The "Funny Farm" of the Cowles family.
Work trip today with my babies! These are the things that make this Momma heart happy...just being with my adult girls. When you think about what your life will look like before you have kids, there are dreams that every Mom thinks about. Usually, the big things come first in our thoughts, big moments like… Continue reading Days of my dreams
We all have influence, no matter our age. You may think you have no influence, or you don't matter, but you do! You changed the world by just being born, and every day of your life, you matter! You bring a light to this world that was not present on this earth until you were… Continue reading Things Every Kid Needs to Hear from Their Parents!
Sunday morning was Christmas Sunday, the Sunday right before Christmas. Little girls in frilly dresses. Little boys tugging at the tie mom made him wear. It is the last Sunday that we can hand out our gifts and Christmas cards to our church friends. The Sunday service is for rejoicing and remembering the real reason… Continue reading Christmas Sunday Moms
My youngest starts her senior year of high school this week, and my oldest starts her first year of college. I feel like I'm the mom in the driver's seat that has just slammed on the breaks of the car and thrust my arm out to stop her and protect her. I'm wanting to hold… Continue reading Holding back from moving forward.
When the girls were little, as we did our bedtime routine, one of the last things I would say before I walked out of their room was, "What was the best part of your day?" I started saying it as a way to distract them from the desire to stay awake. What kid doesn't hate… Continue reading Best Part of Your Day?
My favorite day of the week is Thursday. When I tell people that, they usually laugh and ask, "Why Thursday?" My response has always been, "because it's so close to the weekend and the anticipation of what's to come is so great.... ... but then Friday comes and goes and before we know it's Sunday… Continue reading Simply “Thursdays”
I cried myself to sleep the other night with feelings of nostalgia. I was thinking how quickly the girls have grown. I remembered how every birthday I would trace their little hand, and see how big it had gotten that year. I was thinking about how lately they are driving all over the place and… Continue reading A Family Promise
I am a wife of a very caring, loving husband who is my friend and we are raising our girls to recognize that the household does not run itself! We all work together to keep it going. You've heard me say before, this family does life together. That includes working together, (YES, we work at… Continue reading “This house does not run Itself!”
This weekend we did a tour of a college. The whole time I'm walking around this school and listening to the guide, I'm looking at both my girls and realizing that at some point they stopped looking like my little girls and looked like grown college students. They fit there. They looked like college kids.… Continue reading The Last Days that I missed
My baby...my itty bitty...who is now inches taller than me, got her driver's license! The places she can go, the experiences she can have...now she can have them without me by her side.Oh the fear! Not the fear of her driving, (although there is always the safety concern) but the fear that she is growing… Continue reading “DRIVING HEAD ON” into a new relationship with my daughters
I just heard my youngest say to a group of boys, "Yes, I'm a girl!". She said it with pride. See, she was playing a video game with some friends and they couldn't believe that "a girl" was "THAT GOOD" at video games. (She also got the passion award in school for geometry this year.)… Continue reading I am Woman hear me roar!
Our dog, Minnie, has been very confused over the past few weeks on who to go to for her needs. Since spring break and this virus quarantine, T has been her main caretaker and she looks to T, when she wants fed even when I'm home. The last few nights she's been leaving our room… Continue reading Home Intruder or is it just the Dog?
My oldest took her driver's test today. As with most parents, there are new fears when your teen starts driving, but after driving with her in a most recent snow storm I realized that I've moved into a new relationship with my girls.I've always been one of those mommas who tried to suck up every… Continue reading “DRIVING FORWARD” into a new relationship with my daughters
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!”
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
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
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
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
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
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!
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
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
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
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
T and S, Another year older and another letter from your momma. You NEED to know how much just your existence has made a difference in this world. 1. You made me a mom. You changed my life for the better. You are a blessing to this family and we would not be same if… Continue reading YOU ARE SO LOVED
My mom recently gave me some old school papers and photo albums of mine. In the box of stuff, I found a paper that I had filled out when I was 8 years old. At the bottom the paper was the question, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" My answer, written… Continue reading Living the Dream
My sweet girls, In my short 38 years, I've unfortunately been apart of many funerals. The whole day is just awful, but to me the worst is the "visitation". Basically what happens is people you know and many you hardly know come to the church or funeral home and they want to express how sorry… Continue reading Funerals
The best parenting advice I ever got was, "Don't listen to any parenting advice." You are the parent. You know your child better than anyone else. Trust your instincts. Pray. Most parents don't want advice. They want to vent or complain and have someone just listen. They need someone to tell them they are not… Continue reading The best parenting advice
My mom, the retired English teacher, made me aware of a phrase that we all use incorrectly. The phrase, "Raising a Child" is actually incorrect. The correct phrase should be "to rear" a child. She explained it to me in a such a simple and OBVIOUS way. She said, "We RAISE cattle, we REAR children."… Continue reading Raise a Child or Rear a Child?
My sweet precious girls, I was determined. I was determined to not "let it beat me". I was determined to not let the fear take over... Looking into the face of a doctor, a man I had come to respect, and see the fear in his eyes, (even though his mouth is saying he's "not… Continue reading The Waiting Room
Cowles Farm 