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Jenny, Motherhood...

It is not only bringing a new life into the world It is the moment your life is redefined in this small little life - your world becomes bigger Your capacity for compassion expands You find courage you never knew you had Your time management skills honed even more finely In all its overwhelming complexity comes a renewed joy in the simple things Sleep becomes some elusive memory of the past but dreams and stories fill the air Old stories brought to life again...."Good Night Moon" and creativity can be found in a carboard box Your "take control of a room" voice is matched equally with singing silly ryhmes in a sopranic voice you never knew you had Hugs take on a whole new meaning, for the baby, mom & dad toe tickling and funny faces a new game bubble sculptured hair do's the new norm giggling and goofy is acceptable behavior food is found in places you can't imagine more time is spent on the floor Parenting forges your partnership, a liason of necessity & survival Motherhood....the gift that keeps on giving and your legacy brought to life Teach him well, Hug him often, You will be wonderful...even when you think you're not LOVE YOU - to the moon & back mom XXXOOOXXX

There is no answer, seek it lovingly

-Tim Freer My parenting tips: Follow your heart, never do anything to your child you don't feel good about no matter who is telling you. If you get mad take a time out. Always greet your child with love and excitement and adoring eyes. Allow lots of people to love them, the more people they have in their lives to love them the better they will feel. Don't be afraid, teach them to take risks and delight in the reward of that. Don't over-reward and praise them for every little thing they do... allow them to learn how to feel good about themselves not by what others say or do. Take care and love their father, your relationship is how they learn to be a mate. Lastly, take care of their mother. Take breaks and have experiences without them so they learn the importance of self-care and loving yourself too.

Build a life that is happy, joyous and free!

Love,

-Teresa Seeley

To Charlie, From the day you were born, to today, and every day in between, you and Whitney have been the greatest joys of my life. Whether you were playing with Tim in a pile of leaves, skipping down the sidewalk on the way to kindergarten, getting frustrated when I made you mow the yard, or buildingyour life far away from home, I have always loved being your mom.

Try not to worry about yesterday or what might happen tomorrow.

Everything doesn’t need to be perfect.

Take a deep breath, look around, and think about how very fortunate you are.

Don't sweat the small stuff.

If both you and your little ones are in clean-ish clothes (dirt is good), are fed (always keep snacks on hand - fruit, yogurt, cheese, animal crackers), are happy (keep a bag of books, crayons, toys, etc. in the car) and healthy (skinned knees and elbowsare healthy), you are doing great as a parent.

-Mom, Rachel

Celebrate the little things

-Cathy

To Jenny, Your husband is not the enemy, the baby is the enemy (sounds scary but the amount of times I yelled at Mike for my coffee being cold when really I was upset from being totally sleep deprived and over changing pooopy diapers is just silly) Shoot for early baby bedtimes so you can have some time to yourself and your hubby (but mostly yourself) Always remember that they are only little for what feels like minutes. You will blink and he'll be walking, then kindergarten, then college. Even though some days feel so tough - you'll look back and wish you were spending your days on the floor staring at your baby instead of yelling at him to make his bed!

Be prepared for a whirlwind of emotion - in all the best ways.

But hormones are a thing, and when you don't know why you are crying chalk it up to that!

Love,

-Kaylee

Love each other after 20 years as you did when you first met. – Steve Gordon If you love your kids and they know it, you can recover from a lot of parental screw-ups -Sue Rodgers

What a wonderful journey to become a parent – it will shape you just as much as you will shape the life of your son over the years.

Fill his heart with all the love we have been so lucky to have in our lives.. Fill his mind with the imagination and curiosity that makes life so rich and infinitely beautiful. Fill his belly with all the culinary wonders that you have come to love.

Let his little footsteps take him on countless adventures around this big world.

Encourage him to go outside, get dirty, and learn up close the simple beauty in a blade of grass, a drop of water, a snowflake, a little ant carrying a crumb back to its colony. Teach him about the past by playing the games we used to love — lincoln logs, paper mache crafts, egg babies, hide and seek, tree forts, sledding, rock hunting.

Teach him about our heritage with memories of the past, family traditions, and stories of the amazing role models that have come before him.

Be spontaneous in your parenting – often the most bizarre and unexpected experiences are the ones we remember and appreciate the most.

Take in the little moments, celebrate the big ones, soak up all the stages of his life.

He’ll be grown before you know it... you’ll look back and smile at all the good times and laugh at the hard times. It’s ok to be tired or upset or confused — always remember “this too shall pass”.

Call Mom for advice Call Dad for support Call Auntie Katie if you need a babysitter It takes a village, and your village is wonderful.

Love,

-Herman

The Amazing Mothers of the World Short story by Linda Rodgers

Raising

My Tribe

To Have

Kind Hearts Brave Spirit

fierce minds

Remember, you will only have this time with your child once, so be in the present.

-Sue Carlson

A new child

totally dependent on the love and caring, the tenderness, the playfulness of the parents. A new child open arms stretched eagerly awaiting time with the grandparents, the aunts, the uncles, the friends. New parents welcoming the support crew even more. The circle of life, the circle of family, famil the circle of love. Like life in a teepee, stories told, songs sung, toys made, games played. Generations of traditions passed down. The simplicity of children’s joy. The magic of discovery equaled only by the same joy of discovery by the parents. A new level of maturity embraced by the new parents. As arms embrace their newborn, a new outlook on life blossoms. Lessons and advice for new mothers. Lessons and advice for new fathers. Friends rally. Family rallies. Everyone pitches in. Pitch the tent, raise the teepee, come together - because it takes a village.

Sleepless nights soon forgotten. Panic over the first fever rash subsides. New food groups accepted. Falls merely the training to walk, then run. Fear, in retrospect, becomes experience.

Fun becomes the norm. Conservative adulating chipped away by the necessity to sing, play rhyme time, crawl, play hide and seek, climb and roll laugh and cuddle... and laugh some more.

Adulting temporarily set aside, while still adulting. Good Night Moon and good night stories frame the world in soft bright colors and silliness. Imagination and play dictates the schedule of the day. Life mysteriously continues in spite of changing priorities and previously established essential obligations now modified. Time tables slip and slide, yet life goes on... happier, more fulfilling, than before. There is a rhythm to the new drum beat and the village helps keep the rhythm. The Village hears, the village listens, the village plays.

New protocols emerge, flying food becomes a game, new games are constantly invented. The floor becomes fun. “Who’s turn is it, the new nightly debate” . Gleeful repetitions of silly songs a requirement. Coloring not contained to books signs of emerging artistic talent. Unimaginable how one so small requires so much gear to travel. Play dates the new social gathering.

This book is for Jenny and Seth This book is for Amber and Charlie This books is for the boys about to join the family.

This book is from the mothers and fathers that have “been there and done that”, from the grandmothers that have shared their joy and wisdom of the years, from family and friends, from the aunts, the sisters.

This is a book that says.. you are not alone, you don’t need all the answers, you don't need to be strong all the time, we are all here for you.

We are your village.

Love, Linda and Cathy "the moms"