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Do you have a favorite child?
Okay, be honest (and you’re allowed to be… no judgies over here): do you have a favorite child?
Don’t look at me like that, Susan. I’m not asking you to pick which one you’d save in a fire. (But okay, while we’re on it, which one? Kidding!)
I know the immediate response to this question would be shock, horror, outrage, guilt. But having a favorite child is not as uncommon as you think.
I mean, if you had to take a quick scroll through my Instagram feed you would see that I talk about some of my kids a heck of a lot more than I do the others. I’m not even going to deny it. It’s there.
But, to be honest, when it comes to topics of conversation, Jonah’s drummer antics and Kari’s love for fashion honestly feels a lot more “sharey” than telling people what colour Asher’s poo was yesterday.
And our teenage sons would rather I don’t take pics of them… or talk about them… or talk to them… or look at them for too long… or breathe in the same air as them…So a lot of my current time is spent talking about my two littlest
bratskids. It is what it is. That doesn’t mean that they are my favorites. Gasp! What type of a mom do you think I am?! (FYI: I’m not like a regular mom, I’m a cool mom. #moviequote)But, what if I told you that research suggests that most parents have a favorite child. Some studies say that shared interests, birth order and gender play a huge part in this. And even if you feel that you don’t have a favorite, you most likely show preferential treatment to one of your kids, in some way or other.
Now, contrary to popular belief, having a favorite child doesn’t actually mean that you love one kid more than the other. People (you know, the clever people who get paid to find these things out) say that your perceived favorite usually is the one that your personality resonates with more.
Favoritism is essentially behavior-based… usually unconscious. And it’s essentially very fluid, since you could probably change your mind about it every day/week/month.
So yes, a favorite child isn’t that uncommon. But, I mean, don’t go all crazy with the cherry-picking. You don’t want to unintentionally create a sibling rivalry (ala Mufasa vs Scar). Blatantly favoring one kid over the other could potentially create insecurities that would lay a foundation for deeper issues.
I guess you could say that the ideal solution would be to not have favorites. But, to me, I try to make them all my favorite. (I know, how whimsical sounding)
But seriously, you guys, if I had to choose a fave, it would be the child that is the most well behaved (because mama’s tired).So yes, as you can see, I’m kinda torn when it comes to choosing a favorite. I think that each of them are a favorite in their own special way. I mean, they each embody something that I love, treasure and favor.
But I’m definitely more aware of my subconscious motivations… striving to love each of them exactly how THEY NEED me to love them, as individuals. And being aware of the things that set them apart… all my favorite things about them.
And, if we’re going to be completely transparent about this, they all contribute equally to mama being ‘zausted, so I guess there’s an element of balance.
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Making up for lost time this festive season
You’ll often find me flexing my Genius Mom status ’round about these parts because… well… I have five children, people. That’s five whole human beings whose lives I contribute to in a major way. I mean, let’s just say that three of them won’t have clean bums if I’m not around. So that’s, like, a pretty big deal.
But, because there are that many children under my care, I also have to find new ways of
making them believe that I’m amazingentertaining them. This was especially challenging this December because we’ve added our latest member to the troupe a mere four months ago!So, the other day, when our eldest turned a whole 18 years old (yes, I do realize that I am now parenting another adult) I decided to flex that Genius Mom muscle once again by incorporating as many kids as possible into baking Now-Adult-Son’s birthday cake. The result? Pretty epic, even if I do say so myself. (Which I do.) I mean, homemade baking just tastes better, right?
Now, I need to add a teeny tiny disclaimer right here: I don’t bake.
Like, if you had to rate my skills and abilities on a scale of 1 to 10, I would probably score a solid -11 when it came to baking. Yep, it’s real bad.But I know that baking is a labor of love. I needed to remedy this situation AND gain the respect and awe of my children simultaneously.
