Big blue eyes staring at me with a mouthful of bananas and oatmeal. Words being sounded out by my daughter, slow, steady, and confident. My son’s face dripping wet with strawberry juice after a snack in the garden. Vroom-vroom being called out by my three year old as he lines up matchbox cars. These are the pictures I see everyday. Visions of small pieces of life being played out hour by hour, minute by minute, right before my eyes. They may not be extraordinary to anyone else, but they are to me when I am present in the moment and see the little faces before me.
What is A Simpler Motherhood?
A Simpler Motherhood is making space for what matters most. The sticky faces, the big blue eyes, the family walks. It’s a journey towards presence and an understanding that our things don’t make a good life; our people do. A Simpler Motherhood is not a ten step process, but taking small steps to make the everyday simpler and more joyful. It’s getting rid of the excess and clutter so we can see and live the life we want. It’s living with a posture of gratitude for the gifts God has given us and being generous with those gifts. A Simpler Motherhood includes doing things we are passionate about and filling our cup so we can give to others out of it’s abundance. It’s loving and accepting others for their choices and who they are. A Simpler Motherhood begins with grace: grace for ourselves, grace for our kids, and grace for those around us.
When I first started this little place on the internet, I had one desire: to offer moms ways they can get to less stuff and more life. It’s evolved over the past few years as our world has evolved and my journey has evolved, but my passion is the same: To give moms hope, encouragement and practical tools needed to live the life they want.
What’s next?
A lot has changed this past year in our world with the Covid pandemic. One of those things changing is how families are thinking about their child’s education for this upcoming school year. This change has caused some anxiety and left parents with lots of questions. I have homeschooled my kiddos for the past few years and taught first grade in public school for five years pre-kids. I have my Masters in Education in Curriculum and Instruction. My desire is to use the knowledge I have to bring encouragement and practical tools to moms in the area of homeschooling.
Over the next several weeks and months, I will be sharing about our homeschooling experience, tools and processes we use, and basic information about school at home. I will still be sharing ways I am journeying towards A Simpler Motherhood in ways of simplifying. A big focus will be to offer whatever support I can to moms choosing school at home or doing virtual school through their school district.
These last five months have divided people more than I like to think about, but I believe there are spaces where we can come together, support one another, and live more life. My prayer for this space is just that. No judgement, no shaming, no rolling of the eyes. Just a space to gather to be vulnerable, learn a little, support each other, and offer ourselves, our kids, and each other loads of grace. Will you join me?
Your blog always fills me with hope for the future, Vanessa. Perhaps it’s because we see things much the same, but I also think that providing a life, in which we’re truly present in the moment, is what’s best for our children. Your family is so blessed to have you!♥️
Thanks so much for your kind words, Kim. You encourage me so much!! I am so thankful to have you as an ally and I learned SO much from you while teaching. You love your people so well. Miss you!