My First Fail...But Probably Not Last

So, in my post yesterday, I mentioned that I was cooking up a new recipe that kinda reminded me of fall. It had chicken, sweet potatoes, applesauce, and a crock pot, which sounded like the makings of an interesting-yet-great dinner.

Wrong.

I also mentioned that I had to alter the recipe a little because I didn't have all of the ingredients it called for. The recipe called for red onions, garlic, apple cider vinegar, curry or cumin, and ground ginger to mix with the unsweetened applesauce, and then layer it onto the chicken and the cut-and-peeled sweet potatoes.

I forgot to get the onions and I didn't have ginger. Oops!

Me, being the lazy person I can be, just bumped the onions off and looked up on the internet what I could use instead of ginger. Nutmeg it is then! I had that in my spice cabinet.

Maybe it would've been better if I had actually followed the recipe and gone to the grocery store to get the correct ingredients. That's a definite possibility, but I'm not sure I'll try again to figure it out.

Chris was sweet enough to eat the bowl full that I fixed him (which, thank goodness, I put on top of rice to help out the not-so-good chicken stuff), but no seconds this time. He did better than me though, I couldn't even finish what I had. I eventually gave up and grabbed a Dreamcicle out of the freezer.

My cooking was no good this time.

I guess I still have a fairly decent record, though. I've cooked quite often since I've moved into the house back in June, and this may only be the second or third time I've cooked something that didn't work out as well as I had hoped. Can't complain about that! 
If you're interested in giving it a try for yourself, here's the recipe that I used. I also thought that maybe putting some brown sugar into the mix might help give it more flavor, because that's what it was really missing.

Maybe that's what the red onions were supposed to do. That's probably what they were supposed to do.

Anyways, if you try it, please let me know how it worked for you!  

Tonight, Chris suggested we have a leftover night. I'm thinking he may want me to take a few days off to re-group myself after that fiasco, then come back strong with food that actually tastes good again. Whatever his motivation behind it might be, I'm completely okay with it! It's nice to use a microwave every once in a while to fix dinner.

Plus, that gives me extra time to cuddle up with my handsome man on the couch. Sounds like a win-win plan to me!

Fall = Love

There are just some days where all I want to do is sleep.

Forget eating, watching television, even shopping. I just want to sleep.

Today is one of those days.

I don't know why I'm so stinkin' tired! I mean, I've been in bed by 10:30 each night, I even got an extra twenty minutes or so of sleep Monday morning. I am completely out of energy though. Just carrying the baby up the stairs to lay him down for his nap makes me want to collapse beside the crib and catches some snoozes with him before I make my trek back down.

I'm too young for this.

Anyways, rant over and on to what I really want to talk about.

Can you believe that it is only 22 days until Halloween, 50 days until Thanksgiving, and 77 days until Christmas? Isn't that crazy?!

I love it though, because this is my absolutely favorite time of the year. When Pumpkin Spice Lattes make their debut on Starbuck's menu, then I know it has officially arrived. There's something about the crisp-ness in the air, the smell of firewood burning and pumpkin carvings, being able to wear awesome scarves, and sipping on hot apple cider that makes me so happy.

I have been DYING to pull out my fall/winter clothes the past week or two, and I have been DYING to go shopping for more too. I do enjoy my summer clothes and shopping for them, but I love me some over-sized hoodies and cute boots.

I also love some good 'n' hot comfort foods that only come when it's cold. Chili was always a staple winter-time dinner that we had. We would eat it, like, once a week. Or at least it felt like we did. I didn't mind though - I love it! I'm trying a recipe tonight that contains chicken, sweet potatoes, and apples that are slow cooked for 8 hours. It sounded awesome and fairly fall-ish, so we shall see! I had to tweak it a little bit because I accidentally forget to purchase a couple of ingredients, but I had a substitute for one and the other I just left out haha. I'm excited to see how it is!

Now, if I can only figure out how to cook the rice...

I'm definitely going to have to stop by Starbucks and get me Pumpkin Spice Latte before I head to church. Normally I get a tall or grande, but I'm thinking about getting a venti today. Gotta have my energy up to dance for Jesus! :)

Pinterest: The Diary of a Woman

Before I start talking about Pinterest, which is one of my favorite topics ever, let me tell you about the dinner I cooked last night.

