Chicken wings...in a dip

This past week, one of my classes and I celebrated the completion of a big project with a potluck lunch.

And the pressure was on; they expected me to bring something fabulous.

So, here's what I came up with:

Here lately I've been craving wing sauce. No clue why, and no, this has never happened before...I don't even really like wings...or spicy food.....and NO, I'm not preggars.

Anyway, here's what I did (for real this time):

Ingredients:

-1 pkg cream cheese (I used fat free.)

-1 small carton sour cream (also fat free)

-2 cups of sliced cheddar cheese

-8 oz wing sauce (whatever kind you prefer)

-8 oz ranch dressing (you could use a little more here if you want to cut down on the spice)

-3-4 cooked and shredded chicken breasts (you could sub. canned chicken here if you wanted to...)

-onion powder

First I cooked and shredded the chicken breasts.

Then I melted the cream cheese so that I could mix it with the other ingredients.

Then I mixed the cream cheese, sour cream, chicken, wing sauce, ranch, and cheese with a dash or two of onion powder.

Once all the ingredients were mixed together, I cooked it at 350 for about twenty minutes.

It was delish. The kiddos gave their complete and utter sign of approval.

I like this dip because it's completely different from what I normally make, and sometimes branching out is a good thing, yes?

I hope your weekend was as wonderful as ours.

We headed out of town to see some friends and eat some froyo.

You?

Oh, and if you didn't notice, I posted a link on my sidebar for you to sign up to receive my blog posts via e-mail if you so choose.

And, if you blog and don't use Pinterest, you should.

Someone posted my cake batter dip that I made for Lib's birthday,

and just last week that one post had over 1500 hits.

Thanks, Pinterest for introducing the world to the joy that is cake batter dip.

Here's hoping your Monday is scrumptious.

I Am That Mom: Edi

Hi! I'm Edi from I'm Mama Y'all! Thanks McCall for letting me guest post today!

I'm always thinking about what kind of mom I might be.
If I told you everything I thought about what kind of mom I think I am, you would think I'm crazy.
So instead I'll just give you a little insight into my life as a mommy.
 This is absolutely enough for you to judge me!


I am that mom who could count on one hand the number of times I held a baby under 6 months old before I had my own.


I am that mom that didn't know if I wanted kids, but when these two kiddos got here....
I couldn't imagine my life without kids...and now I want 2 more...maybe....if I can get past the being pregnant part.


I am that mom, who, only 6 and a half months into being a new mom with zero knowledge of how to even change a diaper, found out I was pregnant with baby #2. With tears in my eyes I told my sweet husband. He was so excited. I was scared. I mean, I didn't even know what I was doing with the first one...what in the world were we going to do with 2. Now it is just second nature.


I am that mom who is not a germaphobe. I didn't sanitize or wash my hands every 30 seconds (or make anyone else do it) with our newborns. I didn't wash the pacifier off when it hit the ground. It would be lucky to get a rub off on my pants. We eat food after it hits the floor. Haven't you ever heard of the 5 second rule? Surprisingly enough my kids are rarely sick.


Ironically, I am that mom who was completely obsessed with having a clean house (maybe neat is a better word). I finally figured out that I need to be less concerned with having a clean house and clean babies and more concerned with having fun with my babies playing with play dough and crayons and toys...and worry about the mess later.


I am that mom that lets my kids eat cookies and chocolate and suckers and drink coke and sprite and chocolate milk. Because they eat fruits and veggies and drink milk at lunch and supper...and you only get to be a kid once.

As a result, I am that mom who is not beneath bribing my girls with candy or cookies...or stickers.


I am that mom who feels guilty about not staying home with my kids, but I feel like I'm a better mom because I work. Reason...I don't have the heart of a teacher. My girls have learned so much since we started daycare. They have learned so much that I couldn't have taught them. It also helps with my patience with them....patience is something I've had to really work on. I get aggravated way too easy and way too often.


I am that mom who wants my girls to have a solid foundation in the Word. I want them to love the Lord Jesus Christ with all their heart, soul, and mind. I want them to love God so much that when they start looking for a husband is their motto.

