Mama of the Wild Crew Podcast
Mama of the Wild Crew Podcast
Hosted by Alexis Schmoker – wife, mama of two, nurse, and Jesus lover. This podcast is all about embracing the beautiful chaos of motherhood, finding joy in the messy moments, and leaning into faith through it all. Whether you're navigating sleepless nights, toddler tantrums, or the everyday miracles of raising little ones, you're not alone. Join Alexis as she shares real-life stories, heartfelt conversations, and encouragement to help mamas everywhere find grace, laughter, and purpose in the wild adventure of motherhood.
Let’s find the joy in the chaos—together!
Mama of the Wild Crew Podcast
Learning Resilience: A Mother's Journey through Challenges with Sarah
The latest episode of the Mama of the Wild Crew Podcast features a heartfelt conversation with Sarah, a mother and dedicated teacher specializing in working with deaf, blind, and deaf-blind students. Sarah's journey showcases the multifaceted life of a mother, as she navigates the chaos of parenthood while advocating for her students and managing her business, Timberwood Designs. This engaging episode delves into the real struggles and laughter that come in motherhood, highlighting those relatable moments we all face, like forgetting library day. Sarah eloquently shares her passion for teaching and her dedication to fostering inclusivity among children, providing invaluable insights for listeners looking to raise compassionate little ones.
Listeners will also find a candid discussion about the challenges of navigating the Canadian healthcare system, emphasizing the often-overlooked areas of support that families may need. Throughout the episode, Sarah’s resilience shines through as she illustrates how she finds joy amid everyday chaos, balancing work and family life. Whether you’re a new mom, a veteran in the game, or someone who simply wants to understand the motherhood journey more, this episode is packed with inspiration, practical tips, and a sense of community that we all crave. Tune in and join us in celebrating the wild adventure of motherhood together! Don’t forget to subscribe, share, and leave a review to support our growing community.
Timberwood designs- Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/timberwooddesigns?igsh=bXg0b2dkZGN6bG1s
Timberwood designs- webpage
Yoto kids audio player- link
Jacob’s eye patch- kids book- link
It would mean the world to me if you would like, subscribe leave a review and/or share with a friend if you enjoyed this episode! Please find me on Instagram, tag me, comment, or DM me. Let me know what you enjoyed and what you’d like to hear next. I love hearing from you!
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Mama of the Wild Crew
📸: A heartfelt thank you to Jordan Allen of Cr00ked Teeth Photography for capturing this stunning cover photo.
Welcome to Mama of the Wild Crew podcast, the podcast where we embrace the messy, wild, beautiful journey of motherhood together. I'm your host, alexa Schmoker, mama of two beautiful kiddos, wife, nurse and lover of Jesus. Motherhood is full of hard moments, unexpected chaos and those days where you just really don't have it all together. But in the midst of it all, there is so much joy. On this podcast, we're diving into the real, honest conversations about motherhood the challenges, the triumphs and everything in between. We'll hear the stories of incredible moms from all walks of life, share wisdom, laughter and let's be real probably a few tears, and we're going to discover how to embrace the joy in this chaos. So, whether you're rocking a baby to sleep, folding that never-ending pile of laundry or sneaking away for a quiet moment with your coffee, welcome mama, you're not alone here. Hit, subscribe and join me on this wild adventure of motherhood. I can't wait to do this journey with you. Hey, mamas, and welcome back to Mama of the Wild Crew podcast.
Speaker 1:Today I am so excited to introduce you to an incredible woman who wears many hats with grace and purpose. Sarah is a devoted wife, a mother of two, a specialist teacher working with deaf, blind and deaf-blind students. And, on top of it all, she is a business owner alongside her husband, running their beautiful business Timberwood Designs. She has also recently stepped into the world of social media management, helping other women entrepreneurs grow their business online. Sarah is a woman of deep faith and I know her journey is going to inspire so many of you. Sarah, welcome to the podcast. I am so happy to have you here. To start, can you introduce yourself and tell us a little bit about yourself and your family?
