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Tag Archives: transitions

Moms in Progress: Michelle Warner

6 / 12 / 196 / 12 / 19

Katie

As part of our ongoing Moms in Progress series, we will be taking some time this summer to chat with our blog team writers – to hear more about their daily lives as moms and about what God is teaching them. Today I am excited to hear from TtT founder and editor, Michelle Warner!

Michelle
Michelle

Thanks, Katie! I’m excited to share today. I’m not usually on this side of the text so this is fun.

Michelle
Katie

To get us started, Michelle, could you share a recent photo of your family and tell us a little about it and them?

Michelle
Michelle

Well, I’ll be honest, I had to dig a little to find a recent family pic! 🙂 That one is a photo taken of us at Spring Break in Florida. My husband and I recently celebrated our 11th anniversary and my girls are 6 and 4. It has been a bit of a stressful time in the last few months (more on that in a minute) so when I look at this picture, it reminds me of how important it is as a family to put aside work and house projects and phones and just connect. I’m hopeful for a lot more of that this summer!

Michelle
Katie

That sounds like a great summer goal! How is summer going so far?

Michelle
Michelle

It feels like it is just starting! My daughter’s last day of kindergarten was later than a lot of the schools around here so I feel like we’re just coming into summer. We are also in the process of moving so summer has definitely revolved around cleaning our house for showings and moving things over to the new house and making renovation decisions. My husband and I just talked about surprising our girls in a few weeks with a trip because we need that time like I mentioned earlier to just connect.

Michelle
Katie

Moving is such a stressful time! So much to do! Have you been able to listen to or find any truth (in a podcast, quote, conversation, etc.) this week to help you?

Michelle
Michelle

I’m going to be super honest here. I have found that when life is really busy for us (which is now), I don’t take time to breathe in good truth. It’s like I’m just trying to keep up and do the next thing. I’m focused on keeping one foot in front of the other so I’m sadly not spending enough time listening and reflecting. And it means instead of reading in my spare moments, I’m scrolling Facebook or watching HGTV just to check out. I know that doesn’t feed my soul like reading would but I’ve realized checking out is a default behavior for me during stressful times.

So when I saw this question, at first I wanted to rack my brain of something that stood out to me the last couple of weeks and just gloss over the truth. But this blog is all about being real, right? So here ya go – I haven’t read any good books or articles recently and haven’t even listened to a podcast in much longer than I want to admit. I’m embarrassed to say that but maybe a mom needs to hear this “confession” so we can encourage each other. Some seasons are just crazy and maybe what we need more than anything is to ask again for Jesus to fill us up and accept the huge heaping serving of grace He offers us. #preachingtomyself

Michelle
Katie

For sure! I think we can all relate to those busy seasons where we are just trying to stay afloat! And let me just say it’s ok! Sometimes you just can’t add anything else to the circuit boards, if you know what I mean.

Michelle
Michelle

Yes…and I said that about grace above because I can tend to beat myself up over not doing all of the “right” things that I “should be.” I’m learning over and over to give myself grace and stop “shoulding” on myself. 🙂 This is a crazy season for us. Yes, I want to be more intentional with my time and not just check out when I finally get a moment to let down. But you know what? It’s not always going to be like this. Hopefully soon we will be settled into our house and the big renovations will be behind us (and maybe some day we’ll sell our other house!!) and I will have more mental energy to prioritize the things I have let slide.

And back to the circuit board comment, I’ve been saying recently that I feel “over capacity.” And you know what? I think that is actually good because it makes me a lot more dependent on God because I literally can’t do it on my own. The one verse that keeps coming to my mind in this season is one of my favorites – “My grace is sufficient for you for my power is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9) Paul answers that by saying, “Therefore I will boat all the more gladly about my weakness, so that Christ’s power may rest on me…For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (12:10)

Michelle
Katie

Life will return to normal soon and there will be plenty of podcasts to listen to when you are settled in your new place! Such a helpful perspective to remember about a temporary season in life! In this season, what is currently your hardest parenting struggle?

Michelle
Michelle

Hmm. I could answer this in many ways. 🙂 I just have to pick one? I’ll pick the thing that we dealt with this morning and that is the girls nitpicking about little things at one another. Some moments they play so well, and then other moments they compete and intentionally do things to aggravate each other. Oh, and then tattle tale!

I was just praying about how I can help foster teamwork between my girls and hopefully this summer will have moments of working things out together in the midst of the other real stuff. 🙂

Michelle
Katie

Sounds familiar! Oh, the joys and complexities of sibling relationships! What is going well currently?

Michelle
Michelle

Again, I’ll be honest…with so much going on, I feel like I’m not giving enough intentional time to my girls. I’m trying to keep it on my radar but sometimes it just feels like even with the best of intentions, house projects still eat up the time. But all of that to say, my husband and I have started one-on-one date nights with our girls again. And they have loved it. It is reminding me all over again why these times alone when them are so important for growing our our relationships and feeling connected.

Michelle
Katie

So true. Do you have any other thoughts you want to share?

