Moms Daily Inspiration

Do you ever have one of those days where your life could have been changed forever, but you were lucky enough to be okay?  Well that happened to me about two weeks ago.  I was walking in a parking lot, from one store to another.  I tried to stay out of main area of traffic and walk off to the side by the parked cars.  All of a sudden I heard a loud shriek.  I realized it was the sound of brakes!  I looked behind me and someone in a large truck was literally a foot or two behind the back of me.  It had almost hit me!

I was in a complete state of shock.   What the heck?  I almost got hit by a car, was rolling through my mind.  A man in the truck rolled down his window and  said “I am so sorry.  You must have angels watching over you.”

I said “It’s okay,” but really it wasn’t okay.  I was in such a state of confusion that I did not know how to react.

As I walked away from the near death or near ER encounter, I realized that the guy who almost hit me looked super familiar. I had known him from restaurant/bar I used to work at and he was a heavy drinker.   The more I analyzed the conversation and way he was talking to me, it occurred to me he seemed intoxicated.

What lesson do I walk away with after something like this happens? I seem to think that way more as I get older.  Well- one thing is “friends and readers, please don’t drink and drive.  And if you think you have a drinking problem, get help before it’s too late.”  The sad part is this guy that almost hit me probably went home and got drunk that night.  Addictions are hard to break.

I also wondered what would have happened if I had been hit?  I have two children to take care of that depend on me.   It would have been a horrible situation if I had died or ended up in hospital with massive injuries.

I am grateful I was not hit by the car and pray one day the guy that almost hit me gets some help and that he never actually hits a pedestrian with his truck.  I consider myself lucky that day and forever grateful I did not end up dead or in hospital.

For about five weeks we have been surrounded by forest fire smoke since lots of Oregon right now has fires.  Our hills have been smokey most days and we have gone from unhealthy to sensitive people to hazardous in air quality, changing on a daily basis.  So this summer has not been easy but at the same time there have been some incredible life lessons for me as a mom.

First off we usually are outside at Emigrant Lake or swimming at Daniel Meyer pool most the summer.  But we have been stuck inside most days and resorted to wearing a mask if we do go outside.  Some days I think me and my girls and driving each other crazy being stuck inside the house so much together.  Other days, we are laughing, dancing and actually bonding over being stuck inside so much.

I am thankful for the YMCA up the street from us which has an indoor pool and air purifiers all around the gym and near the pool.  I cannot smell smoke in there and the air feels clean.   Bella has taken off with swimming from all the times we go to the pool to get exercise, have fun and get out of smoke filled skies.

I have found, along with the rest of my family a finer appreciation for blue skies and a star filled sky.  We have had some random days where blue fills the sky for part of the day and I get so excited and tell my kids to come out and sit on the porch or play outside.  And the evenings where the smoke does not cover the stars is amazing too and we are doing more star watching than we used to do.

We have had some fun short trips to the Oregon coast and to Roseburg to escape the smoke.  Playing in the lakes, rivers, walking outside where blue fills the sky, paddle boating, sand boarding, hiking thru the forest in these areas we escaped to, watching our dog become a better swimmer, made such a huge difference in the quality of our summer time.

Each day I try to keep my head high and find the optimism in our situation. I hug my kids, remember to say I love you to them and my husband, rejoice when we have blue skies and  remember we still have much to be grateful for, despite our temporary smokey air situation.

 

Okay I am gonna admit this article is as much for me as for u, the reader.  This Momma needs to unload about those creepy critters in your hair called head lice.  I only had it once as a kid but have had it way more as an adult. Mainly from picking up it from my own kiddos, mainly whichever one of my kids still sleeps next to me at night.

One thing I have learned is nobody is immune to it and if your kids are in school, they are most likely going to get it eventually. But here is what I have learned that has helped our family.  One, do not share head things with your kids such as brushes, hats etc.  Also have a do not share head things with friends rule too.  It was helped me tremendously from having the whole entire house getting it by not sharing brushes.  Two, use a daily spray before school for your kids and put there hair back.  I prefer braids or pig tails.  I also love the Fairy Tales Rosemary Repel Conditioning Spray.  I add about 10 drops of clove oil to my bottle and shake it.  Most people do not know that lice don’t like clove oil.  So it is a good repellent too.  Also do weekly head checks and check for nits and lice.  If you catch it quick, its not quite so hard to get rid of.  Also if your kids want a sleepover, even if it is the cousins, ask for a head check before sleepover and check your own kid too.  We also wash all sheets day after sleepover and do listerine treatment as preventative.

