Kristin Hill Taylor

Seeking God as the Author of Every Story

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Mom Confessions :: A Peek into Real Life

April 3, 2015 by Kristin Leave a Comment

Social media can be intimidating and frustrating because everyone puts a false façade on their lives. NOBODY has it all together so I like when people post real-life photos and tell stories of imperfection and grace. There’s nothing as encouraging as someone coming along side and saying, “Me too.”

That’s why I’ve loved Anna Rendell’s “Mom Confessions” on Facebook and now her blog. I’ve used #reallife some on Instagram myself. Mommas, let’s be in this life together and not competing for who can look like we have it all together.

In no particular, some recent mom confessions ::

1. Ben cheered – literally – when I tossed a package of bologna in the grocery cart at his request. Best $1 I’ve spent in a long time. That evening my kids ate bologna sandwiches for dinner at 4:30 today because they were “starving.”

2. I assumed my kids could wear their soccer cleats from last year. Um, no way. Their feet have grown exponentially. So the day of the first practice, I bought them new cleats while they were at school. All was good – except I bought Cate baseball cleats. I knew they didn’t look right, but they were her size so I just scooped them up. And then returned them and bought the right ones the next day.

3. Ben doesn’t nap much anymore, but recently I needed him to nap for my own well-being and because we had plans that would keep us out later than usual that night. Hello, March Madness. So I bribed Ben with the promise of ice cream if he napped. He did. He got ice cream. And I might do it again.

4. With the bus service that exists now, I only pick up Cate at school on Fridays. But two Fridays in a row I had trouble remembering this. One week I didn’t remember until it was time to be there. It’s 15 minutes away. So I called a friend to ask her to tell the teacher at the door that I was coming, eventually. My friend Julie volunteered to bring Cate toward me because she had some errands to run. So I picked up my daughter in the Walmart parking lot. 

The next week, Ben was sick so I made him a doctor’s appointment. I made it with my favorite nurse practitioner, but then I realized I wouldn’t have time to get Cate from school on time. So I called Julie. She rescued me again – although she had more warning this time. I now have timers set on my phone to remind me when and where to pick up Cate.

Of course, I haven’t forgotten where to be since I set up the timers, but, you know, better safe than sorry!

5. Hello, Spring! I used baby wipes to wash off my 5-year-old son, who is allergic to trees, grass and weeds. He’d been outside for hours playing that day and we let him stay up late while we watched basketball. No time for a shower.

6. I pulled into my kids’ school that is 12 miles away recently and realized my gas light was on. Their school is in a tiny neighboring town with no gas station. I had no idea if I would make it back without running out of gas. I did, thankfully. 

7. Each Christmas I get out the bin with the GeoTrax Santa Train and Little People Nativity. They kids are always excited for these toys to come back out. Since December, my 5-year-old Ben and his friends who are often at our house have loved building and playing with it so much that these seasonal toys are still in my living room. Perhaps they’ve found a semi-permanent home there. The Christmas train is now connected with the Cars GeoTrax.

Fellow mommas, let’s share the ordinary in a real way. Let’s encourage one another. Let’s laugh together. And let’s remind one another we are not alone. {Tweet that.}

{And, yes, feel free to share your own mom confessions in the comments.}

________________

I’m linking up with Anna Rendell at Girl With Blog, who encourages real-life mom confessions, and Soli Deo Gloria Sisterhood’s weekly gathering, where women are encouraged to come as they are. 

Want more insights? “Peace in the Process: How Adoption Built My Faith & My Family” is available on Amazon. Like me on Facebook, follow me on Twitter, peek into my life on Instagram, follow 152 Insights at Bloglovin’, or subscribe to receive “Insights in Your Inbox.”