Michelle
Michelle

Hmm, I’m not even sure if I have coherent thoughts to add right now. 🙂 ha. One thing that just came to mind is that I have been doing some reading about the Enneagram. Well, I should say a couple of months ago I was reading about it 🙂 but it’s stuck with me. And it’s been really helpful for me to know more of myself and especially my pitfalls. It said on my results that in stressful situations I can tend to be controlling. I have been thinking about this a lot in our current season because I admit that I have been more controlling than I wish I was. It’s caused me to pause in some of those moments and think about why I am acting a particular way. I’m looking forward to doing more reading on it when I have more capacity but I’d love to hear if any of our readers have gotten into the Enneagram. And specifically if they have any podcasts or resources they have enjoyed. 🙂

Michelle
Katie

Understanding ourselves better can be so validating (and sometimes a bit convicting ?). I’m sure when this season has passed you’ll have more time to explore that!

Michelle
Michelle

Oh, and last thing –

Michelle
Katie

Of course! Lay it on us!

Michelle
Michelle

I do want to add how thankful I am for this blog team. You all have been such an amazing team to work with. I feel like after our Lent break, we are being a lot more mindful about what our priorities need to be and how we can use our gifts well to make that happen. I feel so blessed to be surrounded by such thoughtful women and moms to process life with!

Michelle
Katie

And we are so blessed to have you as our leader! We are all so thankful for your honest perspective in the midst of this season of change and the stress that accompanies it (even when we know it’s good). Thanks for sharing with us today, Michelle!

Do you have a story to tell? Would you like to be featured in a future Moms in Progress post?  Just click here (or the image above) and answer a few questions including the details of your story.  We will do the rest.

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Drop Off Drama for Mama

9 / 8 / 179 / 8 / 17

Kristal

Oh mamas, please tell me you have advice for how to handle kids who FLIP OUT on the first day of school. It is Kate’s first day of school today and I have no idea how I’m going to handle this. Yesterday we took Kate to Meet-the-Teacher and I have never seen her freak out so much…and it’s our second year of school at the same place.

Anna
Anna

Aw, Kristal! I feel for ya!! It could have just been her anxiety coming out yesterday, today may be a whole different reaction. You could try…a reward, a comfort item to take in with her (if they allow it), or just try to act like it never even happened and see what happens today!

Anna
Kristal

?

Anna
Anna

If it makes you feel any better, when I picked Libby up yesterday, she was totally fine, and then I kissed her on the cheek. She started scream-crying “You hurt me!” And her teachers and I were just standing there in shock. But I think she was just tired and it’s so hard when everything is new.

Anna
Michelle
Michelle

I don’t have advice but I have empathy and prayers. I am learning with Sophie how to help her cope with hard things and big emotions. We have this great CD of Bible verses one of the songs says, “When I am afraid I will trust in You.” We play that in the car when she goes somewhere new and is scared. We also talk about how we can feel afraid and brave at the same time and God gives us courage. I am learning sometimes they just need to process through the change and feelings and they don’t know how to say they are scared and afraid of change. But navigating a big meltdown (especially in public) is so hard in the moment. I will be praying for you!

Michelle
Laura
Laura

Well, then there are my boys who march into school as if they owned the place and barely kiss this mama goodbye, and I cry on the way to the car… sigh…  I’m prepping for the start of my teaching, so I’ll try to pray quickly now and say more later… but Kristal, all I can say is to pray for her. All the above sounds great. Lovey in tow, etc. Maybe your hubby could take her? See if it’s easier to separate from him?

Laura
Kristal

Thanks for the advice, ladies. Her reaction was so unexpected given how much she loved school last year..Thanks for making me feel less alone and a little less afraid!

Michelle
Michelle

Grateful we have each other! You’re a good mama and God will give you the wisdom to know what to do. ❤️

Michelle
Kristal

So… Just now, I tried talking to her about feeling scared and praying together. It didn’t go as well as I hoped, but God can hold her little heart and comfort her in a way even I can’t! Well, we’re off to school. I’ll text you later…..

Michelle
Michelle

Just dropped Ellie off and wondering how Kate did! Ellie walked right in sucking her thumb and did fine. I, on the other hand, came home and cried for an hour. Something about both the girls at school and a house to myself brought me the emotions to the surface. ?

Michelle
Anna
Anna

Oh girl, I wish I was close enough to hug you! Go get a latte and enjoy the peacefulness at your house. Laura, how are you doing with starting school?

Anna
Laura
Laura

My little Peter cried when I left this morning. Broke my heart. Today has been good overall, but sheesh, it’s hard to leave a little pouting face behind.  And would love an update about Kate, too.

Laura
Kristal

Drop off was ok with Kate. We prayed and prayed and prayed some more… talked about being brave… she still threw a fit and cried and gave us a hard time, but she seemed to settle quickly after I left. Growing up is hard to do ❤️…for moms AND kiddos.

Anna
Anna

It is! But isn’t it awesome how God gave us all (little and big people) the courage we needed to make it through this day?

Anna
Michelle
Michelle

Aw, yes! Such a good reminder that He always will, day after day, day after day. ❤️

Michelle

 

 

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