I want to help them get to this point. I want to be an example of a Proverbs 31 and a Titus 2 woman so they will know what God expects of them as a woman of God. I want my girls to meet a man that loves them only second to their Lord and Savior.

I am that mom who is terrified of my girls growing up. I want them to stay little forever. I want them to want to hug mommy and "mooch" mommy and be innocent. I don't want them to experience the pains of the life. I want them not have to worry about anything except who is playing with that toy. But I know that it is going to happen, so I am trying to prepare myself for it.

I am that mom who checks on my girls 4 or 5 times before I go to bed at night.
I really just want to see them sleeping.
It is the sweetest thing.


I am that mom who has dance parties with my girls and we dance around the den to all kinds of music like crazy people. We also all sing and dance in the car. We really like to shake the sillies out.


I am that mom that will play just about anything with my girls, but I refuse to play with play dough. I didn't like it when I was a kid and I don't like it now. I'll be happy to watch. Thank you.


I am that mom who thinks birthdays are super important. I think that one day is the day that is all about my baby. I will not, however, succomb to the over the top birthday parties. I don't have enough time in my day to make my decorations and I'm not going to spend a fortune on trying to outdo someone else. I don't believe in trying to keep up with the Joneses. I do however buy good presents and always an awesome cake.


I am that mom who makes sure to let my girls know just how much I love every.single.day.

Thanks so much for sharing, Edi!

 If you want to hear more about Edi and her precious kiddos, you can check her out at www.themcilwains.blogspot.com. I love her blog because she is funny and honest, always.

I hope you're having a great weekend. And, according to Libby (who said this in giggle because that little stinker knew it wasn't true), Columbus sailed the ocean blue in 2004.

Here's to you, Chris, and your oh-so-recent voyage.

One of the most comforting things to me as I attempt to find my way through this journey as a Mom

 is the advice and insight of other moms.

So I ask, what's the BEST mothering advice you've ever received?

I Am That Mom: Heather

McCall once described me as being this mom:


"She will be the kind of mom who lets her kids finger paint....on the carpet.....twice. She'll make the finger paint herself, from Earth-friendly ingredients and natural dyes, and then sit back and watch while her kids paint everything in sight, smiling the whole time. And then, when they eat the paint (trust me- they ALWAYS eat the paint), Heather won't get mad or frustrated. She'll just say, "Well, what does yellow taste like?"
She was spot on. I'm that mom. I choose my battles - and much to my husband's chagrin - most of the ones I choose involve him, not the kids. I would prefer my house be neater, tidier, cleaner...but I'm ok with the temporary chaos in trade for giggles, grins, and mashed up messes of toddlers. Becoming ok with such has admittedly been a long road. But between sheer exhaustion, loving my babies as if they are some sort of wildly addictive narcotic and wanting to be near and focused on family always...the physical perfection of my surroundings will simply have to wait.


We moved to our house over a year ago. We still have boxes in various dark corners, I have not put pictures on the walls - BUT we have a functioning kitchen, and a beautiful patio garden lining a little play ground. Our hall upstairs is pretty much empty specifically to allow space for the kids to ride their toys fast and furious on a rainy day. We have rooms with nothing but toys in them - one upstairs and one downstairs. I keep anything I would mind getting broken packed and put away to be viewed and excitedly displayed at a later date. In short, our house is kid friendly - and that cuts down on the upsets, the fusses, and the stress around here.


I'm that mom: I was nervous about the kids sneaking a taste of the flowers while my back was turned...I solved that worry by planting only non-toxic edible plants around their area.


My kids are climbers: we have a "sleep room" for them that contains low sling book shelves and a mattress on the floor big enough for all of us to snuggle to sleep on...when Mary Louise and David actually sleep that is - in 2.5 years, they have slept "through the night" a grand total of 5 times. Yep - we're pretty tired over here. But when I do sleep, I rest peacefully knowing that everything in Mary Louise and David's room is under 3 feet preventing a mid-night fall.


I am spoiled. I stopped working as an adult health nurse to stay at home with our 2 babies and am lucky enough to be 2 months pregnant with number 4...yes, number 4...


