What does it mean to be a mother?

mother[muhth -er]
Main Entry: mother
Part of Speech: noun
Definition: female person who has borne children

noun
1. a female parent.
2. one's female parent.
3. a mother-in-law, stepmother, or adoptive mother.
4. a term of address for a female parent or a woman having or regarded as having the status, function, or authority of a female parent.
5. a term of familiar address for an old or elderly woman.
6. mother superior
7. a woman exercising control, influence, or authority like that of a mother: to be a mother to someone.
8. the qualities characteristic of a mother, as maternal affection: It is the mother in her showing itself.
9. something or someone that gives rise to or exercises protecting care over something else; origin or source.
10. (in disc recording) a mold from which stampers are made.

adjective
1. being a mother: a mother bird.
2. of, pertaining to, or characteristic of a mother: mother love.
3. derived from or as if from one's mother; native: his mother culture.
4. bearing a relation like that of a mother, as in being the origin, source, or protector: the mother company and its affiliates; the mother computer and its network of terminals.

verb (used with object)
1. to be the mother of; give origin or rise to.
2. to acknowledge oneself the author of; assume as one's own.
3. to care for or protect like a mother; act maternally toward.

verb (used without object)
1. to perform the tasks or duties of a female parent; act maternally: a woman with a need to mother.

Idioms
1. mother of all.the greatest or most notable example of: the mother of all mystery novels.

noun
1. a stringy, mucilaginous substance consisting of various bacteria, especially Mycoderma aceti, that forms on the surface of a fermenting liquid and causes fermentation when added to other liquids, as in changing wine or cider to vinegar.

noun Slang: Vulgar.
1. motherfucker
2. a person or thing that is very large, powerful, or impressive.


SYNONYMS-

Main Entry: maternal
Part of Speech: adjective
Definition: motherly
Synonyms: affectionate kind parental protective sympathetic

Main Entry: parental
Part of Speech: adjective
Definition: having the quality or nature of a parent
Synonyms: affectionate benevolent benign caring comforting devoted fatherly fond forbearing gentle indulgent kind loving maternal matriarchal motherly paternal patriarchal protective sheltering supportive tender warm watchful

Main Entry: motherly
Part of Speech: adjective
Definition: caring
Synonyms: affectionate careful caretaking comforting devoted fond gentle kind loving maternal nurturing protecting protective sheltering supporting sympathetic tender warm watchful

Main Entry: care
Part of Speech: verb
Definition: tend to
Synonyms: attend babysit consider foster keep an eye on keep tabs on look after mind minister mother nurse nurture pay attention to protect provide for sit take pains tend treasure wait on watch watch over
Antonyms: disregard ignore neglect

What does being a mother really mean? What does it mean to you?

Homeschool Co-op Halloween Party

This being our first time ever doing a homeschool co-op, it was our first time doing a homeschool co-op Halloween party!

The girls were excited to get to dress up in costume for the fashion show-

And I was excited to practice a little kitchen witchery, and do a little makeup magic of my own! ;)

It was a great party, complete with a costume catwalk, scavenger hunts, buckets of goop (aka- non Newtonian liquid, aka cornstarch and water), and a frighteningly fantastic obstacle course! (T's 12th b-day party theme has come in handy and made me a superhero of an assistant P.E. teacher) ;D. *cue superhero music

Most importantly, the kids had a great time, and we all got to eat some good junk food!

(we now return to our regularly scheduled *healthy* program)

"MESSAGE"

Always a nice reminder that the universe can use any means to send you a message, if you can just pay attention and receive it, when you get a text like this, that is exactly what you need to hear, from someone you haven't really connected with in a very long time-

"So gmornin beauty! I didn't fergetcha bday, I just couldn't grab ur ear. Just a lil note I wanted to share:

Its ok to need extra rest, more comfort, be more needy, and have less to give in times of stress or dis-ease. Accept yourself, your changed needs (usually only temporary anyway). It's perfectly ok to allow yourself to cocoon thru the transformation. Surrender to the process, be nice to u, and trust that a new exciting energy is being created within u!
Before long, you will take wings n fly!
New perspective! YAY!

