Mom Talk Monday: Angela

Happy Monday everyone! We have Johnathon's best friend Jeff staying with us this week, and we are having so much fun showing him around our little island paradise! I'll share what we've been up to this weekend on Wednesday, but today it's time for another Mom Talk Monday, with my good friend Angela!

I met Angela back when we both lived in DFW because her husband worked with Johnathon, and they were responsible for "recruiting" us out to Kwaj. Angela is one of those great personalities that makes everyone she meets feel instantly welcome and at ease. I'm also going to go ahead and nominate Angela and her husband Jon as the unofficial party planners of our little group out here. They are always game for anything, and are always coming up with fun get togethers for our "Texas group." I am so glad to have met Angela and to have become such good friends during our time out here! 

That's Angela (in the sombrero) and I at my Mexican themed birthday!

But allow me to let Angela introduce herself to you!

Hi, I'm Angela! I’m a Texas girl, born and raised. I met my husband Jon during my freshman year of college, and we’ve shared a marriage full of adventure and laughs for over 20 years now. We have three boys – 13, 9, and 4 years old – who keep us immensely busy and entertained. I am a speech-language pathologist currently working in the preschool, elementary, and jr/sr high school on a small island in the Central Pacific!

Angela and her beautiful family!

Angela and her husband Jon at our annual Tacky Sweater Christmas Party!

Love me some Mitchell Family

In addition to what Angela shared above I feel like I should also add that she is an amazing runner and athlete! She's run the half marathon on island several times, and recently finished the Kwajalein Marathon! RUN ANGELA RUN!!! :)

Angela and some of her fellow Kwaj runners

Angela and our good friend Shelbi finished the Kwaj Marathon this past December! I was cheering them on mentally from the comfort of my couch! ;)

Angela would also never mention this herself, but I'm going to because I feel like this says so much about who she is...a year and a half ago Angela discovered that she was a match for one of her coworkers who needed a kidney transplant. She selflessly and courageously donated a kidney simply because she was in a position to help someone else, and I LOVE that about her!

Angela and her coworker/friend/ kidney recipient Ric

And here are Angela's thoughts on Motherhood:

1) Hi, Angela! You have 3 boys so it's safe to say you have had your fair share of funny/memorable pregnancy moments. Any you would like to share?

Well, funny you should ask because I happen to have a funny story to share.  My third baby was due on Christmas Day, so we were trying to be proactive and get all the Christmas shopping done early in December.  Jon, the boys, and I were having lunch at Hooters (of all places) and about to set out for more shopping when my water broke.  Yes, that happened.  Right as I told him, the waitress came by and said our food was almost ready.  We agreed we should stay and eat because (a) the hospital wouldn’t let me eat again for a long time and (b) those wings are amazing!  She also dropped off Jon's second beer at that time, which he drank rather quickly.  We scarfed down our food, and I ran out the door on my own, leaving Jon to pay the check and gather the boys up to come join me outside.  That’s when we realized he shouldn’t be driving after chugging that second beer.  So I drove the family to our friends’ house to drop the kids off – yes, that happened too.  By the time we got them situated, Jon had sobered up and refused to let me drive myself to the hospital.  What a classy way to make an entrance into the world, huh?!

I can't even tell you how much this answer made me laugh!! Hooters...her water breaking...driving herself to her friends house. I was crying laughing. I love it all!! And I say that with no judgement because Hooter's wings are the bomb!

2) You have one boy in preschool, another in elementary, and the oldest is in middle school. What is your favorite thing about each of these ages?

Oh gosh, where do I start?! They’re all so challenging exhausting awesome!! I’ll start with my teenager. He is quick-witted and now capable of using his 13 years’ worth of life experiences in all kinds of everyday things, from making up song lyrics to building Legos with his brothers. I also love that I can talk to him (kind of) like an adult now. My 9-year-old is and always has been the best question-asker. He comes up with the most interesting, deepest, and most obscure questions I’ve ever heard, and I learn so much through his learning. And my 4-year-old continues to amaze me every day with his expansion of language. His vocabulary has completely blown up, and he can thoroughly describe anything and everything that comes to his mind. If you ask him about Skylanders, I hope you have some time on your hands for an elaborate answer!

3) You are the quintessential "boymom." What is your favorite/least favorite part of being a mom to boys?

You know, I guess I could easily say being the only female in the house is simultaneously both my favorite and my least favorite thing about being a boymom. I love being the only female in the house because I have my own identity. Mother’s Day is actually really special in my house because they treat me like royalty. They look out for me like I’m their damsel in distress. I’m their go-to for emotional support – when they need a hug or a cry or even a laugh, they count on me for that. But the flip side is actually the exact same answer. There is a lot of pressure on a mom who is her boys’ only source for learning who and what a woman is all about. I want to do everything right so they can know the right things to find in their next “other woman”. It’s a heavy load!

