Team Hodges

I am opinionated. I am scheduled. I like my things just so. I can tell when things have been moved around in my home...didn't like it growing up if mom moved things in my room...don't like it now. I take things personally. I get defensive. I am emotional. I am thorough. I am a hot mess sometimes...well...a good portion of the time. All of that beautiful stuff said...somehow a lot of those emotions that come out of me get diffused by the most amazing blessing in my life. My man - Jason.

I can't tell you when it started...but I have heard other people even say it to me like they have heard us say it enough that they know it's kind of our mantra..."TEAM HODGES". We truly function as a team around here. It's far from perfect...but it's in those moments of imperfection where one of us can just look at the other and say "Hey I'm on your team." Immediately my defenses go down...my flag that I just threw down gets picked back up and put away. In that easy phrase Jason and I remind each other that we have the others best interests at heart. It doesn't always work mind you...but it is that verbal cue that we are in this together.

It can be something so lame about dinner...did he like it...he might say something so honest and not awful at all like maybe next time you could __________. Well, my defenses go up and he just looks at me and says I'm on your team. Or...I begin to ask clarifying questions about our finances...he gets defensive b/c that is his area...I just remind him that I am on his team...and somehow we can proceed.

I also say this a thousand times a day to my kids. Before we go into Target (or insert wherever the errand has taken us) I remind them what our purpose is and that we are going to work as a team to get our task accomplished.

Some might balk at this but most of our cleaning up time is done together as a team. There will come a time when the mess they make they will be solely responsible for...but right now...we do it together (myself included) as a team.

I guess I have noticed that there seems to be such a push to "get your kids out of the house" - "aren't you sick of them" - "you do pre-school at home" - "I can't wait for the kids to get back to school" speak...that it saddens me. OR "My husband won't do anything around the house." - "My husband is never home." "My husband has no clue about the kids." Well...I feel a great sense to protect my team. To guard well their hearts...to not just function as an individual...but rather to recognize this unique living environment that I have...Jason and I have to function as a team...our kids have to function as a team or honestly I will begin to speak the same way...loving when my husband isn't at home and my kids are away with other people.

For us...this is what works...Team Hodges!

*pics are: 1st anniversary, Awesome trip to Boston we are at Fenway Park, and our trip to Alaska before Caroline was born.