When I was younger (I mean like 3...) I learned about pregnancy, I learned about breastfeeding, I learned about natural parenting and allowing time and space for personal expression. I learned to embrace difference, allow chaos, and generally appreciate the ebb and flow of life. My mother was pregnant with number 3, head of the local LLL chapter, and let me sift the pancake ingredients every morning then do art projects (like Batik and tie die) on the kitchen counters. We were allowed to bring "our exciting treasures" in the house to show her anytime. These included, but were not limited to: random leaves, chunks of dirt, rolly pollies galore, lizards, toads, our pet rabbits, stray kittens...seriously, nothing seemed to phase this woman. Though I am about 10 times as uptight and high strung as my dear mom, her zest and core zeal for life is what I have in my heart - no matter how I try to disguise it...


Bits of my childhood experience naturally became a huge part of my identity as a woman: specifically, the perfect pregnancy and natural delivery part...


I didn't just want this, I expected it. I knew I had this as an option just as I knew I had a nose on my face. It was that literal - I was going to one day be a mother and have a totally typical pregnancy and birth experience...and I would breastfeed - maybe not for as long as my mom, but about a year, I'd decided - because it is in undeniable fact the best thing for a baby. This would happen, it would be my choice, and nothing could stop it...


I'm that mom: I had triplets at 24 weeks and 5 days gestation.



On their birthday:



Mary Louise







Kuylen Stafford







David Oliver







Before even trying to get pregnant, my husband and I had full physicals. I insisted on in depth blood work as my father - who was very fit and ran at least 5 miles daily - died of asymptomatic heart disease at age 57. I needed to know that my body was in the best shape ever so that I could support a baby, work, exercise like a fanatic, and and dote on my husband (ok - I don't dote - if he's reading this, you should hear very loud scoffing 'round the world right now). I spent over an hour in the gym 5 to 6 days per week. I did multiple yoga classes on my days off. I was in shape. I ate fish but otherwise followed a vegetarian diet. We were ready...it took over 2 years.


I spent a month in the hospital on bed rest diagnosed with severe pre-eclampsia - yep, all that working out and getting in shape and I got what people naively assume only fat chicks get (no insensitivity implied). Lab work was done at least weekly: The results of which would determine whether or not I would be "allowed" to stay pregnant another second. I remember the day I turned 24 weeks gestation: the nurses all congratulated me. That day, the babies were considered "patients" too - before, I was apparently carrying fetuses and should I have been delivered, I would have been allowed to cradle them in my arms as their hearts stopped beating. My babies, my children, my family...

I actually loved bed rest. Seriously, if you've ever tried to grow 3 babies, it's exhausting and ordered sleep and laziness is very welcome. I spent so many hours just focused on the kicks and bumps - getting to know each of my babies so well. I wanted to memorize their rhythms. Regardless of the outcome, they were there, at that moment - we all were - and that moment was the only thing that mattered.


At 24 weeks and 3 days, we found our smallest had some major problems with the blood flow in his umbilical cord. He was not expected to survive, but for the sake of the other 2, the pregnancy was continued. Things went downhill very quickly after that...

I am so thankful for a number of things: I met my first born son. I spent 5 days watching him cling to life in an incubator and was able to touch his tiny hand, cradle him and tell him how proud we were to be his parents and how much we loved him as he died in my arms. I smiled - he did too - he looked so peaceful and I knew instantly that the decisions we were forced to make were not only right for him, but out of our hands anyhow - this was simply life at one of it's most poignant and beautiful moments. I can still trace his angelic face in my mind...


My daughter and son lived in the NICU for 92 and 99 days. I pumped furiously - it was my job. That 12 month goal? It was modified to include exclusive pumping. Neither ever became effective nursers. But, as I'm still pumping today, at 30 months, I feel my goal has been more than accomplished - and the benefits, more than realized.

This summer:







It has taken many many MANY months for me to make peace with the guilt, the self-blame...for me to forgive my feeble body for betraying me in such a way. It has also taken a lifetime for me to even begin to understand that I have been given these gifts, these experiences and being angry about them is non-productive and futile. Enjoy the moment, each moment...and as trite and it sounds - absolutely nothing is guaranteed.


