Let the Fun Begin!

Lets start with introducing myself.  I’m Samantha. I am a mother of 2 beautiful kiddos, Bean and Marshall.  You’ll come to find out those are just nicknames for our kiddos and they have some cute backstories but we’ll get into that later! Bean, our daughter, is 5 and just started kindergarten.  Marshall, our son, is 18 months old and killing the toddler game right now.  My husband and I are incredibly blessed with these two but we are BUSY! 

My husband works full time in the city we live in.  We have been together since we were 20.  I can honestly say he’s my best friend and I’m not sure where either one of us would be without each other.  To add a little bit of *spice* to our household we also have an almost 8 year old German Shepherd named Nellie.  

Just like many tired mommas out there, I also work full time. I am a sensory scientist.  And no – not sensory in a behavioral way, I ask people to taste flavors/food and tell me what they think! It’s not a job I ever predicted I’d find myself in, but I really do enjoy it.  On top of both being a mother and my regular job, I lead a team of 15 people, all coworkers, that focus on employee engagement at our company.  We do all sorts of things! We plan events throughout the year, provide food for employees for holidays, organize charity events – all kinds of things! 

Needless to say my life is busy busy all the time! We are always running around to gymnastics, Girl Scouts, family parties, work, daycare, all over!  Everyone is always saying “they grow up so fast” and that exactly where I was at when my son turned one. That was the “aha” moment for me.  The year had gone by so fast and I could barely remember a thing.  That day I set a goal to be more present.  Remember the moments, create moments my kids will remember forever, take the time to create comfort for me and my family.  Now, I know what you’re thinking – a goal usually has an end point.  Well this one doesn’t. 

For the last 6 months I have done my best to create a non-physical space for not only my kids, but also for me.  While I still get frustrated with the lack of listening or the constant request for snacks or the sibling rivalry that happens – I find myself not getting worked up about the spills or mistakes. I keep reminding myself that as much as I’m learning as a mom – they’re learning from me.  If I get upset about things that are outside their control, what am I showing them? It’s not okay to try and fail? If someone else makes a mistake they need to chastise them for it? They are learning from us all the time.  In today’s world, adding a bit of  true compassion and empathy for others is a very valuable thing.

How did I create this space for not only my kids but also for me?  Follow me on this lovely novel of motherhood and the chapters I’m in. As much as this blog is for other, it’s for me too.  It will serve as a space for me to recall not only events but that mindset I was in when writing each post.  Some will be about the kids, some cute crafts that I found for them, some recipes, some work related posts.  It will really be a hodgepodge of every aspect of my life.  

 I do hope you join me on this wild ride!

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