Of course, I found it on Pinterest (what are cookbooks anymore?). It's called Chicken Broccoli Casserole and it's fabulous! Not exactly the healthiest dish in the world, especially since it calls for two whole cans of condensed cream of chicken soup, but it's worth every calorie. I used Ritz crackers instead of bread crumbs, just because I think it adds more flavor. So good!

Anyways, back to the original topic.

I love me some Pinterest. I have 60 boards and 6,012 pins, as of 9:14am on Tuesday, October 8th, 2013. I'm sure that'll change by the end of the day. I have a slight problem with spending more time looking at pins than I do at housework. It's just so addicting! Here's some e-cards that describe it perfectly:



But seriously, these are so true. 60 boards with over 6,000 pins is a little insane. I can't even tell you all of the pins that I have! But I can tell you that they will come in handy and be used one of these days (I feel like those are famous words of hoarders). I'm not even sure I can have a conversation with Chris without bringing up something I saw or read on Pinterest, and I definitely would not be surprised if the mastermind behind all of these pins and boards and insanity of Pinterest is a man who wanted to inspire his wife to make him a fancy grilled cheese sandwich.

If you're not exactly sure what Pinterest is, it is a social website that allows you to 'pin' different pictures that link to websites onto designated 'boards' on your account. For instance, I will see on my news feed a picture of an Oreo that has the caption, 'World's Best Oreo Dessert!', which intrigues me to pin it to my board labeled 'Desserts.' I can then refer back to it when I'm ready to try it out. I simply just click the picture, which takes me to the website that contains the recipe, and I start cooking away. Hopefully that makes sense on how it works!

Pinterest has inspired me to cook, to decorate, to work out, to plan dates, to go shopping, and it inspired my wedding! My life was completely altered when I got the invite to join a world full of ridiculous-ness.

When it comes down to it, Pinterest is the diary of a woman. A way to a man's heart is through his stomach. A way to a woman's heart is through her Pinterest account. But seriously, it really is. Now, I understand not every woman has an account, and if she does, she may not have an overload of pins like I have. But if she happens to, you will know what she wants, what she finds funny, what she finds inspirational, how she wants to decorate the house (or how she wants to build a house!), what she thinks is tasty, absolutely EVERYTHING about a woman is on her boards.

I don't think men know what they have here!

Even if she has minimal boards with minimal pins, she has something that describes her or what she wants. If it's a board about food, you can see what she finds yummy. If it's clothes, you know what she would like to be in her wardrobe. If it's wedding things, you know she wants to get married. Fairly simple and self-explanatory!

If there is anything you want to know about the woman in your life, explore her Pinterest boards and see what has caught her eye. You'll probably be amazed, and hopefully you'll discover the goldmine that you have! You really won't have to think too hard about anything, ever. If it's a date idea you're searching for, I'm sure she has something pinned on there. Want to cook her a meal? She'll have some recipes you can choose from. Need an idea on how to propose? Don't worry, she'll have a couple for you to look over. If you desire to know what inspires her or what her personality is like, I bet she has something for that too.

If you need it, she will probably have it. On her Pinterest.

I really hope Pinterest doesn't disappear any time soon. I feel like my life is on my profile, and I would be so lost if something happened to it. I'm not even sure I can raise my kids without it!

Okay, I know I can raise my kids without the help of Pinterest. But, let's be honest, if you've checked out the baby/children stuff lately, you'll agree with me that it's a lot more awesome than using my brain and intuition alone. For instance, I don't need 21 Things No One Ever Tells You Before Your First Baby right now, but I will definitely need it sometime in the maybe-near future! My mind can't come up with these since I have never had a child, but Pinterest has it taken care of it for me, and I am very grateful for that and hope it doesn't go away before I need it!

All-in-all, Pinterest is awesome. It's my life displayed on a bunch of boards. It's my past, my present, and my future all wrapped up in websites and pictures I find to describe who I am and what I want to be. And how I want to decorate. And what I want to cook. And how I want to look when going out. And what my babies will wear when they eventually make their debut in this world. And everything else my life includes.

My husband really does have a jackpot with this one, and he probably has no clue. Until now! Oh, how fortunate men are that women have discovered Pinterest. They'll be glad we became addicted to it.

One day.

Mexican Pasta Skillet (so good!)

