We do early bedtimes, so we have two to three hours alone just watching something. safely left them on their porch, took a breezy trampoline nap with the boys, sat on the floor and did puzzle after puzzle with my three year old, took my kids to the frozen beach to jump in puddles, took the twins, 13, to get milkshakes then purposely got lost down country roads. Ha! I had this new appreciation for anyone who has ever struggled with it. hugs. What do you drink most during the day? I love riding in the car with my husband and listening to mix tapes. What helped you cope and heal from postpartum depression and anxiety? Currently: Highway Patrolman by Bruce Springteen. I love how it has evolved me into this best version of myself. They are not perfect as I am not perfect. 7. Rage. What is your favorite thing to do without your children? My children are Luca who is 11 and Adele, she’s 8. he was so happy, left the kids to get me two jr bacon cheeseburgers all to myself, made my kids a yummy picnic to eat in the backyard and took time to myself feel pretty, made tacos and read “Dragons Love Tacos” out loud to my kids during lunch, let my kids leave homemade bread on friends’ doorsteps instead of me doing it, allowed my daughter to make a huge mess in the living room with her legos, put more effort into making their home lunch, got my three year old to have a good morning after having two temper tantrums before breakfast, woke up with both kids in their room because the need night support, but man I’m tired, took care of mine and my toddlers needs while grieving the death of his sister, made cookies with my two year old. What helps with that? Experience "Joy" Flavored curated teas to enjoy and a name to remember, with purpose and wellness in mind. I love coffee. I love touching my children and hugging them, just letting them feel my presence, and feeling theirs, too. At night after I take a shower and get into bed. Watching Riverdale haha . I’ve joined a moms group here already and it’s been awesome so far. A phone call. it was mostly for me, but ya know, cooked healthy meals and sooo many snacks and cleaned the kitchen each time, sewed a new dress for her Elsa doll to match her nightgown, said “yes” to the things I could’ve done faster alone, took time to snuggle with both my boys on the couch, played with my kids. What has been the most rewarding in motherhood? We both work full-time but enjoy every moment with our hilarious, sweet & strong-willed baby. My name is Allison and I’m 33 years old. Over the years we have fallen into the realm of unschooling. 50’s music reminds me of my Grandma and I just love it. On work days, my favourite time is coming home from work. I feel like that a lot. I feel like comparison is such a huge struggle with moms and I don’t feel like it’s discussed that much. her tears fell, I breathed, took time out for myself and had a nap with my youngest, played a game with my son exactly the way he wanted to play it, followed his rules, put my phone away and played board games with my daughter, cried with my child. I'm married to an Artist and Author/Illustrator/Game Developer Michael. Do you ever feel lonely and what helps you with loneliness? We do that a lot. Sometimes there can be a real stigma for medication, but it really saved me. After a night of sleep all of the frustrations of the day before are easy to forget and I can just feel the literal weight of everything I love on top of me. I loveeee when my hair is freshly washed and done. I am a goddess!” and then the baby is born and you think, “Gross why do I look like this? What is something you fear you’ll be judged for by other Moms? My absolute favourite things are baking, walking, antiquing and traveling. I had been terrified about going through PPD again. JANUARY 18 • View on Instagram. Our gift boxes are available with a range items locally sourced from with in BC Canada. If I am feeling completely spent or like I am about to start yelling, I realize it is often because Further just wants my attention and I am trying to do something else (and sometimes it is just something not important at all, like being on my phone or cleaning the house). What helps you not compare? That and one on one time with them. What is your favorite thing to do withOUT your children? Like while you are pregnant, you think, “Look how amazing I look! Self care. they were so glad, read The Monster at the End of This Book for the 4,000th time this week, baked cookies with my girls and then we made a couple of fun science projects, had a virtual birthday party with lots of family for my son’s first birthday, blew bubbles for my son in the backyard and collected rocks with him, played freeze tag outside for two hours even though my allergies were kicking my booty, decided three peanut butter cookies and carrots were an acceptable snack. “O God make me beautiful on the inside as you have made me beautiful on the outside.” Without a doubt every morning when I wake up for my early morning prayers around 5AM, my hair is a hot mess, I can barely keep my eyes open and I see my reflection. I think it might have been because I would feel sad knowing that another day passed and that I’d be up multiple times in the night with the baby. You can find Allison @seedandsparrow on instagram. My babies begin to walk, my period returns and I just feel different and by different, I mean less like I just had a baby. My kids can make me SO ANGRY. I loved Seattle so much that we named our daughter after Mt. I live on baby carrots and peanut butter sandwiches. I am also honest about how I am feeling and if mama needs to have a time-out – so that I don’t start yelling or being unkind. When do you feel most feminine? The love is BEAMING. he still had the best day, dug for worms outside and drank her potions that turned me into a cheetah, put my depression aside and still did everything she needed me to do, locked myself in the bedroom to work from home. They are really good, but no like the good old Joy Ann’s. What is something you do that helps you know that you’re doing a good job? Taking deep breaths and counting to ten and telling myself everything is going to be okay. I’ve never been. no expectations to push or hurry, let my daughter, newly four, make and butter her own toast. I was telling her that the biggest thing that overwhelms me is me and if I can just figure out a way to calm myself down, everything else can flow. I do think social media can be t oxic and that it’s important to remember that not everyone’s life is as perfect as it seems. When we all go outside together. 533 Followers, 118 Following, 38 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from Old Joy (@oldjoy.nj) What is your favorite thing about being a Mother? 