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Filed Under: Ben, Cate, food, life, motherhood, seasons, Soli Deo Gloria

Comments

  1. Angela Miller says

    April 3, 2015 at 1:27 pm

    1) Dealing with physical and major depression means that sometimes Mt laundry overtakes the laundry area of the basement…which entails finding uniform shirts or pants that are basically clean sometimes…they are just going to spill and mess with snack lunch or art anyways…
    2) If it rains 5 inches overnight and Mt laundry is over the drain in the basement floor…the sump pump can't keep up…I haven't fessed that to hubby yet…still shop vacuuming basement…
    3) Cereal and toast or sandwiches is fine for dinner some nights…
    4) I have always kept an alarm on my phone for after school pick up…literally labeled "don't forget the kids" or time to think about the kiddos"…or something to that effect…all good unless I happen to be volunteering at school when the alarm labeled that way goes off and I have to let on that I seriously think I might forget them without the alarm…
    5) Now that my kids are all in school all day…I still look forward to nap time…maybe even more than when I had to get then down before my nap…
    6) The way I keep house is evidence I may nap too much sometimes…
    7) I lose my patience with my kids much too easily when I've been unable to sleep for several nights in a row…not there fault I have depression, knew that before I had kids…
    The list could go on and on…but I have a basement to clean up and laundry to do 🙂

    Reply
  2. Mary J says

    April 3, 2015 at 1:36 pm

    I love this post because it is so real! Now that Penny is potty trained she loves using public restrooms with the automatic sinks and soap dispensers. Sometimes, more times often than not, if we are at Walmart or the grocery store and she says she gas to go, I tell her the bathrooms are closed for the day (if I know it isn't an emergency).
    I bribe her often with icecream or Disney movies at home.
    I am no longer embarrassed when I have T is one arm and have to pick up Penny with one harm sideways while she is screaming at the top of her lungs in a store. It doesn't happen a ton, but it still happens.

    Reply
  3. Rebecca Bomgardner says

    April 3, 2015 at 1:48 pm

    haha! thanks for making me laugh today!

    Reply
  4. Angela Miller says

    April 3, 2015 at 1:49 pm

    We've all been there 😉 Don't miss shopping with littles at all…in fact avoid it at all costs now…unless they have to go to try things on…and have been known to buy two sizes of shoes, pants etc while they are at school. ..and return whichever does fit the next day 2hile they are at school !

    Reply
  5. KristinHillTaylor says

    April 3, 2015 at 1:59 pm

    Happy to do so, Rebecca! Happy Easter!

    Reply
  6. KristinHillTaylor says

    April 3, 2015 at 2:01 pm

    Ben still loves public restrooms. Really Cate does too to some degree, but not as much as she did when she was 2. On the bathroom subject, when Ben has to pee when we're traveling, we just pull over and let him go on the side of the interstate. At some point we're going to have to stop doing that … 🙂 And, yeah, no embarrassment necessary – we've all been there with screaming kids. Wait, it still happens! (Thankfully this does seem to lessen with age!) Thanks for joining in the confession time, Mary!

    Reply
  7. KristinHillTaylor says

    April 3, 2015 at 2:02 pm

    Speaking of laundry … I forgot to add to my list that my kids wore dirty socks to soccer the other night because we couldn't find any clean ones! Yeah, life. Thanks for joining in with your confessions, Angie! Hope you get that water under control.

    Reply
  8. Anna R. says

    April 3, 2015 at 6:20 pm

    Love this, Kristin. Thank you for the encouragement!! I think my favorite on your list is the Christmas toy status. Baby Jesus is still played with from our Little People Nativity too 😉

    Reply
  9. KristinHillTaylor says

    April 3, 2015 at 7:05 pm

    Hooray for year-round Christmas! 🙂 I appreciate the way you encourage mommas. Happy Easter, Anna!

    Reply
  10. Lisa notes... says

    April 7, 2015 at 5:37 pm

    I ate many a bologna sandwich in my day. And I'm still here, maybe no worse for the wear? ha. Glad Ben rewarded your purchase.

    My mom confession: I used to save part of my kids' Halloween candy and use it to fill their stockings at Christmas. They never knew the difference. 🙂

    I love your sweet spirit, Kristin. I always am encouraged when I visit here.

