Moments for Mom by Elisabeth K. Corcoran My precious Sara. A girly girl through and through. Last year she went through a bit of a phase of wearing a leotard (fully loaded with tutu and crown and scepter, I might add) around the house just for kicks. Like, every day, basically. I thought it was cute, until I tried to take her out in public and she refused to put on anything else. Well, now, her preference is a dress. Every day. Even if we#146;re just hanging out at home. So in my attempt to appease my daughter#146;s boycott on pants, I have done my best to stock up on all kinds of dresses. Ones she can just kick around in at home, some for school, and some for church. Now, I also stumbled upon about 3 really wonderful dresses that I am saving for the holidays #150; these beauties will be perfect for Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year#146;s and all the festivities in between. Here#146;s the thing. A ways back, when tackling the clothing switch project (removing all summer clothes from her closet and replacing them with fall winter), I filled her closet with all of her new dresses#133;including those sparkly, furry, dressy dresses set apart just for the holidays. Well, you can just imagine her first glimpse into that closet #150; it was like a brand new wardrobe. So many choices (so many decisions!) #150; she now had a reason to change her outfit two and three and four times a day! (Oy vay!) But with as much flair as any human can muster, with that same human nature always looking for something they can#146;t have #150; she asked to wear, each day, her Christmas dresses. And each day, for about three weeks, I told her the same thing, "No, honey #150; we#146;re saving those for special occasions." And each day she#146;d pitch a mini fit and we#146;d have it out.Until one day this week. She was deciding what to wear and proclaimed to me, pointing to those exceptional dresses, "But not these, right, Mommy? These are for special times, right?" And before I could say yes, she went on to say, in more wisdom than I usually have, "Mommy, can you just put them away then? I don#146;t even want to see them anymore."The temptation was too much for my precious little girl#146;s heart to bear. She so much wanted to look her most beautiful, but her Mommy knew that if she wore them now, they wouldn#146;t be as special later. And she just couldn#146;t stand being told no anymore. So she asked to have them removed from her life until they could actually be choices in the running again. Wow #150; how I wish I had the wisdom to take a look around my life and see what catches my eye that maybe shouldn#146;t. What person or thing or idea that steals a bit of my heart each day that I know I can#146;t and shouldn#146;t be even mulling over #150; and then taking matters into my own hands and removing the enticement from my life. Maybe I#146;ll just have to do that. Because my God, who occasionally says no to me, knows what He#146;s talking about too. But how much easier on my heart to not even have something in front of me that makes me drift in the first place. More >>

"BEST BARGAINS#148; By Cheryl Gochnauer Where are the caravans of mothers roaming yard to yard, greeting fellow shoppers they'd already seen at three other sales today? My third grader needs a nice winter coat. Groaning, I remember the pristine parka I passed up this summer. Its $8 price tag seemed ridiculously high when the thermometer was spiking at 95. Now I realize I will probably pay many times that amount to keep her warm this winter. I spot an arrow up ahead. Encouraged, I signal and turn the indicated direction. Three more pointers wind me through a subdivision, then disappear. Stranded, I drive up and down several streets, hoping to pick up the scent. Nothing. Looks like I blinked and missed my last chance this season to cut costs by sifting through my neighbors' stuff. The good-buy waterholes have dried up. I've got the Garage Sale Blues. Chiding myself for being such a miser, I head for the local discount store. Their prices really are quite reasonable, although it's hard to beat four shirts for a dollar. I remember spring, its warm breezes ushering in another era of raised doors and card tables on the driveway. Balloons, streamers and posters promised the "lowest prices, best deals." Sometimes, the bold boasts were genuine, and I splashed through piles of nearly new clothes that fit my children to a tee. We cheerfully haggled - I know it's a great deal at 50 cents, but will she take a quarter? Cast-offs became keepsakes. It's all just a memory now. Until the birds fly north, I'll have to console myself with Sunday fliers and holiday sales. Coupons in hand, I'll forge through clearance aisles. Occasionally, I may even pay - ouch - full price. Hold me back before I cross the line from conscientious shopper to penny-pinching cheapskate! I know I'm spoiled. Besides, although I missed the parka, I was smart enough to stock up on boots and sweaters last July. Like a chipmunk, I hoarded away clothes calculated to fit when my daughters hit those mid-winter growth spurts. We're pretty much prepared. Still, I'll miss digging for those elusive gems buried in all the junk. Until spring hatches another bargain-hunting season, I'll be singing the Garage Sale Blues. Comments? Write cheryl@homebodies.org or visit her website at www.homebodies.org. Copyright 2001 Homebodies.Org, LLC. Permission granted for use on DrLaura.com More >>

