I have one piece of advice: STOP listening to every piece of advice you hear on parenting. In the beginning of my parenting years I strived for what I thought was perfection. I would read all the parenting magazines, blogs, books and try to find the perfect solution to every problem, to every detail. From what the children should eat, their health, exercise, what they should be reading, what toys to purchase and the list goes on and on. I was overwhelmed by all the advice out there. Sure some of it made a lot of sense to me. But in all honesty, some of it felt completely unnatural and foreign to the way I usually carried on my life.

Now that the kids are a lot older, I have realized that there is no perfect--only what is perfect for YOU. It started dawning on me after the kids entered elementary school. I would listen to other parents and moms go on and on about the virtues of this one method of learning, or this one product. But of course, the method and the product only goes as far as we make it go. I slowly started realizing that it's not about what books they are reading, what sports and activities they are involved with, what shows and movies they are watching. Sure, it is important to know what your kids are up to and understand the benefits and drawbacks that they are receiving and encountering. But what really makes that product, book or movie go the extra mile, is YOU.  Only you are able to understand and know what is best for your child and how you can make that book or activity work for them (and you).

My daughter put it best a few days ago when she compared me to two other moms who I admire greatly. She said one mom was the crafty mom, but that she was not in good shape. She said the other mom was in excellent shape and did all sorts of sports with her children, but never had the time to spend teaching them about music and art, and wasn't the cuddly mom. She said I was sort of in between--not quite as crafty but good enough and although sporty, I am not someone who'll go out into the woods spontaneously camping with my family. For her, this was the best of both worlds. I'm sure that if you asked my friends' daughters they would have a very different opinion of me and their moms.

And this is just right for my daughter--at least for now. I will never be the super organized mom, who can whip out a piece of art/craft in a few minutes. I will also not be the mom who sets up a tent in the wilderness--at least not entirely on my own ;) But I will be the mom who is striving to keep up with her children's activities and always trying to engage with them. Sometimes they might think it's boring that I always ask how they are doing and feeling. But I know that when they are in need for that hug--they will get it from me. And for some children, this is not what they need, not what they are used to. They will learn about resiliency and love in other ways. For me, one of my greatest joys is to have my family close to me doing an activity together, whether it is a sport outside or just reading books all cuddled up in bed. And that's the KEY. Let your children understand what is your JOY, what is it that makes you happy and what activities and passions can you share with your children. Once you discover that or share that with them, they will understand so many things about yourself and themselves.

Don't get me wrong. It is good to learn from our friends, our parents, our mentors. But it is also important for us to take those lessons learned and apply them to how we are, where we are in life, where our passions lie.

Some of us are stay-at-hom moms and can dedicate more time to one on one activities with our children or baking that apple pie with them from scratch. Others work a full-time job and can feel proud if they can show their children what it's like to be proud of the work they do, of a strong work ethic.

In the end, I think, that our children want to see us be happy. Not at their expense mind you. But they want to see us confident in what we are doing. They want us to engage with them and show them our passions--whether it's music, writing, art, sports, business, math, science, you name it.

If you can share that activity with your child, you will be able to connect in a way that some of us have failed to do.

SO my advice is not to strive to be this well-rounded person. I admit, there's nothing good about a parent who fails to get his child to school on time: EVERY DAY. I'm not advocating that. But I am advocating that you should cut yourself some slack on your downfalls and focus a little more energy on strengths you can model for your child. They will remember those far more, especially if you are able to engage them in those activities.

Mostly Mom: A New Beginning

Mostly Mom: A New Beginning: Today, right now, in this moment I am excited and a little afraid. The better word is not afraid but very aware and sobered. I write of this...

A New Beginning

Today, right now, in this moment I am excited and a little afraid. The better word is not afraid but very aware and sobered. I write of this, because for the very first time I am at home with more than 3 hours of my own. The kids are all at school until the afternoon. There are no pressures at home, no urgent errands or calls that I have to make. I have finally pencilled (and this time with ink :)) time completely for me.

I have been writing for a long time, for the need to establish a balance between being a mother and wife and being true to myself as the, now "relatively" young, woman that I am. My goals and dreams have been written out and it is completely and absolutely up to me to realize them. If there are things or people standing in my way, they can be easily overcome. I am sobered because I know the time is right now. There is no better time and will not be a better time. Kind of like fruit that is ripe for the picking. I have traveled a long way to get to this point and I am excited that I am finally here.