Speaker 2:Absolutely. Thank you so much for having me. Alexis Like mentioned, I'm Sarah, a mom of two, a specialist teacher and an owner of Timberwood Designs, a small business my husband and I run together, so life is definitely busy, but we love it.
Speaker 1:Well, I am so excited to have you and Sarah. We have started asking moms that come onto the podcast, just a little fun icebreaker question. So I'm going to ask you this, sarah as a mom, we always do our best and most of the time we are absolutely crushing it, but it never fails that we have a little mom fail, and for me personally it happens all the time. So, sarah, share with us your most recent quote, unquote mom fail.
Speaker 2:Oh, I have plenty of mom fails, but I would say the one that happens every single week is forgetting library day for my youngest. I know it's Tuesday for him and Wednesday for my daughter, but I can just never remember it that morning. So you think I'd have it figured out by now because it's March, but I don't. And every week same story we get that note saying you forgot his book. So I'm sure his teachers think we're a complete mess and I guess sometimes we are Okay.
Speaker 1:So library day is that where they go to the library and they're supposed to return their book that they had previously checked out.
Speaker 2:Yes, so they get library day once a week and every week we forget and it's awful and I feel so bad.
Speaker 1:But I think it's great that we're reading the book we just forget it in his room, and you know that's really the most important part You're reading it Far more than returning it. That's why it's not in the backpack, because sometimes you know I'm sure it's probably easy just to leave it in the backpack.
Speaker 2:Yes, and maybe I need to start doing that now that it's March and I can't get it together. Oh my goodness, how funny. Well, that's so fun. Do your kids like to read? My daughter lives to read like crushes chapter books, like probably two a night, and it's like sweetheart. You have to get some sleep, but I guess it's a good thing to be awake doing Right. And how old is your daughter?
Speaker 1:She just turned eight. Just turned eight. Oh, that is so fun. My daughter loves to read too, but she's three. So it's a lot of like either us reading to her or she's got some memorized. So she'll read the book but you know, she's just like memorized her perception of it and it's super cute. We love doing it.
Speaker 2:I would say age three is perfect to get the Yodo. Have you ever heard of the Yodo audio player? No, okay, it is amazing and I think it's what made my daughter read. I wish this was the paid promotion, but it's not. Anyways, the audio player comes with little cards and so you purchase the cards and it'll read the book to the child and it has podcasts on it for kids, it has bedtime stories. It is the cutest little electronic box that is supposed to be a screen-free sort of toy and my kids both love them and we got them at the age of three for both kids and they use them every single day. It's the only gift that they keep using.
Speaker 1:Right, because with birthdays and Christmas and all the in-between you get so many little things, but that's such a good gift that keeps on giving. You'll have to send me that link and we'll link it in the show notes, because that's perfect for what we need right now and I'm sure there's a lot of other moms out there that would like that. Okay, so, Sarah, you and your family live in Canada. Born and raised in Hamilton, ontario, you'd mentioned to me that after you and your husband, josh, got married, you had moved away for a bit before eventually coming back home.
Speaker 1:That season of life is so fun and exciting, like moving away just the two of you and discovering things on your own. But there is just something so sweet about having family close by. I can personally relate to this too, because my husband and I both share the love of travel and have traveled in the past with each other and kind of lived places like extended seasons. But this little season of our life, living right next to our family, is so wonderful and there's like really not a day that goes by that our kids don't see a grandparent or a cousin or an aunt and uncle. So I really find that so sweet. Can you tell us a little bit about that chapter in your life and what led you and your husband Josh to move away and ultimately brought you back home?
Speaker 2:Yeah for sure. So after Josh and I got married, we moved just outside of our home city in Hamilton. We went to Grimsby. It's like 15 minutes away from home, so it's not like we really went too far away, but that's. I was supply teaching in a different district, so that was the area. I thought this will be a great fresh start for us. You know this this like new place, just him and I. But pretty quickly we realized that you know 15 minutes can add up every time you want to see someone close by.