I can't believe it is already Monday again, the weekends just go by too fast.
I enjoy them so much more now that we're married than I ever have before. There's something about spending time with your husband cuddled up on the couch watching football on a Sunday afternoon, even though I've watched enough football to last me until next season, you still can't beat it. Even though we've only been married not-even two months, and we don't plan on having kids any time soon, I still cherish our time together because I understand that, one day, we're not going to get un-interrupted time like this very often. I really try to appreciate our weekends, even if it is spent watching grown men tackle each other all day long.

Talking about all of this makes me miss Chris so much :(

Anyways, moving on.

Chris and I FINALLY made it to the grocery stores yesterday (we split our list between Sam's for our bulk buys and Kroger or Wal-Mart for the smaller things), which means we have food! No more eating out during the week! I am so excited about not driving through a drive-thru or arguing about where we're going to eat. Since I do the cooking, I get to decide what we eat!

Last night, we decided to cook instead of grabbing something out again, which is unusual for a Sunday night. I really didn't want to spend a ton of time in the kitchen since it was our last moments of the weekend, so I went with an awesome go-to recipe that is easy and delicious.

I actually found this recipe on Recipe.com when I had subscribed to their email list. You can find the original recipe here, but I'm going to give you a condensed, 'non-healthified' version that I used instead.

It's so easy!

-1 lb. Ground Beef, browned and drained
-1 16oz jar of Salsa ( I used Pace Chunky Salsa)
-1 8oz can of Tomato Sauce (it's a little less than 1 cup, but not enough to alter the taste)
-1 1/2 cups Water
-2 cups Elbow Macaroni, uncooked
-1 cup Niblet Frozen Corn (I used the Kroger brand of frozen corn and it worked just fine)
-1/2 cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese (I used mild instead of sharp since Chris doesn't like sharp cheddar. I also used a little more than 1/2 cup since I love cheese :) )

1. Once Ground Beef is browned and drained, mix in Salsa, Tomato Sauce, and Water in the skillet. Heat to boiling
2. Stir in Macaroni and Corn, reduce heat.
3. Cover and let simmer for 12-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until macaroni is tender
4. Turn off stove, sprinkle with cheese, re-cover and let stand for 1-2 minutes or until cheese is melted
5. Enjoy!

If I keep taking pictures of our meals, I really need to invest in a camera that makes them look decent. Until then, iPhone camera it is!

I'm telling you, this recipe will not disappoint. From start to finish, it took me no more than 25 minutes to get it on our plates, and we only had 1/6th of what is in that picture left over. Plus, the dirty dishes are minimal! Which is always a great thing in our books.

This will definitely become a re-occurring meal for us, especially on busy nights when I just want climb into bed as soon as possible. It's easy, it's fairly inexpensive, and it's yummy. Three things that make this wife happy.

I'm telling you, there is just something about a Monday that makes me wish I could crawl back into bed and get more sleep! Even at 2 o'clock in the afternoon - it's so ridiculous. Thank goodness there's only one Monday a week!

Dating My Husband

Chris and I have known each other for exactly two years this weekend.

So crazy to think about all that has happened in two years: first date, first kiss, first time saying 'I love you,' four birthdays, so many holidays, Chris graduating college, family vacation, getting engaged, planning a wedding, getting married, and now living together as husband and wife.

I never knew any of that was going to happen between Chris and I when we first met. In fact, I thought there was a possibility it would happen with another guy whom I was interested in at the time.

I am so thankful it didn't work out the way I thought it was going to!

Although we had only known each other for a short period of time, we became very comfortable with each other soon after we became official. I think it was because we both knew that we were going to spend the rest of our lives together after the very first date.

During the first five months of our relationship, Chris lived in Athens while getting his Computer Science degree at The University of Georgia. I only saw him on the weekends he came home and during holidays. I can honestly say that was probably one of the hardest times in our relationship, at least on my end. I kind of think it left me a little scarred too, because I hate the thought of Chris going somewhere or being somewhere without me for over 12 hours. It makes me cry.

Yes, I did cry like a baby when Chris left for his bachelor weekend. I am not ashamed to admit that.

When Chris finally graduated and came home for good, we definitely had some date nights. But, eventually, we got used to us being together all of the time and our nights started to consist of take-out and Big Bang Theory. Every now and then we would have a nice, planned date night that we would get dressed up for. But as the months went on, they became fewer and farther between.