147.2k Followers, 649 Following, 1,788 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from Kristen (@oldjoy) Adam has been my best friend since I was 16. OldJoy. My favorite place was Seattle and I hope with all my heart to live there again someday. There are so many good things... and it changes with every age. Being with him on a date, getting dressed up, I feel like I’m 16 again. If so, what helped you heal? Or sitting and doing math or language arts for 6 days in a row and nothing else. All three of her girls were napping and you could feel the calm in both her and her home. There is so much strength in her and it shows. Create an account or log in to Instagram - A simple, fun & creative way to capture, edit & share photos, videos & messages with friends & family. Before we moved, it was a lot worse than where we are now. We should’ve been doing schoolwork, tried to teach my son how to pee outside even though I lack the proper equipment, haha, heard my girl wake at 4:30am and was just glad to hear her voice, not grumpy at the hour, my kids and I laid on the cool grass in a chilly breeze, but felt the warm sun, actually got out to walk around the neighborhood. Homeschooling now. Horrified, I make that prayer, and always smile to myself because God sees me as beautiful even when I think I look hideous. Hm. Counting to ten and walking away if I need to. we ran and he held a lady bug for the first time, took my son out for a long walk in his stroller. Creativity seems to get drained by parenting, so when I am making something – especially because it reminds me of a time before I was a wife or mother – it really “fills my cup” or whatever you want to call it. The 3 things that triggered tears were: 1) watching the sun go down, 2) thinking about how tired I will be when I. come home from the hospital with a second baby and have a toddler running around and 3) thinking about all the new mamas who don’t have mamas helping them. I think it’s great to appreciate people’s differences and even learn and grow from each other, I just never want to try to be someone else for my kids or husband. Again, it breaks the silence. Her hand written favorite recipes fill the what were blank front and back pages in the book. I’m a barber and I’ve always worked full time. we explored and talked, took my kid to the park even though I was really tired, gave my eleven year old extra hugs and asked them how they were really feeling about all of this, played three board games with my five year old, played a game with my kids right before bed, recognized that my two year old is acting out because he needs more hugs and attention, went to see some family land, played in the creek to really soak up this beautiful sunny day in TN, played balloon tennis with paper plates as a family, didn’t lose my temper and tended to our plants with my girls and chased bubbles, played crazy silly tag on the trampoline for at least a hour. My favorite thing about Old Joy is that she seems really authentic. I have had friends comment ever so politely about that. I went to Nashville to study art in college, traveled all over the world, and then ended up finding my way right back where I started when I decided I wanted to be a farmer and beekeeper. I always say a quick prayer, turn 50’s music on Alexa because it’s always comforted me and we dance. I think what gets me through it is just knowing that all of those little things that I’m doing like reading books, tucking them into bed and giving baths is all gonna end one day. Her fosters have worked long and hard with her to help her feel comfortable, gain confidence, and help her playful personality flourish! Especially in winter. I wasn’t my finest before that and needed to change it all, put a new bandaid on her ouchie for the third time before 9am, stopped formal lessons to let my kids play. no intervention, said yes to things I usually say no to. I've been blessed to homeschool for 14 years. silly, but I know is super important for them and me too, you know, let them eat lunch outside even though it always turns out to be a pain in my ****, telling my teen daughter about me falling in love with my husband/her dad, was genuinely impressed by the magic trick my daughter did, taught my oldest how to make friendship bracelets and helped him make a few, cruised on my five year old’s scooter on our neighborhood walk. Kayli and I have been emailing back and forth for a while now and I have loved learning more about her. What is something you have dealt with as a mother that is rarely discussed? And thank you all for reading and for your continued support with this project. Sitting across from Randi, asking her questions about motherhood. Seriously, it's the best feeling when I hug him after work. @simplicity_homeschooling. Durante le feste non ci siamo fermati un attimo, perciò oggi e domani ci prendiamo un po' di riposo, le inconfondibili pizze della Vecchia Gioia tornano a vostra disposizione mercoledì. Hi Annie, Glad you found my recipe for the Thumbprints. I have 1 year left towards my BA (if all goes according to plan!) fell right to sleep, paused work and took my daughter on a walk, played with my child, but was more active and more excited than my child, my three kids and I started a thousand piece puzzle, was really available to my kids most of time instead of “wait a min, wait a sec”, carried my toddler while I cooked and it made him so happy. 19-year-old Joy-Anna Duggar, who wed Austin Forsyth earlier this year, is coming clean about breaking one strict courtship rule. I have a really painful and exhausting and exhilarating addiction to diet coke. What helps you with that? Guilty pleasures… ^^^ We deliver produce every week to a local bakery and it is so impossible to resist! 6. My name is Sabeena and I'm 44 years old, I was born and raised in England. I dance and sing all day long like my mother does and her mother did. I turn off screens, dim the lights and take a breath. she was so proud of herself, tickled my baby only in her diaper for twenty and we both laughed, played with my kid despite of dreading to catch up on sleep, handled my fourteen year old son’s angry meltdown with compassion and understanding, despite being tired I tickled my little one on the bed and heard all the giggles, did sight works with my four year old and we peed our pants when she said YOOO instead of you, took the massage table out of the basement for fort building, let them haul around a giant bag of BBQ chips on our hike right before lunch, laughed. two teenagers and a ten year old, cried in the bathroom instead of screaming, made time for my baby to play and bathe despite working in the day, made my daughter laugh to tears by simply putting a mask on, took my boys for a walk and played tag with them outside, hid on the porch so my kid felt like she was riding her bike solo down the street, held my four year old when he was melting down, did extravagant makeup on my ten year old daughter because I never say yes to makeup, threw lessons to the wind and laid in their room to read favorite books instead, chatted with my daughter while she crafted, gave the kids part of my mid day anxiety chocolate bar, focused more on my daughter and I was more calm all day, snuggled with both of my kids and watched Peter Pan. 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