Speaker 2:But what really brought us back was my career. I was offered my dream job as the specialist teacher working with blind, deaf and deafblind students and I just knew I couldn't pass it up. It had been, you know, I had been working towards it in my night schools outside of teachers college for the last four years and then the role came up so I took it and it meant that we got to move back home to Hamilton. And so now that we do have the kids, it's so nice being close to the family. You know we have both sets of grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins. We can walk to a few of their houses and it's just something you know we'd never take for granted. And it's so funny because at the time we were thinking, moving away seemed like the right step, but I think coming back felt even more right.
Speaker 1:Oh, my goodness, I cannot relate to that more. Like that's exactly kind of how we felt and we were almost like so ready to get out and get away and we had both lived together at different places and lived apart different places. And we currently live and bought the house that I grew up in no way, so we live like in the house that I was raised in and all my sisters were, and so it's just really special. And my husband is actually just from like 15 minutes away from here. So majority of our family and our siblings and their kids all just live close by and we're kind of the same way. His twin brother actually lives like less than a minute away from us. Oh, that's perfect With his kids. Yeah, so it's so fun.
Speaker 1:And back to your specialty teaching. That is absolutely one of the things that stands out about you is your deep sense of purpose that you have in your work as a specialty teacher for deafblind and deafblind students. You've shared that this work is more than just a career. It's an absolute calling for you. And what is it about this work that speaks to your heart, and can you give us a little glimpse into what that role looks like? Do you work within the school system or in a different setting, and I'm sure this has shaped you in so many ways. Can you share some of the things that your students have taught you along the way?
Speaker 2:I absolutely consider my career a vocation. I get to work within the school system, so I provide direct instruction as well as support to classroom teachers, so every day looks a little different for me. Some days I'm at one school teaching Braille and other days I might travel between three to four schools where I'm helping students, you know, learn how to use their assistive technology, and sometimes I'm simply there to advocate for what the students need in their classroom setting. And I think the reason this role really resonates with me is that resilience of my students.
Speaker 2:You know, these kids face obstacles that most of us can't even imagine, and yet they show up every day ready to learn, ready to adapt, and they just push through whatever challenges in front of them. And they are, you know, just breaking these barriers and proving that they're more than capable. And they really do inspire me every day, and it's shaped the way I see the world. It's really taught me to slow down. I have to appreciate different perspectives and to recognize that accessibility isn't just about accommodations, it's about creating a world where everyone is actually included, not just the idea of, yes, we're inclusive, but like, how are we making that happen? How are we ensuring these kids can succeed. And, of course, like as a mom, this work has made me even more grateful for the ability to advocate, you know, for my students and for my children as well.
Speaker 1:And what led you into this career, children as well.
Speaker 2:And what led you into this career? Well, and that's kind of one of the things that I really didn't know why I went into this. So in university you get your bachelor as well as your bachelor of ed at the same time in the concurrent education program, and one of the requirements of that program is that you take a language. So the language I chose was sign language and just completely fell in love with the language. I became the teaching assistant. I just immersed myself in that language and in my first teaching block I met my very first student who was deaf. And it was really that first student who taught me probably why I'm on this path. He ended up having terminal cancer and I homeschooled him for two years before he passed away. And I always look back on that thinking I never knew why I was on this path. And then I met him and that really cemented for me this is why I was on this path. And then I met him and then and that really cemented for me this is why I'm on that path.
Speaker 1:Wow, that is such a powerful story. It's like God just lays it out for you sometimes when you just don't even know.