Now that we're finally married and get to share a house together, plus each of us working full-time jobs, we're not sure what dates are anymore. If it doesn't consist of a sporting event and/or a couch, we usually don't participate. It's not that we don't want to, it just takes effort that we don't want to put forth after a long day/week.

Being tired and wanting to stay home is no excuse to not date your spouse. Just because the rings are the fingers, doesn't mean that the pursuit of one another is over. In fact, I feel that you need to pursue harder and stronger than ever.

Marriage brings so many challenges without adding the complacency we get with each other. When we add the chores of a house, the finances, the bills, the two busy schedules and sharing one bed into the relationship, life becomes a lot more complicated than it did when we were dating. No longer are we worried about where we're going for dinner, but now it's the wonder if we can afford going to dinner without skimping somewhere else in the budget. And then it's if we want to put the effort into getting ready to go out to eat.

I miss my husband when we become like this. I miss him a lot. Even though we are together every night and every weekend, being in the same room as him is not the same as having the intimate husband-wife moments we need. I'm not talking about bedroom intimacy! Although I feel that is definitely a necessity for a great marriage. But I'm talking about intimate conversations without distractions and having intimate dates without loud, drunk people screaming at the 60 television screens located all over the restaurant. Even playing some putt-putt or bowling! Anything that gives you moments to bond and to grow closer together without large interruptions. Chris and I don't do this enough, and it begins to show in our marriage. And we've only been married for a month and a half! I can't imagine if we continued this pattern for months, even years, before having intimate marriage moments.

So, last month, I proposed that we each take 1 day/night every other month to plan out a date for us. I will take all of the even months, Chris will take all of the odds (that way he has my birthday and I have his). When it is our month, we have to plan the ENTIRE date and cannot ask the other for input. It can be absolutely whatever, doesn't have to cost a lot or any money at all, but has to be planned (we're awful about winging our dates - not anymore!). This doesn't mean we only have one date a month, but this way we know that if our schedules get too busy, we will have at least one day/night where it's time we can spend 'intimately' with each other.

This month is my month, and I am SO excited! I've already told Chris to not plan anything for the 18th, and I've already got some ideas stirring up in my head. I can't spill any of the details on here, since my husband reads this sometimes :)  But I can say that I am going all out on this one since I haven't planned a date for us in quite some time.

So what was the point of this entry, besides telling you about our life story?

Date your husband/wife, even if you've been together for twenty years. Remember why you fell in love in the first place, and celebrate that together without major distractions. Do it often. It's worth it. I know I don't come from a background of a lot of personal experience, but I've watched so man couple over my lifetime. I can tell which ones are still in pursuit of each other, and the ones who have become content and complacent with just living with a roommate.

If you need help finding some ideas on what to do for date night, I highly recommend Pinterest, especially following The Dating Divas. They have so many awesome ideas, many are budget-friendly, and all are geared towards having those intimate times with your spouse! There's even some help for the guys out there, too :)

I'm getting super excited just thinking about our date! I think I need to go shopping for a new outfit for it...

Yep, I think this is a great excuse for a new outfit. Don't you think?

Lessons From the Stand-In Mom (part two)

The other day, I wrote about the lessons I have learned from being a nanny and a babysitter. I say it's from a stand-in mom, because I feel that is what I am when I watch kids. Not only am I the enforcer of the rules and the keeper of the schedule, but I try to treat each child as if they were my own. I feel like they are my own when they're left in my care.

Hopefully you have read part one, because I talk about the more serious and life-changing lessons I have uncovered. In this entry, I'm going to discuss the more comedic, silly but still awesome lessons I've learned over the last 10+ years of watching children.

So, let us continue on in our saga called:

*WHAT I'VE LEARNED WHILE ACTING LIKE A MOM*

1ST LESSON: NEVER UNDERESTIMATE A BABY'S SKILL OF 'SPIT-UPS'
   
I cannot even count how many times I have been spit up on by a baby.

On the shoulder, in the lap, all over the jeans, all over the shirt, and sometimes in the face, spit-ups happen when you least expect it. And when you think they were able to contain it on themselves and their bibs, you place your hand in your hair, and realize they left you a great surprise which smells like milk that has been left in your car for three weeks during a heat wave. And it doesn't go away! It lingers on.

