So much to say...

Ok. So, you're reading this because you know I am a world renowned parenting expert, with three degrees behind my name, and even online courses proven to solve your child's issues by Friday.


Or not.


See, the thing is, I'm just me. Jill. Born to a recently married, barely adult couple in the 70's in rural Alabama. The big sister to a little girl ten years younger than me. Married to the love of my life at age 19, and jumping into the real world with both feet really young. My education in parenting has been that of over a decade of pastoring children.


And then, along came Abi. Sweet, innocent Abigail. She's the perfect mix of her daddy's sweetness and her mom's sourness. Since her (long coming) conception, Abi has been nothing but a joy. Her eyes are addicting. Her smile contagious. Her laugh comes from her soul. She always knows what to say, and most of the time, she knows when to say it. But of course, Abi is also a six year old girl.


Her clothes NEVER match. She hates her hair pulled up. She goes through cycles of phobias- such as: hating her armpits showing, pants being too tight, pants not tight enough, fire ants getting into her shoes, and (my personal favorite) alligators getting into her second story bedroom. Oh, and let's not forget her quirks. Like wearing socks pulled up to her knees with dress shoes (they were orange Halloween socks and it was Easter), carrying around a pink comb for weeks at a time, and her major aversion to all things denim.


Abi knows how to dig her heels in like a professional. She can cry, arch her back, and gasp for air, all in a tantrum of rage. She can look me square in the eye and defy me. But she doesn't. At least anymore. After much prayer and advice from my parents (who know a thing or two about raising strong willed children), coupled with the long suffering and stamina of her daddy and I, we are seeing strength and leadership in our little angel, where we once saw frustration and drama. Is our house drama free? Nope. She is female, after all. However, we've found our rhythm.


What should you expect from this blog? Just my current ponderings. My trials and errors. My failures as a mom, as well as my victories. If you're looking for words like "rationalizing" or "processing," that's not my parenting style and you won't find it here. If your child is best buddies with Hannah and Zac (yeah, those ones), you might find me Amish. But I'm a self-professed old school mom, who believes that raising kids can be a little easier than this world has made it out to be. But for it to become easier, we have to do the hard work.


Let's go. The adventure begins!