Speaker 2:Yes, yeah, and that really, after you take your deaf, a lot of people think, because you have your deaf, that you can teach the blind, which I know sounds ridiculous, but people do think that. So then I thought, okay, fine, enough people have asked me. I'm going to go take my blind courses. I'm going to go learn Braille, because I think it's an exceptionality that children have that isn't really seen. You know, you can't really tell that someone's deaf and you can't tell that some students have low vision. It's an invisible disability and I think it really gets lumped in together quite a bit. So I thought, ok, I'm going to take them both, and so then I started my road onto being a teacher of the blind as well.
Speaker 1:Wow, and as a mom who you want your kids to be kind and, like you said, not just say oh, we're inclusive, but be inclusive. What do you recommend for other moms out there to help educate their kids to be inclusive?
Speaker 2:I think it really depends which school system you're in. In the current one that I work in and that my children attend, we're a fully inclusive school board. So no matter the exceptionality, each child attends their regular classroom in their regular home school. So neighborhood children grow up with the children that have an exceptionality or a special need in their classroom. They see them in their neighborhood. The students are no longer bused to a different school. So we're building this inclusive relationship at the forefront In junior kindergarten.
Speaker 2:You know, at four years old, they meet this person and they're going to spend the next 12 years with them and I think that really helps with inclusion. And if that isn't something that your school board offers, I think there are so many wonderful books out there that parents can purchase and read with their children, or just the dialogue that you know. If you see a person who looks a little different or walks a little different or is in a wheelchair, you know we're not pointing at them, but we can talk about it. It's not shameful to ask, you know, like, oh, why does that person have something that's a little different or more unique than I do? And I think some parents shy away from the conversation, but it's one that we need to bring forward and have with our kids.
Speaker 1:I absolutely love that and it's kids just have such pure, beautiful little hearts and it's just so wonderful that that's becoming the norm, that they see their peers just simply as peers and as friends, and see them in the neighborhood, in the classroom, and that's something, as adults, that we could just really learn from our kids If we could see the world through their eyes, just their natural kindness and inclusivity. I think it's something that we could all learn from and I'll link some resources in the bio that you can send over to me, sarah, for us to be able to foster some of these conversations with our kiddos.
Speaker 2:That's right, and they may not even know that that child has an additional need. Right, braille there will be an educational assistant with the child to ensure that the braille and everything is in place so that the child can learn at the same time as their peers. But they are learning the same thing as their peers, which is wonderful.
Speaker 1:I am not in the school system but I believe in the States it's called maybe a para, and if you are a paraprofessional or special education teacher in the United States, please reach out and share with us some different ways. Just as parents, we can help advocate for children with additional special needs in our school system and we'd love to hear from you and your insights and work together to create a more supportive and more opportunities for these children, but also, like I said, educating our children and ourselves. I think that would be wonderful.
Speaker 1:And Sarah, kind of switching gears. Not only are you a wife and a mother and a teacher to some amazing students, but your husband and yourself also run a beautiful business called Temperwood Designs. On top of that, you've recently stepped into a new passion offering social media management services to women entrepreneurs. So tell us a little bit about Temperwood Designs, how it started and what it means to you. A little bit about your journey that led you to this new passion for helping women in business and what inspired you to take this step. How has it shaped your journey as an entrepreneur?
Speaker 2:So Timberwood Designs started as this you know passion project between my husband and I. Josh has always loved carpentry and I got a bit ofa taste for design when we were doing our children's nurseries and we wanted something personal and meaningful and something that would last beyond that baby stage of plastic toys that light up and sing and all that kind of stuff. So that's really how our first wooden baby blocks came to be. And then from there it grew into name signs and it just became so much bigger than we ever really expected it to. Josh and I started we were both full-time. Then I kind of stepped back from the physical part of Timberwood Designs and now I just do our website and social media. But the name Timberwood Designs is a nod to the materials that we use. It's solid hardwood, you know, handcrafted by Josh, and it's that warmth, the natural beauty that we want to bring into people's homes. We want it to be that heirloom, quality piece, you know, that thing that you had as a kid, that you can give to your own children. And I think it's nice to celebrate all those little tiny moments because they really are fleeting when I think of my kids being, you know, eight and five, and Josh and I have been married for a decade Like, where did all this time go? And that's why it's really nice to have that keepsake, and I think that's what's helped our business grow.
