This morning started off pretty low. Like one of those with a stuffy head and too many kids (where did they all come from!) and tiredness (or is it chronic fatigue?) and depressiony thoughts and yelling over the stupidest things. My poor hubby and kids that get to live with me =: )
I was unraveling fast. But you know what? I tend to do that when my focus isn't in the right Place. So after a desperate and childlike "Please help me God" (which is like, oh, the bazillionth time I've prayed that), I decided to have the boys tell me what they were thankful for as we unloaded the dishes. That helped. A lot. Listening to a 3 year old tell you he's thankful Jesus made him is pretty special, even for a grinch like me. Listening to the 5 year old say he's thankful for pretty much every aunt and uncle he could name at a moment's notice is quite something too.
Then as I started thinking about my family, how wonderful they are, my in-law family and how wonderful they are, that depression didn't have a chance. Listening simultaneously to Shane and Shane sing "Revive me! Revive me, not for me, but for your Name...in your mercy deliver me!" helped too, as you can imagine. In that moment God saved me from myself. My selfish-ness really gets in the way of Joy. My family, my children, my friends, my husband, these are gifts God gave me, that I did not earn. I cannot credit myself for any of that wonderfulness. Reminder to myself: He must increase, I must decrease = One Happy Lady. Workin' on it!
It's a daily struggle...scratch that. It's an HOURLY struggle sometimes. But it's one that we can win when we turn our eyes upon Jesus, and look full in his wonderful face! How easily, how quickly I trade in that reality for this temporary one that pretty much stinks anytime I put myself in charge.
So from the morning to the evening my day took a 180 degree turn. That's what God does. He turns us around and gets us back on the Path. He's pretty good at that. And I for one am so very grateful for his graciousness that never ceases.
So here's a little of what I can be thankful for today:
~Children that laughed and played together for almost two hours without fighting! (A little miracle around here!)
~A handsome partner-for-life...even when he's stressed or messy or we're arguing I'd still rather look at him than anyone else in the world (even Hugh Grant).
~Being able to spend time reading my brother's novel...I love having more then three minutes to sit down and indulge!
~For a peaceful and quiet evening all to myself! At least for an hour til the rest of them come back. There was a time when spending any part of a holiday evening alone with the sleeping baby would've depressed me, but I'm in my glory tonight! (I even got to go to the bathroom undisturbed!)
~Oh, and MY SISTER'S HAVING A BABY!! Boy did that make my night/ week/ year!!!
God is good.
Hey can we have more than one Thanksgiving a year? Maybe like 6, or 52?
Sunday, December 1, 2013
Friday, November 8, 2013
Effective service
Came across an old card from my mom dated 2008 stuffed in amongst the randomness that is my nightstand, and this was one of the poems on it. I've been meaning to share this for over a year now, and especially now, in this season of life, it seems ever and ever more pertinent.
I remember being homesick in college. Now I am 'home-stuck'. I cannot easily help others. I cannot easily phone-a-friend. I cannot easily give of my time, my talents. When I do, it seems everything unravels. This rather depresses me at times. Ah the side effects of motherhood!
And my problem is that when I hear of others burdens and struggles I too often first take it upon myself that I need to help them. I need to say the perfect words to encourage or change them. I need to find time to fix 'it'. How silly! This only adds to my stress level.
When I think of Jesus the night before he died, it's recorded in John that he prayed not only for himself, BUT THEN he prays for his friends, and future believers. Just think, here's a man who knows he's going to suffer more than any human being has ever suffered (starting THAT VERY night!), and he takes time to pray for OTHERS. For you. For me. How self-less is true LOVE.
This is very humbling to me.
So be encouraged, as I am, by this poem. Take to heart that God can do anything, and that our prayers matter to him. In the middle of the night rocking your nightmare-awakened toddler, sitting on the loo, washing dishes, stuck in traffic ( you know, all the times you're supposed to be doing those Kegel exercises) we can be doing a SERVICE to our husband, our kids, our families, our friends and neighbors by praying for them. Whatever the situation may be, it can always be bettered through prayer. And the side effects are peace and joy! How 'bout that! Now if I can just get that into my brain!
Perhaps we do not think enough what an effective service prayer is, especially intercessory prayer (fancy word for praying for others). We do not believe as we should how it might
help those we so fain would serve,
penetrating the hearts we cannot open,
shielding those we cannot guard,
teaching where we cannot speak,
comforting where our words have no power to soothe;
following the steps of our beloved through the toils and perplexities of the day,
lifting off their burdens with an unseen hand at night.
No ministry is so like that of an angel as this- silent, invisible, known but to God.
~ Elizabeth Rundle Charles
What a Friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer.