I love you!!!"

Birthday Wish Kits

A sweet handmade gift idea, perfect for a last minute throw together, using whatever you have around.

We usually have leftover party supplies of all sorts piling up in the craft room, bits and pieces of things as good as new, but with no real usability.

A few extra bubble bottles, streamers, balloons, pencils, recycled tissue paper, some glitter and scrapbook paper= one cute gift!

I love to use card stock takeout containers, which I usually have on hand, since they make great utensils holders for parties too!
Stuff with tissue paper, fill with goodies, tie on hand written notes with coordinating ribbon pieces, and voila!

For this pink box, the idea was birthday wishes for a sweet little girl who loves pink and magic and fairies.

So i used pink polka dot tissue paper (reused) 9 pink balloons (she was turning 9) tied together with pink satin ribbon, a glittery pink pencil & believe pencil (both leftovers from easter or spring packs), an extra bottle of bubbles, small bottle of pink glitter, a wishing star, pink handmade recycled crayons, and two pink felt flower hair clips!

Everything was either something we had that hadn't been used, something we made, or something leftover from a past birthday party.

The trick to making it extra special is the hand written notes. Using whatever coordinating scrap paper we had, circle cutter (could also be hand cut), and a pink marker, we came up with sweet wish themed messages for each element of the gift box, and tied them on with pretty pink ribbon.

*Wish on a Star* for the pink glitter paper star cut-out
*Set your Dreams Afloat* for the balloons
*Believe in Magic* for the pencil
*Wear Flowers in Your Hair* on the hair clips
Etc etc etc, you get the picture!

We had another last minute party to attend the following week, also for a 9yr old girl, but a totally different kind of girl. A super sweet and sassy, bright and colorful, dancing queen pop music kind of girl, so her gift box came out totally different, even though most of the stuffers were the same, well, stuff!

Purple & green are her fave colors, so we started there, and came up with a little more spunky phrases for her birthday wishes.

*Throw some Glitter* (Kesha style)on a bag of glitter
*Drink it Up* for a crazy straw
*Shoot for the Stars* on a star shaped lollipop
*Color Your World* for the crayons

You get the point! Just have fun with it, and make it fit to the child.

Both gifts were a big hit, both with the birthday girls, and the moms!
And you'll get to look like a crafty goddess with a thoughtful handmade gift! ;)

Breaking up with Guilt

I've decided to break up with guilt. Guilt has never been nice to me or treated me right, it has never made me feel loved or special, or validated or empowered. It has always expected me to be absolutely perfect in every way at all times, and nags me relentlessly when it feels that I have been less than perfect. It mistreats me in a very similar way to the dysfunction of my childhood, and it's time for me to go my own way. Sorry guilt, it's over between us. Have a nice life.
I'll be over here enjoying mine to the fullest, and not feeling bad about it! I'll sleep in late when I need rest, and let my kids stay up as late as they want to finish that book or project, and I'll buy my kids a brand new dress just because they love it, and maybe even one for myself now and then, and I'll take them to every fun place I can think of any time we can, and we'll eat ice cream for breakfast if we want to, and we'll stay home and watch movies all day when we feel like it, and we'll have a great time doing it all, and you can't come, because you always spoil the fun...

A Fraction Vegetarian

Today's Math Lesson- Fractions

Big sister- "my barbie is one quarter mermaid..."

Little sister- "what's a 'quarter mermaid'?"

Big sister- (indignant huff) "...one quarter mermaid, one qu..."

Little sister- "what's a 'quarter mermaid'?"

Big sister- (eyeroll) "it's half of a half"

Little sister- "oh"

Big sister- "...one quarter mermaid... (sideways glance)... one quarter human, and two quarters, or one half, siren"

Little sister- "but is she a vegetarian?"

Inspiration.

