Preparing for Mothering

I think I started getting ready to be a mother at a very early age. Of course, being the eldest of 5 was a large factor. I don't think I was much help to my mom at first, though, since my sister was born two weeks (to the day) before my first birthday, and our first brother was here 13 months later. But by the time #2 brother came when I was 5, perhaps I was able to help a bit. More later about my youngest brother, who was born when I was 10.

I love this picture of me looking adoringly at my doll - definitely not a baby doll, but loved indeed as perhaps a toddler.


A bit older, the same look of love for a new baby doll -- sorry, Brother B, it seems you are waiting in vain for a ride in that wagon.




My sis and I had a great time playing Mommy. We probably did it with real babies, too, but I mostly remember playing dolls. We had so much fun changing their clothes, feeding them, putting them to bed. We also had many paper dolls and working with their beautiful wardrobes was such fun. We never had Barbies, and I never got them for Kristen - I didn't like their bodies, and their clothes and shoes were just way too tiny. (Her girls have so many of that type of dolls and most of them are undressed most of the time - point taken.)

One of my most vivid memories - we weren't allowed to take our dolls to church, though we desperately wanted them to be there - I'm sure it was for the spiritual training they would have received ;-) But "no" meant "no", so we improvised. We had no nursery or children's church in those small congregations. We would stack two hymnals beside us, then take a third one, open the front cover so that it was leaning against the back of the pew, and pretend it was our child (are you envisioning this scenario?) Then we would spend the service patting them, shushing them, sometimes probably paddling them a bit. I'm not sure how much we actually got out of Dad's sermon - in fact, I'm wondering how our mom got anything out of any service with 5 kids and no nursery or children's church!

I was 10 years old when my youngest brother was born. I wanted him to be a girl, so that the girls would outnumber the boys. But, alas, it was not meant to be. I remember going for a long walk and pouting the day he was born. But how wrong I was - he was so much fun and we all spoiled him rotten. I spent a lot of time caring for him when Mom and Dad went calling on parishioners. We had a special bond - he didn't like it, though, when he got older and I would tease him that I used to change his diapers.

Interestingly, and ironically, I did not enjoy babysitting at all. I liked and needed the money, but just wanted to be home in my own house. My sister often ended up winning my sitting jobs away from me - I would ask if she could sub for me if I had something else going on when the mom called. They would never call me back - she was much better at playing with them while I wanted them to go to bed so I could read! In college, I decided taking babysitting jobs from people I didn't know wasn't a great way to spend an evening. That was when I began typing papers for people instead - a skill I was much better suited for.

I doubt that any of this playing with dolls really prepared us for the hard work that is motherhood. But I do know that I was eager to be a real live mom. Mothering is probably one of the very hardest jobs in the world, and it doesn't end when they go away, as all of you know.

But I want to wish all of you a very Happy Mother's Day! May all of your good memories inhabit this week-end of celebration for this "job" God has given us.

NOTE: Tonight (Friday) our Cambodian family, which I wrote about HERE, is flying in to spend the week-end with us. What a wonderful blessing, and I will definitely be sharing our adventures with you next week.

Friday Show and Tell - and Twin Update

This is #4 in my series called "I Used To . . . " It has been fun going down memory lane and realize how very creative I used to be. I hope you're enjoying it too.


When I was in 6th grade, the Hong Kong flu hit the country, and our town and school did not escape. I was fortunate and didn't get it for some reason. But there were many kids missing from school every day. Our teacher didn't want all the kids to get so behind in math and other subjects, so she slowed way down on academics for a couple of weeks and decided to teach us to knit. She somehow supplied us each with cotton yarn, with which we learned to make dish cloths. They were to be Christmas gifts for our moms. Then she had everyone bring in their yarn scraps (of which I had none, and no money to buy any - and I didn't want to spoil the surprise by asking for money from Mom!). Someone supplied me with some odds and ends and we learned to make little pin cushions - very much like this picture (isn't it amazing what you can find on Google?):



In the 8th grade, I had a great home ec. teacher who was an expert knitter - she made lovely Norwegian sweaters with intense, amazing patterns. I don't really remember what we knitted, but I learned to purl that year.

As the years went by, I didn't knit too often until college when I decided to make a sweater for my boyfriend. This guy was incredibly tall and skinny, and I'll never forget how the sweater turned out - the arms were so long they looked like they belonged to an orangutan. I learned that I knitted too loosely.

I didn't knit again until I was in my thirties. I made myself a cute sleeveless sweater. But I found this wonderful pattern for an outfit for Kristen. I have to say I am really proud of this outfit, and her girls have been able to wear it, too - but no pictures, surprisingly. This picture was taken on Kev's 2nd birthday.

At some point I decided to teach myself to crochet. I can't remember which came first - but I think it was the shawl. I still have it and wore it to church the other day - they seem to be back in vogue. I made the little furry coat Kristen is wearing - but I bought the little crocheted hat at a craft show.

I'll never forget when I started this afghan - I had to tear out the first several rows and do them over again - I got a terrible crick in my neck. Kevin had just received an ant farm for his birthday - he heard me complaining about the crick in my neck and he said, "Mommy has crickets and I have ants!" Priceless memory. (Don't you love the Alfred E. Neumann grin?)

I'm wearing the sleeveless sweater I mentioned above.

I have not knitted or crocheted since. Maybe someday!

The twins are growing and changing every day. They are blowing bubbles, talking to each other, smiling and laughing. They're drooling gallons every day - could they be teething already??

For more Friday Show and Tell stories, stop by Kelli's blog, There Is No Place Like Home.

Yikes!! Today I must complete the procedures manual - one week with the new guy and I'm out the door!

Happy Mother's Day!!

My First Mother's Day, 1975

Wearing the first of many mother-daughter outfits which I so enjoyed making.

How about that 70's polyester plaid suit on DC? Of course, Kristen's and my outfits were polyester double knit as well.

Every year the Women's Ministries of our church provides us with wonderful fellowship opportunities. We have many talented women, who give of themselves selflessly. One of those occasions is the Mother's Day Tea. The men serve us and it is such a treat. I wish I had taken pictures of the lovely finger foods. Everything was delicious.

Don't you just love this bow tie?

This is our dear pastor doing his part.

Before we were served, we had a tongue-in-cheek lesson in proper tea party etiquette.

My mother-in-law, my sister-in-law, and her daughter-in-law.

Ruth is on the left - the Ruth you prayed for when she had surgery two weeks ago. She is doing so well. My sister is in the pink jacket, and her daughter-in-law is on her left.

My dear mom.

And, of course, Grandma Dawn with Kate and Emma. Their mommy and sisters weren't at the tea, because they were celebrating Feisty's birthday at the amusement park in Denver, along with the two grandpas.

I hope you all have a wonderful Mother's Day!