At first, I was scared of putting myself first when the children were so little and dependent on me. Now, they are sometimes dependent, but I have seen them grow and flourish. Now, I feel they are calling me to step up--to my full potential, so that I can share in this life with them. I am no longer needing of showers or naps to recover from late nights or early mornings were I need to nurse or tend to a sick child. Yes, sometimes, we still have accidents and need to take care of our kids, but those are far and few between. And I also have all the energy and my dreams intact, I feel that my mind has settled somewhat but is still very curious and willing to learn new things.

I don't write this to brag or boast of where I'm at. I write to encourage other moms that if you're in this point of life, you have to grab it now. To those that are still with little ones at home, you may find that there are moments where you can grab time for yourself. If you can't, don't despair, there will be a time in the near future. Meanwhile, hang on to your dreams and your goals. Do not let them go. And if you're still discovering what those are, keep searching until you find them. I personally, have always loved to write. And my life, has always led me there. No matter when or where, this is what I truly love and one of the things I am meant to do.

This post has been a long time coming. (I can see the eyes rolling now) LOL. The sun is out today in Germany and it's a gorgeous day. Curious that earlier this morning it was foggy and I thought for sure it would stay overcast the entire day. Just like the weather, our lives seem to take a change for the better or worse in the blink of an eye.

This was the case for my father over 1 year ago. He started having problems with balance and had a pretty bad fall that scared him and his family and left him having to use a cane and requiring medical care. Fast forward to today when he's been diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's Disease. Writing the words makes it very real for me. He is now on bed rest with very few outings. His lungs are giving way and his eating capabilities are now gone. It's such a stark contrast with how he lived his life. From a very early age, I always knew him as the smartest person in the room, he always had a smile on his face and was never at a loss of words. Now we are the ones talking to him, trying to keep him interested in something, knowing that somewhere in there is a man who needs mental stimulation or his life will drive him insane.

It's hard being so far away and not being able to see him, but I also know it's probably the best thing I could do. Dealing with his illness is coming to terms with life and how truly lucky we are to have the moments we have. I'm dealing with my own mortality, the fact that I'm getting older, just like all of us are. Life is still full, but we never truly know when our time will come. Thinking of my father, I remember how meticulous he was about taking good care of his health. He was always moderate in his drinking and I used to tease him at how boring and bland the foods he ate were. He loved to run especially at the beach. He would go to the doctor at the first sign of a pain -- or so we thought. It just goes to show that we don't really know when our time will come. It's an unknown. I also recently read "Me Before You" by Jojo Moyes about a man who is a quadriplegic and decides to take matters into his own hands and goes to an Euthanasia Clinic. I didn't really focus on the euthanasia subject, because I don't really believe in it--but his life and how he went from a 35 year-old successful, healthy man, to a quadriplegic. I thought of my own uncle who at 21 had a car accident and was left in a wheelchair without the ability to speak or eat--he's been living this life for 30 years now. His mother has taken care of him the whole time. It was a strange turn for his life and those around him. What is left to do, when you are next to someone who is experiencing death or a life changing tragedy? For me, it's holding on a little tighter to that person, giving them an extra hug and not turning away from them, even when it's hard not to. I spent a week in Panama mostly at the hospital with my father. I read him books, showed him videos of my children, told him I loved him and held his hand. Made peace inside myself with the difficulties we had had between us. And put everything else to the side--although it was hard to. Now back home, I hope that I held him long enough, I don't know if I'll ever know the answer to that. Maybe part of the answer to that question is how we decide to live after we've known someone who is facing a death.

Maybe they would tell us to go live life and to put regrets, reservations and resentments to the side. We've been telling our kids to stop fighting over things with each other. My husband asks them: "Is this something you'll remember next year, in five or ten years?" Big thought for a 10 and 8 year old, but something we should consider as adults. It's not easy, but I think of the pain that people face if they're suffering from a fatal illness. How can I not try to live a better life? We all face struggles, health, financial, emotional, physical and the list goes on. It's not that the struggle and pain will magically be lifted but that we put it into a different perspective. I see it as a way to honor the ones that are struggling or have struggled for their life.

That Balancing Act

It's been running through my mind lately...as it has in the past 9 years since I've become a mother. What is the perfect balance between motherhood/parenthood and giving to one self?

I have had a difficult time with this one question; and I truly now believe that it is the million (or billion now days) question. If we only knew the answer to this then we would have all the answers and mysteries of the universe solved. Some mothers, as I did myself, go into motherhood head first, accepting all the challenges full-heartedly and doting on their children day in and out. Somewhere along that path, you may find yourself running out of gas, as I did not too long ago. And then you, or me in this case, resolve to commit more time for yourself (i.e. exercise, catching up with friend, hobbies, or taking a shower daily).