    Reply
  11. Sheila Kimball says

    April 7, 2015 at 5:47 pm

    Your sweet confessions remind me of some of my young mom days. With delight!! Like the time I sent my youngest son to preschool, on picture day, in a worn, ugly tee shirt that he insisted on wearing and my single mom self was too tired to fight with him. Until the school called…Those were the days. So enjoy every minute, Kristin!! And these are the days too!! Thank you, Lord. Give us all a heart to be mindful of all the moments! xxoo

    Reply
  12. KristinHillTaylor says

    April 7, 2015 at 9:45 pm

    I LOVE that about your kids' candy. I've been known to put Easter candy in party bags for my daughter's birthday parties and Halloween candy in the bags for my son's. I'm glad you stopped by, Lisa!

    Reply
  13. KristinHillTaylor says

    April 7, 2015 at 9:46 pm

    Mindful of the moments – yes, amen! That's what God has been working on in my life. Thanks for being here with encouragement, Sheila!

    Reply
  14. Jen Ferguson says

    April 8, 2015 at 10:36 pm

    Amen! #RealLife is always better than fake life because Truth cannot be fake!

    Reply
  15. KristinHillTaylor says

    April 9, 2015 at 2:15 pm

    Yes, I love have you as a friend who lives that out. Love you!

    Reply
  16. Kelcie Huffstickler says

    April 10, 2015 at 3:42 am

    I feel the tension here! Like most, I'm guilty of posting our smiling face pics right before or after we've all bitten each other's heads off! I hope others realize, as I do, that there's more that goes on than what you see online!

    Reply
  17. KristinHillTaylor says

    April 13, 2015 at 1:07 pm

    I think sometimes the happy pictures help change my perspective, though. It's a reminder that the bad attitudes aren't all we are. So the tension goes both ways and no one picture can tell the whole story anyway.

    Reply
  18. Kelcie Huffstickler says

    April 13, 2015 at 1:32 pm

    Exactly! Well put.

    Reply

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About Me

Telling stories is my therapy and I love sharing them with friends on my porch.

The main characters in my stories are my entrepreneur husband, our eighth-grade girl who never forgets, our have-no-fear fifth-grade boy, and our joy-filled preschool girl. As we live out our stories, we seek God as the author of them all.

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I drive the same routes over and over. I know wher I drive the same routes over and over. I know where I am likely to see deer — even if I have to look closely. God sure did camouflage these creatures for this time of the year when trees are bare. 

I think about how everyone is going through some things. We are journey through lives, our paths crossing as we navigate circumstances and feelings people can’t always see. But we should know they’re there. 

Maybe we are waiting to fall in love or have a baby or get a new job. Maybe we are in the midst of grief from a friendship falling apart or a business decision providing in ways we never expected. Maybe decisions are haunting us or stumping us. Maybe we are anxious about the future or facing our past. Maybe we aren’t sure what’s next. 

There’s a million little and big things we face that not everyone we meet can see. The situations and emotions are camouflaged while we survive daily tasks, caring for our people, and figuring out how to adjust once again to whatever life throws our way. 

I don’t know what you’re facing, but I am certain you’re not alone. Your story won’t be camouflaged forever. The seasons change. New life comes. The deer usually travel together through the woods along my routes, and I’m convinced our lives are best when we journey together too. 

#countryliving #bettertogether #livingfaithfully #PorchStories #lessonsfromnature
Romantic comedies have fit my mood lately. I reall Romantic comedies have fit my mood lately. I really enjoyed this story and the characters’ history being woven into their current circumstances. I did have to skim some sex scenes that didn’t add much to the story for me. #amreading #romcombooks #bookstagram
I’ve loved Cate’s school experience at @ncca.l I’ve loved Cate’s school experience at @ncca.lions, a small but growing classical, Christian school. I knew there were both advantages and sacrifices of keeping her in a small class for middle school and agonized over possibly moving her to a bigger school. I only considered moving her because I wasn’t sure what her classmates, some of who are freshman this year, were going to do for high school. But they stayed, and we stayed. Now she’s an eighth grader in a class of nine. 

A couple years ago, I prayed for more girls. God gave her class two. Sometimes people move on, and sometimes people move in. But this sweet class of eighth and ninth graders has been faithful — to each other, to our school, to an unknown future. They’re paving a way for the students behind them, including my other two kids. 

