Seasons of Motherhood

“I Made Up a New Word Mommy”

Alicia Brown — Sat, 05 Mar 2011 05:45:10 +0000

Today had to be one of the most comical homeschooling days EVER! First, my kids sent me upstairs to practice “the show” they were going to perform for me. When they finished rehearsal, they called me back downstairs to watch. However, my six-year-old announced that the show would cost me $1.00. What was even funnier is that because I didn’t have a dollar, they didn’t perform. Seriously? That was my first belly laugh of the day.

My second belly laugh moment came during reading/writing time. My kindergartener decided he would go around the house finding words to write. He started with “Dallas Cowboys.” The next word was “Nerf” from the football nearby. After he wrote a few more words he decided he would make up his own word and write it on his dry erase board. He is just learning how to sound out all his letters and then slide the sounds together to pronounce words. When he does this on his own, he gets REALLY excited. (This info will help you appreciate the rest of the story.)

He hurried over to his desk and started writing. I overheard him trying to sound out three letters he had written to make his new word, but was distracted by some work I was doing for church. (Another point that will help you appreciate this story even more) All of a sudden he yelled out what sounded like F$CK! I immediately said, “Honey! What did you just say?!?” He again said out loud several times, F$CK, F$CK, F$CK with a smile on his face and continued to repeat it.

I tried to maintain my cool and make sure he wasn’t cussing on purpose as I walked over to his paper. He had written F-O-C but was pronouncing the “O” like a “U.” He was so proud of himself for making up a word and sounding it out on his own that I was overcome by laughter because he genuinely didn’t realize what he was saying. That was the wrong response because when I tried to explain that he couldn’t say that word he said, “But mommy, I want to make people laugh like you’re laughing right now.”

We eventually talked about the correct pronunciation for the word he wrote and discussed in a serious manner why the word he was actually saying was not good. However, I had a hard time getting into serious mode because that caught me completely off guard. Oh, the joys of parenting & homeschooling! I wouldn’t trade it for the world.

Momories Week 7: Valentine’s Day

Alicia Brown — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 17:04:52 +0000

Valentine’s Day used to be one of those holidays I dreaded, especially if there was not someone in my life. It seemed like everyone was getting flowers and candy except me. Since becoming a mom, this is one of my favorite days. My kids get so excited about exchanging cards with their friends, my husband is taking my oldest daugher on a date for the firs time, and we plan on having a super fun family night to top off this day. This week, share how you plan to spend Valentine’s Day and what you love most about your children!

My Song this week is an oldie but goodie. Love by Kirk Franklin. A great song to start off your week!

Happy Journaling!

Alicia Brown, www.seasonsofmotherhood.org

Momories Week 8: My Favorite Things

Alicia Brown — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 16:57:34 +0000

My all time favorite movie is When Harry Met Sally. I think carrot cake tastes like a slice of heaven. One thing I cherish the most is my relationship with the few girlfriends I have. What are some of your favorite things? This week, journal to your children about some of your favorite things. It could be a favorite movie, food, friend, hobby….whatever you can think of!

By the way, my song of the week is My Reward by Kristian Stanfill. It’s a great song to start off your week!

Happy Journaling!

Alicia Brown

www.seasonsofmotherhood.org

The Search for Dayton’s Best Carrot Cake – Dorothy Lane Market

Alicia Brown — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 14:54:22 +0000

This week my Momories journal assignment was to write about my favorite things. One thing that immediately popped into my mind was carrot cake. Though I don’t treat myself often to that wonderful dessert, I LOVE carrot cake. I actually can’t remember the last time I had some. At first I thought that I’d just go buy one piece of cake somewhere and treat myself, but I wanted the very best piece if it was going to be a one time thing. So I posted a request on Facebook for my friends to tell me where to find the best carrot cake in Dayton. Needless to say, there were several suggestions. That is how my simple desire to find a piece of carrot cake to treat myself has turned into a quest!

My quest started yesterday at Dorothy Lane Market. The kids and I traveled to DLM for the first time in search of Dayton’s best carrot cake. In the car I informed the kids that I wouldn’t be sharing any of my cake with them. My Oscar bound six year old immediately replied, ”First you bought yourself yogurt last week. Now carrot cake. That’s selfish. What about us kids????” I let him know I would buy whatever treat they wanted that was under $3.00, which seemed to satisfy him.

Now let’s just get straight to the carrot cake review. I bought the baby cake for $3.99 and it was worth every penny! It was incredibly delicious. The best part was the frosting on the top. It just melted in your mouth and was a wonderful compliment to the cake underneath. The only thing I would have liked is if the cake was a little more moist. I give Dorothy Lane Market’s cake a solid 8. (on a scale of 1 to 10). I must say my favorite part of this trip was when the cashier Nancy told me it’s amazing that I look like I should be splashed on the cover of a magazine after giving birth to four children. She get’s a 10! You made my day Nancy!