I, like many of us, come with baggage from a family that tried to do their best. Both parents worked and dedicated some time to family life, but the interpersonal connection was seldom there. I half-heartedly laugh as I correct my mother, for the up teenth time, that no, my best friend was not so and so. There were few extra curricular activities. I remember junior high and high school as a very lonely place, where a young girl could have benefitted from a mentor or someone to explain things to and to push to pursue dreams and passions.

Come back to the present, where I am a mother of 3 young children. I myself am a woman beginning 40s now, still feeling energetic, but yet trying to catch up on time that was committed full-heartedly to my children and my family life. I now understand the challenges of motherhood. Wanting to be the best mother, but yet feeling like you don't want to loose yourself in motherhood. I want to take pictures of my children and prepare exciting projects and activities for us to do, yet I would like to be in those pictures from time to time. At first, it's ok to let yourself go, I feel you really have to commit to newborns and toddlers. After that it is time to start taking time out for yourself. But how much and, as in my case, how do you let go? Slowly, I've realized that if you don't make plans for yourself, plans will be made for you. The train will continue to roll without you. Feelings of "guilt" ensue when I can't sign up my daughter for another extra-curricular class, or continue to talk with her well past her bedtime. They are mild tugs at the heart, but they're still there. I feel like people ignore who I am, not just a mother to three lovely kids, but the me. There's always the: how are the kids, what are they up to, how is your husband, but seldom the: how are you? There's the requests for pictures of the kids, but seldom, can you send me a picture of you with the children. I've even been told to move to the side so that people can take a picture of the 3 kids--I'll leave names out, but it is hurtful to say that it is from people that are very close to me.

The me who was a writer, who liked listening to salsa music and doing crazy things from time to time. I still do some writing, and belt out a tune in my kitchen, but the crazy, sporadic things are for the most part gone. The friends and family that I once felt connected to have slowly drifted apart, partly due to distance and some I believe to the fact that they don't relate or perhaps do not see me in the same light as they did in the past.  So in essence, feelings like a used up newspaper that has been left out in the rain.

Don't feel bad. I know that I have to continue. That I have to continue in that search to find a perfect balance for me and to not loose sight of who I was and who I want to become.

A Walk Through My Town

It's been almost two years since we moved across the pond to Europe and settled in Germany. Sometimes it seems as if it was "just the other day" and other times we feel very homesick for our friends and family and way of life back in the States. But we've slowly adjusted and are truly now enjoying living in Germany and discovering all the wonderful things living in Europe has to offer.

We live in a fairly small town, although it's connected to other bigger villages and fairly close to many conveniences. One of the things we love about villages here is how they are essentially all structured in almost identical ways.

 Our local bakery and some of the many enticing treats. 

 The farmer driving his truck around town. I guess he's getting ready for the harvest!

 The local soccer field. It is a small field, but their season runs all year long, rain, snow or sunshine.

 Germans houses typically do not have big backyards. It is more common to see a small front garden. 

 Orchids, orchids and more orchids. 

The local drugstore. It's not unusual to see tiny shops decorate their front windows according to the season. This time it was Mardi Gras, or in German "Fasching"

 A very typical German house in this area of Germany.

There is a main street where you always find a bakery or Bakarie. Usually villages also have a small grocery store, gas station and Sparkasse or Bank. If you're lucky, your village also has a Metzgerie, a butcher shop, with select cuts of beef (fairly expensive compared to American prices), and poultry and of course, sausages and deli meets some of which, for me at least, may take years before I'm adventurous enough to try!! There is also a small pub or Biergarten. You can usually see people seated outside the Biergarten, enjoying a a glass of their favorite Hefe weisen or light beer.

There are houses on the main street as well, but usually they are on smaller streets, which by the way are much narrower than in the U.S. The way villages are designed, it is sometimes easier to walk to the grocery than maneuver through streets in your big "American" SUV or worse, Mini-van, to buy your food. It is a welcome change to see ladies walk with their baskets or canvas grocery bags (paper and plastic bags are not given at grocery stores--you have to bring your own) to buy their bread, meat, and daily pantry items. You also see more cyclists, especially on weekends.

As you walk through a village, you may notice how almost every window displays an arrangement of flowers and plants, and especially orchids. Ironically enough, this tropical plant thrives in many German homes, some say the condensation created by radiators which are usually below windowsills and the cold weather outside plus the sun the orchids get by being placed next to a window create the perfect greenhouse conditions for the orchids to flourish.