Speaker 2:And while we were growing, we started connecting with other businesses. And you know, I guess it just happens as a nursery decor company, I mostly met other women in business. So I don't have a background in social media or marketing, but as a teacher, I've always been this lifelong learner. We're always in professional development. So I took some courses, I consume videos and podcasts and it's sort of got us to where we are today.
Speaker 2:So I built this strong, engaged community around Timberwood Designs, and so I thought I'm going to start helping other small business owners do the same thing, and so that's why I started offering social media mentorship, where I help women entrepreneurs take control of their own platforms. And I don't want to run their social media. I don't want to be a social media manager. I'm already that for Timberwood Designs. So you know, running your own account is hard enough, but I just want to empower them with the tools and strategies that they need so that they can confidently grow their own business. And you know, I offer the profile reviews, the one-to-one mentorship. We have done a few group sessions, but the goal is just so that social media feels less overwhelming and more intentional for the small business owner, because there's barely enough time in the day to accomplish your task plus social media.
Speaker 1:Oh, absolutely, and that's something that I'm like kind of coming into myself. You know, I work full-time, I've got two children, my husband's a coach. We're on the go all the time and wanting to pour your heart and soul into your business and also represent it. Well, how would someone get a hold of you?
Speaker 2:I have a small business section just on our regular website. So on our timberwooddesignsca, at the bottom there's a small business section and that's where I do include some links to different things that might help them as well, but it also has the links to meet with me for mentorship or for profile review.
Speaker 1:Okay, well, wonderful, and we'll link that in the description as well. And you all, if you have not been over to their Instagram page at temperawood designs, you absolutely should. Their work is beautiful. So, sarah, as an American mother and nurse, I know firsthand how complex the challenging healthcare system can be, especially when navigating it as a parent.
Speaker 1:Personally, I don't know a whole lot about Canadian healthcare beyond what I've heard, and while it's often praised I feel like, at least in the United for being universal, I realize that there's no system without its challenges. So you have shared that. Health care inequality is something that you feel strongly about, especially how financial and logistical burdens like time off, work, transportation and even parking costs can make accessing care difficult, even in a system that's designed to be universal. So, sarah, I'd love to hear more about your experiences and thoughts on Canadian healthcare. I've got a few questions for you on this topic. One is what has your journey been like as a mother navigating the system? What do you think works well and what do you see room for improvement in, and what are some big motherhood topics or experiences that you feel passionate about that you'd like to share with other moms?
Speaker 2:Okay, so we'll. We'll start with our healthcare. So here in Ontario we have what's called OHIP it's our Ontario health insurance plan and it provides free healthcare to Ontario residents, which you know, we pay for through our taxes. And as a specialist teacher, for my entire career I've had the privilege of working with so many families and helping them navigate the medical system to the best of my ability. So I've worked not only in schools but, as mentioned, I also homeschool students with terminal illnesses and every day I carry some of the weight of those families' concerns. I feel it deeply and these students become like my own children and it's not easy watching the struggles right? So yes, healthcare in Canada is free in terms of the direct costs, like doctor's appointments don't come with a bill because they're covered through our OHIP. Doctor's appointments don't come with a bill because they're covered through our OHIP. But the system does have its challenges because the wait times are extremely long, the therapies aren't covered and the prescriptions costs can be overwhelming, especially for families. Navigating such complex medical needs is a reminder that, while the system aims to support there are, there's still so many areas where a family can be left carrying that financial toll, and you know I always believe that God placed me in my specialist role for a reason and I I never really understood why. So for those first seven years I worked as this specialist and that's when I met that first student who did pass away, and I always think of him as my angel. But then my son was born right. He is a healthy, thriving, 8-pound, 13-ounce baby. And yet as time went on we discovered through my maternity leave which thankfully in Canada is 12 months, because we spent all 12 months discovering the many medical challenges that he would have to overcome. So his story sort of started while I was in labor there was meconium in the fluid and he was in distress and the moment he came out he was whisked away and not hearing. That first cry was just this like terrifying moment. But again, thankfully he was okay. So looking back I just realized that was like the tiniest blip. That would teach us so much more about the incredible strength of our little guy.