So I was especially chuffed with myself for remembering that I had a box of Golden Cloud Cake Mix in my cupboard. Although, let’s be honest friends, I wasn’t going to pass out in shock if I flopped on this too. I mean, I’m okay with it. One can only have so many amazing talents (this is me trying to make myself feel better).Anyways, I whipped out the cake mix box and quickly scanned the pretty straight-forward instructions. I only needed to add the “wet” ingredients… the rest was in the box, including yummy icing! That was such a score already!
I was also impressed that I didn’t need to have special cake-making-things to make the cake (you guys know what I mean, right?) There was no mention of fancy cake making tools and equipment. Needless to say, I felt like I was winning and the cake wasn’t evens made yet.
We finally got cracking (literally, cracked the eggs, I know, I’m a lyrical genius) and, with the help of my kids, had the cake in the oven in no time! The icing was super easy to make and we got so much out of it, I could keep some aside for our Golden Cloud cupcakes (also so easy to make, my five year old practically did it by herself!)The kids enjoyed decorating the cake. I enjoyed eating the cake. Both for obvious reasons. The result? It was super yummy and moist! Honestly, I was a little bit shocked… why didn’t anyone tell me that it’s this easy to bake a cake, yo?! I feel like the universe has been holding out on me!
I’ve now stocked up on as many Golden Cloud mixes as possible. It’s such a great way to make up for lost time AND, if you involve them, you get to be creative with your family. We are loving the cuppacino muffin mix and my kids are begging me to try the bread/dombolo mix! My sussie and I whipped up some scones for her Ma the other day and, I must admit, it felt good to beable to casually mention that I had just “popped them into the oven earlier”. Watch out Cake Boss, I’m coming for you!Have you tried the Golden Cloud mixes? Which are your faves?
Disclaimer: This post was done in collaboration with Golden Cloud
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=729439874223131
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Tech Deck makes finger boarding gnarly, dude! {Giveaway!}
I’m a “books – give them books!” kinda mom… which doesn’t always make me the most exciting gift-giver. I get it. Even though my intentions are good (I promise), kids want to play. Which is why I’m always on the look out for funky gifts, especially for my older boys, who are a tad bit more difficult to shop for. I mean, shopping for a pre-teen or a teenager is a lot more complicated than you think (no, Luchae, you can’t just buy them airtime). So I was really excited when I learnt about Tech Deck the other day.
I mean, I don’t know if you know but finger boarding is a thing (says our 13 year old). Yep – skateboarding with your fingers is a thing (it’s okay, friend, I too am feeling extremely old and outdated right about now). Tech Deck brings you the raddest, most hippest finger board designs with graphics from the biggest skate companies in the world such as Blind, Baker, Primitive, Finesse, Santa Cruz, Plan B, Sk8mafia and Toy Machine.So the cool thing about Tech Deck is that the range is pretty awsome… there are a ton of accesories to collect! From Build-A-Parks, 96mm finger board multipacks and 96mm single boards, it’s pretty easy to pick out your kids birthday and Christmas gifts. The Build-A-Park set includes all the goodies you’ll need to build a custom park, including a trash bin, kicker ramp and grind bench. It even has a concrete looking finish, you guys. What an amazing way to encourage creativity and the use of imagination (guess they don’t always need books after all).
My boys enjoyed playing around with the Tech Deck finger boards, testing out their skills on their custom park. You can check out the online tutorial videos on the Tech Deck website to learn how to recreate your favorite tricks and expand your finger boarding skill.Check out more about the range over on the Just Fun website.
Win a Tech Deck hamper valued at R1000!Want to score a funky Tech Deck hamper for your kid? Sure you do! Stand a chance to win a Tech Deck Starter Kit, Build a Park Ramp, Tech Deck 4 Pack Multipack and Tech Deck single finger board compliments of Just Fun Toys and My Spreadsheet Brain. Enter via Instagram following the prompts on the specially marked post.