Further away from the main street you might find a small green space with a modest playground area. German kids are not used to the big structures of the parks in the States. A couple of swings, a merry-go-round and perhaps a see-saw and a sandbox are good enough for the German children. That may be why you might also see children here climbing trees, going on hikes and riding their bikes--mostly alone or with friends. Germans are big on instilling independence on their children and it is not uncommon to see kids as little as 6 years-old walking to school on their own.

In some of the quieter, "sleepy" towns there is still a farmer at the very end of the village with a plot of land. There is a village not too far from ours that has a vending machine where you can purchase the milk from the farmer's cows and also local eggs. There's also a nod to the Christian roots and Stone Crosses honoring Jesus in some towns. The local farmer also might leave a plot at the end of his land to plant "blumen" or flowers. In the spring, you can find people picking flowers and leaving the money to pay for them inside a metal box. Picking flowers from the field is probably one of my favorite things to do with the children in the spring.

One thing I've noticed living in my town is the lack of noise :) There is seldom a car passing by with music blasting out. Sundays are considered family days. All stores, with the exception of restaurants, are closed. You do not see people mowing lawns, doing yard work or washing cars on Sundays. It is typically very quiet and you see an occasional person walking or going on a hike. Germans love the outdoors and some villages have a system of trails in the woods interconnected to one another. So you could go on a hike from your town and end up two or three villages over. The trails are very well marked and indicate the direction and towns you're walking towards.

Another popular thing to do on Sundays is to watch a futbal or soccer game. Although teams play year round, it is more common for the smaller town teams to play mostly in the spring, summer and fall. We're lucky that our village has a soccer team and a field not too far from our house. One of our goals is to go watch a soccer game this year.

Getting the family on board a healthy lifestyle

Trying to get the family on board a healthy lifestyle can be hard. Especially when it’s more than just you and your husband. Especially when there are work and time commitments. In the end, it will only succeed if you and the rest of your family are on board, and if you receive the respect and support from your husband as well as your children.

I have to admit, that my husband and I have always been like-minded and have strived for a healthy lifestyle (most of the time) J But in the end, we have always agreed that we want to live a “healthy” but balanced lifestyle—so sort of like having our broccoli but getting to enjoy our ice cream as well.

Today, it is far more complicated. Because our children have different food preferences and I have a more restrictive “diet” now. Now that I don’t eat wheat and dairy on a daily basis. Amazingly, it has been fairly easy to incorporate meals that I can enjoy along with my family. And I am finding out that what I thought would be a total disaster: “what, no cheese lasagna?” “no breadcrumbs on the salad?” has actually been a step in the right direction for the entire family. A typical dinner at my house consists of chicken or beef and a side portion of rice or potatoes along with chopped fresh, rather than baked, vegetables (which the children prefer) along with a salad. So we have in essence increased our vegetable intake by cutting out on some of the bread. There are many pasta dishes though. I just make sure to fix pasta by itself and then the family can fix their own plate to their liking. I usually fix quinoa, sweet potatoes or brown rice for myself when I fix pasta.

One of the tastier meals is when we grill chicken or beef, chop some peppers, cucumbers and tomatoes and eat Greek gyros. I fix a yogurt dressing for a topping, but also make sure to buy hummus for myself. It is fresh, healthy and tasty—all the ingredients my family requires to make a meal a success!!

Another goal for 2017 is to cut-back on some of our sugar intake. We have traditionally allowed the children to eat dessert after every dinner. This in addition to sweetened yogurt for a midday snack and of course a piece of chocolate or baked goods that are usually more than readily available in Germany. One of the biggest culprits was buying into the fact that Nutella, a chocolate spread, served in the morning along with toast, would actually be a good thing for the kids. Not only did it increase their sugar intake, but also prepped them to have a very sweet tooth and increase their desire for sweets later on in the day. We are still having some sugar in the morning: typically toast with jelly (but only a small amount) along with eggs or oatmeal. At night however, we usually skip “dessert” which used to be ice cream, candy or some sort of baked good. Instead we have fruit along with plain yogurt or amazingly enough—go without dessert! The childrens’ taste buds are changing and they are not demanding as many sweets as before. Just two days ago, my oldest daughter, notorious for her sweet tooth, skipped eating her pastry and gave it to her dad instead. She said she wanted to eat something light and fresh, and chose and apple.

The important thing is to gradually introduce new eating patterns and foods. And once you make the commitment try to adhere to it. For example, if your rule is to only have dessert on weekends—stick to that. Another helpful tip is to try to get your children involved in the food decision process, either at the store or in the kitchen. I am starting to allow my 3 year-old daughter into the kitchen to help me fix smoothies, oatmeal, cookies and other easy dishes. She’s very eager to help and is always curious to try what she has helped to make.