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Mary Kate Brown

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Celebrating Motherhood Series Humble Life Mary Kate Brown

Teach Me So I Can Learn

December 3, 2019
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Spearmint Haze. That was the name of the paint color I purchased mere weeks after we closed on …

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Dear friends, ⁣ Beginning today, our Kindred Mom Dear friends, ⁣ Beginning today, our Kindred Mom team is taking a sabbatical. ⁣ You may have noticed that things have been a bit quieter here lately. Behind the scenes, we have all been navigating the extra weight of this current season, and we sense a call to rest and retreat for the time being. ⁣ In the meantime you can… -Buy our book! Strong, Brave & Beautiful: Stories of Hope for Moms in the Weeds is available on Amazon (just search for “Emily Sue Allen”!) or at http://KindredMom.com/book -Catch up on the Kindred Mom Podcast! All our recent essays have been released in audio format on the podcast feed. It would make lovely listening for any mama needing some encouragement and solidarity. -Sign up for the Kindred Mom Email Newsletter, so you’ll be sure to know when we are back in action. ⁣ We’ll be back sometime in February, and our next series of essays will go live in March. If you submitted an essay for that series, we will be in touch with you shortly about the details. Our team sends love to you from Alaska, Washington, California, Texas, Virginia, Illinois, Michigan, and Indiana. ⁣ Stay safe, wear your mask, take good care! ⁣ You are strong. Your are brave. You are beautiful. The work you are doing as a mom matters. ⁣ xoxo, The Kindred Mom Team (Emily, Jenni, Lynne, Robin, Lindsey, Mary Kate, Jay, Melissa, and Bethany)
As Advent begins, we consider what it means to wai As Advent begins, we consider what it means to wait well. 

We wait, just as Mary waited. 
We wait, as the Israelites waited. We wait, all of us—waiting for a pandemic to end, for life to return to “normal”, to be reunited with friends and family. ⁣ Who knows the tension of waiting better than a mother, who has waited to conceive, waited to adopt, waited to labor, waited to hold her little one to her chest, waited for her grown children to return home? ⁣ We have experience with waiting. May that experience lead us well through this next season, eagerly expecting the arrival of Christ. 

Ready for some good news? It’s coming. #ipreview via @preview.app
We’re officially welcoming the holiday season to We’re officially welcoming the holiday season to the blog today, with a new essay from Robin (@robin.chapman). This will also be our final essay this fall!

Today, Robin is sharing about the time she brought a fire extinguisher with her to church.

Yes, you read that right. When she first told our team that story, the cry was unanimous: “Please write about that!” ⁣ Head to KindredMom.com to read Robin’s story. ⁣ . . . . #thejoyfullife #risenmotherhood #mamaswhowrite #coffeeandcrumbs #motherhooddiaries #motherhoodthroughig #simplymamahood #momlifeunfiltered #connectedmotherhood #modernmama #joyfulmotherhood #raisingytinyhumans
NEW ESSAY on the blog today from guest writer Ange NEW ESSAY on the blog today from guest writer Angela Sensenig. Are you a mom who has left pieces of your heart all over the map?

If you’re a mom who has had to move across the country and left dear friends behind, today’s essay is for you.

Find Angela’s essay in both text and audio forms on the blog at KindredMom.com, or listen to the audio on the Kindred Mom Podcast.

And tell us: What tips do you have for making mom friends? Or better yet, how are you nourishing your friendships when you can’t gather in person? . . . . . ⁣ . . . . #sahmlife #momtribe #womenencouragingwomen #wellwateredwomen #momstrugglingwell #dontmomalone #candidchildhood #flashesofdelight #livethelittlethings #motherhoodunplugged #mindfulmom
NEW POST on the blog today from KM team member Jay NEW POST on the blog today from KM team member Jay Jones (@jacelya_jones). Today, Jay is sharing honestly about a parenting moment that haunted her for a long time—a moment she knows she could have handled differently but did not, a moment when she might have connected with her son but didn’t. 

We all have those moments, don’t we?
What good news that children are resilient, love repairs, time teaches, and God is in the business of redemption. ⁣ Head to the blog at KindredMom.com to read Jay’s story, or catch the audio version in the Kindred Mom Podcast feed. ⁣ . . . . #christianmom #hopewriters #risenmotherhood #christianmoms #faithfulmom #dailydevotional #butfirstjesus #stopdropandmom #ohheymama #herviewfromhome #momtomom #freeupmyinsta #momlifeblog #let_there_be_delight
Grateful.