For hours.

As a mom, you may get the chance to shower real quick, or at least change clothes. But not when you're the nanny/babysitter! I can recall SO many times where the first thing that happened when I would arrive at their house would be a spit-up all on my shirt. And I'm not talking about a little dribble. I'm talking about my black shirt looking like it got mixed in with some heavy-duty bleach. You would think I would have learned by now to pack extra clothes!

But no. I always assume that I'm not going to get baby-bombed.

You know what they say about assuming...and I am made out to be a donkey every time it happens.

2ND LESSON: A BABY CAN PRODUCE MAN-SIZED BODILY FUNCTIONS

But seriously. They can.

The only boy/man that has lived in the same house as me before I got married was my dad. I didn't really know much about the hygiene of a guy (my dad lived with five women, so his 'guy' way of living was diluted a good bit), but I knew they had vile farts and could explode a bathroom.

So can a baby.

I have had quite a few of them pass gas, and I wondered if there was a man that was about to sneak-attack us and had Taco Bell before he came. Even little girls! It's amazing the power those little digestive systems have.

Ever heard of 'up-the-back' diaper explosions? If you haven't, you will once you watch a child long enough or have one of your own. It leaves you wondering, 'How in the heck did you produce SO MUCH when I KNOW all you had was a 4oz bottle!'

It comes out of the sides and up that back, even spills out onto you sometimes. That's always awesome to find a brown present on the jeans you just washed and have to wear all day. Once again, you would think I would prepare for the possibility, or likeliness, that this is going to happen.

But no. Not me. I'd rather walk around with the smell of a men's bathroom engulfing my nostrils.

All. Day. Long.

3RD LESSON: DIAPERS = EVIL NECCESITY

My husband and I joke that we're going to go ahead and start stocking up on diapers. We're not even planning on having a baby anytime soon, but sometimes I think it's not a bad idea.

You go through more diapers in one day than you think is even possible.

I think my record is changing 4 diapers on one child in one hour. For some reason, the child decided to drag out their bowl movement for as long as possible. Couldn't do it all at once! No, that would make it too easy for me. Gotta keep me on my toes.

Sorry for the TMI, but I know there is someone out there who is doing a little LOL-ing because they know what I'm talking about.

And just when you think you have stocked up on enough Size 3 diapers, your little one hits a growth spurt. The once well-fitting diaper is now barely covering the little buttocks, almost forming a wedgy for your poor child. Time to spend another $500 on Size 4!

I have not experienced the financial part of this situation, but I have experienced the wrestling of getting that tight diaper strapped on without cutting of the child's circulation. It's frustrating, because you don't want to waste the 100 diapers you have, but you don't want to injure the kid.

Of course, there's the reusable diaper option. I've heard it's cheaper and better for the environment since you're not throwing away diapers constantly, which makes sense.

But you have to clean them out. And after experiencing some diapers mentioned in lesson two, that's okay. I don't want to throw up. Just not worth it.

4TH LESSON: KIDS ARE SMARTER THAN YOU THINK

Having three younger sisters definitely helped prepare me for my future as a nanny/babysitter. Not only did it teach me how to take care of a child, but also to understand that a child is not dumb. Even little innocent babies know how to play you. It's the craziest thing!

Have you ever heard a baby (not a newborn) just scream? Maybe because they don't want to be held, or maybe because they don't want to go to sleep in their crib. For whatever reason it is, the just start getting loud. Immediate reaction? Get them to quiet down by whatever means it requires.

You know they're not in pain, you know they're not scared. They're just mad because they don't like what's going on. And they let you know. If you cave in to them, don't think they won't remember! They will then expect you to give in to whatever they want every time until you break that habit again. Once again, not worth going through the constant screaming to get some peace that one time you let them have their way.

And that's just the babies. Wait until they become toddlers and they can say words and form sentences. It's a whole different ballgame then.

Rule of thumb if you're nannying/babysitting: assume that, unless the parents have told you otherwise, whatever the child is telling you could be a way of them tricking you. Cannot tell you HOW many times a child has told me, 'I can eat that!' or ' Mommy let's me watch that!' and it wasn't true.

Let's just say it's been too many times.