Frighteningly Frugal Fun! By Tawra Kellam The average American family spends over $100 per year on Halloween goodies. As your kids drag you through aisles full of ghosts and goblins, the scariest thing about Halloween is threatening to leave bite marks in your pocketbook. No wonder so many moms flee screaming from the store... It can be much less expensive and a lot more fun to devise your own chilling creations. Here are a few tips that you can use to stave off the greenback gremlins and exercise your creative muscle. It won#146;t hurt a bit! These and other free frugal tips are available at www.notjustbeans.com Face Paint 1 tsp. corn starch frac12; tsp. water frac12; tsp. cold cream food coloring Mix all ingredients together in an old muffin pan and you are ready to paint. This amount makes one color. Fake Wound 1 Tbsp Vaseline tissue cocoa powder 2-3 drops red food coloring Place Vaseline in a bowl. Add food coloring. Blend with a toothpick. Stir in a pinch of cocoa to make a darker blood color. Separate tissue. Using 1 layer, tear a 2x3 inch piece and place at wound site. Cover with petroleum jelly and mold into the shape of a wound. The center should be lower than the sides. Fill the center with the red petroleum jelly mixture. Sprinkle center with some cocoa. Sprinkle a little around the edges of the wound to make darker. Fake Blood Mix 2/3 cup white corn syrup, 1 tsp. red food coloring, 2-3 drops blue food coloring to darken and 1 squirt dish soap (helps blood to run well). Abrasions -Dab brown, red and black eye shadow on area. Apply blood over area with cotton balls. Use comb to gently scratch area in one direction. Apply cocoa or dirt over wound with cotton balls. Black Eye -Apply red and blue eye shadow to depressions around eyes. Bruises-Rub red and blue shadow over bony area to simulate recent bruises. Blue and yellow eye shadow to create older bruises. Look Old - Cover face with baby powder. Draw dark lines on your skin for wrinkles. Smooth edges to blend. Cover again with baby powder. Add baby powder to your hair to create gray hair. Deviled Eyeballs-Make deviled eggs. Add a green olive with pimento in the center for an "eyeball". Radioactive Juice- Mix equal parts Mountain Dew and blue Kool-Aid Toxic Juice- Add some green food coloring to lemonade for a spooky color! Brains- Scramble eggs with some green, yellow and blue food coloring Bloody Eyeballs- Boil cherry tomatoes 30 seconds. Allow to cool; then peel skin. Goblin Hand- Freeze green Kool-Aid in a rubber or latex glove, float in punch. Use the tape from old cassettes or black yarn to make spider webs. Use cotton balls stretched out for small spider webs. Glass Jack-o-Lantern- Outline a pumpkin face on a spaghetti or pickle jar with black paint. The paint around the outside of it with orange paint. Place a candle inside for a jack-o-lantern. Halloween Guess It Game In this game, you challenge the participants to reach into mystery boxes filled with creepy things and try to guess what each item is. The person with the most correct answers wins the game. An example is if you want them to guess "grapes", you might try to confuse them by saying, "I think it#146;s eyeballs..." Cut a hole in the top of a shoe box or laundry box for each item to be used. Cover the box with black spray paint. Decorate each box with pumpkins or spiders for a more festive flavor. Place the following items inside, one per box. Be sure to place enough of each item so the guests can adequately "feel" the guts: Eyeballs - grapes or peeled cherry tomatoes Intestines- Cooked Spaghetti Skin- oil a piece of plastic bag Brains- scrambled eggs Hair- an old clown wig Bones- thoroughly washed chicken bones placed in some sand Vomit-chunky salsa Fingers-hot dogs cut into finger sized pieces Teeth- corn nuts, pine nuts or popcorn Have a Pumpkin Hunt Hide mini pumpkins like you would Easter Eggs. Let the kids find and decorate them. For small children use glue sticks with construction paper cut-outs for decorations. Edible Slime Pour lime gelatin into a glass bowl. After it is partially set, add gummy worms. Chill until lightly set. Then serve slopped all over the plate. Bloody Popcorn- Add red food color to melted butter and pour over popcorn. Freeze gummy worms in ice cubes and add them to drinks. Cut gummy worms in half if needed. Tawra Kellam is the author of the frugal cookbook Not Just Beans: 50 Years of Frugal Family Favorites. Not Just Beans is a frugal cookbook which has over 540 recipes and 400 tips. For more free tips and recipes visit our website at www.notjustbeans.com Permission granted for use on DrLaura.com More >>