Please note, giveaway ends on 31 October and the winner will be announced on 1 November. Prize will be couriered to you by Just Fun Toys. Giveaway only open to SA residents.
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Matric Dance celebrations: how big is too big?
Depending on where you grow up, your Matric Dance (aka “prom”) evening can be as simple as “just another night on the town” or as extravagant as a wedding. My brown people usually opt for the latter, going the extra mile with the send off, sparing no expense on draping the dining room (for the photos mos), expensive catering and the hiring of high end luxury vehicles to make that special night that much more special.
It’s a big night – big celebrations must be had! I totally get and support that. But I guess it’s not for everyone. I’ve had chats with people who were like, uhmmm no I’m not spending extra money on this. In fact, my own Matric Dance send off was very NOT over-the-top. There were no gushing family members guzzling down pastries, no hired photographer and guys, I didn’t even have a fancy car waiting outside for me. Was my evening amazing? Well, yes it was. I mean, not having those things didn’t, like, scar me for life.
A simple send off worked quite well for me. But guys, it’s my firstborns Matric Dance this coming weekend and I’m going way bigger than I had planned! (Okay way bigger for me – but maybe not big enough, for some.)Yes, my friends, I’ve morphed into that mother (you know, the next level extra one I spoke about last week) and find myself hiring a 2 meter photo backdrop and arranging a 5 meter string of fairy lights, for the occasion. I also have things like: savory platters, curling custard, after party clothes and “funky socks” on my To Pay For list. Who am I evens?!
Will my family and I wear color-coordinated outfits for the event? Probably. Did I allow Kyle to send out invitations to all his friends and their cats? Definitely. Am I planning to make a long-winded speech, that will most likely end in tears? Without a doubt.
All of a sardine having a simple Matric Dance send off is like, totally ludicrous! MUST. DO. THE. MOST!
Suddenly I want to hire Emo Adams to MC and I want to send everyone home with a party pack. I find myself Googling things like “how to make pyrotechnics” and “how much does it cost to hire a Lamborghini Diablo in Port Elizabeth”. My plans of a simple Matric Ball send off all a forgotten memory as I shop around for a photographer, a videographer and someone who could maybe film a music video because “that hasn’t been done yet.”
Truth be told, a Matric Dance kinda symbolises the end of an era. For the kid it means their adulting days are looming. For the parents: we don’t have to pay school fees anymore (and the crowd goes rah!) and we finally get to see the fruit of our labour. (And by labour I am most definitely referring to the 3 hours worth of homework we have to dohelp with each night.)I mean, hey, I kinda raised this boy all by myself (with help of family members and amazing friends). I paid for expensive schooling, sat through treacherous hours of completing assignments due the next day, helped to memorise facts about South African history that even I didn’t know and attended school “family days” where the only family around was me because his dad lived in a different city and that’s just how single parenting works.
Sure, each family celebrates differently – and that’s okay! But for my boy and I, having a simple Matric Dance send off just wouldn’t make sense if I consider the bumpy roads and the obstacle courses we navigated successfully.
We have a lot to celebrate! And that, my dear, is totally worth draping the dining room, long winded speeches and expensive catering.
Matric 2019 – we made it!
Photo credits:
Header image: Photo by victoria on Unsplash
Pic of Ronelle and I, taken at my wedding by Donna van der Watt
Black and white pic of Kyle and I, taken like, 12 years ago, not sure where -
‘The Little Generosity Shop’ is trading in your toys for chocolates!
Your kid’s have way to many toys. There, I said it. Whaaaat, mine do too. In fact, if you consider the vast number of children, in underprivileged areas, who probably don’t even own a decent pair of shoes on most days, I would say that our kids have a lot more going for them than a banging toy box.
The other day I
madeencouraged my kids to purge their toy box, in a bid to get them to, well, mainly have less crap in my house.But also, I want them to get into the habit of letting go of things that they don’t need, with the intention of teaching them about kindness and generosity. You don’t need to have a lot of moola to sow/invest into another person’s life. Heck, sometimes all you have is love and kindness.