`Joseph M. Scriven
I remember being homesick in college. Now I am 'home-stuck'. I cannot easily help others. I cannot easily phone-a-friend. I cannot easily give of my time, my talents. When I do, it seems everything unravels. This rather depresses me at times. Ah the side effects of motherhood!
And my problem is that when I hear of others burdens and struggles I too often first take it upon myself that I need to help them. I need to say the perfect words to encourage or change them. I need to find time to fix 'it'. How silly! This only adds to my stress level.
When I think of Jesus the night before he died, it's recorded in John that he prayed not only for himself, BUT THEN he prays for his friends, and future believers. Just think, here's a man who knows he's going to suffer more than any human being has ever suffered (starting THAT VERY night!), and he takes time to pray for OTHERS. For you. For me. How self-less is true LOVE.
This is very humbling to me.
So be encouraged, as I am, by this poem. Take to heart that God can do anything, and that our prayers matter to him. In the middle of the night rocking your nightmare-awakened toddler, sitting on the loo, washing dishes, stuck in traffic ( you know, all the times you're supposed to be doing those Kegel exercises) we can be doing a SERVICE to our husband, our kids, our families, our friends and neighbors by praying for them. Whatever the situation may be, it can always be bettered through prayer. And the side effects are peace and joy! How 'bout that! Now if I can just get that into my brain!
Perhaps we do not think enough what an effective service prayer is, especially intercessory prayer (fancy word for praying for others). We do not believe as we should how it might
help those we so fain would serve,
penetrating the hearts we cannot open,
shielding those we cannot guard,
teaching where we cannot speak,
comforting where our words have no power to soothe;
following the steps of our beloved through the toils and perplexities of the day,
lifting off their burdens with an unseen hand at night.
No ministry is so like that of an angel as this- silent, invisible, known but to God.
~ Elizabeth Rundle Charles
What a Friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer.
`Joseph M. Scriven
Monday, November 4, 2013
First day of preschool! Who's excited?!
Last Monday, at my wit's end for literally the 897th time, I called the preschool across the street as a prayer that somehow it would work out this year to send one or two of these lovely little angels away from me for a few hours a day. 'Yes' we can take them next month. 'Yes' just this year we started a 3 year afternoon class so they could both come in the afternoon! 'Yes' we work with potty-trainees. 'Yes' we'd love to have them. Hung up the phone singing praises!! One week later:
Their 'pack-packs' filled with lunch and to-be projects, off we went today, across the street, up some stairs to what some call preschool, and others, like me, just call scheduled babysitting (but almost 5 year olds wouldn't like that term so we'll just stick to the preschool thing). And the timing is perfect for Kelly to take her naps while they're gone, and mommy has some FREEDOOOOOOOM! Freedom to do chores in peace, freedom to accomplish some fun projects, freedom to.....oh wait, sorry, I lost my train of thought. It's so quiet in here I lost my focus.
Well off to do some attic work...but is it really work if no one's screaming or pooping or making a huge mess??? Is it?
There might be a chance for my sanity to come back after all...TTFN!
Monday, September 16, 2013
The woes of clothes...
Ugh. I must admit that I detest the changing of weather patterns more and more the more children I have. For one reason...the changing of the garb! Sorting through old 2T and finding what 3T stuff fits, figuring out what I need for my 5T boy and packing away all the 4T clothes to wait in dusty patience for one or two years, and then there's the girlie who's in between 12-18 months cloths for fall...not to mention changing out the wardrobes for myself (nightmarish task, as any mom who's changed sizes every season for the last 4 years can attest to) and the hubby (who without me would be wearing who-knows-what! haha!)...I'm going to UGH again! Don't get me wrong, I LOVE looking nice and I love it when my kids have nice outfits on and look all cutesie. But sometimes all the work that goes into clothes makes me wish Adam and Eve didn't sin. I bet if the serpent had whispered to Eve, "Oh by the way, if you eat this fruit you'll have to work hard to make clothes and sew them yourself and change them out every season and make clothes for all your kids and change them out every season," she might have reconsidered!
Clothes was a simple subject when I was a kid. Basically in the summer I wore a swimsuit, a towel, and if I had to wear clothes, all of them fit into one small hamper (and I mean ALL of them). I owned the same one coat for 7 years. I wore one dress from age 5-10 to church (and have pictures to prove it!). I mean my mom was really on to something! Then when I got to college and actually had to think about looking nice some of the time, I accumulated enough for 3 loads of laundry every two weeks. And even that was too much for me.
