My name is Lenora but I love the swirly sound of Lenorita - a good friend calls me Lenorita - in Spanish that's little Lenora and I am pretty little! I love flowers! I'm writing this blog for all my friends who have asked me for reading lists, verses, project ideas, family how too's. Most of my ideas were gathered along the way, some are pure me!
I’m an at home mom by choice. It wasn’t always the easiest choice but it was always what I wanted to do - raise my family I mean. Maybe that’s because I am a bit of a control freak, or maybe I wanted to be a matriarch because I love all things Italian. Whatever the reason, the desire was strong and my husband was supportive. At any rate, morphing into that role as “at home mom” from “type A career girl and fitness buff” was quite the transition for me, as I am sure it was for you, and is for every parent – no matter what they tell you, or how smoothly they appear to metamorphosize.
At any rate here I am, two children later, nine and twelve, one husband still hanging in there with me, and a family routine that works for us and apparently appears to roll smoothly along with good results (read great kids!). The great kids part is certainly accurate. Our children are wonderful and though people often say that good children are somewhat of a reflection of their parenting, I can’t honestly say I believe that to be the outstanding feature here! Luckily my children can role with all my crazy ideas and daily change, but I certainly try to provide them with a stable routine at home, with all the normal glitches and changes along the way that life provides. I hope it is the trying that counts. I think my children truly know I do try. And probably more importantly, my children are lucky enough to be surrounded by a wonderful and supportive group of people. True gems, like our friends, my and my husband’s extended family, their own friends, whom they pick remarkably well and fabulous teachers. They also go to a school where the parents are, for the most part, at least somewhat like minded. I think that helps with consistency. School morals are reflected, though differently I am sure, at home, and vice versa. However this has all worked, I have to say, we have two beautiful children whom we are proud to call our own, though I know we have only been lent them for a time, while we grow up.
As I was saying, here I am, two children later, with a general routine that seems to work for our family. I am aware that my children get a lot of complements, on their behavior, their art, their thoughtfulness. People often ask me what we do at home (some because they assume it has something to do with my children’s beautiful selves, others because they truly can’t imagine what an at home mom does – don’t get me started). But I truly get so many requests for ideas, art projects, reading lists and the like that I have decided to follow my year and try to organize it on paper, to bottle it, as requested, whatever it is. I have always thought that if I had this all written down it would be easier for me anyway.
So here goes. I will make an entry, maybe once weekly, and I will organize my resources (they are already semi-organized in boxes and cases), I think that has really helped – I didn’t start off that way, I had to learn that as I went. I think my mom tried to teach me organization my whole life but I only really put it into practice in the last ten years. My best piece of advise, simple, simple, simple, use what you already have and build on it. Slowly, slowly, don’t give up, start again, and again. Find your own style.