If your family is hit with head lice, there are some non toxic options that actually work well.  We fill a spray bottle with yellow listerine, add 10 drops of clove oil to it  and saturate hair with it, then cover with shower cap for 2 hours.  Rinse with tea tree shampoo and coconut conditioner.  Repeat treatment one week later.  You can recheck hair after that.  I recommend treating the whole family.  Also get a fine toothed metal comb meant for head lice.  We have started using the Licefree non toxic spray too.  You can alternate days in what you do.  One day you can use that Lice free spray and saturate hair and comb thru all the hair, one small section of hair at a time.  Each time you comb through a section, dip in cup or bowl of water and pat on hand towel.  When you are done most likely you will see some lice poop and/or lice in the water.  I like to inspect so I know if its going away.  On the other day, do a dry hair nit/lice check and remove nits and lice.  I like to put nits/lice in a bowl of water.  If it is too hard to take them out, just cut of the piece of hair with scissors.  I recommend doing this for up to 2-3 weeks.

Laundering stuff in hot water is important too.  Anything your kids have recently worn, bed sheets, hats, jackets, ….you should throw in wash.  You can bag throw pillows and stuffed animals for two weeks or throw in high heat dryer.  That also helps kill lice too.  I also like to use my mini vacuum for my couch and my car where the kids have been sitting.

Also I hire a nit picker to help look through my hair too and recheck the kids.  It takes my stress level down and is well worth the money.  Also I think two sets of eyes looking at our hair is better than one.

Another thing I do is the listerine weekly on my kid’s hair as a preventative and it really helps.  If my kids have play dates, afterwards I throw any bedding the kids sat on in the dryer on high heat as preventive.  It may sound over the top, but all of it has helped us and I hope this blog piece can help parents out there dealing with this and know that you are not alone.

There once was a magical place I called home.  You could see mountains for many miles in the landscape and a pond that the geese and ducks frequented, along with our llamas.  We had an amazing apple tree and blackberries that tasted amazing on top of vanilla ice cream.  Horse pastures surrounded our property, as well as fields of grape and pear orchards.

It was a common thing that the geese and ducks would build nests on our land and we would see chicks or goslings in our pond.  One year there was a pair of geese that had goslings, about 4-6 of them.  Day after day, we watched  the the little ones decrease until one day there was only one left floating in the pond with their parents.  I assumed that some type of wildlife had gotten the babies.  Then one parent flew away and never returned and then the other parent did the same.

Day by day, the gosling grew bigger and started walking up and down the field of grass with the llamas.  I even saw him running with the llamas trying to teach himself to fly.  Not everyone knows but llamas can be very protective and they definitely had brought this little one into their family.   This was a good reminder that all different sorts of animals can make friends and bond with each other.

We went away for a weekend and when we returned the gosling that was almost full grown was gone.  We will never know for sure what happened, but I like to think the it learned to fly and flew to a new location while we were gone, while the llamas protected it from wild life.  But I do know for sure, that the relationship the llamas and gosling formed was pure MAGIC and was something I will never forget.

 

Any of you from that generation where you were left alone at home at a pretty early age?  Looking back it seemed more of the norm back then but is not in today’s world.

I would sometimes stay home alone when my mom worked and step dad worked half a block away, so he was close by.  I was between 6 and 8 years old.  I remember watching Scooby Doo and thinking the host in between shows could actually see me.  I always had a vivid imagination and was convinced one day he was talking to me and could somehow climb out of TV set if he wanted too.

I also remember trying to bake cookies out of a recipe on a cereal box and was so worried I would get in trouble for baking by myself.

I had an adult friend next door I used to bake cookies with sometimes and adored her.  I found out one day she had been robbed by gunpoint and as a little girl was so scared.  I thought “what if guy had come into my home and I was home alone?”  We lived in San Franscisco at the time on Cabrillo Avenue near Argonne school.  But one thing I am thankful for is I will always have that city mentality cause of what happened.

Today as a mom I realize my parents probably felt okay with me home alone since my step dad worked so close to home.  But I also know I am too protective to leave my 5 year old by herself and our world today is so much scarier than back then.