Speaker 2:You know, after birth he had torticollis. He failed his hearing tests. So after repeatedly failing the tests, at four months old he went and had his first surgery to restore his hearing and since then he's had two more procedures to help drain the fluid from his ears and prevent further complications. And then, after you know, one hurdle we jumped over. Then we met our next one.
Speaker 2:You know we learned he had metatarsus adductus, he was severely asthmatic, many allergies, but his most challenging journey has been his vision loss. At two years old we learned he was blind in one eye and in an effort to retrain his brain to use that eye, we had to put a patch over his good eye. So that's the eye that he can see with a patch over his good eye. So that's the eye that he can see with. We are now covering for eight to 10 hours a day, every single day, for two years, and the goal of that is to force his brain to create these new neural pathways to strengthen the weaker eye.
Speaker 2:And those two years were the hardest years of our entire lives. You know he had to navigate the stairs again in the house Like he couldn't see to use stairs, and a day ago he could and he didn't have access to print. We weren't learning to read and we just lived in this constant fear of what would happen if, god forbid, something happened to his good eye, because without that good eye we couldn't retrain the brain to use the weak eye. So every park visit I'm just this terrified mother that you know something's going to hit the eye. There are kids that are always playing with sticks at a park from a tree and I just lived so scared. But my son is amazing and he put in the work and he persisted and he eventually regained enough vision that over the last year we've been able to reduce his patching to just after school and in the evenings, which has been a huge relief for his confidence at school. I'm no longer afraid to send him to school. I was irrationally worried about, like sharp pencils or worried about coat hooks. I was worried about the phys ed equipment, you know. And now we can just breathe a little easier and this summer he's scheduled for an eye surgery and we are praying that'll be his final step in helping his brain learn to use both eyes together.
Speaker 2:But it's really that realization that everything I had spent years learning professionally became deeply personal. And it hit me that you know, sorry, getting emotional. No, I'm getting emotional over here. I have chills. I mean, wow you more than you can handle, or like you're the perfect mom because you already know how to deal with this. And while I know those words are meant to be comforting. They're also really hard to hear because, as a mother, you wonder did I do something to bring this upon him? Did my path in life shape his like? Those are the thoughts that I have to unpack and I guess I don't usually give my girls myself the grace to really think about it, and now I have so now, and I guess I don't usually give myself the grace to really think about it, and now I have. So now I'm getting emotional but I usually just push through. But I do know that my son is exactly who God created him to be and our family has been so incredibly fortunate to navigate his needs and we have been able to address and fix almost all. That kind of brings a different guilt too, like how did we get so lucky?
Speaker 2:I work with students every day who don't have the option to patch or, you know, no surgery will cure their type of vision loss and it really makes me pray harder for all those families or single mothers who don't have the same support that we have.
Speaker 2:I just think, like a mother working a minimum wage job, how does she have time for appointments?
Speaker 2:How can she afford transportation, hospital parking all the therapies and prescriptions. Like some, families raising children with special needs do qualify for financial support, but vision and hearing aren't included in those categories. They do get a free hearing aid or they do get free lessons on how to use their stairs in their home or a free pair of glasses, but that's not all of what that child needs, and I think that's a gap in the system and it's one I feel pretty passionate about. And it brings me to that realization that God did put me on this path. Long before I understood why, and while I don't have all the answers yet, I trust we're still writing this story and I think it helps me be the advocate that my students and my son need, and I really hope sharing his journey even helps. You know, one mother feel a little less alone because I know how hard it was to go through myself less alone, because I know how hard it was to go through myself.
