Celebrating Mom: Meet Lora

I'm celebrating Mother's Day all week by dedicating my blog to some extraordinary moms in the blog world!  So far, you have met Tia and her daughter Ellie, and Amanda and her daughter Rosie.  Today we are traveling north to meet a mother of four! Meet Lora and her kiddos.

Can you introduce yourself to my readers?  
Hi I’m Lora, I am 39 years young.  I have been married to my sweetheart for 15 years. Together we have 4 beautiful children – Josie (10), Jarod (7), Jack (4) and Jason (7 1/2 months).   I really enjoy being their mom, it’s an honour to be a part of their lives, watching them grow and mature each day.  My children are blessed to part of a family that treats women with respect – no matter how they joined the family (marriage, birth, or adoption). 

Tell me a little about your mother. How did she influence you?  What did you learn from your mother that you hope to teach your children?  
I know how important words are, how important it is to encourage a child when they are young.   My mom didn’t get the love and encouragement she needed as a child and as a result she still doesn’t see the good in her.  She is a beautiful person but doesn’t realize it.  I want all my children to realize that they are loved, wanted and a blessing to our family.  I want them to know that they are smart, beautiful and loving people. 
  

I'm sure Josie is getting to the age where she is beginning to notice herself and other people, and how words or actions can hurt.  Tell me about her.  

Josie and her friends have started to notice boys; the boys in their classes have also started to notice girls.  It’s amazing how a careless word or action can hurt so much.  One of the boys that Josie liked told her that he thinks she is ugly.  One of the boys on her school bus read her journal, out loud, to the back of the bus.  These actions hurt Josie but we worked through them.  I told her that boys at this age can be mean to be mean or sometimes they can be mean just to bug her.   I also told her that sometimes if a person hurts others because they are hurting inside.  Her dad told her that friends already knew her secrets and were still her friends.  It was really hard for me to send her back on the bus, not knowing what she was going to face.   By the time the weekend was over and she was back on the bus, the whole thing was in the past. 

Does Josie ever talk about pretty vs. ugly; fat vs. skinny?  How do you address issues when it comes to that?

I asked Josie if she thought she was pretty –she said yes.  She likes her hair and her eyes.  She knows that she is skinny, always has been but is not focused on her weight. She is too busy having fun.  I like the fact she is herself – she is silly, dramatic and a creative dresser.

What about your boys?  I know they are still young, but do they ever comment on what they think is pretty?

My boys have not noticed girls; they are too busy with Lego, Star Wars and in Jason’s case, learning how to crawl. I will in time, remind Josie and her brothers that you can’t judge a book by its cover.

What are your goals as a mom?  What do you hope your kids learn about confidence and self-appreciation?  

My goal/desire for them is to have self confidence, to like themselves, to feel pretty/handsome and to feel special.   I want to realize that they may not be the best at everything but God has a plan for their lives and if they trust him he will fulfill it.  I want all my children to realize that they are special, beautiful and smart. They may not be the best at everything but they can do their best.  I want them to realize that happiness is a choice – nothing or no one can make them happy.  It’s up to them be happy whether life is good or not.  I want them to continue to be nice and kind to others, to be friendly to everyone.   I want to know that they are loved and accepted by their dad and me.

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Lora blogs at It's Always An Adventure.  Thanks, Lora!