But my point is that the lesson I wanted to teach didn’t involve having lots of stuff. Rather, it involves taking what is in their hands and passing it on to someone that could benefit from it. Often, it’s the smallest things that have the biggest impact.
This is one of the reasons why I love the Cadbury Dairy Milk’s The LIttle Generosity Shop initiative. Man, what a great idea! The Little Generosity Shop aims to bring a little joy to millions of orphaned children across South Africa) by passing on preloved toys, from your children, to them.
I mean, guys, these kids are not exposed to the frivolties that our kids are growing up with. Stuff like books, games and toys are a luxury to them! Healthy play is an important developmental tool for growing kids and I so appreciate that Cadbury Dairy Milk has seen the plight and have now taken it on themselves to collect as many toys as possible.And, I mean, if that is not reason enough to get involved, get this: when you donate your clean, unbroken, preloved toy to the shop, you receive Cadbury Dairy Milk chocolate! How’s that for a score?!
“Through ‘The Little Generosity Shop’, South Africans will have a platform to share the spirit of generosity,” says Lara Sidersky, Mondelez SA Category Lead for Chocolate. “And so, we are urging all South Africans to get together and get behind this wonderful initiative. Together we can all be more generous. Not just by giving a toy to a child in need, but every day, with each other.”
Nelson Mandela Bay, you can visit ‘The Little Generosity Shop’ this coming weekend (15 & 16 June) at Baywest Mall. The shop will be open during mall trading hours.
If you’re in other parts of the country, check out ‘The Little Generosity Shop’ at a shopping center near you:
- Johannesburg: Sandton City, Checkers Court (29 May – 17 June)
- Durban: Gateway Theatre of Shopping, Centre Court (25 June – 8 July)
- Cape Town: Canal Walk Shopping Centre, Centre Court (19 July – 5 August)
The mobile ‘Little Generosity Shop’ will also be visiting:
- Bloemfontein: Loch Logan (7, 8 & 9 June)
- Pretoria: Irene Village Mall (28, 29 & 30 June)
- Nelspruit: Riverside Mall (12, 13 & 14 July)
To find out how to share your generosity, visit www.cadburyglassandahalf.co.za and follow along on @CadburyDairyMilkSA on Facebook or @Cadbury_SA on Twitter and Instagram.
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Telling our kids we are pregnant
When you have as many as we do, you kinda brace yourself when breaking pregnancy news to the kids. Telling our kids we are pregnant was a pretty big deal in our home.
I mean, the older ones help out with the younger ones (thanks Kyle), so a new baby means more smallies to run after. It helps that Kyle is almost 18 and that Seth (who lives with his bio mom anyways) is 13. But you guys, Jo (2) and Kari (4) are a handful on their own. Kari thinks that Jo is a handful too (I know this because she says it). Jo… well, he’s just outchere being cute and cherub-like. But he’s two years old. So I wasn’t sure if #demkids would appreciate the addition of yet another little Williams. And I don’t blame them.
Another child means that time, money and other frivolities will have to be rationed between five whole children now and not just four. Again, I can’t stress enough how helpful it is (such a weird thing to be thankful for) that the older boys have whole other families in their lives. I mean, it eases the load, if you know what I mean. But we still need to consider things like one on one time (dating your kids is a real thing), the paying of school fees, making sure they are clothed and fed and other important stuff like that. Oh and the WiFi. Someone needs to pay for the WiFi.
The thought of one more can be extremely overwhelming. I totally have moments where I’m like “aaack, I’m having another baby, am I CRAZY?!” Of corse, those moments are few and far between the more predominant moments of “Oh my goodness, I’m having another baby, heart melt!”
I get it. It’s alot with to deal with mentally… well, for me atleast, and I’m their MOTHER. So let’s just say we were a bit wary when breaking the news to the kids.