Speaker 1:Wow, I cannot even imagine. Thank you so, so much for sharing that with us, because, as a mom, I'm just I'm emotional over here I'm trying to get myself together and it seems like you know, faith has been such a big part of who you are and helping you guys navigate this journey. How are some of the ways that it influenced you and kind of helped you on those hard days when you felt like you just couldn't, just didn't have any more, just didn't have any more in you?
Speaker 2:Yeah, and I think it really comes to that point where, even though you think you don't have anything else in you, you're just going to keep going, you're just going to keep calling the doctors, you're just going to keep fighting for a cancellation spot. Like there are so many things that worked out for our family and you sort of feel a little bit bad about it. Right, like at birth my son had torticollis and that's where his neck muscles were tight on one side, so he couldn't move his head. He was sort of like stuck, and so we couldn't breastfeed properly. Tummy time was impossible because with your neck stuck you just roll over. So like we never could build all the muscles we needed.
Speaker 2:So he had to go to physiotherapy for months to repair his neck muscles and now you know he fully full range of motion, no concerns at all. And again we're the lucky ones. But that physiotherapy is covered by OHIP. But it takes six to eight months to get your referral picked up. So if I didn't have the benefit plan that I have as a teacher, it would have been eight months that my son would have been stuck like that. And I just think it's you know, that poor mother who's going through this. Who does she have to lean on? She just has the Lord.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and so in Canada it would take, you're saying, six to eight months for them to even pick up the referral. But, as you're saying, that's when that crucial developmental time happens, even just for tummy time and building all of those muscles. That's such a new perspective.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and that's the same way it is for everything, like there is speech therapy prior to entering school. But again, you're waiting on this wait list and if your name doesn't come up prior to school, it's no longer free. Wow, right, like. So, yes, there's so many wonderful things that OHIP can offer but, there's a lot that there's a lot of children that need the services Right.
Speaker 1:And you had also said too, like that they get one free hearing aid and that's for life. Like it doesn't kids grow, it doesn't grow.
Speaker 2:Yes. So children will get one every time they need a, an upgraded one, I think it's every two years, and they can get glasses for free until grade one. Then their glasses are no longer free. And now in our school system, as a Catholic school system, we often, you know, we have donations and fundraisers and none of our students are left without glasses.
Speaker 2:But it is something that you also feel for those parents who have to go in and ask for that support Because you know we as a school system, I don't know that your child needs glasses, right? So it's just another thing that I feel that these poor parents are already dealing with so much at home and then to have to go to the school to ask for help, I think it's really difficult, but I am really proud of our school board that we do help and there are solutions. Really difficult, but I am really proud of our school board that we do help and there are solutions for them. But even with those hearing aids like the hearing aids aren't waterproof In order to get a waterproof hearing aid you would have to pay yourself. And so you just think of all the kids over summer, like how often do they run through a sprinkler. How often are they at a splash pad Like? Those are all things that these children can't do unless they want to do it without being able to hear.
Speaker 1:Right, and kind of just like you were saying at the park, like you're just always worried, always worried, that would kind of put that same worry in a sense like oh, don't do this, be careful with this, watch out for this, and that's not. You don't want to hold your kid back like that, you want them to be a kid.
Speaker 2:Yes, and that is one of the really hard parts at school too, when the students with hearing loss wear their toques, because if their toque gets pulled off in the winter, if their hearing aids fall in the snow, they can't get wet and then we can't find them. They're in the snow Like. We have spent many of hours searching out in the playground for kids' hearing aids and, you know, thankfully we find most of them. But I just think those parents sent that child to school and they're afraid that that day is going to cost them $600. Right.
Speaker 1:And kids can't even keep two shoes together.
