Whats Separation Anxiety?

I am almost serious when i ask that question. Really separation anxiety is not something that i have had to deal with at all. Both Leighton and I came up with this understanding when she was born that we would love a lot when we were together and play hard when we were away. Okay not really but that is how it seems. My little Leighton is a social butterfly, whats the biggest butterfly there is? Maybe one from the rain forest. A queen bird wing or something like that, that is what she is. I can't believe i am going to post this on the internet, but that girl has no problem walking away with a total stranger. She loves everyone for the most part and really loves spending time with her cousins, friends and other family. Even her first week in nursery or first time being baby sat (at 3 weeks) she was like "see ya mom don't come back anytime soon." The lack of anxiety makes me a little sad at times but it is also a huge relief. I have spent several long weekends and even an entire week away and i knew she was alright. I hear a lot of moms say "well i am a stay at home mom so its really hard for my child to leave me." Maybe, maybe not. Personally I feel like a lot of it is in the parents attitude. I make it easy for both of us. Give me a quick kiss, have lots of fun, I will see you soon. I started our goodbyes like this since the beginning. I also really push building relationships with people outside of our home. Our girls love their grandparents, they have friends, we are social and out of the house regularly. All of these things will help them in the long run with whatever separation we may go through and the anxieties that can go with it. Sorry i can't be more help on the subject. I know it is a real thing, I know most children experience it as well as mothers and I hope that with all of the link ups today there is a lot of great advice on how to deal.

Dealing with separation anxiety can be tough for any mama.  Be sure to check out the other mamas in our series for their helpful posts.  If you've got a post on separation anxiety, don't forget to link it up with us below!

Like a Morning Cup of Coffee// From Here to Eternity// The Not Quite Military Wife//

A Cowboy's Life// My Delicious Adventure// Sadie Sky Boutique// Meet the Sullivan's//

Love and Life//  Foxy's Domestic Side// Everyday Love// Life of Faith

July 10:  Keeping your marriage alive with a toddler

July 17:  Favorite summer toddler activities

July 24:  Helping Your Toddler to Communicate (Words, emotions, etc.)

July 31:  Dealing with Separation Anxiety

Aug 7:    Car Trip Necessities

Aug 14:  Deciding when the time is right for baby #2 (and/or how to handle these questions)

Aug 21:  Tricks for eating out with your toddler

Aug 28:  Feeling confident as a mom (How to feel this way, Your struggle with, etc.)

An InLinkz Link-up

Summer Favorites- Did Someone Say Sale?

It is still July and already the back to school sales are in full bloom. I would be lying if i said i wasn't on constant sale watch mode and I may or may not have put a few online orders in already. You see i am in middle of redoing my office, starting up a new business and well I just love to shop. The Nordstrom Anniversary Sale has almost been the death of my credit card but since we are being smart shoppers this year... its paid off already. Here are my favorites so far and if you haven't hit up the Nordstrom sale, what are you waiting for?! It ends August 4th and believe me you don't want to miss it.

Nordstrom Anniversary Sale

Motivate Me Monday- Realize You Are Blessed

Kaden and I have been struggling to find answers to some of the thoughts consuming our minds lately. All i have wanted to feel was peace and to know we can make hard decisions and that what we choose is right. Answers to prayers are not always so simple. Sometimes they are just plain hard and frustrating and there is not just one right answer. So with a leap of faith we think we have decided on what kind of life we want and how to go about obtaining it. Only time will tell how things will turn out but for now we are happy. After a long week of frustrating conversations and what not we took a much needed trip to our cabin and it hit me... sometimes you just need a break to remember you are already so blessed. Stepping out of our routine reminded me that i have everything i need. A husband who can frustrate me to no end but loves me more and more every day, even with all of my faults. Two beautiful daughters who are my world, the seconds in my days and almost all the joy that fills my heart. Nothing else matters except for them. Our lives are right and good as long as we are together. So my friends I hope this motivates you. Step out of your routine and count your blessings. They are there, your life is beautiful and even the most humbling of circumstances is filled with a life so worth loving.

How Do You Feel?

This weeks link up is all about how we get our toddlers to communicate. Sometimes I think that Leighton and I had this down a lot better when she was 1 and couldn't speak. When Leighton was about 8 months old I started teaching her baby sign language and she really caught on to it around 10 months and she has been speaking in some form or another ever since. Now that my 2 year is as sensitive and dramatic as a 14 year old the biggest thing i am trying to teach her how to properly express her emotions. This one is hard for me, sometimes i want to place her in her room and tell her we don't cry, ever. She is a crying fool. Really Leighton can drop a pouty lip, watery eyes and heart wrenching scream at the drop of a hat. I usually have to tell myself to stay calm and then I say something like "I can see that you are upset right now, are you angry or sad?" She usually doesn't say which one but if i know the situation i will make a really dramatic face and say something to follow the situation. "sister taking your toy makes you angry." or "Tiffany (our dog) pushing you down makes you very sad." Recognizing a feeling with a situation helps toddlers to put a word to their feelings. Sometimes i also offer feeling exercies. Like punching pillows or throwing balls. When she is excited, happy or scared i name those emotions as well. Sometimes she will say "I am so happy mommy'" What is better than that!? The other way we identify and learn emotions is through the book, The Way I Feel. I have always loved this book and even memorized it when i taught at a Montessori years ago. Leighton can see the emotions on every page and recognizes them. Books are really one of the best ways to teach communication in general. They hear more words when you read, identify with them and then use them on their own, more than when you don't read at all or rely on apps and television. 

What are you working on communicating with your toddler? Dont forget to link up!

We are back with week three of our series and hopefully this helps you other mamas to find out how to help your toddler communicate!  Make sure to check out the other 10 wonderful mamas who are posting with me this week.  And don't forget to write your own post and link it up below!