I wish I wasn't such a procrastinator, I wish I was more organized, I wish I had the energy to get my appearance together on a daily basis. I wish I didn't have frequent outbursts and upsets over things that really don't matter- as if a wet sponge left in the sink is the end of the world. I have my days - weeks - often - too often for my over all taste and pleasure...but we are all a work in progress aren't we? Awareness is the first step...and in my soul I know what matters.

I spend my time ensuring the health and happiness of my children and my family. We tell each other countless times per day we love each other. My house is a mess, but it's warm and inviting. I take the time to watch my babies learn and grow - they are my mustard seeds and as they blossom and flourish, I bask in their endless shade. This is right where I am supposed to be...


xo,

Heather

Seriously, that made me cry.

You?

You can read more about Heather

and follow her along with pregnancy #4 at www.leblanctriplets.blogspot.com.

Tonight there will be spaghetti and football for our family and tomorrow visiting with good friends.

YOU?

Here's hoping that whatever you do makes you laugh until your sides hurt.

I Am That Mom: Kim

Hi, it's Kim from Let It Snow.  I am so thankful to my friend McCall for this opportunity.

Jeff, Jake and me

What kind of Mommie am I? 

 How long do you have? 

My life is not conventional at all...chaos just seems to find me and my life never happens as planned.

  This has carried over into me being Jake's Mommie.

  I would love to be June Cleaver but sadly I fall short in a lot of ways!

One of my favorite pictures of me and Jake

I am blessed with Jake through the awesome gift of adoption. 

 That is right, Jake is adopted! 

 My life has been blessed and improved in so many ways because of adoption. 

 But I think I put more pressure on myself because of it. 

 We waited a long time and had several BIG heart breaks before Jake came along and I was his life to be perfect. 

 Is it? 

Well of course not! 

 But I try everyday to make sure he knows that he is loved beyond measure, is the apple of my eye, and I would give life and limb for him.  I also want Jake to know and others to see that families are not just made through births.  Jake is Gods gift to us and we are a family.  We are normal, we do things just like everyone else.  I want our family and our love for each other to always be a positive reflection for adoption.

The first time I saw him....

 A nurse in the OR room brought a picture of Jake out to us as soon as he was delivered.

This was that picture.  What a doll!

I am so proud to be "Jake's Mommie".  It is what I have waited a lifetime to be. 

 Nothing is sweeter than being introduced as Jake's Mommie".

Here are some of the things that I think are most important in being Jake's Mommie..........

I am the Mommie that says "I love you" every time I think about it even if that means in the middle of "time out" when that fake wailing Jake is doing is breaking my heart.

I am the Mommie that is consumed with guilt. 

 I want to provide Jake with a life like no other.

  I want him to have everything his little heart desires and I hate to say no or punish him BUT I know that he is my responsibility and I am accountable for the person he turns out to be so I do correct him, punish him, and guide him but sometimes it hurts Mommie the most.

I am the Mommie that believes that you have to make memories. 

Therefore is is very important that we have HUGE birthday parties, spend the holidays with extended family, go to family reunions every year, rock and sing in the same chair that my Grandfather rocked me in, and look at pictures of loved ones that have passed away and talk about them so that Jake knows them.

I am the Mommie that believes it is my responsibility to teach Jake as much about his birth family and they area they are from as possible.

  I want him to know his heritage and I want his adoption to be a blessing to

 him just like it has been for me and Jeff. 

I am the Mommie that believes that it is my responsibility to raise Jake in a godly home,

teach him to pray, teach him right from wrong.

  But I also want him to know that we are not perfect and we fall short in a lot of ways

 but God's love for us is greater than anything we can comprehend.

I am the Mommie that beleives even though Jake is adopted he is right where God planned for him to be. 

