Deliberate mothering

I recently taught a workshop on family systems for Power of Moms at my house. There were eight of us moms with 25 kids between us all, the majority of which are under the age of seven. We started out by talking about discipline and systems that work with younger kids. By the end of the night, the discussion started to turn away from our children and their needs to--well, us. Depression was brought up, then some other words entered the conversation such as isolation, anger, guilt, and loneliness. We shared thoughts and insights, ended on a high and parted ways. One mom stayed and chatted with me for a while in my living room and when I opened the door to let her out, I noticed that all but one of the women who had attended the workshop were still standing in front of my house, talking. Connecting.

I, like all of you reading this, am a busy woman. I almost decided at the beginning of this year that I'm too busy with all the demands of motherhood and life to keep up with this blog. But after that workshop, I realized that I am a better mother when I connect with other mothers. There is nothing more powerful to me than hearing a friend say, "Me too." And so, with that said, I will be sharing more of my life on this blog than I have been. Not because I want to show off my awesome activities with my kids (because they ARE awesome), but because I want to connect with YOU.

A few weeks ago, I re-connected with a dear friend, Jackie Larson, who is one of the most talented photographers I know. I met her ten years ago while serving a mission in Antioch, California and recently had the chance to visit her and her family. While I was there, she pulled out her camera and took some shots of me and my Jane.

I love that Jackie caught this little moment because Jane seems to stare at me more than any of my babies, as if she's studying me. (I hope I pass.)

Good to know I have a bald spot. Ha.

Jackie recently posted this quote on her Facebook page: 

"There is no way to be a PERFECT mother, but a million ways to be a GOOD one." -Unknown

Jackie posts on her blog a series called "My A.B.C. life" every Friday where she recaps the week with beautiful photos. If you are ever in the Bay area, hire her. If you like to take pictures of your kids, go to her blog for inspiration. It is beautiful. I like that she captures the moment as it is and doesn't try to make it look perfect.

Here's to a perfectly imperfect week.