Like a Morning Cup of Coffee// From Here to Eternity// The Not Quite Military Wife//

A Cowboy's Life// My Delicious Adventure// Sadie Sky Boutique// Meet the Sullivan's//

Love and Life//  Foxy's Domestic Side// Everyday Love// Life of Faith

July 10:  Keeping your marriage alive with a toddler

July 17:  Favorite summer toddler activities

July 24:  Helping Your Toddler to Communicate (Words, emotions, etc.)

July 31:  Dealing with Separation Anxiety

Aug 7:    Car Trip Necessities

Aug 14:  Deciding when the time is right for baby #2 (and/or how to handle these questions)

Aug 21:  Tricks for eating out with your toddler

Aug 28:  Feeling confident as a mom (How to feel this way, Your struggle with, etc.)

An InLinkz Link-up

Motivate Me Monday- Get Out of That Shell

I have a lot of irrational anxieties that I tend to allow to hold me back from being a really awesome person. Most of the time I think, I'm out going, I'm fun, I'm cute and well rounded. I probably should have way more friends. I probably should have a booming business or more followers on the blog. What's my deal? Well let me tell you... The second I'm in situations that I feel like I don't control I totally clam up. I turn into the shyest person ever! A couple of weeks ago I attended Bright Nights. Let me just say It was Amazing! So many inspiring and beautiful women and I learned sooo much. I signed up for the event telling myself that I was totally confident and was going to leave with a hundred new friends. Uhh nope. I stressed too much about what to wear, thought I was running late so I didn't finish getting ready and I felt soo out of control, there were so many dominate personalities in the room that it was easy to go unheard. I learned a lot from this experience though, including ways to get over all my unnecessary worries. That i really do need to put myself out their more and be the person to start a conversation. No one is there to judge me or worry about what i am thinking so why do i worry that they are all making judgments about me? Alison from The Alison Show spoke and said so many perfect things. She gave us tools on how to be awesome and so many of them spoke to my soul. Like really perfect things for making my life so much happier. So far I have loved working on each of the steps given and seeing how they change my day or perspective on things. I found all of these saying and thought they were fit for the shy person i tend to be.

 

Finding Me

Being a mom is not for the faint of heart. I am sure i've wrote that in previous posts but it really isn't. Somedays i envision being a mom in the same way i do running long distance. I start to feel over whelmed and think why did this sound like a good idea. The further into the day i get its like the longer i have been running, i start to feel numb and just let my body take over. Then when i put the girls to sleep and Leighton says i love you everything seems right in the world and so worth while. Just like finishing that last mile and taking in the runners high. With so many days like this I tend to feel like I am loosing myself. I would sacrifice everything that i am or have for my girls but where do i draw the line? How do i feel alive and not numb until it's time to go to sleep? Lately i have realized a huge problem i have is that i don't allow myself to dream or plan or even live. I hold on to what i have and keep my mouth shut in fear of losing it. The more i open up the more i realize i find myself. When i let people know how i feel, when i plan to enjoy my days with the girls, when i dare to dream of a new job or business. When i crawl out of the hole i have been hiding in i find all of the things that make this life beautiful. I need to do this more often. I constantly say how happy i am, and how perfect things are. They are, life is wonderful. It just sometimes is not my life. It is my life as a mom or my life as  a wife but there are so many more ways i define myself than those. Don't worry they are my top two. I just don't want to lose everything else that makes me, me and I am working on that.

Summer Summer Summertime

There have been few things i have blogged about lately besides summer, summertime, summertime faves, summer go tos, and summer activities. This weeks link up is all about favorite summer activities. So I figured i would just come up with a list. We have put so much time into celebrating this amazing season and try to be outside as much as we can. 

1. Park

Some of my favorite memories from when i was little were at the park. I'm not sure how often we were really there but i remember it like it was everyday. I love giving Leighton the same opportunity to spend time on the play ground. She is a super active little girl with way to much energy so the huge jungle gym at our towns main street park is perfect. Plus they give out free lunches during the week. Emersyn enjoys crawling through the grass and experiencing new surroundings too. 

2. Swimming

I gave birth to the two biggest water babies ever! I love it and they are the happiest when they are playing in a pool, splash pad or even the sprinklers. Leighton is in swim lessons already and so far so good, this girl is on her way to being a future olympian. Maybe not but we can hope right? 

3. Hiking

When it isn't too hot we love to explore the great out doors by hiking them. I pack Emersyn on and Leighton is usually pretty good at walking on her own. This is the best way to get out all of our energy and get an awesome work out. 

Basically we feel very strongly about getting outside, being active and enjoying the summer sun. I read the other day that vitamin d difficiensy is an epidemic. How sad is that? They try to blame it on sunscreen, but i am sure its on the lack of outdoor activities people participate it. So this summer go outside as much as possible. If you are living somewhere hot, then play in the water. Your kids will thank you later (probably not) but you'll love it when they are all sleeping through the night.

What are your favorite summer activities?

Like a Morning Cup of Coffee// From Here to Eternity// The Not Quite Military Wife//

A Cowboy's Life// My Delicious Adventure// Sadie Sky Boutique// Meet the Sullivan's//

Love and Life//  Foxy's Domestic Side// Everyday Love// Life of Faith

July 10:  Keeping your marriage alive with a toddler

July 17:  Favorite summer toddler activities

July 24:  Helping Your Toddler to Communicate (Words, emotions, etc.)

July 31:  Dealing with Separation Anxiety

Aug 7:    Car Trip Necessities

Aug 14:  Deciding when the time is right for baby #2 (and/or how to handle these questions)

Aug 21:  Tricks for eating out with your toddler

Aug 28:  Feeling confident as a mom (How to feel this way, Your struggle with, etc.)

An InLinkz Link-up