And now look at me! This week is going to be sorting, more sorting, pitching, labeling in totes, and listing potential new items I need so my family can be deemed 'appropriately dressed.' And I do this two or three times a year at the rate my kids are growing. Really, I think Laura Ingalls' life is looking more angelic to me the older I get. I remember her describing the ONE dress they had for winter, how they made it last for years by letting out the hem, changing its look by a ribbon here or some lace there, and how she had TWO dresses for summer (a work dress and a play dress). And some undergarments. And a few socks that I'm sure were worn, darned, worn, and then darned again. They had one day a week devoted to laundry...although the fact that it took one whole day to hand-wash, air-dry, and hand- iron 10 items would also dishearten me. But seriously, the amount of clothes we Americans have, the amount of time we spend looking for them, the amount of money we spend purchasing them, the frustration we have cleaning and mending them, it's really overwhelming to me!
In the midst of my woes today an old poem came to mind that I just had to look up in an old English journal I kept from high school, and I believe this old Isaac Watts guy was onto something:
Against Pride in Clothes
Why should garments made to hide
Our parents' shame, provoke our pride?
The art of dress did ne'er begin
Till Eve, our mother, learned to sin.
When first she put the covering on,
Her robe of innocence was gone;
And yet her children vainly boast
In the sad marks of glory lost.
How proud we are, how fond to show
Our clothes, and call them rich and new;
When the poor sheep and silkworm wore
That very clothing long before:
The tulip and the butterfly
Appear in gayer coats than I;
Let me be dressed fine as I will,
Flies, worms, and flow'rs exceed me still.
Then will I set my heart to find
Inward adornings of the mind
Knowledge and virtue, truth and grace,
These are the robes of richest dress.
No more shall worms with me compare,
This is the raiment angels wear;
The Son of God, when here below,
Put on this blessed apparel, too.
It never fades, it never grows old,
Nor fears the rain, nor moth, nor mold;
It takes no spot, but still refines,
The more 'tis worn, the more it shines/
In this on earth would I appear,
Then go to heaven and wear it there;
God will approve it in his sight,
'Tis his own work and his delight.
That being said, autumn is my second favorite season and I adore walking outside with my kids in our sweatshirts and hoodies...thankful that He has provided for our simple temporal needs as well as our eternal ones~
Clothes was a simple subject when I was a kid. Basically in the summer I wore a swimsuit, a towel, and if I had to wear clothes, all of them fit into one small hamper (and I mean ALL of them). I owned the same one coat for 7 years. I wore one dress from age 5-10 to church (and have pictures to prove it!). I mean my mom was really on to something! Then when I got to college and actually had to think about looking nice some of the time, I accumulated enough for 3 loads of laundry every two weeks. And even that was too much for me.
And now look at me! This week is going to be sorting, more sorting, pitching, labeling in totes, and listing potential new items I need so my family can be deemed 'appropriately dressed.' And I do this two or three times a year at the rate my kids are growing. Really, I think Laura Ingalls' life is looking more angelic to me the older I get. I remember her describing the ONE dress they had for winter, how they made it last for years by letting out the hem, changing its look by a ribbon here or some lace there, and how she had TWO dresses for summer (a work dress and a play dress). And some undergarments. And a few socks that I'm sure were worn, darned, worn, and then darned again. They had one day a week devoted to laundry...although the fact that it took one whole day to hand-wash, air-dry, and hand- iron 10 items would also dishearten me. But seriously, the amount of clothes we Americans have, the amount of time we spend looking for them, the amount of money we spend purchasing them, the frustration we have cleaning and mending them, it's really overwhelming to me!
In the midst of my woes today an old poem came to mind that I just had to look up in an old English journal I kept from high school, and I believe this old Isaac Watts guy was onto something:
Against Pride in Clothes
Why should garments made to hide
Our parents' shame, provoke our pride?
The art of dress did ne'er begin
Till Eve, our mother, learned to sin.
When first she put the covering on,
Her robe of innocence was gone;
And yet her children vainly boast
In the sad marks of glory lost.
How proud we are, how fond to show
Our clothes, and call them rich and new;
When the poor sheep and silkworm wore
That very clothing long before:
The tulip and the butterfly
Appear in gayer coats than I;
Let me be dressed fine as I will,
Flies, worms, and flow'rs exceed me still.
Then will I set my heart to find
Inward adornings of the mind
Knowledge and virtue, truth and grace,
These are the robes of richest dress.
No more shall worms with me compare,
This is the raiment angels wear;
The Son of God, when here below,
Put on this blessed apparel, too.
It never fades, it never grows old,
Nor fears the rain, nor moth, nor mold;
It takes no spot, but still refines,
The more 'tis worn, the more it shines/
In this on earth would I appear,
Then go to heaven and wear it there;
God will approve it in his sight,
'Tis his own work and his delight.