A lot of people feel sorry for me because I don’t have any girls, but I think that’s ridiculous! I feel like I can relate to my boys in any and every way that I could possibly relate to a girl. When I need girl time, I get it from my own girlfriends. My life and heart are full! <3

4) On the subject of raising boys...I feel like raising boys in today's age is vastly different than it was several generations ago. What virtues and traits do you and Jon most want to instill in your boys as they grow to become men?

First, I think the main difference is that as kids we could go outside and play anywhere all day. We learned a lot by doing that and it’s harder to get those experiences today. Whether it’s actually more dangerous or just perceived that way, kids definitely don’t have the ability to explore outside like we did as kids. This exploration prepares them for life in subtle but important ways by expanding their base of experiences. Examples of these experiences are socialization, dealing with bullies and peer pressure, time management, and exposure to dangers. It is harder for kids to get that early exposure in a safe environment today, and it requires extra effort to ensure that they are prepared for life on their own. 

Also the development of technology is a big factor, with instant worldwide communication at our fingertips. Kids can contact each other on a whim, call mom for help, Google a phone number, etc., but of course there is the other aspect where kids can become self-absorbed in their own little world and miss out on the environment around them. I think that and social media help breed a little bit of narcissism. [I have to credit my husband for this response because I just couldn’t find the words. But when he gave me these words, I realized we’re definitely on the same team, not that that was news to me.]

5) With 3 kids, a husband, a dog, a career, and countless activities to do on a daily basis, how do you keep track of it all?

Well, let me preface this response by pointing out that I was a week late in turning in these answers! So maybe I *don’t* keep it all together as well as you might think! :)

Many people have successfully adopted an electronic calendar of some sort to manage their busy lives and keep in sync with the rest of their family. Me? I have not. I still keep an old fashioned pen and paper weekly planner, and I don’t know what I’d do without it. It has post-it notes, scratch-outs, folded papers of all kinds, paper clips, you name it included throughout. I’m a very visual learner, and I think actually writing things down helps me remember what’s coming up and keep my head wrapped around our busy lives. Some or all of my boys are involved in scouts, swim team and sports (always at least two at a time), youth group, 4H, school-related volunteer hours, teen center dances.. the list goes on and on. Add to that my husband’s extracurricular activities and my own, and you have potential for big drama if I don’t keep it all straightened out somehow. It’s a crazy-busy life, but I wouldn’t trade it for the world!

 ** I too have to have a hard copy weekly planner, and I'm obsessed with my Erin Condren Planner. They are definitely more pricey than a regular planner, but they have weekly and monthly calendars, you can customize them as much as you want, and they are super durable! Well worth the investment!**

6) In addition to being a mom you are also a speech-language pathologist. Any tips or games that parents can play with their little ones to help them enhance their speech and language skills?

Immerse, immerse, immerse! Surround your child with language! Children’s brains are literally sponges for the first five years, so give them something awesome to soak into those brains! You don’t have to have tons of expensive toys to do this – quite the contrary, really – because vocabulary grows from experiences and memories. Talk to them about everything that is going on around them. Making lunch? Washing dishes? Pouring another glass of wine while the third consecutive episode of Dora kicks off? Talk about it all! Okay, maybe wait a bit on describing how to use a corkscrew… but you get the idea.

**Have you been inside my house, Angela??? How do you know about my Dora and wine pairing?!??!**

One of my all-time favorite toys is Mr. Potato Head (and of course his wife and children and Star Wars and superheroes and silly and rock star and pirate and mermaid and… omg, there are a zillion of them). I loved this toy as a kid, and I love it still. I don’t know what it is about it – Do kids just love putting an arm on the top of his head and eyes where his mouth should be? Do they love mismatching girl shoes and a boy hat and a mustache on purpose? Do they actually enjoy following directions when you tell them which parts to use? I think it’s all of that and tons more. Babies recognize faces from shortly after birth. They learn very quickly what makes a face, what distinct features make up each person in their lives. They begin at an early age to see faces in inanimate things that don’t even have faces. There’s something special and relatable about these (let’s be honest – ugly) potato creatures that kids of all kinds seem to latch onto, and I’ve taken advantage of that in my parenting as well as in my therapy. And I’d be lying if I said I didn’t just buy a new set while I was researching them to write this response!

7) What advice would you give to your former self or others about being a mom?

It sounds cliché to say time flies, but wow, time really flies. My oldest is now 5’11” and still growing, so it’s been a very humbling year to watch him grow right past me into an almost-adult man’s body. This is my baby we’re talking about! So I guess I’d say DON’T BLINK. Don’t miss a single thing. You meet a milestone and then you’re immediately off to the next one faster than you can go write it down in the baby book. Seriously. I know this because I have one really good baby book, one with a few pages filled out, and one still in the cellophane wrapper. When they start having kids of their own, their wives might want to kill me for not documenting every little thing, but I’m ok with the fact that I’m living those moments rather than scrambling to make history of all of them.

