 |
| The amazing fall colors in New England |
Two weeks ago I packed myself up and flew out to Boston. I met my friend Sarah at the airport, we picked up our rental car and drove 2 hours North into beautiful little Wolfeborro, New Hampshire.
 |
| This is the fabulous group of women I spent the weekend getting to know |
For quite some time Sarah and I have followed a blog called
Seventy-One Toes by Shawni Pothier. Following 71 Toes lead us to some parenting books written by her parents, Richard and Linda Eyre, such as, "Three Steps to a Strong Family." We were also lead to
The Power of Moms website. This organization is co-lead by one of Shawni's sisters Saren. Sarah and I spend a lot of time debating the ups and downs of parenthood. We discuss everything from snack ideas to discipline strategies. These websites have given us a lot of inspiration and talking points.
 |
| The house we met at was right on a lake... simply stunning! |
When the Power of Moms announced their fall retreat in New England Sarah and I jumped on it. I can honestly say it was one of the greatest things I've done not only for me but more so for our family. I drank in all that was said, took copious notes and am still in a haze trying to decipher it all. I am a "Yes" person by nature so it's hard not to want to do it all right away. I am working on being content with the fact that everything is written down and I have to take baby steps because although my family is very supportive of all these great changes - everything takes time!
 |
| The Archibalds raised 7 sons and 1 daughter here in the summer time! Now they gather with their large family a few times during the year and fill the 9 bedroom house to the brim. |
I had so many people ask me how it was when I returned. I did talk my mom's ear off but I don't quite know what to say to others. Here is a glimpse of what I came away with. You'll notice that some are concrete DELIBERATE mothering ideas and others are more an attitude or way of thinking...
My take away...
-We miss the joy in life when we are overloaded. Rid your life of "joy suckers."
-Be Deliberate ... spend one hour each week deciding what is important and preparing for the week
-I set the tone for our day
-Two dinner time questions... What was something you learned today? What did you do for someone else today?
-We DO make a difference in how our children turn out
-Motherhood is NOT a chore to be endured but a gift to be cherished
-What children see reflected in our eyes is how they del about themselves. Do your eyes light up when they walk into the room?
-Mind Organization for Moms System... an entire life organization model
-An effective family is like an organization with a purpose, leadership, an economy, rules/guidelines, feedback and a culture/traditions.
-If things are important to your spouse than they should be important to you!
-Sit down with your husband and decide what and who you want your children to become. Let this guide all of your parental decisions.
-How to create and run a family legal system... sounds kind of stuffy but is awesome!
-A 2 years olds cognitive ability comes before their will power.
-Expect arguments to happen with children. Between 2 and 4 years children, on average, argue 6.3 times per hour.
-How to run an effective family meeting.
-What a Family Economy is and what it teaches children.
-How important a Family Culture is. It is what bonds a family together and builds confidence.
-Traditions should be simple, deliberate and an important part of a family culture.
-No one is PERFECT but you are the PERFECT mom for YOUR children!
So you can probably see why I am overwhelmed with joy at all that I took away but I am also overwhelmed with wanting to implement it all. I feel so lucky that I had Sarah with me. She is an amazing mom and such a great friend. I rely on her a lot when I am frustrated with things, when I want to share a silly kid story or if I just need a little pick me up during the day. We talked so much about wanting to keep this feeling alive and wanting to not stick our notebooks in the corner and a few months from now wonder if our going away was worth it.
 |
| Sarah and Sarah :) |
So Sarah and I are dedicated to staying in touch. We may start a virtual mothering group that meets once a month online with some Power of Moms materials and we talk daily through email and texting. I feel confident that we can help each other become the best mommies that we are capable of and raise families that we are proud of and children who are contributing, confident, loving individuals.... who love coming home to their mommies even when they are older. :)
Thanks Power of Moms for helping give me tools to take my family where I envision us going and also Sarah for never judging but always supporting me on this journey.
Thank you Sarah and Saren for the pictures!