It’s a word that took on new mean Grateful.

It’s a word that took on new meaning for me (like a whole lot of other people) back when I read Ann Voskamp’s One Thousand Gifts. I had been thankful throughout my life, sure! But I’d never given such intentional thought to the value of gratitude and the way it could bouy me when life felt hard.

It’s a word I come back to time and time again in motherhood. I don’t have to be grateful *for* everything: I am not grateful for fights over who had the stuffed stegosaurus first. I am not grateful for pee-soaked sheets and underwear.

But *in* everything, in every moment, there is *something* for which I can give thanks. I am grateful for the many gifts my children have received from friends and family who love them. I am grateful they have playmates. I am grateful for healthy bodies, night lights, and the way they look wrapped in a fluffy towel.

Grateful, grateful, grateful. —Lindsey (@lindseycornett) “Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.” —Psalm 100:4 . . . . . #christianmom #hopewriters #risenmotherhood #christianmoms #faithfulmom #dailydevotional #butfirstjesus #stopdropandmom #ohheymama #herviewfromhome #momtomom #freeupmyinsta #momlifeblog #let_there_be_delight
“We made a road to a city!” the children call “We made a road to a city!” the children call to me. “Come see!” They lead me along a carefully constructed Magnatile path, show me cars aligned on each square. “And look! Here’s our city!” I follow the trail of tiles and cars and peek into the corner of our living room. They made buildings of various shapes, adorned with Legos and more cars. ⁣ “It’s beautiful!” I tell them. “I like how you have all the different buildings at the end of your path.” ⁣ I check the clock and think about the checklist I had carefully planned for school today. It’s almost noon and we have barely touched the math or writing activities I had scheduled. Kindergarten and second grade standards call to me, and I think about pulling the kids away from their construction, setting them in their chairs at the table to do worksheets and sums. I know it will be a fight, and they’ll ask for “longer recess” so they can play. ⁣ I look at the rows of squares, the patterns of cars, the structure of the buildings they have created. I hear my daughter act out a scene with her Lego person, and my son answer back with his. ⁣ The checklist of today’s activities looms on the whiteboard behind me, the papers I had laid out for our day untouched. I make the decision to ignore them. This isn’t how I envisioned homeschooling, but my plans can wait. ⁣ The children are busy making their own paths, learning more than I could teach them at the table right now. --Beth Robinson (@bethpics27) . Don't miss Beth's essay, "The Voice of the Narrator," available on the blog now! . . . . . #wanderfulchildhood #childledplay #homeschoolfamily #creativekids #raisingcreativekids #homeschool #accidentalhomeschool #let_there_be_delight #letthembelittle #homeschoollife #pandemicparenting #the_sugar_jar #unschooling #intentionalliving #homeschoolingmom #motherhood #mymamahood #momblogger #christianmom #momliferocks #bestofmoms #mamabear #momminainteasy #momlifeunfiltered #realmotherhood
Full Full of mess: chaos and paper, tape and glue, Full Full of mess: chaos and paper, tape and glue, ideas and concepts Full of information: sometimes too overwhelming to press into, but also fascinating and I want more Full of light: sunshine, filtered and direct Full of lovies: (why are there so many?) they hug them and hold them close in sleep Full of noise: peals of laughter, cries from bumps or hurts, feet running, jumping, playing Full of books: school books, picture books, mini books, huge books, books with cereal milk accidentally spilled on them Full of questions: Will angels terrify me? Why does this spin? Can we play games? Can I have a snack? What does God look like? Full of hugs: joyful, connecting, healing, necessary Full of love: giant, complete, soothing, safe Full. —Lynne (@lynnepatti) . . . . . #sahmlife #momtribe #womenencouragingwomen #wellwateredwomen #momstrugglingwell #dontmomalone #candidchildhood #flashesofdelight #livethelittlethings #motherhoodunplugged #mindfulmom #ipreview via @preview.app
NEW POST on the blog today from returning guest wr NEW POST on the blog today from returning guest writer Beth Robinson (@bethpics27). Before we welcome children into our families, we have so many dreams about how we will one day connect with them… but sometimes, things don’t work exactly like we anticipated.