Talking Politics with your Children By Thomas Haller and Chick Moorman www.personalpowerpress.com You are your child's first and most important teacher. You teach your children to walk, talk and ride a bike. You teach them about manners, respect, and the opposite sex. It is also your job to teach your children about the American way of life, our form of government, and the election process. It is not the high school's government teacher's job to teach your child about a participatory democracy. It is your job. It is not that teacher's responsibility to teach your child the value of dissent and the strength that comes from diversity and honest, but differing viewpoints. That is your responsibility. This year's Presidential election is a significant historical event. There is no better time than the present to include your entire family in the election process and learning about our government and how it works. Step up now and do your job. Teach your child valuable lessons in how and why you respect and love our democracy. Honor your role as your child's most important teacher by using the tips below to help you and your children be a part of history together. Share all sides of the political discussion. Don't just share your opinion. If you are a Republican, Democrat, or other, your job is not to convince your child that your thinking is correct. It is to get them to do their own thinking. Read to them from the newspaper, magazines and promotional material. Yes, you can share your views, but encourage your children to ask questions and come to their own conclusions. Talk about our country's political process and its significance. Talk about the democratic process and relate it to how you run your family. Show them the connections. Teach them what women and blacks had to endure to finally gain equal voting rights. Explain how some of us resisted those efforts and others worked to make it happen. Explain how not everyone agrees in our country, but that is one of our strengths. Watch the Presidential Debates together. Make this a happening. Treat it as something special. Announce it head of time. Then count it down, "Only two more days until the next debate." Show them through your actions that this is more important than Dancing with the Stars, Desperate Housewives, and The Simpson reruns. Take your children with you when you vote. Show them the voting process and explain what you are doing each step along the way. Take them into the voting booth with you and let them watch you mark your ballet. You get to do this. Seriously, take them in the both with you. Follow the election results together. Discuss the outcome with your children the next day if their bedtime dictates missing the most important information. Since the final results will come well after they are fast asleep, discuss the results at breakfast the next morning. Remind your children that some people will be particularly happy this day since the person they voted for got elected. Others, will be disappointed because their favorite candidate did not get elected. Discuss how mature people handle these kinds of situations and that in the democratic process it is important to support the final decision so we can work together as one country. Just like a family, our government works best when everyone gets involved and participates. Just like a family, our government works best when the leader accepts his or her responsibilities and leads to the best of their ability. It is time now for you to demonstrate to your children that you participate fully in our governmental process and in the education of your family. It is time for you to model for your children an effective leader who moves confidently into his responsibilities and teaches his family about the value of a participatory democracy. Thomas Haller and Chick Moorman are the authors of Teaching the Attraction Principle to Children: Practical Strategies for Parents and Teachers to Help Children Manifest a Better World . They are two of the world's foremost authorities on raising responsible, caring, confident children. They publish a free monthly e-zine for parents. To sign up for it or obtain more information about how they can help you or your group meet your parenting needs, visit their website today: www.personalpowerpress.com . Permission granted for use on DrLaura.com. More >>