My whole life I have had the feeling I have a sixth sense sort of gift.  From having dreams that come true to hearing crying outside my rolled up window.  I also was surrounded by family members that told me their stories of being visited my a spirit in the middle of the night.

My father believed in spirits, aliens, psychics and had a very open mind to things not everyone else believed in.  He went to visit a psychic when he was living in Los Angeles and she had told him he needed to move back to bay area closer to me, since I missed him. Which was very accurate to how I was feeling.

After my dad’s death which was very hard emotionally for me, I went on a trip to Hawaii with my family.  We stayed in same town of Maui my dad liked to go and my husband and I felt like this was a dedication to my father who loved Hawaii.

My husband Chris booked me a massage, a perfect time to get a little break from the kids and relax.  The moment I entered the office area to get massage I felt an instant connection with the masseuse.  Laying down, enjoying my massage we had a lot in common and talked about essential oils among things.  Then things got quiet.  And then she said “there is someone here with us.”

I was shocked.  I always believed it was possible for spirits to communicate with us, but was this for real?  Was this what she was talking about?

Then she continued “did someone close to you die recently?”

I confirmed with her that my father had died about a month ago.  She said “he has a message for you.  You will always be his angel.”

This was crazy.  I had never met this woman before, she knew nothing about me and i was very far from home.  My dad had called me his angel when I was growing up and had even written a song about me called “Your my Angel.”

I asked her what her gift was exactly and she said she could hear the spirits talking to her and see their auras.  I asked what color my dad’s aura was and she said blue.   Apparently a blue aura signifies caring, loving, sensitive, intuitive and are often linked to people with strong personalities.

Then the lights flickered on and off in the room and she told me that sometimes spirits try to communicate with us through electricity.

This was one of the most amazing experiences I ever had and confirmed my belief in the sixth sense, spirits, my dad’s super strong connection with me and how our family was supposed to go to Maui for this to happen.

 

Thank you so much for following my blog.  I just recently noticed I had gotten flooded with comments I did not even realize that I had.  I wanted to answer some questions to the entire group and also give a little bio on me too.  Also I want to apologize if I have not gotten back to you.  Like I said, I have been flooded and am so thankful for all the amazing support I have gotten.

First off, I always loved writing since I was a kid and loved making up short stories and eventually did some poetry too in high school and early adulthood.  I had one poem published in a Marin county newspaper called John Galt Papers.  The main thing that attracted me to blogging was the writing part of it and connection to other people reading my blog too.  So far all the blogs are written by me and based on my real life experiences.

I did some research online and bought an e-book that told me how to do a blog page.  I also asked my cousin for help setting it up, with layout and pictures and how to do advertisements at bottom if I want.   I also used Host Volcano to pay for my web name and use Word Press to write my blog.  I hope that helps anyone that is trying to start a blog themselves.  I  highly recommend searching out someone that understands how to set one up better than me since I am still learning about the blog myself and getting their help.   I would not have been able to do this without the e-book and my cousin’s amazing help.

I also wanted to do a brief bio so everyone knows a little more about me.  I grew up in the bay area.  I lived in San Francisco until I was 8 years old and then moved to Marin County, just north of there.  I had a two home situation, most my life.  My parents divorced when I was 3 years old.  My mom met my step dad when I was about 5 years old.  Now looking back I am so thankful for all the extra love I gained my having an extra dad(my step dad) and gaining more family from his family- aunts, uncles, a whole new set of grandparents.

I moved to Ashland, Oregon when I was twenty to go to college and graduated with Bachelor of Arts in Theater with a minor in Creative Writing.  I fell in love with Ashland which in now my home town.  I am married and have 3 girls.  The oldest is my step daughter Tyler who entered my life when she was 2 years old.  Now she is 19 years old.  My younger ones are Raina who is 12 years old and Bella who is 5 years old.  I am a stay at home mom who also enjoys writing in her blog, selling crystal jewelry I handcrafted, dog sitting and also educating people about essential oils.

 

As a mom, I am always striving to do my best in each stage of my kids life.  But I also know as a parent I am gonna mess up too and that is all part of the learning process.  My twelve year old is a tween and very close to being a teen.  I went through this stage with my step daughter and it was challenging.  But I feel I learned from my experience and strive now to create as much as an accepting space in our relationship as possible, for my 12 year old and I.