That being said, autumn is my second favorite season and I adore walking outside with my kids in our sweatshirts and hoodies...thankful that He has provided for our simple temporal needs as well as our eternal ones~
Monday, September 9, 2013
Pay Day
Last Saturday was a particularly exciting day around here. Sniffles, coughing and hacking from all except the handsomest member of the family did not deter us from the designated purpose of the day: Pay day!
Instituted a VERY long time ago in child time (about three or four months ago), chore charting for Luke took on a special purpose when he had a goal in mind: A play-doh ice cream thing he saw on some random youtube video that Ed was showing him on his phone (yes they have youtube how-tos on pretty much every play-doh toy there is!).
A month or so ago he wanted to know if he FINALLY had enough money, so we counted out all his quarters- $12.50. Two weeks ago he had $17. Last week he had $20ish, but Ed showed him that he had to take out for tithe and savings, and that the toy he wanted was $21 PLUS tax. Not discouraged, he knew he had to do 8 more chores last week to be able to afford said excitement. Well nothing like a play-doh toy reward to get a young lad to do his chores with a happy heart!
Plus, mommy kind of likes playing with this one too (unlike our gravel maker)!
Monday, August 19, 2013
BLT of memories
You know how memories often have layers in them? You think of one thing and it is immediately joined by several other related memories...Like a delicious sandwich! (Ok, ok, I just might have to make some kind of foodie blog eventually!)
My dinner tonight, humble in its simpleness, stressful due to surroundings of non-peace (kids) and mega-mess (moi), brought so many pleasant memories to mind it caught me by surprise. Granted the last several years of my life have brought quite an avalanche of decline from aspiring gourmet to grab-n-go short order cook, but nonetheless, in the words of Jane Austen's Mrs. Elton from Emma, "I do know how to make a sandwich."
So as I chew, here's what's rolling through my mind:
~Sourdough bread made from my sister-in-law's starter she trucked all the way from Virginia to Tennessee to share and then we brought it back from TN and have been making stuff for two weeks now...And this particular loaf turned out amazing, and thus our BLT's were quite something! Thanks Laura! I feel like I'm eating history when I eat something 'started' a year ago! AND I'm remembering so many good times from reunion it makes me want to cry. (Or Kelly's clawing, grunting, groaning at me for a bite makes me want to cry, not sure which!)
~Tomatoes grown from our garden, which Luke helped me plant. When we got back from TN Luke, Evan and I picked almost a half bushel, and this latest handful was no less red, ripe, and altogether juicy sweet. I also must admit here that I only recently learned to appreciate tomatoes. And you know what got me to eat them raw? A friend serving me a BLT with a garden RED sweet tomato slice! Thanks Jeane'! ( I wonder how she's doing, and all her kids...another rabbit trail of happy thoughts...)
~ Bacon hearkens me back to visiting with my brother and sister-in-law when they lived in Houston and JD made a whole pound of bacon in the oven...it was the best bacon I had ever had! Their apartment smelled like bacon for hours. Thanks JD for teaching me something new! And I then think of my two dear nieces that I just got to spend a week with and may not see again for a year or two (ahhh!), which really makes me want to cry!
What's with all the crying? What's happening to me!? It's just a sandwich! Golly...
Oh, hubby just got home...time to serve him up this non-gourmet but no less delicious summertime fair!
Enjoy these last few remnants of summer days...and if dinner means JUST corn on the cob, or just a sandwich, so be it!
P.S. And by the way (because I know you're just dying to know this), having JUST corn on the cob was a very common occurrence in my family growing up, and brings to mind many other fond memories of eating outside in nothing but swimsuits and chucking our leftover ears into the woods...I think I might just need some tissues... ; )
My dinner tonight, humble in its simpleness, stressful due to surroundings of non-peace (kids) and mega-mess (moi), brought so many pleasant memories to mind it caught me by surprise. Granted the last several years of my life have brought quite an avalanche of decline from aspiring gourmet to grab-n-go short order cook, but nonetheless, in the words of Jane Austen's Mrs. Elton from Emma, "I do know how to make a sandwich."
So as I chew, here's what's rolling through my mind:
~Sourdough bread made from my sister-in-law's starter she trucked all the way from Virginia to Tennessee to share and then we brought it back from TN and have been making stuff for two weeks now...And this particular loaf turned out amazing, and thus our BLT's were quite something! Thanks Laura! I feel like I'm eating history when I eat something 'started' a year ago! AND I'm remembering so many good times from reunion it makes me want to cry. (Or Kelly's clawing, grunting, groaning at me for a bite makes me want to cry, not sure which!)
What's with all the crying? What's happening to me!? It's just a sandwich! Golly...
Oh, hubby just got home...time to serve him up this non-gourmet but no less delicious summertime fair!