 I have always favored my Dad's side of the family most, I have a few facial features from my Mom's family but for the most part I don't really look like that side.  BUT Jake on the other hand.....he is a clone.  Look at the following picture and tell me that is not a "God thing".  He is with my cousins children...his third cousins (yes in the south we can keep up with the degrees of cousins) and they could be siblings.  Everywhere we go people are amazed that Jake looks so much like my Momma's family.  That is definitely a blessing and lets me know that Jake is right where God had planned for him.  There may not be a genetic connection BUT there is a LOVE connection and that is what matters in the end.

Jane Claire, Jake and Ben 

Look at that....simply amazing!  God is a GOOOOOOD God!

I am the Mommie that has broken all of the rules I set for myself. 

Yep, Jake sleeps in the bed with us, and I LOVE IT! 

 I would not take anything  for the snuggles and kisses we share and the laughs we share after we lay down at night or before we get up in the morning. 

I let him chew gum, drink diet coke, drink chocolate milk instead of white milk, eat chicken strips way to much, and on and on.  But hey, it works for us and he is way past healthy....and I do good stuff too!

I am the Mommie that thinks my little man is the cutest little fella I have ever seen.  He is funny, sweet, adorable, can be a stinker, has a temper like no other, loves to laugh, and loves his Mommie.  I am totally and completely in love with this little man and I want the world to know that I think he is perfect!

Don't you agree...he is a DOLL!!

I could go on and on..... Not that I am a great Mommie but I do try my very best everyday. 

I just pray  that Jake will look back and say "my Mommie rocked". 

I hope that I am half the Mommie to Jake that my Momma is to me.

Me and my Momma at her birthday party

Check out Let It Snow and get to know us better.

  You can read more about our adoption journey there also. 

 We would love to have you follow us and become friends. 

Thanks for taking a look into my world!

Cute, cute, cute!

Thanks, Kim for sharing your sweet, sweet story with us.
I hope your week has been top notch and filled with all the loveliness that fall has to offer. For me, this means candy corn....lots and lots of candy corn.

Happy Thursday to you and you and you.

I AM THAT MOM: Dara

I am that mom....



Who dresses their kid super cute so that people don't notice I'm in yoga pants with no make-up on.



Who forgets to comb her kid's hair sometimes but always remembers to put a bow in.



Who really tries (but often fails) to not judge other moms. This can be really hard to do when you're a speech therapist and work with other people's kids for a living--you see all sorts of craziness!



Who feels guilty leaving a crying baby (or one who is really trying not to) at daycare or the church nursery.



Who tries to be creative at lunch with my picky eater but usually ends up serving peanut butter, grilled cheese, or a quesadilla.



Who refuses to be a short order cook. You eat what I cook or you don't eat.



Who is tempted to let my kid live off of yogurt because it's the one thing that she'll always eat.



Who does her very best to never say, "Caroline will never..." because I don't want my words to come back and bite me in the booty.



Who loves being a mom more than anything in the world but admits there are days that I would sell my grouch for the right price.



Who really hopes I never have to battle my kid over what to wear. (I know, I know, I'm living in a dream world!).



Who lets her kid watch Toy Story 3 about 14 times a day because she asks so nicely ("Toy Story pleeeeeeease") after I've told her no.



Who was determined to start potty training at 18 months, even though people kept telling me I was crazy. I was about a month and a half late, and we have our good and bad days but we're getting there.



Who ran out of wipes the other day at the mall and had to change a poopy Pull-Up, so I used wet paper towels. I also didn't have a plastic bag for Pull-Up, so I just put it straight in the trash. I'm really sorry to whoever walked in after us!



Who has done her best not to wish away one minute with their kid. I try to really enjoy each step and milestone (even the, ummm, "challenging" ones).



Who has days where I want to quit this whole mommy thing for a little while...or at least put her to bed so I can have a BIG glass of wine!!!



Who loves being with their kid but doesn't know if I could be a full time stay at home mom.



Who hopes their kid grows up to be kind. I want her to be giving, loving, sympathetic, and to want to make the world a better place a little bit at a time. No pressure. :-)







If you'd like to read more of my mommy adventures, check out my blog here!



