Author Archives: earnestmomblog

About earnestmomblog

Earnest mom is now combined our homeschool with 3 wild 3 free and motherhood! Earnest mom will still follow our journey from a school based system into home learning with my wild and free three. Samuel (10), Eden (6) and Jacob (2) are my three who make me want to be a better person every single day. We love God, reading aloud, sharing stories, building blocks, nature hikes, family suppers, and trying to be kind caring humans to those around us. Home learning is a whole new world to us and we are so thankful that you have stopped in to join the ride. Follow us on Instagram @3wild3free and @earnestmomblog Bless, Rebecca

I am her, She is me.

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Dedicated to my three earnest littles, and to all the mamas, past, present and future.

Mama, Mother, Mummy, I am her, and she is me.

We shared a life, a body, a very first breath, they took theirs and I held mine.

Never did I know such ache, relief, and joy so absolute, so sublime.

Knit together in the quiet dark places within my delicate being,

The handiwork of the Father upon nose, fingers and cries that filled the room ringing.

Ordinary, messy, unselfish love brimming from such a tiny heart,

Made me believe in true, unconditional, love, from the start.

The love took shape, warm, familiar, and round.

A woman lost, a mother found.

I hear their cries, I know their need,

Born from within in me, I feel it when they bleed.

Dark snuggly mornings, closed in together tight all around,

Barefoot in those early hours, feels like holy ground.

I want to be with them always the thought without them makes me ache,

Staying close, face to face, with a call, or in that place between dreaming and awake.

Mama, Mother, Mummy, I am her, and she is me.

Words by: Rebecca Wilcoxson (earnest mom).

Permission to Finish Softly.

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It is one week from Christmas, yes SEVEN days from that wonderful, blessed day where we celebrate the birth of Christ and maybe a merry elf who loves to leave our favorites under the tree.  My shopping list is still quite long and after the last three weeks which included a root canal, food poisoning and every person in this house sick with this cold that seems to be EVERYWHERE, the to-do’s before Christmas arrives feel endless.

As I take a break and scroll through the social media platform of choice, I am seeing so much “hustle mama,” “you got this,” and “finish strong” all over the place.  From fancy wrapping paper hacks to reminder to move an elf – it seems as though even a quick scroll only adds to one’s holiday to-do’s.

I am a lover of family traditions that we do together, from baking, to making Christmas gifts and garlands, I love being creative and getting the kids involved. I enjoy color coordinating my gift wrapping, making sure Santa’s cookies are home baked and delivering goodies to friends and family. I really like getting stuff done and feeling accomplished. This year though, this year that has been trying, busy and at times over whelming – I am not trying to “finish strong.” I am not trying to end the year with a huge bang, get it all done kind of attitude. Instead, I am giving myself permission to “finish softly.”

Finishing softly by not making ALL the Christmas things; I have strung dried orange garland wound up in a bowl because we have not had time to buy the garland to hang with it. I have stockings in a blue storage bin parked at the bottom of the stairs waiting to be hung because we ran out of command strips. I have all the ingredients to unbaked cookies on my counters waiting to be darling little cookie trees with the softest butter cream icing ever. There are Amazon, Walmart and Target boxes all stacked, unopened and unwrapped filled from Black Friday and Cyber Monday hauls for Christmas gifting, just waiting to be sorted, wrapped, and set.

There are kids’ toys, books, and clothes that I want to sort through before all the new comes in from Christmas. New items that will overwhelm already bursting drawers, filled toy bins and piled high bookshelves. It will not all get done before Christmas, and likely not all before 2023. But I am giving myself the “okay” to go easy. Taking the time to read, snuggle all up with kiddos and blankets and watch movies, enjoy hot cocoa, and go looking for Christmas lights – the Christmas to-dos will keep.