Enjoy these last few remnants of summer days...and if dinner means JUST corn on the cob, or just a sandwich, so be it!
P.S. And by the way (because I know you're just dying to know this), having JUST corn on the cob was a very common occurrence in my family growing up, and brings to mind many other fond memories of eating outside in nothing but swimsuits and chucking our leftover ears into the woods...I think I might just need some tissues... ; )
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
Take time for Beauty
There's always something along the lines of WORK and CHORES and TO-DO LIST and CRYING BABIES and that seems to get in the way of taking time to enjoy the beauty of creation.
The beauty, true beauty, of childhood.
The beauty of friendship.
The beauty of family ties.
The beauty of solace.
The beauty of music.
The beauty of silence.
Right before this I was reading my boys a story and swiveled around in our rocking chair to look outside at the sunset behind the church up the hill. At first it was barely pink. Then after we read a short book we looked again and the sky was deep rose. Luke's questions are endless. But in that moment I tried to turn his heart toward our Beautiful Creator, who loves to paint pictures every night before he puts his children to bed. He asked if I could leave the curtain open so he could watch the rest of the sunset before he goes to sleep. BEAUTY.
And last night, something inside me needed to have some piano time. So I sat down (it has been months). As tired as I was, I played some piano for a half hour at 10 pm. A Bach Goldberg variation, some Amelie' soundtrack stuff, a Chopin nocturne. A hymn. The house was peaceful, and my heart was being refreshed with melodies. BEAUTY.
Somewhere in between childhood and adulthood we start to change...we start laughing less, smiling less, and reveling in pure beauty less. Of course work and responsibility and opened eyes to the evils in this world may have a little to do with that, but what's the point if we, overcome by adulthood duty, forget to acknowledge the simple beauties surrounding us every day...the beauties that make our duties bearable?
If I may, here's a quote that I wrote down years ago, after reading A Severe Mercy by C.S. Lewis...He perfectly describes how beauty can sneak up on us and take us by surprise. I love this:
"He remembered, as though it were but a few days ago that winter night, himself too young even to know the meaning of beauty, when he had looked up at a delicate tracery of bare black branches against the icy glittering stars: suddenly something that was, all at once, pain and longing and adoring had welled up in him, almost choking him. He had wanted to tell someone, but had no words, inarticulate in the pain and glory. That nameless something that had stopped his heart was Beauty. Even now, for him, 'bare branches against the stars' was a synonym for beauty."
Take time today to stop. Look. Listen. And give thanks for the Beauty you behold.
Friday, June 21, 2013
In this moment...
5:47 pm. At this very moment, there is peace in my home.
Luke is playing happily upstairs,
Kelly is driving a car,
Evan is amusing himself with Kelly driving her car.
Is there mess in my home? Yes.
Did I get to the bathrooms today? You guess.
Is dinner on the table? Or even thought about? Nopey.
But I'm going to revel in this moment. Look at my children in awe.
This peace will not last an hour, or possibly even ten minutes, but it's moments like these that God comforts my heart that sometimes, those blessed sometimes, parenting IS do-able. Parenting IS awesome. And there are disastrously too many people in this world without these moments of peace.
Even though at times the chaos seems Everest-like, the glimpses of the View keep us going.
O God, I thank you for this moment!
Luke is playing happily upstairs,
Kelly is driving a car,
Evan is amusing himself with Kelly driving her car.
Is there mess in my home? Yes.
Did I get to the bathrooms today? You guess.
Is dinner on the table? Or even thought about? Nopey.
But I'm going to revel in this moment. Look at my children in awe.
This peace will not last an hour, or possibly even ten minutes, but it's moments like these that God comforts my heart that sometimes, those blessed sometimes, parenting IS do-able. Parenting IS awesome. And there are disastrously too many people in this world without these moments of peace.
Even though at times the chaos seems Everest-like, the glimpses of the View keep us going.
O God, I thank you for this moment!
Sunday, June 9, 2013
Our very own Mini Driver!!
Is it wrong to be this excited over a minivan??!! For goodness sakes, it's the sign of old age to a teenager, and official 'uncoolness' to a typical 20 year old male, but hey, we have 3 kids and were feeling quite cramped in our fabulous Subaru...so now I'm going to go 'whoop-dee-doo' in my new (ok, 2010, but new to me!) Honda!
Luke went with me to buy it- which was a little bit more than he bargained for if you can see his face...haha! Apparently used vans like this come much cheaper outside big cities...found a great deal west of D.C. and spent 10 hours of my life to save a lot of bucks. And my dear father spent 10 hours of HIS life to help us attain such luxury. Thanks Dad!