“Some of my earliest memories involve my mom reading to me. We went through the infamous Little House book series the summer before I started kindergarten. She read the Narnia series and countless picture books. I can recall the cadence of my mother’s voice as it washed over me, painting pictures of prairies and woods, lions and witches. I was secure and warm by her side as she read about life on the prairie, snuggled up in my bed while she read about snowstorms and a White Witch. Though I was swept away by the plot, I stayed tethered to my mother, knowing that no matter what happened in the story, she was going to be there for me.  ⁣ I hoped that when I became a mom, I would imprint upon my children the same love for stories—that they would sit quietly and listen as I read intently, stopping to comment and await their input. I wanted them to feel safe and secure, warm, and protected as I curled up with them and read to them.  ⁣ I never expected I would be the problem.” ⁣ Read the rest of Beth’s essay at KindredMom.com, or catch the audio version at the blog and in the Kindred Mom Podcast feed! . . . . . #intentionalfamilies #raisingreaders #thejoyfullife #risenmotherhood #mamaswhowrite #coffeeandcrumbs #motherhooddiaries #motherhoodthroughig #simplymamahood #momlifeunfiltered #connectedmotherhood #modernmama #joyfulmotherhood #raisingtinyhumans #picturebooks #bookstagram #readaloudrevival
I knew it was the right move to invite another kid I knew it was the right move to invite another kid into our homeschool this year. I instinctively knew that she was a good fit for our family and more specifically, a good friend for our daughter, who is in the same grade. The first quarter of school has proved that it really was the total right move. I did not expect to need a Kleenex box on our school table because evidently, discussions about the U.S. Constitution and slope-intercept formulas will lead to discussions of identity and the future and “who will be my spouse?” and “am I really seen and known?” If I’m being honest, I really love it. Most of the time, they just need me to listen and ask them questions. I feel like I approach a holy altar each morning as I teach these sweet girls. It’s a total privilege. —Lynne (@lynnepatti) . . . . . #raisingstronggirls #raisinggirls #mothersofdaughters #homeschool #homeschoollife #homeschoolmom #homeschooling #raisingteens #momlifeisthebestlife #getaftergrateful #1000gifts #intentionalfamily #connectedfamilies
Welcome to November, everyone! We’ve continuing Welcome to November, everyone! We’ve continuing on with our Connect series this month, and today we have a brand new essay on the blog from April Renee Russell (@aprilandthree). 