Thanks Dara! I so love and admire your positive outlook, and I am SO GLAD we are friends. :)
In case you are just joining us this week, you can check out our other two I Am That Mom posts here (Monday- Camille) and here (Tuesday- Jane).
Be sure to come back tomorrow.
Until then, hap hap happy Wednesday to you and yours.

I Am That Mom: Jane

I am that mom who has always been up front about not having a clue where I should go from here. 

 I had always dreamt of being a mother but never really focused on what that would mean exactly.

  I was aware that my life would change and I would always have someone else to be responsible for

 but I wasn't aware of the struggle that would go on inside my head.

There is a part of me that still is very selfish and begins to lose sight of the end goal in mind;

raise a responsible, well-adjusted, contributing member of society. 

 I begin to worry that I am not getting enough 'me time' when all Cheetah wants is to have someone watch him jump in the pool for the 100th time. 

I worry that I am making the wrong choices in life

 and that later Cheetah will pay for my lapses in judgement. 

I hope that he will remember more of the fun days we had together

 than the days when I lost my cool and couldn't keep a level head.

I am the mom who tries to cram as much as she can into each 25th hour

while hoping to hit the lottery and institute the new 8 day week. 

We all could use a Nundina in our future. 

 I attempt to provide the boy with the most out of the box childhood that I can. 

 I have taught him the joys of April Fool's day, making microwaved s'mores, and peeing outside.

I have grown a lot since I realized that the boy was mine to keep. 

He has taught me some difficult lessons about myself and life. 

Sure I would have been a perfectly wonderful person without becoming a mother

but now that I am THAT mom, our lives will never be the same.

Thanks, Jane for your never failing words of wisdom and for being someone I truly admire.
If you want to hear more from Jane, you can take a peek at her blog here.
I hope you are all enjoying this week's I Am That Mom post, and to think we still have more to come!
Happy Tuesday to you and you and you.

I Am That Mom: Camille

I am that mom who was beginning to doubt I’d ever get to be a mom.


I am that mom who said goodbye to my first child before hearing his heartbeat or feeling her move within me. I learned that it is possible to fall completely in love with a child, even when the idea of him is still brand new. Dreams of sweet baby cheeks, soft skin, and toothless smiles start early in the heart, and I had to grieve those losses.


I am that mom who turned the creation of my family over to God. Turns out, he kind of knows what he’s doing.


I am that mom that knows a baby doesn’t have to grow under your heart to live within it.

I am that mom who became a mom with a phone call. I am the mom who sat on the couch in shock while friends put together a Pack ‘N Play, washed bottles, bought clothes and formula, and painted a nursery. I learned that baby girls can sleep perfectly well in second-hand blue dinosaur onesies, that an old desk works fine as a changing table, and that you can get ready for a baby in a day.

I am that mom who spent the first few weeks of my daughter’s life fearing she’d be taken away. I tried avoiding falling too much in love…and failed miserably. I mean...look at her. You're kind of in love with her now, aren'tcha?

I’m that mom who didn’t get to read the What to Expect book, and thus, freaked out when my tiny baby hiccupped. Sneezed. Pooped yellow. Pooped green. Didn’t poop. I read the “What Your Baby Should Be Doing” bullet points and “What Your Baby Might Be Doing” and worried obsessively if I couldn’t check off every baby achievement standard with my trusty green highlighter. (My child doesn’t roll over yet! I’m a terrible parent….OHnoooo!) Seven months later, I’ve found other uses for the book. For instance, it’s quite effective at propping up the Pack ‘N Play to the perfect angle to reduce reflux.

I am that mom who knows you think your kid is cute…..but is convinced my daughter is the most beautiful child ever. Her perfect eye-lashes, her radiant smile, her gorgeous skin….she’s amazing.

I am that mom who swore I’d never drive a Mini-van until I realized it is the DEFINIITION of sexy. (Those remote-control doors give me shivers. Seriously. And don’t even get me started on the storage space…)

I'm the mom who thinks my husband is sexier than ever when he's in the floor, wrestling with my daughter. He's an amazing father, and I love the three of us together SO much.