Next stop….The Cake Shop in Beavercreek. Stay tuned….

By the way, you should consider journaling with me each week. It’s really fun! Join Me!

What’s New in my World

Alicia Brown — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 08:32:46 +0000

It is 2:41AM and I am wide awake while the rest of the house is sleeping. I have so many thoughts going through my mind about what I need to get done, so I decided I’d blog instead. It’s been so long since I’ve written anything on my blog. It’s amazing how much time can slip away when I allow life to become overwhelming. Since I last wrote an entry, the following things have occurred in my life…

1. I was hired as the Worship Leader at my church (Totally awesome & such a God thing! The best part is I get to work with my husband who is one of the musicians on the team. That in itself is amazing because music was something that the devil tried to use to divide us in the beginning of our marriage. God is using us for his Glory! I love how he works!)

2. I started my Masters Degree program and stopped after taking my first class. (It was great to be back in school, but it was so stressful that my hair fell out. I figured it’s not the season to pursue that right now.)

3. I started taking classes online through Berkelee School of Music and LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it! (To be honest, I felt God guiding me to take music classes at the beginning of the year, but”I” thought it made more sense to complete my Masters degree because I would be more marketable in Corporate if I ever returned. I am learning to trust him completely and to be obedient. At least this one only cost me my hair, but I’m back on track now.)

4. I officially started homeschooling my 5,4,3, & 1-year-old. I joined two co-ops which helps me to keep them active with their peers and keeps me organized and consistent…..sometimes. (smile) This has been a HUGE learning experience. It is definitely growing my ability to be consistent and teaching me to be patient. I still have a way to go in both areas, but overall, the experience has been great. It is so cool to be a part of the learning process and see how the kids are growing and acquiring knowledge everyday.

5. I am teaching pre-school – 1st grade music at one of the co-ops we attend. That has been an exciting challenge. I love teaching music and enjoy children, but coming up with a curriculum has been interesting. I’ve never done that before, so that has been a learning experience for me. I have the most amazing children in my class. I can be having a stressful morning, but as soon as I see the kids in the class and how vibrant and excited they are to learn, it melts all of the stress away.

6. I am serving as Co-coordinator of my MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) group. It has kept me as busy as a bee, but I know I am investing in the lives of women who will impact their families and communities in amazing ways.

7. I am still trying my best to maintain balance at my house. With all that is going on externally, there have still been date nights with my husband, family nights, dates with the kids, football for my oldest son, decisions on what else to involve our children in (or not), birthday party planning, family trip to Virginia, doctor’s appointments, and the daily things that need to be done around the house.

As you can see, I have been super busy which would explain why my hair is shorter these days. I must admit that I have been in a cycle of being so busy that more important things suffered (my blog, journaling, my exercise routine). However, I have been trying my best to simplify my life and purge the things that are good things, but not God things. My hair issue was a wake up call!

It feels good to blog again. Please keep me in your prayers. I specifically would love for you to join me as I pray to stay in the sweet spot, which is what I call it when I am exactly where God desires for me to be. I still have some purging to do!

Clean up on Aisle 10

Alicia Brown — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 14:54:43 +0000

I often tell my oldest son, Cameron, the best way to stop fearing something is to do it (whatever scares you) afraid. This weekend, I took my own advice.

After some tears and children hanging on my leg begging to go with me, I decided, against my better judgement, to take my little ones to the Commissary to grocery shop. My 3-year-old is now wearing big boy underwear, but he’s never worn them in public. I’ve hesitated for fear that we’d have an embarrassing potty moment in public. Instead of making him change back into a pull up, I faced my fear let him keep on underwear.

Our outing started off great. They were very helpful and excellent listeners. My 3-year-old, Brandon, even told me he had to go potty, so I left a full cart and took everyone to the bathroom.

Wow, a grocery trip with no incidents. This was too good to be true!

We approached aisle 10, which is in direct sight of all the patrons in line, and began to place our groceries on the belt. That is when IT happened. The thing I feared the most.

I heard my 3-year-old whisper, “Mommy, I pee-peed on myself.” I looked down and there was a huge puddle on the floor that seemed to be spreading at an alarming rate. I quickly asked the scanner if I could borrow some tissue and if she could have someone from the janitorial staff assist me.

She picked up her black phone by the register and mumbled something into it. To my surprise, it was a phone that blasts the message over the entire store intercom system. It seemed that all eyes were on me when the message, “Clean up on Aisle 10! Clean up on Aisle 10!” rang out across the intercom.