We waited a very long time before we told them. Well, we waited a long time before we told anyone. Mainly because of health reasons (wanted to be sure that we’re in the safe zone first) but also because we wanted to keep the information to ourselves (you can read the reasons why over here).
When we finally told #demkids we were kinda stunned at their responses.For starters, Kari (who had been the “mommy please have another baby” champion in our home since December) was completely overwhelmed at the news. In fact, she had no words. Our girl. The outspoken one. She was silent. It took her a while to absorb the information, but once it hit home, she was a ball of energy planning out her journey, as a big sister, in detail.
Jonah… well, he was being his cute and cherub-like self. Also, he’s two. We didn’t really expect him to understand.
The older boys were a lot more optimistic than we had expected you guys! I mean, the immediate debate was that the child must either be named Kyle Seth Williams or Seth Kyle Williams. But I gladly encouraged it, because it meant that they were not running around, pulling their hair out at the news.
Both boys were kinda nonchalant about it though. They say that they have enough siblings to know what goes down when another is added to O Town (see what I did there) and they feel that they are ready for it.
All in all a good response, I think. I know. I’m still in shock. I mean, they handled it better than some of the adults we know. So that’s something right there.
Anyways, with that said, we’re still super excited (me, still super overwhelmed sometimes) and really looking forward to doing life with our crazy, big family! Big families are the best! And we be havin’ it! Somebody give me a high five, immediately.
(Watch a very short kids response video below.. recording stopped mid-way through the big reveal, don’t know how that happened. )
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Living with teenagers can be annoying!
If you’re the parent of a small kid, or, in my case, a gang of small kids, and you’re thinking that your life is “woes” right now, allow me to bring some clarity to the situation. This level of “woesness” is nothing compared to when your tiny angels are full grown adults, who have opinions of their own.
(Disclaimer, if you’ve come here for advice, move along Jackie. But if you’re looking for a kindred heart who has had to stop herself from, you know, throwing shoes and cutlery at her grown son, then welcome friend! This post is for us.)
No one makes me as angry as my 17 year old son does. His newly developed sense of self annoys me. There, I said it. And the thing is this parents, I shouldn’t be annoyed. I should be nurturing, supportive, helpful. But nope, I find myself super annoyed every single day. And hey, I own it. I’m the one being annoyed. He’s the one simply being a teenage boy. So I’m not saying I’m right. But I am saying that… heck yeah, I’m annoyed!
Well, for starters, I’m annoyed at his decision making skills (or lack thereof), at his endless “Mom, can I” requests, at his demanding nature when he feels that he is entitled to something.
I’m annoyed at how opinionated he is… teenagers believe that they are experts in every field. They are also not open to reason or new ideas. My son, in particular, believes that he knows it all! He loves a good debate and I can flip my biscuit lid when he tries to get into it with me!
He has no filter and will say exactly what he is feeling/thinking, which irks me! And guys, be warned: this new generation of teen knows about freedom of speech and believe that they can practice this in the comfort of their homes!
I’m super annoyed when he does his own thing, even after I have
given instructionoffered advice. Worse than that is when he disagrees with me silently, but then goes along with what I’ve asked him to do, with a grudge on his shoulder, mumbling his discontentment under his breath. Or when he responds to my requests with a question, as if we’re on Felicia Mabuza-Suttle and he’s interviewing me. “Are we seriously going to do this right now?” and “So you really want me to do this now?”The typical teenage lack of urgency and consideration annoys me like nobody’s business! We can be running late for work/school, and the kid will continue to move at snail pace, as if nothing in the world matters except how he perfectly executes the application of his school shoe. Like, seriously, catch a wake up!
But more than all of this, I’m annoyed that he is growing up and becoming his own person. I don’t like this… not one bit!