Because he's such a great dad, I’m the mom who occasionally chucks the baby into her father’s arms when he comes home for lunch and escapes to the above-mentioned sexy mobile. I love spending time with my daughter, but I’ve learned that it’s important to take care of me too. I’m the mom who put her baby in Kids’ Day Out at six months with no regrets. She MUCH prefers playing with other kids than being strapped in the car seat while I run errands. (And you KNOW how much easier the grocery store is without the baby carrier breaking your spine.)


I’m that mom who truly believes kids should watch little to no TV. That said, I have several hours of PBS kids on the DVR at any time and will shamelessly use “Sid the Science Kid” and Gerber puffs to entertain my child so I can shower and get dressed.


I’m that mom that takes my daughter to Kindermusik, play groups, the zoo, museums, parks, playgrounds, and a dozen other places. I’m the mom who can’t understand why I’m called a stay-at-home mom, since I’m almost never there. I the best way to learn about the world is to get out there and be part of it. I love that Memphis offers so many options for kids, and I love watching her experience new things.

I am that mom who is SO EXCITED to have a live-in student. I’m curious to see just how early I can teach her to read. Her library already rivals that of most adults, and I downloaded a baby reading program for the computer. I’m that mom who is planning to make labels for every item and surface in my house to see if it helps her read earlier. So if you ever visit, never fear! The refrigerator will be clearly labeled.


I am that Mom who gets irritated at my husband’s dirty socks but barely notices the mounds of balls, stuffed animals, blocks, and teething rings scattered haphazardly on the living room floor. (To my mother’s chagrin, I’m the mom who is in the process of turning my formal living room into a glorified playroom complete with activity rugs and alphabet posters on the wall. Hey…it’s her house too.)

I am that mom who watches my daughter sleeping in the swing and feels a peace like I’ve never known. I’m also that mom who cringes if she wakes early because I always have 10 more things on the to-do list. I feel guilty about my failure to find the Donna Reed-like balance between housework, husband care, and mothering, and I feel guilty about dirty laundry and serving frozen pizza for dinner. I feel worse about a day where I don’t read her a story, play peek-a-boo, or sing the alphabet song.


I am that mom who gets kinda freaked out by the crafty moms who furnish their nurseries with hand-sewn bedding and make their own baby clothes and decorate their birthday cakes. My sister-in-law makes this cake. I'm jealous of this cake.

I don’t have a crafty bone in my body, and I feel guilty that all her Halloween costumes will probably come from Target. I hope she's okay settling with a mom that is happy annoying Daddy by buying overpriced things that I could have made. Technically.

I am the mom who never even considered using cloth diapers. I did consider making my own baby food until I remembered that I don’t really like cooking all that much. Also, my fridge is usually too full of take-out containers to hold all those little baby food storage pods. I now have a cabinet and two drawers stocked with Gerber containers. Good thing. At the rate my child eats, I’d be making baby food three hours a day. Besides, she seems okay with the Gerber.

I am that mom who is learning that being an adoptive mom comes with some extra responsibilities. Maintaining relationships with birth families, communicating to Ellie that she’s adopted, educating family and friends, advocating for openness—it’s more than I imagined when I first dreamed of chubby baby toes, but this mom wouldn’t have life any other way.


I am that mom who gets kind of (or a lot) offended when people find out Ellie is adopted and ask, “But who is her real mom?” Or find out she’s bi-racial and say, “But it’s so good she’s light-skinned and looks like you.” I’m the mom who generally avoids conflict and tries not to hurt people’s feelings but will probably use some NOT NICE WORDS if you say something stupid about my daughter. She gives me the strength to speak up for her….something I’ve often had problems doing for myself.


I am the mom who is reminded of God's amazing grace and love every time I look at this beautiful face.

When she smiles, joy chases away all my insecurities, and I am the mom who has it all perfectly together. I am superwoman. I have all the answers. I am THAT Mom....because she is that daughter.

You can read more about Camille at her blog, Embracing the Odyssey.

And thanks, Camille, for providing such a loving view into the life of a mom, adoptive or otherwise.

Come back tomorrow for another I Am That Mom post. I'll meet you here, mkay?

Happy Monday to you and you and you.