Back to Simply a Young Mother this Year

I write this as I sit on a plane coming home from the 2011 American Mothers National Convention. I am officially a past National Young Mother of the Year and am headed back to Indiana to join my life already in progress as simply a young mother (as a 46 year old mom, I have decided to keep that part of the title).  Shawni Pothier is the 2011 Young Mother of the Year and is a wonderful, authentic, and inspiring young mother.

I spent time in Salt Lake City, Utah with inspiring and wonderful mothers. Some who are parenting children with special needs (as is Shawni) with the love, strength and fortitude of only a mother. Some who spend much time and energy, spreading love and support within their communities. Whether through the support of military families, placing food in the backpacks of school children for the weekend, or raising money for causes they hold near and dear, these mothers are nurturing and contributing far beyond their own families.

One of the things I love best about the national convention of American Mothers is that it pulls me away from the dailies of laundry, carpool, groceries, practices, dinner and more to inspire me through the stories of moms I would never otherwise meet. I believe sometimes we moms need time away from our families to gain perspective.

I certainly can get caught up in the dailies….let’s face it, there are so many. But I am returning home with the bigger picture in mind again. The reminder that as I parent in the dailies, I am effecting the direction and destination of our children. That parenting with intention doesn’t just happen, (thus the word intention) but that even as I value that, I still lose focus sometimes.

My greatest desire is that our kids leave our home as confident young adults. Confident in our unending, deep, abiding and passionate love for them. Confident of their faith in Jesus and secure in why they believe what they do about their faith. I want them to have explored the gifts and talents they have discovered thus far. I want them to have secured the belief system that serving others is simply what you do. That being honest, kind and giving is rewarding and fulfilling. That they know lessons learned in failure are better than no lessons at all.

As the plane descends, I look forward to landing back in my life of parenting with renewed focus and intent. Thank you American Mothers for the opportunity to step away and be inspired.

Pardon me....

Tonight while we were sitting at Zach's football game, a woman came late and joined some friends of hers behind us. They asked why she was late and she said, "I had to go back to where we ate dinner," her son had left something on the tray and it had been thrown in the trash, she went on to say, "I am Mother of the Year because I went back and dug through the trash and found it!"

I was like....ummm....hmmm.....A c t u a l l y.....let me introduce myself, I don't think we've met!

OK, if you know me at all, you know I didn't really say that, but Kevin, Kyler and I did share knowing looks. :) I also knew immediately that this was too funny not to share. How many times is a moment like that ever going to happen?!

I love that we ALL have moments as moms where we put on the sash that says "Mother of the Year"and the crown that sparkles with our shiny moments! (although in real like there is no sash or crown, but there is a plaque and a statue). Here's to all of us sharing this title!!

While I was Away, You Spent $50 on What?

Before we left for New York, I asked the three older kids, who were being left home alone for the weekend (minus the youngest of the four) if they wanted me to prepare meals ahead of time, or if they wanted grocery money and they could figure it out. They opted for the grocery money.

Courtney (almost 18) and Zach (15 1/2) headed to the grocery store on Friday evening and with a cart and a calculator in hand and roamed the isles for weekend sustenance to share with their sister Erin.

Here is what they found:

S'mores PopTarts
Chocolate Donut Holes
Fruit by the Foot
Puffed Popcorn
Gatorade
Pepsi
Cheesecake
Reese's Pieces
Corn Dogs
Strawberries (alas something respectable)

There was some cash left, so they used the balance to go to lunch at Panera on Sunday after church.

What I love about this is ~ they made a plan, budgeted wisely (by that I mean they had a calculator) gained a new appreciation for my shopping expertise, time management (I heard it took them an hour to shop for the above items) and knowledge of the layout of the store. I love that they even valued saving some cash for a meal out together.

I appreciated that their goal was to purchase all the things they like but that I do not buy. Good job children of mine. I am indeed proud of you. I mean that sincerely.

P.S. There was no milk and no bread in the house when we arrived back home. There were however pop and donuts.

While I was away at a Mother of the Year Conference

Last Saturday night, while in New York City at the American Mothers Inc. 75 National Conference with amazing moms from around the country, I was awarded the title 2010 National Young Mother of the Year. Please don't stop reading there because the next lines are crucial to understanding why we all do...and feel we do not...deserve such a title.

While I am accustomed to some stellar moments when I have thought to myself "There goes my mother of the year award" (not knowing such an award actually really existed until recently) there was never one more obvious than the one that took place last Friday.

My husband and I were on the train to New York City when my cell phone rang. I picked it up to hear the voice of the principal from our youngest son's school. "Hello Mrs. Carlstrom," without a breath she went on to say that she knew I was out of town and that in fact I was on my way to receive an prestigious award, (did she know something I did not?) but that she had my son in her office. Of course you do. I thought. She went on to tell me the many consequences that he was facing, when I finally got a chance to ask her what he did, she graciously left out details and simply said, "Several things."

My point in telling you this is that we all have moments when the world appears to be looking at and possibly even judging our parenting, and just then it seems to all come apart. But there are moments when we shine, when we get it right, when we say the right thing, do the right thing, and don't give up. That is Mother of the Year stuff right there, and in those moments, we all share that title.

Stay tuned to the tale of the other three children in Part 2 of While I was Away.....