8) I think it's important for moms to remind themselves about their parenting successes as much as struggles and lessons learned. What is something that you and Jon see as your biggest success as parents?

This is a tough one, as I have yet to see how they actually turn out! :P I think we have done a pretty good job of not reinforcing bad/unwanted behaviors, but I must confess we’ve been best about this with our oldest and gotten less consistent as more offspring have come along. I also think being open and honest with them about everything – everything! – has been imperative for giving them the best and most complete experience and understanding in life. Most recently, our focus has shifted toward instilling good money sense, so we are working at all three of their levels on saving, making a plan for money, and teaching about saving and giving. Lastly, I wholeheartedly believe in using humor and even sarcasm in parenting. Partly because where else are they gonna learn it themselves? and partly because it just keeps me sane!

9) And finally...just to keep it real...would you mind sharing a total parenting fail moment with us?

My first thought is THERE ARE SO MANY! WHICH ONE DO I CHOOSE?! Haha.. but in reality, I can’t say I’ve done much that’s just terribly, screamingly awful. (Yet.) So let’s go with this one. We live on a tiny island where life is a lot like the ‘50s – safe, no crime, no drunk drivers, practically no cars for that matter! So I’ve gotten comfortable with letting my kids out of my sight from time to time, especially the big ones. But one day I didn’t even realize my then 3-year-old had wandered off until I got a phone call. From a security officer. At the dock security checkpoint. FAIL!! He said, “Mrs. Mitchell, I have your son here at the dock. He just walked right in the door and under the turnstile like he was headed out on the boat.” In my defense, the dock is literally right across the street from my house. But still. Mother of the Year, right here, folks! I ran over there to find him sitting on a bench with this officer, just dangling his little legs happily, and they were sharing a grilled ham and cheese sandwich and a Dr. Pepper. At that point I was questioning what was worse – me allowing my toddler to wander off, or this guy letting him have Dr. Pepper so close to bedtime!

And for fun, here are some rapid fire questions!

1) What is your coffee drink of choice?

White chocolate coconut latte, light on the syrup, extra shot of espresso. But if you want to talk holiday flavors, let’s go with a Starbucks Caramel Brulee Latte, also with an extra shot (duh).

2) Go-to meal on a busy weeknight?

I’m sorry, I don’t understand the question.. isn’t every night busy?! But seriously, we do a lot of variety, but I’d say our go-to more often than not is tacos/quesadillas in some form: beef, chicken, fish, shrimp. I’m especially fond of this recipe, which is actually a fish taco sauce but we use it for everything:

Wickedly Good Fish Taco Sauce

1 ½ cups plain Greek yogurt
½ cup mayo (I use light sour cream)
Juice from 1 lime
3 Tbsp fresh cilantro (I use way more than that)
1-2 fresh jalapeno peppers (with or without seeds and membranes)
1 tsp each: cumin, ground coriander, dried dill weed, dried oregano, salt, chili powder (I use chipotle chili powder)
1 tsp capers
Throw it all in a blender or food processor and pour it on everything! Or use it as a dip!

** I already made fish tacos with this taco sauce, and I may have doubled back and eaten this sauce by the spoonful...WITH NOTHING ELSE. I literally drank the sauce. SO GOOD! ** 

3) Guilty pleasure?

Lattes on the beach with or without my girlfriends on my one day off each week. The perfect way to spend the morning while everyone is at school. Then I enjoy the heck out of my afternoon with my youngest. I can’t believe he’s going to kindergarten next year!

4) Favorite Book and/or TV Show?

Book – Eat, Pray, Love
Movie – Steel Magnolias
TV show – Seinfeld

5) If you had to pick only 1 beauty item to live with what would it be?

That’s a tie between mascara and lip gloss. I don’t leave the house without them. Well, except while I live on this island because when you get dolled up you stick out like a sore thumb. But I don’t typically care what people think, so I do it anyway! Right now my new favorite red lipstick is Stiletto Red by Too Faced, and I’m obsessed with an eye palette by Kat Von D.

**I have heard amazing things about the Kat Von D eyeshadow palette! I've always been a devoted Naked Eye Palette wearer, but I'm very tempted to try this one!**

6) Favorite quote to live by?

Gosh, there’s no way I can cite just one. So allow me to be an overquoter, if that’s even a thing:

"Choose kindness and laugh often."

“Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind.” ~ Dr. Seuss

“As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands, one for helping yourself, the other for helping others.” ~ Audrey Hepburn

“The best thing to hold onto in life is each other.” ~ Audrey Hepburn

“[Motherhood] is still the biggest gamble in the world. It is the glorious life force. It’s huge and scary – it’s an act of infinite optimism.” ~ Gilda Radner

And as I’m entering the teen years – “Oh, to be half as wonderful as my child thought I was when he was small, and only half as stupid as my teenager now thinks I am.” ~ Rebecca Richards

Thanks for taking the time to chat with us Angela! Hope everyone has a wonderful Monday!