April reminds us of the value of intergenerational connection. Sometimes, we long for more. Still, memories and legacies tie us to the past and give us hope for our futures. 
Head to the blog at KindredMom.com for more from April, or catch the audio version in the Kindred Mom Podcast feed. ⁣ Do you carry any special memories of your grandmothers? . . . . . #thejoyfullife #risenmotherhood #mamaswhowrite #coffeeandcrumbs #motherhooddiaries #motherhoodthroughig #simplymamahood #momlifeunfiltered #connectedmotherhood #modernmama #joyfulmotherhood #raisingtinyhumans
Hey, hey, writers! Here is your friendly reminder Hey, hey, writers! Here is your friendly reminder that the submission deadline for our next series is THIS FRIDAY, 11/6. ⁣ The next series is “Strong, Brave & Beautiful” and will run from January-March. We’re looking for story-driven essays exploring how strength, courage, and beauty are required of mothers, illuminated through mothering experiences, and grown as we mother our children. In what unexpected ⁣ We feature writing from mothers with all different mothering experiences including married moms, single moms, adoptive moms, step-moms, ethnically diverse moms, and moms of children with special needs/unique challenges. New writers are always welcome! . . . . . #writersofinstagram #writingcommunity #momblogger #faithblogger #coffeeandcrumbs #risenmotherhood #writingmotherhood #motherhoodstories #writersofig #submissionopportunity #womenencouragingwomen #momboss #hopewriters #hopewriterlife #wellwateredwomen
I sat frozen, blinking at the statement on the com I sat frozen, blinking at the statement on the computer screen. “According to the information you put in, we don’t have anything that will fit you.” ⁣ Ordering a simple piece of clothing for a school dress up day shouldn’t be fraught with this many questions or this much thought. The site had asked my height, my weight and all the other numbers associated with my physical size – and it came up with nothing. ⁣ As an accountant, my husband is the numbers guy, but staring at this screen I realized just how deeply my heart hoards numbers, too. Some of it is simply fact: I’m ALMOST 5’3. I am a mom of 1. I wear a size 7.5 shoe. ⁣ But the list of numbers I allow to whisper my worth in an attempt to define me is exhaustive: steps I take each day, calories I intake, emails that sit unread, pieces of writing I’ve had published, books I’ve read, hours of professional development, years I’ve taught school. Is that all I am - just a number? ⁣ “Well, stink,” I frowned just before I ran up the stairs to teach my next class. Enthusiastic greetings from students and digging into our lesson evaporated my irritation. I sprinted back down the stairs for a video call and cheered on the student’s accomplishments. The full workday ended as my boy and I opened the door to the car for our short drive home. Within minutes, he moved from an it-was-good answer to questions about his day to allowing a glimpse into the frustrations of his early-teen world. ⁣ In those minutes that afternoon I remembered - I AM more than just a number. I am a teacher, an encourager, and a soft place for my people to land after hard days. I am beautiful (with or without the allusive costume for the dress up day). —Bethany (@bethanymcmillon) . . . . . #allbodiesaregoodbodies #knowyourworth #strongbravebeautiful #boymom #MOBsociety #selfcareformoms #encouragingwords #encouragementgallery #womenencouragingwomen #thatsdarling #motivationmonday #writingmotherhood
In the trenches of early childhood, as we struggle In the trenches of early childhood, as we struggle to navigate who we are and how to reclaim our identity, passions, and social lives, what we often need, more than anything else, is a long nap. ⁣ In the future, we will be able to make it through movie night without falling asleep. We will be able to leave our houses without worrying we will wake up our children. We might even be able to carve out a standing dinner date instead of scrambling to clear our schedules every few months. ⁣ For now, though, we live within the tension. We commit to our friendship without quite knowing how we will find the time for it. We trust that each small investment of time and energy will matter in the long run. Every text message, coffee date, and failed movie night -- crammed into the margins of our busy lives -- nurtures our souls and sustains us until the next time. ⁣ Because we’re those kinds of friends. ⁣ --Callie Dean, from her essay, "Those Kind of Friends," available now at KindredMom.com . . . . . #momfriends #friendship #momsquad #sahmlife #momtribe #womenencouragingwomen #wellwateredwomen #momstrugglingwell #dontmomalone #candidchildhood #flashesofdelight #livethelittlethings #motherhoodunplugged #mindfulmom