Speaker 2:Right, how many lots of mittens are there and like that's what I'm worried about. The mittens cost me like 10 bucks, but these poor parents are worried about the mittens and the hearing aid.
Speaker 1:Right, and I mean motherhood is just. It can be chaos. It can be chaos in so many different ways all the time, and even though we're faced with so many hard times and challenges, there is still so much joy that can be found. Sarah, can you share with us some of the ways that you all seek and search for joy amidst the busyness and the chaos of your life?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think at this point the kids and I, well, and Josh right Like we get to see how amazing they are now, right, they're keeping us on our toes. You know, my daughter is this strong-willed little girl and I have no doubt that she's going to take over the world. She's this like, fiercely independent. But it's nice to see her have a passion. She's passionate about gymnastics and you know she puts all of her determination and energy into that. And then for my son, the joy is seeing this new personality. You know, we spent so much of his early years overcoming all these medical challenges and now it feels unreal to see him playing baseball or swimming in the pool or making all these friends at school. And it's just. I guess that's the light at the end of the tunnel. You know, like we felt so afraid for so long, but now we get to enjoy everything.
Speaker 1:That is beautiful. You really do, because I'm sure you just weren't sure what the future looks like and you were just hard. It was a hard time to try and even picture it. And now here you are with your beautiful children.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and I just feel like resilience has always been that essential part of our family. Right, we are the challenges of balancing my son's medical needs at the beginning and now we're balancing work and family life, and a small business Like life can get tough at times, but we've always found that this is what's going to shape us into these stronger people and I'm a stronger mother, and I wish I could say a more patient mother, but I'm really not. I'm still working on that. So most of us are. We're all still working on it. That's good, normal, but you know, everything I've learned has really taught me that I can't be perfect. It's just about showing up and doing the best that I can do.
Speaker 1:Absolutely Well. Sarah, thank you so much for joining me today and all of our listeners on Mama of the Wild Crew podcast. It has honestly been such a joy hearing your heart for motherhood, your passion for teaching, your journey as a business owner and just all about your family. God is so good and your wisdom and experience are truly inspiring. I know so many listeners are going to really enjoy this conversation. For those of you who want to connect with Sarah and support her work, be sure to check out Timberwood Designs at wwwtimberwooddesignsca and follow her on Instagram at TimberwoodDesigns. I'll also have the links there in the show notes so you can easily find them and support her incredible work. Sarah again, thank you so much for your time and your heart, sharing your heart with us today, and thank you to all the listeners for being here. Until next time, take care and keep embracing the wild and beautiful journey of motherhood. Thank you, so, listeners, for being here. Until next time, take care and keep embracing the wild and beautiful journey of motherhood.
Speaker 2:Thank you so much for having me. It was so nice to share, like the story of me. You know I've shared the story of Timberwood Designs before, but it's such a beautiful reminder that at the heart of it all, we're moms and I'm just so grateful to have this time to talk to you and to talk to your listeners, and I truly appreciate the opportunity to be here connecting with you.
Speaker 1:Well, thank you, and man, motherhood can be that way, right Like you just get so focused on being mom, and it's so nice sometimes to pull back and just see how far you've come. Absolutely Reflect on everything. It's amazing. Mama, I'm so grateful that you took time out of your busy schedule today to listen to Mama of the Wild Crew podcast. I'm Alexa Schmoker and I hope you love this conversation and that it resonated with you. Thank you so much for opening up your circle and letting us in as we walk through this wild ride of motherhood together. Remember, in the chaos of motherhood, there is always joy to be found, so keep looking in those little moments that make it all worth it.
Speaker 1:Be sure to follow along on Instagram at Mama of the Wild Crew underscore podcast. Please don't forget to like, subscribe and share our podcast. I'd love to hear from you. So comment, tag me, DM me, let me know what you think and let me know what you'd like to hear next. Mama, I am praying for you, I love you and I cannot wait to see you next time. Thank you.