5TH LESSON: NEVER TURN YOUR BACK ON A CHILD

90% of the time, your child/the child you're watching will do something that you will then either have to clean up or have to explain to their parents/your spouse as to why it happened.

Neither scenario is fun, I promise.

Most children are mischievous little creatures who enjoy getting into trouble. Some enjoy getting YOU into trouble. Don't think this is just for the nannies and the babysitters! This is for the parents too. Your kids will try to get you into trouble. Especially the daddies. For some reason that's fun.

I feel like a lot of this one goes back to my previous entry. Sometimes it's the child getting into trouble because the parents let them, or it's a desire to get their parents' attention. But sometimes, even if you do an excellent job raising them, their little personality just can't help but to cause some havoc.

I have cleaned up baby powder, spilled drinks, thrown food, little Legos, crayons on the wall, and so much more. I have tried to mend broken figurines, broken toys, torn pages, messed-up clothing, wet bed sheets, anything and everything you can think of. Some of it were accidents, but the most part, it happened when I turned my back for two seconds. Sometimes the child was a little devious and did it because he/she knew it was wrong, but for the most part, they were exploring and I wasn't there to tell them no.

Again, whatever it was that caused you to turn your back, not worth it. Not worth the time to clean, and not worth explaining to the parents when they get home.

DON'T. TURN. YOUR BACK!

Being a nanny, a babysitter, and/or a mom is like absolutely nothing else in this world. Watching a child grow and discover right before your eyes is on of the most awe-inspiring moments you can witness. But oh boy, does that same child test your patience and the control you have on your tongue. They can make you laugh, make you cry, and make you pull your hair out all in one small conversation. But they are worth every bit of it.

Like I said previously, I'm not claiming to know everything there is about raising children. I'm not a mom (yet), nor have I had to watch kids for longer than 18 hours at a time. But you don't watch infants, toddlers, and big kids for as long as I have without picking up a thing or two about these awesome human beings.

I'm excited about Chris and I having one of these awesome human being eventually!

But not anytime soon. Sorry Mom and Dad.

Lessons From the Stand-In Mom (part one)

After a few years of nannying, I have learned quite a bit about children and raising them. At least I feel like I have.

I am not claiming that I am the know-it-all woman who can raise kids to act like the final result of a Super Nanny episode. Being a mother and being a nanny are not the same. I fully believe carrying a child for 9-10 months, then pushing them out or have them cut out of your uterus gives you a lot more qualification of choosing how to raise your child than someone whom you pay every day to make sure your child has clean pants and a full belly. But you don't spend 40+ hours a week with a baby without picking up a few things on how to be a mom and how to raise children.

I honestly cannot put in this blog everything I have learned from nannying/babysitting, but I have decided to do a two-part entry on the 5 biggest lessons I've learned. I am dedicating this small series as:

*WHAT I'VE LEARNED WHILE ACTING LIKE A MOM*

Let's be honest, that is what a nanny/babysitter does. I am the stand-in mom while she is out and about, except I get to go home at night without a screaming child.

Here's the top 5 'serious' lessons I've learned, in no particular order:

1ST LESSON: A CHILD NEEDS LIMITATIONS
       Giving a child the ability to call the shots will do that child no good in the future. The older I get, the more I want to give my future children absolutely everything I can give them. But I understand that I can't. What purpose does it serve to give my child everything they ask for, and then allow them to disrespect me when they don't? What do they learn? They learn that if they desire something, they should get it. They don't have to work for it, they don't have to earn it, they don't have to experience disappointment of being told no without throwing an attitude. They get what they want, and that's that.

Please, do our society a favor, and teach your child that life does not revolve around them.

2ND LESSON: DON'T BE YOUR CHILD'S DICTATOR
     Like I said before, a child NEEDS limitations. But there is a line that shouldn't be crossed. Your child doesn't always need to hear no.

I have kept for a family where I felt like all I said was no. That's the way the family wanted it. There were SO many limitations on this little kid, I felt awful. NO to watching his favorite show, NO to playing in this room, NO to eating this, NO to having more milk, NO to going anywhere other than the park, NO to listening to this music. Everything was NO.

I have come to understand that there are two responses to this that a child will give:
1.) Resents the parents and idolizes everything they are told NO about, or
2.) Rebels.

Unfortunately, I feel the rebellion is more common than the resenting, although neither one is a good scenario. It's just not worth it in the long run. At least I feel it isn't.