I just heard the word “fwickin” come out of th I just heard the word “fwickin” come out of this 4-year-old’s mouth. (In regards to a Sausage McMuffin, if you’re wondering.) Let me give you a fast and fun snapshot of the inside of my head. 😂 Heh. Fwickin. That’s really funny. I mean BAD. VERY BAD. 😳 Oh crap! She got that from me! Just like she got “holy cwap” from me. Sh....oot. 😬 Maybe if I ignore it, she won’t say it again. [Big sister laughs and makes a thing of it.] Just kidding. There it is again. 🙄 Wow. Seriously winning with baby swears and healthy breakfast here. ⁣ So… I’m sure you’re like, “Cool, but why are you telling us this from the KM account?” Well. Here’s what I’m reminding myself today: ⁣ She is loved. Learning “fwickin’” or “holy cwap” or any other swears, baby or otherwise doesn’t outweigh that on the “cons” side of my parenting scoresheet. She listens to me, at least sometimes. There is no parenting scoresheet. My value doesn’t come from my kids’ behavior or language, whether or not it’s “my fault.” I’m a human person, made in the image of a beautiful, loving, and creative God and that is enough, regardless of my many, many missteps and foibles. ⁣ The last three apply to you as well, whether or not you have baby swears actual swears or biting or lying or pot smoking happening at your house today. They listen, at least sometimes. There is no scoresheet. Your value is not to be found in the behavior of your children (or your own behavior, for that matter): you are made in the image of God. He loves you. That is enough. --Robin (@robin.chapman) . . . . #honestmommin #honestmotherhood #motherhoodintheraw #mothersofdaughters #tiredmom #momlife #thehappynow #motherhoodtruths #preachingtoymyself #raisingstrongwomen #timeforcoffee #momsofinstagram #momof4 #lifewithlittles #supermommy #momtribe #mamabear
NEW ESSAY on the blog today! Guest writer Callie D NEW ESSAY on the blog today! Guest writer Callie Dean is sharing a hopeful story of what friendship between moms can really be--with a little bit of intention and a smidge of vulnerability. ⁣ Who are you most often? Are you the woman who initiates new conversations and new friendships, or do you more often hope to be invited in? We think you'll find some commonality and encouragement from Callie's story today! ⁣ Head to KindredMom.com to read the post. If audio is more your speed, you can catch the audio version on the blog or in the Kindred Mom Podcast feed. . . . . . #momfriends #friendship #momsquad #sahmlife #momtribe #womenencouragingwomen #wellwateredwomen #momstrugglingwell #dontmomalone #candidchildhood #flashesofdelight #livethelittlethings #motherhoodunplugged #mindfulmom
We gathered at the overlook of this mountain bike We gathered at the overlook of this mountain bike trail, basking in our success - the whole family had made it, despite the rocky beginning. The first hundred yards from the parking lot to the packed sand was filled with gravel and deep sand and our five-year-old's hand-me-down bike sunk into the sand. She sat, head in hands, weeping that she wasn't good enough to join us. ⁣ My husband and I did as we usually do, dividing resources and encouraging toward a goal. Frank walked his bike next to Elle and they slowly made their way to the actual trailhead. Our eight-year-old and I peddled ahead and I loved the feeling of working hard to keep up with my daughter. Bea and I reached the overlook and then backtracked to join Frank and Elle. We swapped and encouraged and finally, all sat down to a well-earned lunch with spectacular views. ⁣ Those first hundred yards reminded me of our parenting journey - the mired and slow beginnings that end with success and rejoicing, even if only a few miles were traversed. Our hundred yards of navigating a newborn and preschooler; my hundred yards of balancing motherhood and identity; our hundred yards of this pandemic. ⁣ Beginnings can often feel slow and painful and I wonder if it's worth the effort. We had formed a gameplan that, if the trail didn't get easier, we would turn around to find something better suited to our stages and skillset. ⁣ And yet, I'm so glad we stuck with it. Our five-year-old now claims she is a great mountain biker! That riding the trail is way better than circling our cul-de-sac at home! Our family story has a new adventure written into it and we have tales of courage and perseverance to tell. ⁣ I needed the reminder that beginnings are often hard and can feel bogged down with our own inadequacies. And sometimes turning around and restarting is ok. But sometimes, pushing through the first hundred yards can help write a new story. —Annie Rim (@annie_rim) . . . . . #hikeitbaby #awanderfulchildhood #hikingwithkids #togetherwehike #getoutside #childhoodunplugged #pandmiecparenting #parentinginapandemic #redefiningmotherhood #letthembelittle #explore #naturekids #biglifekids #biglifejournal #growthmindset #posit
It’s not like I haven’t tried to separate my w It’s not like I haven’t tried to separate my worlds—years ago I got rid of most notifications on my phone, so I know now that when my phone dings, it’s probably something I want to see fairly quickly. (This works for me about as well as telling the children to watch My Little Pony while I have a meeting—I can try to minimize distractions, but they keep finding me.) The urgent always invades from whatever realm I’m not currently living in, and I always try to address it immediately. ⁣ That immediacy is something I am reexamining—when every need and request receives the same priority (the very top), life becomes unnecessarily chaotic. Maybe rather than giving all my attention to whichever need I’m trying to meet right now, I need to give more to assessing my own motivations. Is this need really emergent or does it just feel urgent? Do I want to respond right now because that’s necessary or because I neuroticly and aggressively meet needs? Can this wait? ⁣ Perhaps the urgent does not need to be such a tyrant. ⁣ --Robin Chapman, from her essay, "Thanks, No Thanks, Pinkie Pie," available to read at KindredMom.com. . . . . . #honestmommin #honestmotherhood #motherhoodintheraw #mothersofdaughters #tiredmom #momlife #thehappynow #motherhoodtruths #preachingtoymyself #raisingstrongwomen #timeforcoffee #momsofinstagram #momof4 #lifewithlittles #supermommy #momtribe #mamabear #workingmom #wahm #sahm
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