Finishing this year softly by going into this week of homeschool lightly, not feeling pressure to get all the homeschool Christmas lessons done – just getting something in each day. Reading the Nutcracker together, baking for fun, not perfection, and laughing to Alexa’s Christmas jokes together. Making hot tea and enjoy sleepy mornings with warm scones from the oven. Breaking out the Kiwi Crate and craft some fun gifts for giving. Calling a neighbor or friend to say Merry Christmas and ask how they are doing. Going softly with my family, not rushing, pushing, and trying to finish this year in anyway but gently.

Finishing soft by taking time for rest.  Sacred rest.  Saying no to the good things so I can say yes to the best things in my life.  Not adding anything more to a to-do list that will already remain incomplete for the new few weeks.  Going to bed in good timing, resting with my love and staying connected during the hustle and bustle around us.  Closing the door, shutting the blinds, and taking time to breathe, pray and restore.  Going easy into the season of giving by giving myself permission to go gently and be intentional.

It is hard to go easy, it feels like mom culture around me says “first, biggest, most!” or “more, better, everything.” For me this year, these next few weeks, I do not want to end this year with some huge finale or crescendo, I want it to slowly melt into 2023. Gently roll into the new year with revival on my heart, restoration in my soul and go softly. Mama, if this season is getting to be over whelming – give yourself permission to finish softly. We are world changers, but let’s aim for micro changes that are a balm to the weariness of our souls. Less hustle and go softly.

Guest Feature: What’s Best for Your Health??

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Thank you to Daniel Sherwin from dadsolo.com for sharing this article with us: Tips for Taking a Stand Regarding What’s Best for Your Health. Excellent advice and food for thought!

The state of our health can easily be neglected. However, when we feel terrible, it’s then that we decide to be more proactive about what is conducive to our health and what isn’t. In other words, we learn to take notes regarding our health because we know ourselves and our family better than anyone else. So if that’s you, and you’ve been letting everyone around you decide what’s best for you or your kids, here are some helpful tips from earnest mom on how to voice your opinion more.

What are your options?

Taking care of your health better means being aware of the various options available to you when choosing a health insurance scheme. There are quite a few options out there, so you might want to consider doing a fair bit of research into what a Health maintenance organization is (or HMO), what an Exclusive provider organization (or EPO) is, and what your options are regarding point-of-service (or POS) plans. As you can see, knowing what these are and what this entails can be quite the process to go through, let alone understand. However, research like this can end up saving you in the long run – and not just from a money perspective.

Develop a relationship with your doctor

Trust can only be built where there is open communication and honesty between two parties. The same could be said of the relationship between you and your medical health practitioner, meaning you can’t learn to trust and accept when there hasn’t been an ongoing rapport between you and them. 

Ask for a copy of your medical records

Did you know that you are well within your right to ask for a copy of your medical records? Just having your own medical records on hand to refer back to could be what you need to request a second opinion if your gut doesn’t feel right. 

Speaking of gut feel…

Suppose that you feel that your first diagnosis wasn’t entirely accurate for some or other reason, then it’s perfectly acceptable to ask for a second opinion from another physician to confirm your suspicions or allay your fears. For example, you could consult with an online doctor if you want to consult with someone urgently. Furthermore, you will have access to various treatment options if you see one that you think could be beneficial for you or your child’s condition. Also, if your child needs their medication quickly, your online doctor can complete a prescription quickly for you and have this sent to your local pharmacy, where you can conveniently collect this along with your child’s medication.

Step up.

Sometimes, we just need to step up to the plate when it comes to our health and our families’ health by being more intentionalabout it. This may mean making the most of every opportunity to exercise, such as taking the stairs and not the lift, and getting off the train or bus a stop or two earlier so you can walk the rest of the way to work, for example, or by making jogging a daily exercise that is mandatory for you and the kids so that you can bond and get fit together.

At the end of the day, it is up to us as moms to take a stand for our families’ as well as our own health by making smarter choices. This can only assist us in being better parents, knowing we have done all we can to secure the well-being of our loved ones.