3RD LESSON: NEVER COMPARE
    If you have children, or you have babysat for multiple families, you are quick to understand that there are no two children alike. Even in the same family. They may be very similar, but they still have their differences. Not sure what the difference might be? Watch their reaction to you taking away a toy or turning off the TV. But be prepared for what their reacting might be...

Once you know that no two children are the same, you have to apply it to all aspects of a child's life: growth, milestones they achieve, attitude towards situations, responses they give, intelligence, etc.

When you always compare your child to others, especially if they are close in age, either you will place your child on a pedestal or feel your child does not measure up to others.

Neither of these are good, because they lead to destructive attitudes for your child: an attitude of entitlement, or an attitude of never measuring up. Both are destructive to your child.

4TH LESSON: BE A PARENT, BUT BE THEIR BEST FRIEND
    I've heard my parents say over and over, 'You cannot be your child's best friend, you have to be their parent.'

Whereas I believe that parenting comes way before friendship, you have to have a friendship with your child. You also can't just be the parent and raise children. You have to let your child know that you are also their friend. Not only their friend, but their best friend.

I want my children to know that, first and foremost, I am their mom and Chris is their dad. We were given the task by God to raise them to be God-fearing, discerning, caring, intelligent, courageous, very much loved young adults that will one day be on their own and be participants in society. We will not take that task lightly and jeopardize their futures by us slacking off in their up-bringing. But I also want them to know that we want them to run with us with their problems. I want our children to understand that our love is unconditional, my ear is always available to listen, my shoulder is always there to cry on, my advice is always ready to be given, and my phone is always in hand if I need to call someone else's mama.

I don't want my children to run to their friends with their problems, I want it to be me. I want to be their best friend, no matter what is going on. I, of course, understand that there will be things that my kids will not want to discuss with Chris and I. I was a kid once, I haven't forgotten about those topics that you're quite alright without bringing up to the parents. But I don't want them to feel that anything they did or need is too big or too small to talk to me about or ask me about, or that I will fly off my rocker anytime they mess up. I know I won't be the perfect parent/friend that I desire to be, but I want to strive to be as close to it as possible.

5TH LESSON: IT IS NEVER TOO EARLY FOR A CHILD TO UNDERSTAND GOD
    I don't remember a time where I didn't know what God, Jesus, The Bible, and church were. There had to be a time where I was ignorant since we are not born with this knowledge, but I must have been very young.

I have worked with kids outside of nannying and babysitting at local churches and programs. Sometimes the greatest wisdom I hear comes from the mouth of a child. There's something about being a child who has heard about The Lord in-depth (well, as in-depth as you can go with a child) that gives them wisdom beyond their years. I also feel that it, along with continued nurturing, gives them a yearning and a desire to deepen their faith as they get older. It goes beyond the 'My First Bible' and the "Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep' prayer, but with conversations they have with their parents and listening to them pray. It is the parents taking an incredible interest in their children knowing more than just the song, 'Jesus Loves Me.'

I want my children to understand that Mommy and Daddy's marriage is not perfect, just as life isn't perfect, but that The Lord is perfect, and that is where our trust and our example should be. I want them to know that The Lord listens to every word they say, He never walks away, and His plan for them is perfect. I don't think our children have to be a certain age before we talk to them about their personal relationship with God.

I don't want my children to remember a time when God was not a part of their lives, and I don't want mine and Chris's lives to give them a reason to think otherwise.

***

I know all of these lessons are much easier to write out than they are to put them into action, especially coming from someone who's life has not been turned upside-down by a baby. And I'm sure someone out there is reading this and thinking, 'Just wait until you have a screaming 3 year old in Wal-Mart with all eyes staring at you, all because your child wants dog food for the Chihuahua we don't own. You'll change your tune.' You're right, I might. Doesn't mean I won't try to stick by my guns and practice what I preach. And it doesn't mean this is what I strive to be like when I become a parent.

After thinking about and writing all of my thoughts down on how to raise children, I am definitely okay with waiting to introduce a little one into this world. Although the hair bows and the bow ties are super adorable and the cute monogrammed outfits are close to irresistible, taking on the responsibility of bringing up a little boy or little girl right now is just not something Chris and I are ready to tackle. 

Yet.