And thanks to my awesome hubby who, as any other hunk-man in the world, would rather not spend his money on a wine colored minivan, but out of the kindness of his heart gave me permission to get my very own mom-mobile! I really do feel like a queen with my princes and princess in tow!
And my mom just happened to find this quote from somewhere written decades ago as she was going through some old papers and literally gave it to me the day before we found/bought Miss Mini (as Luke has lovingly coined her). I thought it particularly fitting:
Mothers: How to keep them running smoothly:
Perhaps Mothers should come with a maintenance agreement which provides for a complete overhaul every five years, three kids, or 300,000 miles, whichever comes first. Here are several points which ought to be included:
1. Fuel: While most Mothers will run indefinitely on hot coffee, pizza, and hamburgers, an occasional gourmet meal for two in elegant surroundings will add immeasurably to increased efficiency.
2. Motor: A Mother's motor is probably the most dependable anywhere. A Mother can start and reach top speed from a prone position at a single cry from a sleeping child. To keep that motor running at peak efficiency, regular breaks are recommended. A leisurely bath and nap every 1,000 miles, a babysitter every 10,000 miles, and a two-week, live-in babysitter every 100,000 miles will do wonders. (Wouldn't that last one be a dandy!?)
3. Battery: Batteries should be recharged regularly. Roses, candy, or other thoughtful and unexpected gifts often do the trick.
4. Carburetor: When a Mother's carburetor floods, it should be treated immediately with Kleenex and a soft shoulder.
5. Breaks: Use brakes often, and slow to a full stop regularly.
6. Chassis: A Mother operates best when her chassis is properly maintained. Her wardrobe should be changed as needed every fall and spring. Regular exercise should be encouraged and provided for. A complete change of hairdo and makeup should be part of the regular maintenance. When the chassis begins to sag, there are a number of possible remedies, including racquetball and Weight Watchers.
7. Tune-up: Mothers need regular tune-us. Compliments are both the cheapest and most appreciated.
By following these simple instructions, the average Mother should last a lifetime providing love and caring to those who need her most.
Cheers and goodnight!
Luke went with me to buy it- which was a little bit more than he bargained for if you can see his face...haha! Apparently used vans like this come much cheaper outside big cities...found a great deal west of D.C. and spent 10 hours of my life to save a lot of bucks. And my dear father spent 10 hours of HIS life to help us attain such luxury. Thanks Dad!
And thanks to my awesome hubby who, as any other hunk-man in the world, would rather not spend his money on a wine colored minivan, but out of the kindness of his heart gave me permission to get my very own mom-mobile! I really do feel like a queen with my princes and princess in tow!
And my mom just happened to find this quote from somewhere written decades ago as she was going through some old papers and literally gave it to me the day before we found/bought Miss Mini (as Luke has lovingly coined her). I thought it particularly fitting:
Mothers: How to keep them running smoothly:
Perhaps Mothers should come with a maintenance agreement which provides for a complete overhaul every five years, three kids, or 300,000 miles, whichever comes first. Here are several points which ought to be included:
1. Fuel: While most Mothers will run indefinitely on hot coffee, pizza, and hamburgers, an occasional gourmet meal for two in elegant surroundings will add immeasurably to increased efficiency.
2. Motor: A Mother's motor is probably the most dependable anywhere. A Mother can start and reach top speed from a prone position at a single cry from a sleeping child. To keep that motor running at peak efficiency, regular breaks are recommended. A leisurely bath and nap every 1,000 miles, a babysitter every 10,000 miles, and a two-week, live-in babysitter every 100,000 miles will do wonders. (Wouldn't that last one be a dandy!?)
3. Battery: Batteries should be recharged regularly. Roses, candy, or other thoughtful and unexpected gifts often do the trick.
4. Carburetor: When a Mother's carburetor floods, it should be treated immediately with Kleenex and a soft shoulder.
5. Breaks: Use brakes often, and slow to a full stop regularly.
6. Chassis: A Mother operates best when her chassis is properly maintained. Her wardrobe should be changed as needed every fall and spring. Regular exercise should be encouraged and provided for. A complete change of hairdo and makeup should be part of the regular maintenance. When the chassis begins to sag, there are a number of possible remedies, including racquetball and Weight Watchers.
7. Tune-up: Mothers need regular tune-us. Compliments are both the cheapest and most appreciated.
By following these simple instructions, the average Mother should last a lifetime providing love and caring to those who need her most.
Cheers and goodnight!
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
A day in the life of Kelly...
She always feeds me the nicest breakfast...I just get so excited when I see that Cheerio box for the 20th time and that banana mush she gives me everyday...oh wait, today I had warm oatmeal like the rest of the family! I feel like such a big girl!