Are We Really Depriving Our Kids? By Jill Cooper One of the main questions I get asked about frugal living is "won#146;t I be depriving my children if I live the frugal life?" Maybe I can answer that question with a question.How am I depriving my children by having them drink water for every meal instead of juice and soda? Isn#146;t one thing doctors are always complaining about is we don#146;t drink enough water? Cutting out just one glass of soda per person per day for a family of four would save $547.50 a year and make them healthier. How am I depriving my children by having them eat an apple or homemade granola bar for a snack instead of a bag of chips? Obesity is a major problem among children in the United States. If you cut out just one bag of chips a week you would save $104.00 a year and make them healthier.How am I depriving my children by having them walk to school or to a friend#146;s house instead of my always driving them there? Lack of exercise is a big problem. You would save time and wear and tear on your car by having them walk and make them healthier at the same time. How am I depriving my children when I don#146;t buy them every toy they see and want? We wouldn#146;t dream of giving a baby on baby food all the chocolate that he wants because we know it would make him sick. His body can not tolerate that much chocolate even if he desires it. In the same way, an older child can#146;t emotionally deal with the overload of toys. I as an adult become stressed just from trying to buy a bottle of shampoo. Have you ever noticed how many options you have? Trying to make a decision can be overwhelming. Do I get it for thin, fine, dry and damaged or colored and permed hair? The list goes on and on. In the same way when a young child looks at mounds of toys, he can become very stressed over choosing which one to play with. If you watch, you will notice that they tend to play with the same couple of toys over and over. If you didn#146;t give them all the toys they asked for and bought one less brand new toy at $10 a week, you would save $520.00 in one year and you would help relieve them of some stress. It is no wonder our children stay confused. We insist that they should eat healthy yet we take them out to eat 3-5 times a week at Mc Donald#146;s. We give them a bag of carrot sticks in their lunch because it#146;s healthy and then give them a bag of chips when they get home from school to get them off our backs. We want them to have strong character yet the moment they whine or cry for another toy or some candy at the store we give in out of guilt. We are afraid that if we don#146;t give them what they want, they won#146;t love us so to rid ourselves of uncomfortable feelings we say yes. How can we teach them to be strong in character when we are so weak? How could our society and way of thinking have gotten so mixed up that we think a child is deprived if a mom chooses to stay home and not go to work? We have come to believe that moms should work outside the home so that children can have the most expensive clothes, education or material things. (Note I didn#146;t say best but rather most expensive since the most expensive doesn#146;t mean the best.) If a mom goes to work so a child can have all those things it#146;s not considered depriving the child of anything but it#146;s mom. Which do you think does a child more harm- being deprived expensive things or it#146;s mom? For you stay at home moms: Before you become too puffed up with pride be aware that too many social, church and school activities can deprive your children of you just as much as working. Do all things in moderation. Jill Cooper is the inspiration behind her daughter Tawra#146;s frugal cookbook Not Just Beans: 50 Years of Frugal Family Favorites. Not Just Beans is a frugal cookbook which has over 540 recipes and 400 tips. For more tips and recipes visit our website at www.notjustbeans.com . Permission granted for use on DrLaura.com. More >>

A Letter to Moms from Hearts at Home Director Jill Savage In the past week I have found my emotions ranging from disbelief to grief. In the midst of it all has been fear as well. I'm not normally a fearful person, but when I reflect upon my role as a mother in the midst of a crisis like this, it brings about something within me that only another mother would understand. I remember a night, almost 17 years ago, shortly after we brought our first child home from the hospital. I found myself in the dark of the night weeping tears that I had never experienced before. As a new mother I suddenly found myself with a new perspective. I began to see the world in a different way. I no longer had only myself to consider, I now had the responsibility of another life. For the first time in my life, I began to see the realities of the world that I had brought this child into. Suddenly the report of a murder on the evening news brought with it a new emotional experience. A story about a child missing was almost too much to watch. And world news that included the talk of war or conflicts with other countries was very unsettling. As time continued and we added three more children to our home, I found myself coming to terms with the good and the bad in this world that we live in. Each time we added to our family, those old thoughts would creep in, but they would quickly subside as I became wrapped up with the daily responsibilities of motherhood. That is, until September 11. Suddenly I found myself back in a familiar place. Like a mother bear who protects her children I found myself feeling very protective with the lives of those I love. Each news report of the terrorist attacks bring about an emotional response in me that only comes from being a mother When carrying there responsibility of another life our viewpoint changes. We see death, destruction, and world conflict from the perspective of responsibility. It is a feeling that only another mother can understand. The events of the past week cause me to pause and consider what it is I need to equip my children with to live in this crazy world. What can I give them that will keep them strong when the winds of chaos, and even destruction, blow throughout the world What can I pass on to them that will keep their feet firmly planted in hope when hopelessness prevails around them? What gift can I give them that will allow them to find stability in an unstable world? I have only one answer to those questions. The answer is faith. It is faith that will calm their fears. It is faith that will give them peace in the midst of chaos. It is faith that will help them sort through the lies of this world. It is faith that will show them the next step when it seems too dark to walk ahead. You see it was faith that got me through that first night of tears when I contemplated this messed-up world as a new parent. My faith helped me replace my own fears with God's promises. My faith is what allows me to learn to let go as my children grow older. You see my hope for the future of my children can't be based on their relationships in this world, but rather their relationship with the God of the universe. If you've been considering what to do with all that has happened in the past few days, consider giving your children the gift of faith Open up the Bible and read it for yourself and then share with your children what you are learning. Make church a priority each Sunday. Pray for and with your children every day. When we give our children the gift of faith, we are giving a gift that will last a lifetime. Jill Savage is the author of a new book, Professionalzing Motherhood. She also serves as the director of Hearts at Home, an organization designed to educate, encourage, and equip women in the profession of motherhood. For more information about Hearts at Home call 309-888-MOMS or find them on the web at www.hearts-at-home.org Jill lives in Normal, Illinois with her husband and four children ranging in age from five to sixteen. Permission Granted For Use on DrLaura.com More >>

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WHAT MATTERS MOST By Cheryl Gochnauer Like every Tuesday morning, little kids were tossing a football around our front yard, waiting for the school bus to rumble up the street. Like every Tuesday morning, I smiled at them from behind the glass storm door, then turned toward the TV, clicked the remote, and caught the news. The second plane hit the World Trade Center. "Carrie, come here!" I yelled out the front door to my 3rd grader, making her miss the pass. "Wow!" she said, watching the instant replay. Then, "Can I go play?" Man - I wish I could go play. Instead, I'm transfixed in front of the TV, watching the rescue efforts, praying for the missing. My girls seem to be okay. Carrie did ask to sleep with me that night, but since then has been busy planning her birthday party. Her 8th-grade sister, Karen, is studying American History. "That book will have a new cover next year," I remarked. "It'll be a picture of the World Trade Center imploding." We lost more people Tuesday than from Pearl Harbor (2200), D-Day (1500) and the Titanic (1500), combined. It's staggering. So is the response of Americans. I'm a political news junkie, and my stomach has been tied in knots more times than I can count over the past couple of years. Through impeachment, the election and the erosion of religious rights, I've shaken my head, convinced our country was headed for moral meltdown. Then came Tuesday. Amazingly, America leapt up, grabbed her flags and her Bibles and ran to help. Monday, we bickered about taxes and rebates. Tuesday, we flooded New York and Washington with volunteers, money and supplies. Politicians held hands and sang "God bless America" on the Capitol steps. There was an unexpected union of church and state, and our country was better for it. A sad silver lining, I know. But a silver lining none the less. Each of us are now making our way through the stages of grief (defined by Dr. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross as denial and isolation, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance). We've all been jolted; we all understand how fragile life is, and how precious. Those who read this newsletter every week and visit the website and message boards do so because you love your families, and want to spend as much time with them as possible. Tuesday's events sharpen our resolve to live our lives in such a way that there will be no regrets. As we help others through this tragedy, let's also take this as a universal wake-up call. Don't put off until tomorrow what you can do today. If your heart is calling you home, act. Pay off those bills; put away the charge cards. Bypass anything standing between you and your kids. Those who scoffed at your desire to be an at-home parent last Monday will support you today. As the phone calls from the towers reflected, family is what matters most. (Comments? Email Cheryl@homebodies.org . Or visit her website at www.homebodies.org where you can post messages about the attacks on a special discussion board. Copyright2001 Homebodies.Org, LLC. Permission granted for use on DrLaura.com.) More >>

Until Kids Do Us Part By Cheryl Gochnauer "I love being an at-home Mom," says Lee, a 30-something with a couple of boys, ages 2 and 5. "I love the rewards of children. But I feel like it will be an eternity before I get my husband back, all to myself. "We have a very wonderful and solid marriage, but with little ones around, all our conversations are hurried and interrupted." Lee misses quiet walks and spur-of-the-moment getaways, and when she heard some friends were going on an exotic vacation - again - her heart sank. "What I wouldn't give to spend a week all alone with my husband, to savor the joy of being married. I would revel in the opportunity to lay on a beachsomewhere and watch the sun go down, momentarily leaving the cares and worries of life behind." But she's a stay-at-home Mom. There's no money for exotic vacations. There's hardly enough money for a movie! "People tell me that this time passes quickly, but right now it feels like a life sentence," Lee admits. "I strive to find the joy in the little things that I do to serve my family. And most days I am successful." She still misses quality time with her husband, though. I'm sure there are lots of women nodding their heads as they read Lee's words. It's easy for our relationships to get off-balance, especially when children are very young. Babies and toddlers are so high maintenance! The good news is, it does get easier as they get older. Preschoolers are easier than toddlers; 6-year-olds are easier than 4-year-olds. The bad news is, it may be MONTHS before the current stage eases. So what to do? If I can't head to the islands with my lover, what's Plan B? "Bump time with your husband up on the priority list," suggests Nina, a Canadian stay-at-home Mom. "Keep him in mind as you survey the different areas of your life. Some things about having a busy, young family you can't change, but others you can. "It's said so much that now it's a clicheacute;, but PLAN IT IN! If you get too caught up in the day to day, you'll never have time to relax, grow, have fun, etc. You know in your heart that if you neglect yourself, you and your family will suffer for it." "Make sure the kids are getting to bed at a decent hour so that you and your husband have some time together in the evenings." Note Nina's key phrase "decent hour". Wait until you're exhausted, and you slip into a coma instead of into something comfortable. "Write notes to each other. I tape little notes inside my husband's lunch pail." Get out of the house and away from the kids. "When you visit relatives, take advantage of it," Nina advises. Let them enjoy the youngsters while you and your spouse go spend some time together. "Brainstorm with your husband about other ideas such as these that you can incorporate into your life to ease some of the struggles." Where there's a will, there's a way. Stand still in the swirling storm of diapers, tricycles and Beanie Babies. Look your husband in the eye, tell him you love him, and join forces. You'd be surprised how many creative ideas a motivated couple can develop in carving out time together. And the kids will ultimately benefit, too, as that primary relationship in the home - between husband and wife - is given the nourishment it needs to grow and shine. Comments? Email Cheryl@homebodies.org or visit her website at www.homebodies.org For a list of recommended resources for at-home parents, go to www.homebodies.org/recbooks.html. Copyright 2001 Homebodies.Org, LLC. Permission granted for use on DrLaura.com. More >>

