The weather's changing. Clothes are being outgrown. It's the time of year when mommies find themselves buying yet another Rubbermaid container to house their baby's wears. So exactly how many DO you have in your attic? My baby is only 18 months and I just started our third one.

All this packing, organizing and saving really makes me wonder about a second baby or being past baby stage's for good. I mean, why else are we saving all this stuff? In fact, if I wait TOO long, I'll run out of storage space! Is this why people have their kids close together?? So they can either start using their saved items or donate them? All this time I thought there was some other theory regarding age spacing of children! ;)

So away the too-small summer clothes go. Into the box, into the attic. To wait.

"Einstein Never Used Flashcards" caught my eye in the library the other day. It had been awhile since I had picked up a parenting book and felt like maybe it was time to get one again. I'm always surprised how books can actually help me with parenting. This book was no exception.

I have to honest that I did skim some sections. But I got the main points of each chapter and really think it will influence how I raise my daughter.

The main point the authors are trying to convey is that we're sooo consumed with how much and how young our children learn. Yes, we are the ones to give them a good start before school, but it has become a national obsession to get our little kids into classes and every educational toy on the market. When really what they need most is to play.

Play is where they learn about real world applications with numbers, letters and words. Play is where they figure things out. Play is where they learn the valuable social skills so often overlooked by the academically focused parent.

There were interesting little experiments that you could do with your child throughout this book, but with all the facts that the authors gave, I really did not see a need for them. They were interesting because they revealed where your child is at with certain aspects of how they think.

The majority of Mommy Blogs out in cyber space are usually handing out advice or sharing an all too personal story. Mine, on the other hand, tends to repeatedly ask the question, "Am I Normal?". I find comfort in knowing that you too have had a similar experience. Maybe that's why I would love more 'conversation' on this site. But, I realize we're all super busy and I am just happy that this is being read! So thank you for going with me on this mommy journey.

So here's my next "Am I Normal?" topic for ya....

Do you find that you are constantly making excuses for your child? Like when they are really clingy (in my case, most of the time!), fussy or just plain mad? People give you the look....like "what is wrong with them?". And you quickly run through the probable causes of your child's ill-mood. "Well, she's really tired." or "She cutting a tooth right now." or countless other hardships that are occurring in their life.

I kept finding I was doing this and then stepping back later and wondering, why did I feel like I had to explain? Isn't it enough that they are a kid? All kids are going through these stages, some good, some not so good. Shouldn't we expect these behaviors more and not feel like we have to defend them?

Instead we should all try to notice when other's kids are really happy and doing well. And also for our own child. And maybe let kids off the hook some when it comes to not feeling their best. I can't even imagine how much their little bodies are going through on any given day.

So, yes, my child is clingy, sad, fussy and tired sometimes. And it's ok!

At our home we are going through yet another stage of babyhood. The dreaded dropping of the second nap! Life goes on for a bit a certain way and then it's time to shift. It sort of like a growth spurt.

Obviously growth spurts happen to our children, but I believe they happen to us too. There are physical spurts evident in a photo taken only a month ago, while some spurts are harder to detect.

Maybe what I'm referring to shouldn't really be classified as a spurt. But it's hard not to think of it that way. What I'm trying to define is when you change in a big way, all at once. This can be brought on by big life events such as a death of someone dear, becoming a mother or moving.

Sometimes even a really good book can make me feel as though I've undergone a shift. A big enough shift to change a major part of who I am.

I think in our household we really enjoy those shifts. Usually we're striving to be better, whether that's by becoming more educated, getting closer to God or learning to be more loving and patient. So, when a shift occurs, hopefully we are becoming more of one of those attributes. I suppose steps backwards are usually downplayed and then we just move forward.

I have found that when enough times goes by and I haven't experienced a 'spurt' I can feel stuck. Like a kid that is looking up at all the taller 4th graders. Like I've been left behind and feel stagnant.

So can we influence these shifts? Can we bring them on? All the really good spurts in my life so far have happened TO me.

Do you ever find that all your efforts to talk to your baby and keep them in the loop of what you are doing tends to make YOU talk to yourself all the time? And eventually you don't know whether you are saying things to them anymore or to you!

You say what you are doing to make sure YOU remember what you are doing now and what you will be doing next! We do so many things in an average day and I'm finding talking out loud isn't just for my baby anymore.