God has been kind to my momma heart and given me some assurances she is where she’s supposed to be. One of these provisions is a basketball team that has become competitive with the other teams we’ve gotten to play. It’s more than just some games, though. I’ve watched my 13-year-old daughter become more confident on the court and in life. I’m grateful for her friends and their shared love of this game. I’m thankful for where God has us. 

#momlife #classicaleducation #choosingJOY #livingfaithfully #girlmom #momconfessions #bettertogether #middleschool #middleschoolbasketball
At a basketball game Thursday night, Ben told me h At a basketball game Thursday night, Ben told me he had a loose tooth and was going to go to the bathroom to maybe pull it. He pulled it. That’s #14, and he’s dealt with every single one, just as his older sister did with all 20 of hers.

Meanwhile, little sister has a loose tooth that she won’t wiggle, avoids using to eat, and won’t let her siblings pull. We’ve bribed, threatened, and failed to persuade.

#momlife #boymom #thirdchild #girlmom #reallife #momconfessions
I was overdue for some TLC to my hair, so I got it I was overdue for some TLC to my hair, so I got it trimmed and colored this week. You know it’s time when the stylist takes before and after pictures. My friend @whitneyrscott at @blushsalon always does a good job. 

In addition to the much-needed TLC, I also got bangs. After a few days, I can say I love them. The resident teenager at my home doesn’t like this — and she tells me daily. I tell her I don’t care whether she likes them because I do and it’s my hair. She also didn’t like the tennis shoes I bought a few weeks ago. Again, I do, so who cares. 

Anyway, it’s Friday! So let’s do some #fridayintroductions around here. Tell me three things you’re loving these days. I’ve already mostly told you mine: 

1️⃣ My bangs. I’ve included a picture of the fun waves that Whitney gave me at the salon and the more likely normal styling — by that I mean blow drying and some minor straightening to train the bangs. 
2️⃣ New tennis shoes, which are gray & purple Brooks Launch 7, if you’re curious. My nail color accidentally matches them. 
3️⃣ The teenager in my house. I’ve been giving her grief about her dislike of my fashion choices, but I really love being around her. Honestly, she’s the easiest kid in my house right now. 

✨ Bonus current love: Who can tell me what TV character inspired my hairdo? If you know, then that’s also the TV show I recently binged and am eagerly awaiting new episodes. 

So, what are you loving — even if nobody else in your life does? #momconfessions #reallife #reallifeconfessions #momlife #choosingJOY
It’s been a night of basketball! First, my girl’s middle school game. Now, our favorite college team. Turns out they’re both navy & gold so that’s good for wardrobe choices. 💛 #girlmom #momlife #RacerNation #WeAreRacers #MurrayState
“The Chicken Sisters” by @kjda was a fun, quic “The Chicken Sisters” by @kjda was a fun, quick read this weekend. I added it to my to-read list recently and then saw it as a @bookofthemonth add-on.

I enjoyed the feuding sisters story unfolding while filming a realty show about their family’s feuding chicken restaurants in a small Kansas town. Of course, not everything is quite as it seems, so the reality show helps uncover some reality both sisters were missing.

#amreading #bookstagram #booklover #recommendedreads #thechickensisters #weekending
We needed to get out of the house today — even t We needed to get out of the house today — even though the sun barely peeked through the clouds into the cold air. #countryliving #weekending #choosingJOY #boymom #thirdchild
A week into Peggy’s recovery at our house, and t A week into Peggy’s recovery at our house, and these two have spent a lot of time together. Rachel encourages her and stays close. Peggy plays games and watches movies with Rachel.

Honestly, this #thirdchild of mine was probably my biggest concern with having Peggy recover from open heart surgery here: I didn’t want Rachel to hug too hard. I didn’t know if she’d understand that her Gran-Gran looks fine on the inside but hurts on the inside. She’s been booted from her room, but she’s been sleeping well on her mattress in the back living room. She’s actually probably not going to know what to do when Peggy moves back home.

For now, we’ll let them make memories together. That’s part of caretaking I hadn’t considered. #bettertogether #weekending #choosingJOY
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