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Wednesday, April 29, 2015

Zuzu’s room has been very neglected since moving here. It is all function and no fun. I have thought about doing a circus themed room based on this lovely Maileg toy the girls got for Christmas a couple years ago, but haven’t done much yet. The other day as I was watching Zuzu play with...

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May We Help

Monday, April 27, 2015

Lamp with Paul, one the engineers on the project Someone’s got a new set of wheels and she’s really excited. Lamp has been a power chair driving diva for over 3 years now and long time readers may remember my original hesitancy with bring her power chair home. Now her chair blends in as much...

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Forget What You Know

Friday, April 24, 2015

In lieu of a spotlight today I’d like to share this really incredible TedTalk that was given by a 14 year old prodigy by the name of Jacob Barnett, who is currently on his way to a PhD in quantum physics. When Jacob was 2 years old he was diagnosed with severe autism and his...

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Intentional Parenting

Wednesday, April 22, 2015

What are your really trying to teach your kids? The thought came to me suddenly as I was getting ready for bed last night. The follow up question even more pressing than the first, And are you actually teaching them these things? See Lamp had left some toys in my room last night and as...

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Victoria BlanchardApril 22, 2015 - 1:38 pm
Love this post. So great. I've been a fan of intentionality for about 10 years—ever since I read William Doherty's "The Intentional Family." He is an incredibly well-respected marriage and family therapist and researcher. This book talks about how families can make ritualize that help them enact the values they want to promote in family life. If nothing else, the chapter on Christmas (he gives attention to a lot of specific holidays and events in addition to day-to-day family life) is a must-read for everyone with a family who celebrates Christmas. ReplyCancel
- MigonApril 22, 2015 - 2:03 pm
  I'll have to check that book out–thanks for the recommendation. I like the idea of intentionality centering around rituals or traditions. Thanks!
  (ps–also thanks for your comments in the post re: the Talk… as I was out of town I didn't have the chance to respond like I wanted but I read each and every persons comments…you had some great insights). ReplyCancel
Leah ValeraApril 22, 2015 - 2:57 pm
One of the things I am trying to teach my girls is that their feelings matter. As the eighth child out of nine I was constantly told by siblings and my parents to "just get over it" and "grow a thicker skin". This led to now, as an adult, constantly feeling like my opinions, my feelings and thoughts don't matter and aren't valid. I want to validate my daughters feelings. I want them to know that it is okay to be mad or sad when things don't go their way. I let them be mad or sad, and validate those feelings. That doesn't mean I let her do everything she wants, or let her scream or have fits, but I do let her have her feelings, while teaching her how to control her actions. This is one of the hardest things I have to teach.

I also follow Celebrate Calm on Facebook, and listen to the parenting CDs. The founder is Kirk Martin, and I love what he says about parenting. ReplyCancel
- MigonApril 22, 2015 - 8:17 pm
  Leah–I hear you on that one. I also try really hard to treat my children with respect as individuals and not treat them like they're "just kids" and therefore making their opinions and anything else they have to say silly and unimportant. We're not really raising kids, we're raising adults. And thanks for the FB and CD recommendation…I could stand to learn how to celebrate calm.
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debbyApril 22, 2015 - 6:38 pm
there are three big things that i want for my children:

1. i want them to be hard workers
2. i want them to be kind
3. i want them to be spiritually self reliant

i've had those goals long before any of them were born and think about them often as i parent. i hope that they will help me to pick the right battles as i get into the teenage years. i also like the third item on your list and i think i'll add it to my own (merriee brown boyack talks about family identity in her book, "the parenting breakthrough," which i recommend). i like the reminder to be more intentional about cultivating these characteristics and will have to think up some concrete ways to teach the principles i'm hoping to instill in my kids.

also, i'm totally with you on the clean house. i can't function well as a mom when my environment is out of control.ReplyCancel
- MigonApril 22, 2015 - 8:18 pm
  Yes to #1! I do think that is something my mom instilled in me… so thank goodness for that. And glad I'm not the only mom who needs more clean than chaos. ReplyCancel
Grandma HoneyApril 22, 2015 - 6:54 pm
Great post. When I was a young parent there were certain things I wanted to do differently than from my childhood….something I think most all parents think about. However, I read somewhere about that time a quote that went something like this: "Sometimes we are so busy trying to give our kids what we didn't have as a child, that we neglect to give them the good we DID have." That made me re-evaluate my priorities. Sometimes when our bucket is full in some areas…we don't think much about it…we can take for granted all the little things our parents did for us, and forget to make those good things priorities in our own parenting. Just my thoughts.ReplyCancel
- MigonApril 22, 2015 - 8:19 pm
  GH–I totally agree with you. I think it can be very harmful to be reactionary in our parenting, especially when it comes to the things we didn't like as kids. We do need to be thoughtful about both the good and the bad. And I think most of us can find at least a few things our parents did right. 😉 Good thoughts. ReplyCancel
- TamaraApril 28, 2015 - 9:11 am
  Hi, I just wanted to chime in and say yes, yes! I find myself with two little ones outside of my home country and far from my family. They know nothing of where I come from, and it has become really important for me to let my family come through me when I can. Through songs, stories, traditions, but also through some of the negative bits. When I lose my temper and say something that makes me feel like I'm turning into my mom, I may check myself, but also I try to be okay with it, because maybe it means they get to know her a little bit, too. ReplyCancel
TamraApril 23, 2015 - 2:06 am
I definitely try to intentionally be me every day of my life. It's really important to me that I wake up every day and choose the life that I have. But being an intentional parent is somehow never on my radar. I'm more of a "Hey! I'm living my life and trying to learn how to love better. Sounds like a crazy adventure. Wanna join me?" type of parent. Not much to feel guilty about, and not much to even be specifically intentional about.

Also, I'm lazy. And that helps. 🙂ReplyCancel
Penelope RoseApril 24, 2015 - 8:39 pm
Do you read 71 Toes? Shawni talks a lot about "deliberate parenting" in a way that is totally relatable and understandable. My family is not LDS, but since my girls were tiny I have put a lot of Shawni's practices into use.ReplyCancel
MillieApril 24, 2015 - 8:47 pm
I really relate to what you're saying and it also opened my eyes to something. I have always made my two older girls pick up after themselves and even help pick up other household messes, but I never make my youngest clean up after herself. She has CF, but she is perfectly capable of picking up her toys and paper scraps (she does a lot of collages) herself. I have to stop babying her and let her help out around the house like her sisters do. Thank you Miggy for bringing this to my attention!ReplyCancel

Special Needs Spotlight || ‘Tough Guy’

Friday, April 17, 2015

Hi! We are the Snigs! Despite being a fairy introverted, quiet person, my husband and children bring me out of my shell. We love having family and friends over to hang out any day of the week and our house is a bit loud, somewhat crazy, but always fun. My husband Dan and I met...

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An Addendum to our Texas Vacation

Thursday, April 16, 2015

On our flight home from San Antonio, Lamp and I sat next to a nice, semi-chatty lady. I mean she was the right amount of chatty–she gets to know you a little, asks a few questions, and just when you worry you might be subjected to a 2 hour in depth, life story type of...

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I Left My Heart in Texas

Monday, April 13, 2015

Dinner at Rodeo Goat in Dallas. Great burgers and ambiance if you’re in the ‘hood. OK, not really. (NOT REALLY B!) I need to shout that so B knows I don’t mean it. My heart, as always, belongs wherever my family is. But I left some of my very best friends in Texas, which is...

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