Surprisingly, I wasn’t as embarrassed as I thought I would be. Actually, I really didn’t care what anyone was thinking. I had always pictured myself in my mind running out of the store in shame with my face covered like celebrities who don’t want to be seen. Instead, I just calmly finished paying for my groceries as my son stood in a pile of wet napkins. I helped the janitor clean up a bit and then loaded my kids and groceries into the car. We ate snacks and sang songs on the way home.

I was relieved that I didn’t blow things out of proportion as I have done in the past. In the big scheme of life, this really wasn’t a big deal. We all make mistakes when we’re learning something new. I am grateful that in this moment I was patient and encouraging to my son.

While I don’t particularly want this to happen again, I am not afraid of it anymore. Secondly, I learned that it is much more important to be loving when our kids make mistakes, not just when they do well. I am thankful for the lesson I learned through the “Clean up on Aisle 10″ incident.

Conversations with my 5 year old

Alicia Brown — Thu, 13 May 2010 09:11:07 +0000

On the way home from church last night, I had the following conversation with my 5 year old son Cameron.

ME: “So Cameron, what did you learn at church tonight?”

CAMERON: ”We learned about Esther.”

ME: “OK. What did you learn about Esther?”

CAMERON: “She listened to God. That was a long time ago.”

ME: “So what exactly did she do a long time ago?”

CAMERON: “I don’t know. I wasn’t there.”

Conversations with my 5 year old really crack me up! I love that boy.

One Season Complete

Alicia Brown — Fri, 07 May 2010 14:36:11 +0000

As I type this post, my emotions hover between sadness and celebration. Today is my youngest child’s birthday. My precious little girl turned one. It’s amazing how quickly that time passes.

As we sang Happy Birthday and she blew out the candle (well, actually daddy did that for her), the realization that I am no longer in the newborn infant stage hit me. While I don’t miss the severe sleep deprivation and physical adjustments of having a newborn, I miss that moment when you put your eyes on your baby for the first time. I miss breastfeeding, which is also the last time I’ll ever have big boobs. I miss newborn diapers, the ugly hospital caps (where do they get those things anyway), and all the “first” experiences.

Today was a reminder that time doesn’t wait for me to embrace and appreciate the journey. It just moves on whether I choose to enjoy it or not. No matter what, I’m going to try my best to savor every moment of my children’s lives.

Happy Birthday Faith. Mommy loves you!

My Most Embarrassing Motherhood Moment

Alicia Brown — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 12:01:10 +0000

The Look

My most embarrassing motherhood experience happened this week, which ironically was the week I posted this journal as a topic in my MOMORIES group. I have my 3-year-old daughter Kayla to thank for this one.

We went to see a performance by the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra. It was an amazing performance. All of my children seemed to enjoyed themselves. As most of the audience was exiting the building following the performance, I saw that the conductor speaking with some of the audience members. I thought, “What a great opportunity for the children to meet him & shake his hand.”

I made my way to the front and introduced him to all of my little ones. He was so kind. He stooped down to their level and said “Hi kids! I am so glad you came to see the orchestra perform.” Then he turned to my 3-year-old daughter and asked, “Did you enjoy the performance?” She paused, put her hand on her hip, looked at his eyes, then down at his feet, back up to his eyes, turned her lips to one side and shook her head “NO.” The expression on her face was priceless, as if to say “I really wasn’t that impressed.” I was speechless. Thankfully, he giggled. I am sure that answer caught him by surprise. I wanted to sprint to the car and speed away like I was in the Indy 500. I hope he doesn’t remember what I look like!

By the way, this picture she took for Christmas last year reminds me of the facial expression she made that day of the performance. If I must be honest, I can’t say she got that attitude from her father.

Alicia is a mother of 4, songwriter, vocalist and speaker. She owns and operates the mothering website www.seasonsofmotherhood.org. She is also the facilitator for MOMORIES: 52 Weeks of Leaving the Legacy of Your Story starting in February 2010.

I Just Want to Think!

Alicia Brown — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 13:25:06 +0000

When I was a little girl my favorite gifts were dolls and anything musical. When I became a teenager I loved getting money and anything musical. In my early twenties gifts of money and anything musical still topped my list. However, now in my 30s with a husband and 4 children, the best gift you can give me can’t be found in any store. Plus, if it could be purchased, it would be out of stock because I would buy all the inventory. That priceless gift is SILENCE!

I used to hate silence, pauses in conversation, or when no one was around. Now I would love to have more time to just THINK. To allow a thought to initiate and have the opportunity to pursue it, explore it, research it, write about it, and shape it into something tangible. Can I just THINK without interruption? That’s all this mom of 4 wants. I’m a creative person, so not having the ability to operate that way is torture.

Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE my family, but I do fantasize about running off to Silence Island where there is no one but me & my thoughts.

I think it’s time for a “mommy-cation!” Anyone know where Silence Island is?