I guess a lot of the annoyance comes from the fact that I can’t “control” him anymore… well, not like you would a younger child who still relies on you for everything. He doesn’t rely on me for everything. And soon (once he’s out of the house, with a fam of his own) he might not rely on me for anything, at all! And that annoys the living daylights out of me and I don’t know how to make it stop.
The truth is, I love this annoying teenage child of mine so much. He’s the one who graduated me into mommydom when I was still a teen myself. He was my “ride or die” when I was a single mother, trying to make ends meet (like a Julia Roberts movie). He’s the one I first dreamed big dreams for and the kid that I put my whole life aside for, as I tried to navigate the choppy waters of young adulthood. And now he is almost an adult too. And I’m annoyed.
Is it irrational? Probably. Should I know better? Yep. Can I be a better parent? Always. Reminding myself that I’m actually raising someones dad, husband, boss, friend, helps me to remember how important this season is and how much influence I have, even though he pretends that he doesn’t care what I have to say. So for now, I say a prayer, swallow my annoyance and try to be the adult that I want him to grow into.
And yes, I guess that means no throwing shoes at him. Dammit.
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Moms, have you heard about the ‘Fiver Party’ trend?
What if I told you that “no gift parties” are the new in thing? Yes, I’m being serious. Okay, let’s start at the beginning. Hands up, if you’ve been to more kid’s parties in one year, than you’ve been to actual, grown up parties. In fact, taking your children to birthday parties is high up on the list of standard “things to do when you’re a parent”. But the thing is this, guys, it can get quite pricey if you’re attending copious amounts of birthday parties on the regular!
Well, one genius mom came up with the “Fiver Party” concept and it’s now trending in America and Canada.
A Fiver Party is basically a birthday party where all guests are encouraged to bring money ($5) towards a big ticket present that the birthday boy/girl’s parents would buy. Yes, you heard me Margaret. Instead of trekking to the shops to find that reasonably priced (but it doesn’t look too cheap, ya know?) gift, you can literally chuck some cash into a cute birthday card and take that along with you to the party.
Moms, all around the world, have expressed mixed emotions with regards to this concept. I mean, think about it. How would you feel about taking a R50 note to a birthday party, instead of a gift? Some are calling it tacky. Other’s say that it just doesn’t feel right to go with nothing but the cash. Other moms include cute stickers or a sweet treat, with the moola…. just so that it doesn’t feel empty.
But the vast majority love the idea! In fact, many of them are choosing to have Fiver Parties for their own kids! They say that their children have way too many toys already and it’s a brilliant idea to be able to put all the cash together to buy one big ticket item that the child really wants.
I have mixed emotions about it though. I mean, for starters, some moms just feel awkward about asking guests to bring money to their kid’s birthday party. But also, I really love the intention that goes behind every little birthday gift. My one friend made the cutest little bow-bedecked socks for Kari’s birthday last year. Another friend knew that she loves tutu skirts, and that’s what they got her. Kari was over the moon! Another friend gifted her with awesome reading books, that we’re still using today. I’m a sentimental at heart and I love that we can use these things and know that they were gifted with love.
BUT I’m not totally opposed to a Fiver Party. I love the convenience. It’s money smart (especially if the child is a bit older and is willing to save or invest the cash into something worthwhile). It’s also a great way to ensure that your kid isn’t focused on getting as much as possible… nipping that materialistic spirit in the bud. Besides who wants piles and piles of unused toys in their house, right? Your Fiver Party can even fund an experience (a trip to a cool destination or maybe an adventure that your child has always wanted to try).
Anyways, here’s where you come in, friends. What do you think about the Fiver Party concept? Let me know in the comments section below.
If you’re keen to host a Fiver Party, but not sure how to ask your guests for cash instead of a gift, you can use one of the samples below:
Sample 1
This is a NO GIFTS party, since we’re trying to help (NAME) focus on the joy of spending time with friends, rather than on receiving gifts. For those who would still like to bless (NAME) you’re welcome to gift him with no more than R50 that he can put towards something special he’s saving for.