Does my daughter run to me and tell me every exciting new thing that happens to her?  Probably not but I am so so happy she tells me lots of stuff that maybe I would not have told my mom.  I always have strived to be a parent first and role model first, but also someone she can trust with secrets, feelings and accept whatever she is feeling no matter what.

Am I scared about her entering high school and the teen years?  Yes, yes, yes.  But I am  proud of her for coming to me and talking to me, even if I do not like what she is telling me.  And boys, am I ready for all the crushes happening? Not really but I love that she can talk to me and tell me stuff cause communication and trust is so important and I pray this continues into her teenage years.  I do know I love my 12 year old with all my heart and am so proud of who she is, her musical talents and how good of a friend she is to her friends.  Nine more months and she is thirteen- an official teenager!!

 

 

I have to admit I have had a hard time lately keeping up with all the things I need and want to do.  Between ballet classes, private music classes, play dates, school functions, driving back and forth to school, etc… I find myself really behind on my goals for the day.  As mom, I have worked hard to put the most important things on top of my list and the least important at the bottom.

Also I like to make sure I have enough time to spend with my kids, my husband and have some me time.  I am always a nicer Mom when I make time for me time, whether it is a pedicure or alone time taking a relaxing bath tub with essential oils.

I have been a stay at home mom for a long time and seriously do not know how  moms work full time and manage their kids activities and home.  I am thankful I have had the opportunity to be with my kiddos so much, watch them grow and provide a fun place for them to bring their friends to for play dates.  It just warms my heart when my 11 year old Raina’s friends tell me that they love the way it smells in our house and run to smell our diffuser.  Seriously, kids love diffusers.

Anyway, I am managing to catch up on things today, including writing something in my blog today.  To all those mommies our there trying to keep up with so much and feeling overwhelmed, I feel you and have lots of compassion for all that you do.  After all, if it had not been for my own mom, I would not be here today.  Mother’s Day is almost here and lets all remember to thank those moms out there, even if they are not your own mom and just a friend.

I have to say one thing all my parents taught me was to respect the elderly and encouraged my relationship with my grandparents.  I was super close to all my grandmas in particular.  For each one had special things to teach me, reflecting on their own childhood.  I somehow knew they had been through a time different than me and it fascinated me.  I also looked up to them in so many ways.  Today I feel like not enough kids have that same respect and value that special bond that can be formed.  I encourage my kids to have that special bond with their grandparents and love their special relationship they have with them.

My grandma Billie who we called Grandbillie was very creative and I looked up to her for that.  She was an amazing seamstress, made most of her own clothes and each summer she would take me to fabric store.  She would let me pick out my own pattern and material and she would make me an amazing outfit for Christmas each year.  She also loved to take classes on floral design and had a beautiful floral centerpiece on her table most times of year.  She taught me about manners and taught me to hand sew.  I would make sachets while she worked on her sewing machine.  She always had peppermint lifesavers in her purse.  Any kid is gonna love that!  She had a swimming pool in her backyard.   Each summer I would spend a week with her and we would swim laps together.  I ended up losing her to a battle with cancer in the mid 90’s but I think about her a lot and miss her so much.

My grandma Stella always had the sweetest childhood stories to tell me and had such a big heart and still does.  She made the best chicken wings, loved to spoil me with treats and we used to have fun taking the bus together  to different parts of San Francisco.  It would be an adventure each time.  She hosted Christmas eve at her house for many years.   I always felt so warm and safe when talking to her or being at her house.  She had the most beautiful skin which glowed when she smiled at me.  She is still around today and lives in Idaho in an assisted living home, near my aunt Karen.

My step grandma Clara took me right into her heart the minute she met me.  I was her first grandchild.  She did crossword puzzles with me, brought me gifts and was so easy to talk to.  She owned a cute little shop in Nutley, New Jersey and I would go to work with her sometimes when we visited her.  She was also a preschool teacher for many years and had such an amazing gift with children, including with me.  She used to eat her cereal in a cup of coffee with cream and sugar.  It was so charming to me, watching her do that as a kid.  She passed away the same year I lost my dad.  I miss her very much.  My grandparents had a special place in my heart and still do.  I love watching my kids with their own grandparents, forming a special relationship with each one of them.