Now that I can crawl and pull myself up on the couch or mommy's leg that's all I do. ALL DAY. I don't know why mommy thinks she needs to wash dishes or make food or clean up stuff. I like it best when everything is all over the floor so I can look at stuff and taste it. And what I love most is when mommy holds me and pays attention to me, so at least now I can get to her. She can't hide from me, even in the bathroom. I'm super fast.
I can even climb up all the steps with Evan, although I don't understand why she wasn't all excited when she found me at the near top of the steps...I was soooo proud of myself!
Now that I can get into things life is so much more fun. I can play with food in Luke and Evan's kitchen, I can pull out all the cloth napkins from the bottom drawer (one of my favorites). And I don't know when we're going to get a dog, so for now I help out the best I can by picking up all the random little bits of food or whatever off the floor and eating it. I'm so helpful!"
So there's a little taste of my baby in all her 10 month glory!!
Sunday, May 12, 2013
My garden of Eden...
...post the painful childbearing part. Haha!
Yeah so last week I did something a little crazy. Well, not too crazy I guess as it turns out. I had to bring my parents to the airport, and Longwood is only a 10 minute detour on the way home. Plus there's a new Chick-fil-a that we passed to get our 'picnic' a la 'no-fuss'. (My favorite kind!)
~Just so you know, I'm listening to Micheal Buble' right now on Pandora...geez, does he have a sweeeeet voice!!
So anyway, we arrived at one of my most favorite places on earth at 11 am, and ate our decadent nuggets outside the entrance, had my first experience getting them all bathroomed and changed (including the relief for moi) and off we go to get our, scratch that, MY ticket. Fortunately, for women insane enough to take any or all of their children under 4, they don't charge you a penny. They do, however, hand out a lovely ticket that Luke was very excited to have scanned.
So strolling along with a happy 10 month old (mostly due to graham crackers and plenty of people smiling at her), and two boys that apparently LOVE flowers and trees and sun and being outside, fountains, children's gardens, more fountains (I miraculously had another pair of clothes for Evan in the car, due to said fountainage he needed it!), carillon bells ringing and mommy happy, WE HAD A GRAND OLD TIME!
Only sadness that I did not have hubby or a friend to share said experience with. But there WILL be a next time!
~ While waiting for these pictures to upload, I just polished off the last 6 chocolate covered strawberries we made yesterday. Can I say happy mother's day to me??
I had one pooped out little girl by the end, but all in all a successful excursion.
Is it any wonder that God placed Man in a garden for his first home? If I won a million dollars, I would most certainly make a backyard Eden of sorts...fountains, a pond with big fat goldfish, herb gardens, the works!
Thanks Mr. Dupont, for the legacy you left all our happy eyes and refreshed spirits~
And thanks to Master Creator, who made all these flowering trees and plants in all their lush array in the first place!
Yeah so last week I did something a little crazy. Well, not too crazy I guess as it turns out. I had to bring my parents to the airport, and Longwood is only a 10 minute detour on the way home. Plus there's a new Chick-fil-a that we passed to get our 'picnic' a la 'no-fuss'. (My favorite kind!)
~Just so you know, I'm listening to Micheal Buble' right now on Pandora...geez, does he have a sweeeeet voice!!
So anyway, we arrived at one of my most favorite places on earth at 11 am, and ate our decadent nuggets outside the entrance, had my first experience getting them all bathroomed and changed (including the relief for moi) and off we go to get our, scratch that, MY ticket. Fortunately, for women insane enough to take any or all of their children under 4, they don't charge you a penny. They do, however, hand out a lovely ticket that Luke was very excited to have scanned.
So strolling along with a happy 10 month old (mostly due to graham crackers and plenty of people smiling at her), and two boys that apparently LOVE flowers and trees and sun and being outside, fountains, children's gardens, more fountains (I miraculously had another pair of clothes for Evan in the car, due to said fountainage he needed it!), carillon bells ringing and mommy happy, WE HAD A GRAND OLD TIME!
Only sadness that I did not have hubby or a friend to share said experience with. But there WILL be a next time!
~ While waiting for these pictures to upload, I just polished off the last 6 chocolate covered strawberries we made yesterday. Can I say happy mother's day to me??
All things bright and beautiful
All creatures great and small
All things wise and wonderful
The Lord God made them all!
For the Beauty of the Earth
For the Glory of the skies
For the Love which from our birth
Over and around us lies:
Lord of All, to Thee we raise
This our hymn of grateful praise!
Is it any wonder that God placed Man in a garden for his first home? If I won a million dollars, I would most certainly make a backyard Eden of sorts...fountains, a pond with big fat goldfish, herb gardens, the works!
