Motherhood Is An Education

I recently heard a talk that gave me cause for reflection on the role of Motherhood.

I am consistently amazed when I pause to think about all that I have learned in just eight years of being a mother.  It is an inspiring calling that requires endless diligence, energy, enthusiasm, compassion, organization, humility, and patience.  Did I mention patience?  

"Motherhood is the ideal opportunity for life long learning.  Mother and child learn and grow together at a remarkable pace.  It is exponential, not linear."

Here is the beginning of an endless list of what you learn:

    

     Child Development

     Nutrition

     Health Care

     Physiology

     Psychology

     Nursing with medical research and care

     Educational Tutoring in:

     Math, Science, Geography, Literature, English & Foreign Languages

     Development of Talents such as:

    Music, Athletics, Dance, Public Speaking

"A mothers opportunity for life long learning is universal.  Don't ever sell yourself short as a woman or a mother." 

"It never ceases to amaze me that a woman is in a form of servitude, and does not allow her to develop her talents.  Nothing, absolutely nothing could be further from the truth."

I have always been grateful for what I learned in college.  It gives me peace of mind that I would be prepared to go out into the work field should our family circumstances require it.  It also allows me to serve others in ways that not everyone can, through Graphic Design and Art.   I am also more confident to home school my children because of it.  However, I have come to realize that I have done far more learning in my role as a mother than I ever did in a University. 

Motherhood is noble if we treat it as such.  It can be as little or as much as we make it to be.  HAPPY MOTHERS DAY (soon) to my Mom.  She set the example of what a "stay at home mom" can be.  It took sacrifice, determination, and a lot of prayer. Thanks Mom.  

This is my favorite picture of Motherhood.  When Corneila is asked where her jewels are, she points to her children.  They are her prized possession.

BE INSPIRED:  This is the talk from Elder Robert D. Hales called "The Journey of Lifelong Learning" for BYU Education Week.  August 19, 2008.       http://byubms.byu.edu/devo/2008/08/devo08192008.mp4

Tea Party South Florida

We went to two Tea Parties Yesterday.  The Boca Party was very low key.  We were quite popular with people taking our picture, as I brought all my kids.  

The Fort Lauderdale Party was much better.  We had a sleeping toddler, so we decided to drive up and down the block with a huge American Flag out our window, and this poster that said:

"Honk If I'm Paying Your Mortgage!"

It was amazing how popular our car was.  As soon as our sign was read, the crowd burst into applause and cheers.  

It was a good lesson for my kids to be a part of.  Freedom of Speech.  Now, lets see if the men on the hill listen.

Click here to see pictures of

The Boca Tea Party.

Horseback riding lessons?

Okay, so about a year ago I was at the Dentist, and after hearing about all of his ski trips that he likes to go on to Utah, just for the weekend, I saw a picture of his daughter during a horseback riding lesson, and I thought... oh man, what luxury are my fillings going to buy his family this time?  

Skip ahead a year now, to Christmas, and my daughter, age 8, decides that the only thing she really wants is a few horseback riding lessons.  Easy enough.  Nothing to clutter the house, and she'll learn something.  A little pricey, but we'll see how it goes.  

We've now been to 3 lessons, and all I can say is that I love them.  I feel like we're getting so much more than just lessons out of the whole experience.  She's learning to groom and take care of the horse, learn good posture while riding, is not being so timid around animals, and her teacher is very encouraging and helps her know that it takes lots of practice to get good at something.  We're also getting a one on one experience with a beautiful horse.  

My boys absolutely love running around in the dirt, (which is so foreign to our techno based home life).  They have a pig, cats, and a dog that all run around loose.  It's like visiting a farm, that is more than happy to explain all the little things that go on there.  I feel like we've received a class just for my boys for free from all the things they're learning from it.  Today we watched the horses get their shoes replaced, and get haircuts.  Totally cool and educational to watch.  They gave them the worn out shoes to take home, and some of the trimmings that we wanted to look at under a microscope to see what they're all about.  It was such an intimate setting also, which made the learning even more fun.

Also, my kids are so motivated to go.  They bring homework in the car, and are willing to do extra stuff around the help, because of the high of being around horses.  I LOVE IT!

Would I say it is worth it?  Absolutely.  The price up front is a choker... but you get so much more out of it than just lessons.  I think it is something worth sacrificing for.  We'll see how long the "horseback high" lasts...  hopefully long enough to build self confidence, and create a child who's willing to take on hard things and finish them.

So, pretty much, I'm re-thinking all of those judgmental thoughts that I had about my dentist's daughter.  I think I just needed to walk in their shoes a bit to see that it is really a worth while adventure.