Tag: family

Hot Springs, Arkansas

On By reneemarie31In TravelLeave a comment

I was fortunate enough to spend a week recently in Hot Springs, Arkansas. My aunt and uncle rented a house on the lake and were kind enough to invite me along. We had a great family trip and my daughter got to hang out with some of her cousins.

The house we stayed in had a pool, hot tub, kayaks, and a canoe.

Hot Springs National Park is unique because it includes downtown and Bathhouse Row. The old bathhouses all still stand, although most have been transformed into something else. Across from Bathhouse Row are shops and restaurants and such. The green spaces of the park are located directly behind Bathhouse Row.

Buckstaff Baths is the only traditional bathhouse still in operation. My aunt and I went and had the traditional experience, including a soak in the tub that was filled with mineral water straight from the springs. After that we were covered in hot towels, which was a bit intense. Then I sat in a steam closet, had a sitz bath, and a needle shower. It was an interesting experience.

The Fordyce Bathhouse has been turned into a museum about the history of the bathhouses in Hot Springs.

  • needle shower
  • steam closet
  • stained glass ceiling
  • elevator

One day, we took the children to the Mid-America Science Museum, which I highly recommend. There was lots of hands-on fun inside and a dinosaur trail and skywalk outside.

Another day we visited Garvan Woodland Gardens, which was fun and pretty, but very hot! There were free strollers available, and my five year old had me pushing her uphill through the gravel! The botanical gardens are part of the University of Arkansas. There was a tree house and lots of other places to hang out and play.

Hot Springs was a nice, laid back little place. It was a fun place for a family visit.

Patience is a Virtue

On By reneemarie31In Family LifeLeave a comment

Patience.  A simple virtue that I wish I could practice evenly in all areas of my life.  Compared to many people, I am pretty patient when it comes to everyday inconveniences.  I can usually handle traffic delays, slow service in a restaurant, or a long line at the store.  Where I find my patience most often wearing thin is with the people I love the most – my daughter and husband.

Why is that it is easier to be kind towards strangers and acquaintances than to our own families?  My theory is that it is because it is less risky. We know that the people we love will forgive us time and again for yelling at them in anger, whereas a co-worker or other acquaintance may not.

I know it shouldn’t be this way.  I shouldn’t snap at my family for the slightest inconvenience.  I know this intellectually, but I still find it difficult to put into place.  

I came across this quote.  Is that the answer? Fake it until you make it?  It is certainly better than showing your frustration, especially in a parenting situation.  But ideally, I would like to not only sound calm, but actually be calm.

One of our jobs as a parent is to help teach our children how to regulate their emotions.  We do this through example. It is imperative that I learn to be patient, so that I can pass that skill onto my daughter.  It is so much easier to have the skill naturally, than to be a grown woman trying to cultivate it.

Patience with my family is a skill that I must practice.  I want to live in a calm and loving home, and I need to do my part to make sure that happens.  Sometimes my husband has to remind me that I’m overreacting in a parenting situation. Other times, I’m overreacting towards him and my daughter is the one to notice the tension and remind me to be kind.

What do you do to remind yourself to be patient with your loved ones?