Sample 2
Please note that gifts are not required. If you would like to give one, you are welcome to help (NAME) buy that big gift that he has his eye on. You can pop your card and cash gift into the gift box at the party.
Sample 3
This is a NO GIFTS party. Instead, (NAME) is proud to be able to raise money for his favorite charity. (NAME) will use half of the money collected to buy a small gift for himself and then donate the rest to (CHARITY NAME).
Sample 4
(NAME) is having a fiver party! She is saving for a (BIG TICKET GIFT) so if you choose to bring a gift, she would appreciate a R50 in a card.
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5 reasons why you need to stop asking me to have another baby
It’s no secret, we have more children than members of Destiny’s Child. I mean, if you told me a couple of years ago that my reign in the ‘Single Mommy Hood’ would be short-lived and replaced with a full on explosion of many children, I would’ve laughed at you. But years later, here I sit stretch mark bedecked and permanently exhausted due to the fact that I seem to enjoy buying nappies. (Kidding) And yet, people still ask me when I’m popping out the next little Williams. Bless their hearts. But seriously guys, you need to stop asking me to have another baby. Here’s why:
Mommy incubator
I am more than just my ovaries, you guys! I must admit, having Jo and Kari so close after each other has taken a serious toll on my body. Like, I have problems that were not problems before. But, health aside, I also miss the superficial things. You know, like being able to fit into basically every item of clothing that I owned pre-Karis. As much as I love being pregnant (and I don’t take this gift for granted at all), after popping out 3 kids, I definitely love being not pregnant a whole lot more.School fees
Consider paying school fees for one child. Now multiply that by 4. That is all.
(Hahahaha, joking, that isn’t all. We also have to buy food and clothes and pay for extra murals and medical aid and trips to the movies. Joy.)Quality time, shmality time
The last time I held my husbands hand was last week when he had to pull me up from the bathroom floor, because I slipped on someone’s something. It’s the toys, you guys! They’ve taken over my house! But besides for that, there is ALWAYS something that needs to be picked up, or cleaned, or sorted out. I miss the days where my Hubstopher and I could be romantic on the couch, without like, a Barbie doll staring at me, in judgement and disdain.Car seat ooh na na
So if you have many children and only one car, consider what that means if you’re wanting all of them to be buckled in safely and correctly at the same time. It has seriously become a huge problem for us. I know… buy a bigger car. Sure thing, Scrooge McDuck, let me quickly take a swim through my many fortunes and gather some money to do this. #realtalk #reallife #goawaySomebody call Dr Phil…
I don’t want to give my children issues, okay? We try to make all four of them feel loved and noticed and important. It’s no small feat, yo. I mean, Kari is a little jealous if Jo gets too much attention. And then Seth only sleeps over on weekends, so he should surely get as much attention as possible right? But then, Kyle is now in full blown teenager mode and we don’t want to make him feel left out. Its cray cray, ya’ll! Add one more to this mix? Uhhh…I do believe we have reached maximum capacity. I mean, we may have our hands full, but we’re managing somehow. (God. It has to be God.) And yes, I definitely do want to consider adopting at some point (in the far, far future), but as for right now? We’re good, thanks.
Header image taken by Cutepix Photography For more, check out their website.
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Jonah’s first birthday nautical cake smash photo shoot
Learning that I was pregnant with our Jo came as a huge surprise. Let’s just say he was the sweetest surprise, out of all our surprises (another post, for another day). So when it came to celebrating his first birthday, I knew without a doubt that I needed to do a cake smash session with Michelle of Cutepix. Do you guys remember that Michelle took Jo’s newborn pics and Kari’s carnival themed cake smash? Anyways, I chatted to Michelle about having a first birthday nautical cake smash session and was THRILLED to hear that she still sources and makes all the props for the shoot AND she makes the cake. Seriously, all we had to do was rock up and smile. The result? Priceless! Check it out:
