Desperate

Desperate, Hope for the Mom Who Needs to Breathe

By Sarah Mae & Sally Clarkson

I really want to like this book; several people I really respect love this book.  I like the overall concepts of this book but there are so many little things that keep me from loving it.

Desperate is team written by a young mom and mentor mom and covers a variety of topics including the mission of motherhood, reason why we do what we do, needing others especially a mentor, the sin factor, and gritty stuff like depression, housework, selflessness and then ends with thoughts on how to be a great mom.  I loved the focus on the fact that formulas don’t always work because all families are different, the reassurance that there are seasons of life (one reason this book is probably especially good for ones with very little ones, I felt like I was a little out of the season on ‘desperation’ that they were focusing on), the need to work hard but overall to trust God and lean into Him for your purpose and worth; and to enjoy your life as a mother (another subtitle could be enjoy every moment-seriously). 

Yet I had a hard time with this book.  First of all, I really felt the need for a short disclaimer that these are issues facing middle to upper class moms in developed nations and that we have sisters around the world whose problems aren’t- am I spending too much time on the computer but what will my children eat, will my son be captured by the African child army or will I have to sell my daughter so the rest of us can survive?  I don’t think we need to feel needless guilty that others have it harder but I do think we need to realize the truth.  I also feel like the book doesn’t address working class families of America either.  They do talk about making the budget in the early years but there is also a lot about spa days and buying flowers and hiring a maid. I wanted to ask, does the manicurist also get to homeschool and invest in her kids that way?  Of course not.  (I am writing this at the mall while my youngest is at preschool while a women is cleaning the floor around me!)  But this book is addressed to those of us Christian moms who can be at home with our kids and we do have to live the life God has given us with its own issues and ups and downs.  I also felt like the book, while honest, still had a too chipper feel about it; it seemed like the structure and way it was written would fit a blog form better than a book.  Sally many times talked about the need to refill yourself and find what is life-giving for you (for her music and beauty) so you can pour into your children, but she didn’t give examples on what that might be for others.  I also felt confusion between the being selfless, working hard and not ‘escaping’ part versus the need to refill.  Sally says some will say you deserve to do x,y & z (their example is the computer or shop) and I wanted to say, yes the chapter before you were the one saying it.  I was in the shower the other day and wanted to stay for a while longer wanting a break from my girls and I thought, is this a life-giving refill I need or am I escaping from the need to engage my children?  I know the answer is there is no formula you just need to be sensitive to what the Spirit leads.  Which really is the best part of the book, reminding us moms that God created us for a purpose and we can effect eternity with these little lives he has given us. 

If you are a mom with little ones, I do recommend you read this book (and do the activities for each chapter)

Lydia's Baptism

 Before going under.

 With Pastor Dan.  I got to be up with her and the rest of the family sat on the front row.

So happy our family lives close enough to come.  We then had a celebration dinner at Jason's Deli before they headed home.  (I am trying to load the video of the actual baptism on the other post but it keeps having an error...)

Grammy's visit

Linda came the weekend for Lydia's baptism and send the Saturday hanging out.  We went to Caleb's work and saw his office and walked around McKinney Falls State park (which borders his office).  The weather was amazing and the girls and Caleb even got in the water.

Lydia took this great picture of Flower hosting her doggie friend Marco.

We spent the morning in the backyard planting our garden.  I was getting over being sick so it was nice to have a low key day.

Lydia's Baptism

On Sunday, Feb. 3, 2013 Lydia got baptized at Hyde Park Baptist church.  Grammy, Nana & Grandpa came to see it.  On Dec. 8, a Saturday she invited Jesus into her heart (when she was four she said she did it every night but this time she seemed to really understand) and we talked about the next steps including baptism and said when she was ready to go forward on a Sunday morning.  Two weeks ago she did.  We are very excited about this and looking forward to seeing the great things God does in her life every day on.

Brazil Visit

 Through the international office at UT we signed up to host two Brazilians in our home for a weekend.  They are English teachers and here for a six week training.  The home visit was part about learning culture and they even had questions to ask us and homework from their time.  So the plan was a typical weekend for us....I picked them up and we all enjoyed the Austin Friday evening traffic.  We had a homemade meal of chicken and rice and brownies, then put the girls to bed in our room and played Apples To Apples which they really enjoyed.

 The weather each day that week had started out cool and warmed up into a beautiful day.  On Saturday we had a big breakfast and headed out to Zilker Park.  It was cool and raining (they are both from the north where its always warm, but one from the jungle and one from the coast) but we still enjoyed seeing the pool, the Splash Exhibit, walking along the creek, feeding the ducks and they really enjoyed taking pictures of squirrels.  We went to lunch at Shady Grove and it was still cool and raining, but we sat under the patio and enjoyed our big burgers and local atmosphere.  Then Gloria and I took them to Wal-mart for a few things, as we walked in it was still cool and raining, but when we left it had turned into our beautiful day, oh well.  Back home we rested, the girls played chalk in the front yard (one big difference they noticed was the openness-no gates and guards) and then got ready for girls' night at Jenna's (a monthly mostly ladies from the church plus a few other friends like Imane).  It was perfect one was planned while they were here.  We had a potluck and just sat and talked and laughed and told stories.  They said that they had much to talk about concerning culture from the visit.

Sunday they took pictures in our cowboy hats and then loaded up to be taken back to their hotel.
Obragada!  (thanks in Portuguese)

Kindergarten Choir

 Lydia's school had a choir performance of Kindergarteners.  This is with her music teacher Ms Spurlock.

Caleb, Gloria, Nana and I went to watch.  I picked out two outfits for Lydia to chose and she said both and put them together :)

They really were amazing.  All were still and sang the words loud and clear.

Rock Star Car

 this year in AWANA Lydia's age group does a Grand Prix Derby car races.  We bought the kit, Dad helped her sand and paint.  She wanted to do the whole thing in finger nail polish but settled for pink spray paint and a ROCK STAR theme.

There were tons of super cute entrees and then the ones you could tell the kids did most of the work.  Lots came to watch them race and Lydia got 4th!  One place away from a trophy but she was excited about her ribbon.  When Caleb was in Cub scouts he raced the same car three years in a row but here there is a rule that each year you must do a new one, I protested saying we were in Austin-what about Reduce, reuse, recycle, but the rule stands so until next year....