So when you or a loved ones sees a mom out in public talking to herself, please don't laugh. There is just so much in our brain that some of it spills out into our words!

Recently my husband thought it would be fun to watch "Little House on the Prairie" from the beginning. Did you know that show was on for like 10 years??!?! That's a lot of episodes! I teased him about his silly tv show, but obliged.

After only completely disc one from the first season, I think I'm hooked. What a great show with rich characters and plots! And these are people you can identify with when they screw up but also admire when they do the right thing. They don't make tv shows like THIS anymore!

I've decided that Caroline Ingalls is my new hero. She is an amazing woman. She is soft and sweet but also strong and disciplined. The way she cares for her family and is still respected by the town and her husband is awe inspiring.

While I may not be out milking the cows and sewing my daughter's clothes I do think she is someone I would love to be more like.

Better get back to all these episodes if we want to finish before my daughter's moved out!

According to Wikipedia, feminism is, "a discourse that involves various movements, theories, and philosophies which are concerned with the issue of gender difference, advocate equality for women, and campaign for women's rights and interests." That's a pretty broad definition. And I think it's has meant a lot of things to a lot of women throughout the ages.

Recently Sarah Palin accepted the nomination for the vice-president candidate of the Republican Party. It's has been amazing to see women slowly find their footing in Washington and the world. But I wonder were the originators of the feminist movement really hoping that a woman would become vice-president while having 5 kids at home, some very young, 1 being a newborn with special needs AND a pregnant teenager?

I know that's this is a hot topic and I, as a woman, I should just be happy a female has gotten this far. But I wonder if just because we CAN do it all, should we do it all at the same time? I think it's amazing all the choices we have now. We are so fortunate because some of us can be business women and work up the corporate ladder easier then in the past, we can decide to stay home and raise our children or we can even find something in between. But to be vice-president while you are obviously needed by your children? It just makes me question her timing.

I know what I say sounds old-fashioned, but we have been given an amazing gift. The gift to be moms. Why don't we value that as much as we should? Why is a woman who dedicates herself to advancement in the world valued more then one that wipes runny noses and guides her child with love and discipline at home?

I just wonder why somewhere along the way, we as women, have valued being equal in a man's world more then the amazing privileges that only woman can have, like being a mom.

Anyone have a very gently used infant carrier they want to pass along or sell? I got rid of my old one because it was nasty and ugly and now it is obsolete after 5 years. Looking for one that is black or grey and very cool. :)

I think we've all been there. Gone all the way to return our pop cans only to discover we never put them in the car. Or get to the store and remember the coupons on the counter in the kitchen. Hopefully it's never gotten so bad that you've forgotten your child at home!

These are the things that fill our mommy days. We blame them on "Mommy Brain". Somehow after the birthing process of our dear little baby, a certain part of our brain also found it's way out of our bodies. Ever since that day, the way we think and what we do or do not remember is altered forever.

Is it actually a physical change that has occurred within us? Or maybe it is just that we, as woman, who are normally multi-taskers have taken that talent to a whole new level.

I believe that women have been given the gift to do multiple activities at the same time relatively well. I think this is bred into us so we are able to care for our young, feed our family and protect it, all at once. Just like a momma bird, we are taking care of many needs at the same time.

On a typical day, I find myself racing from the laundry room to check laundry, the bathroom to finish getting ready, the kitchen to check if the dishes are done, the living to put the vacuum away.....phew! And that's just when my baby is sleeping!

I think my brain is fine actually. I think I've just tried to do too much at one time and sometimes it rebels against me. While I take satisfaction is the fact that I can get so many things done in one day, I do need to search for that balance. A fried mommy is not a good one!

I believe we can learn from the men in our lives. If your guy did your job how would he do it? He probably wouldn't get the house all cleaned and the kitchen all stocked, but I bet he would have really enjoyed caring for the kids.

And ultimately, THAT is what matters most. For them and us.

Just wondered if anyone keeps a budget. Ya know, like where you have X amount of dollars for food, gas, utilities etc. And you follow that EVERY month. Ben and I have been searching for the best way to keep track of our money and we thought maybe our friends had some advice on what they do.
We just don't really know where to start. I have always kept track of our money but keeping track and having a budget are not the same!

So if anyone has any advice or input please send it our way!

Thanks-
Sarah