... "Lord, she won't stop crying. I can't make it stop. Please make it stop. Please help her to sleep. Please let me get rest. Lord, Make me a better wife and mom." ....a few months later.... "Lord, I am SO not a good mom. I… Continue reading The PERFECT mom
I was looking back at some notes I had written in my "memory notebooks" and came across some of these hilarious memories that I had forgotten. 1. One night we were sitting in church, all four of us, and my youngest saw the Bible in the pew rack and pulled it out. She opened up… Continue reading Kids say the darndest things
Besides my "nighttime notebooks", I have these notebooks that only I write in. (Nighttime notebooks are for each of the girls and I to write back and forth.) I started these memory notebooks about a year after my youngest was born. I knew they would never remember things from when they were little, and I… Continue reading Memory notebooks
Many years ago, my mom was responsible for moving her grandfather (my great-grandfather) into a nursing home. He was in his 90s, and we had tried letting him live on his own but we kept getting calls from his friends letting us know that he wasn't taking his meds or he was wondering around lost.… Continue reading Linking generations
Around Christmas, our oldest was invited to a youth group all-nighter. When I told my hubby that she was invited AND wanted to go, his response had me laughing so hard I was crying. He said, with all seriousness, "Why does she want to be with her friends instead of us?" To which I replied,… Continue reading Letting Go
I think it only appropriate that since I wrote "letters" to my girls telling them what I wanted them to know before they turned 10, that I write one to my hubby before he turns 40. Babe, I know I don't say these things enough, and I COULD NEVER say them enough, but I mean… Continue reading Hubby, Before you turn 40
Cowles Farm 