Trinity has decided to write a book. Today.

And so, she started writing it. Today.

Trinity is 11 years old.

Trinity has loved to read for as long as she has been aware that books exist.

And she has HATED writing for almost exactly that long.

But this morning, for some reason, some completely unprovoked, unprompted, unknown reason, she decided to write a book.

So she spent most of the morning writing.

And then asked if I'd like to hear the beginning of her story,which of course I did; and it was a really great beginning of a story. So I told her so...

"That's really well written," i said, "with lots of good details and interest!"

And she replied, quite matter-of-fact-ly, "I've read a lot of good books."

...which she certainly has.

But I just had to ask her, "I thought you hated to write?"

...to which she responded, also quite matter-of-fact-ly, "I was never inspired before."

...and I suppose she wasn't.



Today's life lesson-

Proper motivation comes from proper inspiration. Be inspired!

Believe.

...sometimes, people stop believing in things...

...the problem with that, is that magic only works, if you believe it...

...so, what is real for you, can only be real, if you believe...

...for as soon as you stop believing, you've taken away the power of it's magic...

...and it can not find you again, until you seek it out, and let it in...

...and once again...

...Believe.

Sushi Social

It's really too bad my five year old daughter is becoming one of those dreaded 'sheltered' homeschool kids...

...out at her favorite sushi place while her big sister is busy socializing and excercising with her friends at homeschool gymnastics class...

...enjoying her miso soup, edamame, seaweed salad, avocado roll, cucumber roll, masago (fishie eggs), and fresh chopped asian pears and mandarin oranges...

...spending one on one time with her mommy, drawing pictures on her napkins, and visiting with her favorite waitress who always chats with us about her home country of Korea...

...and to think... she could have had a corn dog and french fries instead with hormone laden factory farmed milk...

...what a shame for her to be missing out on that 'flipped and zipped', 20minute rushed, government issued, public school lunch experience...

...oh the tragedy of it all!

How will she ever learn to function in the 'real' world??? ...sigh...

Lucky Layla Farm Tour

Yesterday we toured a local farm with a group of friends. The kids all had a good time, and were happy to buy some fresh yogurt from the farm store afterward. Then we all gathered at the home of one of our tour group friends to play with their new baby chicks!
Great day!

Leap Christmas

Laying in bed with my little one, reflecting on our day, I realized I hadn't told her it was leap day. So I tell her how it's a special day because it doesn't happen every year, only once every four years, and we get an extra day...

She thinks on that for half a second, then her whole body stiffens and her face twists with excitement, and she exclaims with such hopeful exuberance, "Please tell me it's The Christmas!"

...if only sweet girl. God, I love these kids!

Playing with Reflections

No trick photography, no Photoshop, just playing by the fish aquarium silliness...

How Do They Know?

Do your children know that you love them? How do they know? How do you know that they know?
Do you tell them that you love them? Do you hold them in your lap, or give them hugs? How often? Every day? Do you spend time talking to them, with them? Do you answer their questions when they ask them? Do you take the time to stop what you're doing when they need your attention or focus? Do you tell them nice things to build them up? Do you encourage them in their growth, in their struggles? Do you share stories of your own childhood to let them know that they are completely normal? Do you act as a mirror of all the many strengths and gifts that they possess and hold it up for them to see the good in themselves? Do your children know that you love them? Do you know that they know it? How do they know?
Do you listen to them when they have complaints? Do you validate their frustrations or anger or sadness? Do you sit with them and console them in their disappointments? Do you allow them their own thoughts and opinions? Do you give them the space to make their own decisions? Do you give them the space to make their own mistakes? Do you let them know that you are not always right? Do you show them that it is okay to be human? to make your own mistakes? to apologize when you are wrong? or when you hurt someone? Do you teach them that it is more important to follow their own hearts, than what anyone else thinks, including you? Do you see them for who they are, who they are meant to be? Do you accept and love them in their space, in their way, according to their needs?
What do you do, to let your children know that you love them?