Altruism

Altruism - that word has popped up in my life so much lately. I first saw it in an email that came across my computer screen. Then in a magazine article, and finally in my son's school lunch menu of all places. I do believe that God speaks to us in whispers, and I want to listen!

Wikipedia describes altruism as a selfless concern for the welfare of others. It is a traditional virtue in many cultures, and central to many religious traditions. This idea was often described as the Golden Rule of ethics. Altruism is the opposite of selfishness. Altruism focuses on a motivation to help others or a want to do good without reward, while duty focuses on a moral obligation towards a specific individual, a specific organization, or an abstract concept. Pure altruism is giving without regard to reward or the benefits of recognition.

I started wondering - when was the last time I did something for another person without any thought of how it would benefit myself? Sure, I take (really) good care of my husband and kids. Sure, I volunteer at my church. And of course I donate tons of clothes and toys to charity. But do I benefit by those acts? Of course. I get a bit of recognition every Mother's Day from my family. I get "thank yous" at church, and I get a tax deduction and a little less clutter when I donate. I consider myself a good person, someone who likes to help others, but could I do it without any recognition?

I am going to challenge myself for the months of November and December to be an altruist! Every week I want to find a new way to bless another person or group without any recognition or benefit to myself. I may need some ideas, so feel free to post some for me! I will update each week with how I'm doing in my challenge.

C2's Big Day

Well, C2 is 4 years old now! I really cannot believe how big my boys are getting. I know people say all the time how quickly time goes by with kids, but I am amazed. It's like once that first baby arrives, you enter some parallel world where everything flies by you at a rapid pace. You never really get to slow down and soak it all in.

It's sad to me that I have so few memories of my boys as babies. We love to sit down as a family and look through photo albums, and it's then that my memories come flooding back to me. I remember when C2 was born and how much C1 loved him. He told everyone in the hospital room they couldn't touch him because he was his "bubba." It was very sweet. I remember being so worried when C2 was a little behind on his vocabulary. Everyone told me he would talk eventually, but he was talking! Just not words. Ha - now you can't get him to stop talking. And what an imagination! That boy can make up the most amazing, funny stories at the drop of a hat! I will not be surprised if he is a writer someday. And scrappy! Oh my that boy is scrappy - he will be in wrestling, I'm sure. Once you make him mad, you can't stop him. He's like a tasmanian devil! It's hard to get him seperated from someone because you are trying so hard not to laugh! I love the time I get to spend with him every day playing Bionicles, cars, rescue heros - everything! He is such a fun little boy and I absolutely love watching him grow into a little man. I just wish it could happen a little more slowly.

Pumpkin Patch

I took the boys to the pumpkin patch today to get some fall pictures. They had so much fun climbing up on the huge pumpkins, running through the dark "hay house," and looking at all the animals. On the way there, C2 saw a freshly plowed field. He was so excited and wanted to go play in it. I thought to myself that he could probably spend the whole day out in an empty field playing and have a ball. I wondered if I could find the same enjoyment in something so simple. I know I can't, but why? What is it that we lose while growing up that allows us such joy in simple things? I try to thank the Lord each and every day for the ordinary things that I used to take for granted. I am so thankful for every aspect of my life, big and small, but I still do not have that unbridled fun that my boys do. Sometimes I wish I could spend an hour in their shoes - finding complete bliss in a pile of dirt and a couple of hot wheels cars.

Mrs. Homemaker

Ok, I have this preoccupation with being a "good wife" to my husband. Not sure why, but I really do try to impress him, though it rarely seems to work. ha ha I have been trying to dazzle with dh by couponing and saving money on groceries. He could care less, but it's still fun for me to try to find the best deal. Well, in trying to save money, it also occured to me that I could start making more food for my family from scratch. My first attempt was yesterday at making homemade wheat bread. I don't mean in the good old bread machine - I've used that thing with boxed mixes off and on for years. I mean drag out the wheat flour, yeast, and honey. Kneed it, let it rise, punch it down, rise again and bake. I let C1 and C2 help a bit with the kneeding and of course the punching - they loved it! There was nothing more satisfying than C1 asking what that yummy smell was, and knowing that my homemade bread baking in the oven would nourish my little boys! I baked 3 loaves yesterday - only one remains! Yep, big hit. Was dh impressed? Nope, not really - he said it was bread.

Oh, update on yesterday - the HUGE task of cleaning out the boys' room is done! They got rid of so many toys. I was really really impressed with them wanting to give away so much. Their closet looks amazing and there are NO toys on the floor. I also taught them (again) how to make their beds, which they will do every morning. And they are now picking their clothes out at night before bed. We'll see how long this lasts.

Fall Break?

What the heck is Fall Break? A good excuse to give the teachers a couple days off? Seriously - I know we didn't have a 3 day break in the middle of October when I was in school. And it wasn't that long ago. I know I should just enjoy the extra time with C1. But I'm struggling. He is used to his school routine and gets down right grumpy with C2 and I.

I have started a HUGE project for the boys while C1's out on "Fall Break." We are cleaning their room. Oh my - I had no idea how huge this would be. So far, we've pulled EVERYTHING out of their walk-in closet. We've gotten rid of one big Rubbermaid box full of things to donate. That was just a few items of clothing and some candles, etc that I stored in there for the last 7 yrs. I figure if I haven't needed it in 7 years we can give it away. After lunch we'll slowly start putting things back in there, but with rules. 1. It has to be something we use or love. or 2. It has to be something that is being handed down to C2 or C3. I'm trying very hard to teach the boys about clutter and why we don't want it. Simple routines should help - but how do I start those?!

After the closet, we will tackle the toys. (I dread this.) They each have to find 10 toys to donate to charity. When I told them that, they didn't even mind! C2 actually said, "Ok, we have too many toys anyway." Boy is he right! I will say that despite how stressed I am right now, I am very proud of my boys. They are usually pretty good about giving to others. Now if I could just keep them from expecting so much for themselves!

Intro - A Day In The Life...

A day in the life... Where do I begin?

I have three boys, who I'll refer to as C1, C2, and C3. C1 is in kindergarten, C2 turns four years old in a few days, and C3 is my baby. My perfect, loving, cuddly, cute baby who does no wrong - yet! I stay at home with them, but also watch a one year old five days a week. Soon, I'll be watching a four year old girl, too. Yes, I am crazy! I love kids, though and I really enjoy keeping other people's kiddos, for the most part. Every single day brings a new adventure for me - sometimes good, sometimes not so good. In the not so good times, I struggle to keep my sanity and stay calm with my boys.

Besides my super important job of raising my boys, I am also the coordinator of the MOFIA - Moms of Faith In Action. I absolutely LOVE this group of ladies! I was in MOPS last year at my church and I feel like they saved my life. Really. I was probably on the edge of losing my mind last year. I felt so overwhelmed every day and didn't know what to do. So this year when the group changed names and our coordinator stepped down, I wanted to step up. I pray that I can help other overwhelmed moms to know they have a safe haven. A place to come where they will build lasting friendships and find comfort in the hard times.

In my spare time (ha ha) I try to sew, scrapbook (just starting), craft, and now will be blogging.