TREASURES ABOUND IN A MOTHER#146;S DAY by Dayle Allen Shockley When my daughter was born, I left my job to become a full-time mother. There were those who cheered and those who jeered. But regardless of which side of the fence my peers were on, the most frequent question I heard was: Don't you get bored? That question always puzzled me. What did they picture me doing most of the day? Sleeping? Staring into space? Watching the grass grow? If there is one thing mothering is not, it is boring. Certainly, there are times of frustration when you long for nothing more than a month of solitude or a week of socializing, but even if the offer came, few mothers would accept it. They know, as I do, that to do so would mean they would miss something of great value. For even the most ordinary day in a mother's life holds unexpected treasures #150; moments that are beyond price. I am sure you have favorite memories. One of my most cherished days as a mother occurred in 1993. It had been a stressful week. Everywhere I turned, hands were out, begging for more of my time or money or both. I did what I could, often without a simple thank you. That only left me feeling used and unappreciated. What had happened to good manners? It was while I drove home from church that I mulled these things over. Anna, then 7, sat beside me, pretty as a picture in her flowered dress and white patent shoes. Chestnut curls gathered at the crown of her head and dangled in soft coils above her neck. My heart ached as I studied her sweet profile. The last few days had found me working feverishly on projects for the ungrateful crowd, which often resulted in my being a disagreeable mother. More times than not, my daughter's requests had been answered with things like, "Just a minute." "I#146;m busy." "Please, don't bother me now." Yet there she sat without complaint, holding no grudges. Not me. Today, I was full of complaints, and I resented those who robbed me of my time and expertise with no mention of appreciation. Anna seemed to sense my mood and remained quiet on the drive home. As we rolled into the driveway, she said, "Since Daddy is at work, we can just have our own private time, can't we, Mama?" I wasn't sure what she meant, but it sounded good to me. "That will be great, baby. You can help Mama fix lunch, and then we can have our own private time." Through the course of preparing lunch, however, I forgot about her unusual offer. Now, I sat in my office, still brooding like a spoiled brat. In a minute, Anna joined me, settling into the wing-back chair beside my desk. She smoothed down her dress and crossed her legs. Suddenly, I remembered the "private" time and wondered if this were an indication that it had begun. I smiled at her, saying nothing. "Mama," she began, "I just want to tell you how good it is to have you and Daddy." I sat up straight. She didn't wait for my response. "You and Daddy do so much for me, Mama. You buy me clothes and give me food," she said, without hesitating. "You take me to a Christian school and buy me toys. And... I have a nice chair like this to sit in," she said, patting the arms of the chair. I noticed her lips began quivering. "You just do so much for me, Mama." Suddenly, she bolted from the chair and flung herself into my arms. For a long while, we just held onto each other, sobbing. It felt as if my heart would burst. Finally, she pulled away. "I just wanted to say thank you, Mama. Thank you so much." I can't express all of the varied emotions that welled up inside of me. There was joy at the fact that, even with all of my blunders, I must have done something right as a mother. There was grief, recalling the many times during the week that I had ignored my precious daughter's simple wishes, while rushing to satisfy the complex requests of virtual strangers. But perhaps more than anything, there was an intense gratitude that God had blessed me with the notable title: mother. Looking into the face of my child, I couldn't think of a single thing that I would rather be. This article first appeared under a different title in The Dallas Morning News. Permission granted for use on DrLaura.com. Dayle Allen Shockley is an author whose work has appeared in dozens of publications. Her editorials and essays are regular features in The Dallas Morning News and online at Jewish World Review and www.homebodies.org . Dayle lives with her family in Texas, and is a writing instructor at North Harris College in Houston. Contact her at dshock@family.org . More >>