Thanks Mr. Dupont, for the legacy you left all our happy eyes and refreshed spirits~
And thanks to Master Creator, who made all these flowering trees and plants in all their lush array in the first place!
Monday, April 29, 2013
The middle child...
You know that phrase "good thing you're cute?" I say that (and think that) constantly about my little terror, ahem, I mean, middle child! I should have known at his birth that this was not going to be easy. He was probably the easiest pregnancy, labor, and delivery a mother could have hoped for. But boy by two weeks old I KNEW I had an adventure on my hands. And now? Well, I just NEED to write down a few things he's done in the last couple weeks so I don't forget these hilarious toddler events, albeit at the time they occurred I may not have laughed...
~Today at lunch we're sitting there eating our randomness, with my Harry Connick Jr./ Micheal Buble' pandora station playing in the living room (not that we could hear it, or so I thought). So there we are, chomping on celery and leftover bread sticks and Evan stops chewing, looks at me like he's really thinking, and yells out "wephomph!" Finish chewing and try again. "Nemo!" He gets down and runs to the living room and then starts crying and flailing and carrying on because Nemo was NOT on the tv. BUT, no thanks to Micheal Booby, 'Somewhere Beyond the Sea' WAS playing. (Which is the credit score for Finding Nemo in case you haven't watched it twenty times like some people.) Problem is it's only at my dad's. Arghh....
~Evan has gotten very temperamental about Luke talking to him. Or singing to him. Or looking at him.
"Don't. Talk. Me!" "Don't. Sing. Me!" "No! Me! Talk!" I do believe his first correct sentence was
"He- hit-me!" Ok, I did discipline Luke for that one. But come on, kid, your brother is allowed to talk.
~ We've had our fair, scratch that, UNFAIR, share of colds this winter. At one time last month I was doping them up on meds three times a day- Luke for cough, Evan for congestion, and I came in one morning to find the medicine cabinet open and all the cough syrup drunk. At first I panicked...I'm an awful mom, how had I left a cap only partially screwed on? Am I going to have to have Evan's stomach pumped?? Then I realized there was only like a third of a bottle left in there, so...eh, he'll be fine right? At least he won't cough. Phew. Crisis averted. The stinkin' kid LOVES medicine! I have to force it down Luke's throat and then Evan just goes and guzzles it like juice? Oy.
He has also been known to: Eat toothpaste right out of the bottle. Climbed up on the counters to get into the peanut butter jar (which he told me happily after I came downstairs and found the remains on his cheeks and sleeves). Also chocolate truffles. Also has marker-ed on the walls, curtains, and futon cover. Of course himself too. (P.S. did you know those magic erasers thingies take marker off walls?! Give that inventor a treat!).
But then he wins over my heart every day with his little eyelashes, his little sentences and the way he says things. Falling down in what looks like a catastrophic way and then getting up and yelling "Ta-da!" like he meant to do that! The way he says "Ratatouille" (his new favorite movie). And 'wasp'...sounds like 'whops'. The way his little arms always get stuck when he's trying to get his shirt off. The way he looks for something and then says 'there i- is' when he finds it. "That's siwwy." He'll sneak up on me and then roar "ah-ha-ha"...
Love that little man.
(p.s. 1 in these photos, he's 2 1/2 now, but I just love these!)
~Today at lunch we're sitting there eating our randomness, with my Harry Connick Jr./ Micheal Buble' pandora station playing in the living room (not that we could hear it, or so I thought). So there we are, chomping on celery and leftover bread sticks and Evan stops chewing, looks at me like he's really thinking, and yells out "wephomph!" Finish chewing and try again. "Nemo!" He gets down and runs to the living room and then starts crying and flailing and carrying on because Nemo was NOT on the tv. BUT, no thanks to Micheal Booby, 'Somewhere Beyond the Sea' WAS playing. (Which is the credit score for Finding Nemo in case you haven't watched it twenty times like some people.) Problem is it's only at my dad's. Arghh....
~Evan has gotten very temperamental about Luke talking to him. Or singing to him. Or looking at him.
"Don't. Talk. Me!" "Don't. Sing. Me!" "No! Me! Talk!" I do believe his first correct sentence was
"He- hit-me!" Ok, I did discipline Luke for that one. But come on, kid, your brother is allowed to talk.
~ We've had our fair, scratch that, UNFAIR, share of colds this winter. At one time last month I was doping them up on meds three times a day- Luke for cough, Evan for congestion, and I came in one morning to find the medicine cabinet open and all the cough syrup drunk. At first I panicked...I'm an awful mom, how had I left a cap only partially screwed on? Am I going to have to have Evan's stomach pumped?? Then I realized there was only like a third of a bottle left in there, so...eh, he'll be fine right? At least he won't cough. Phew. Crisis averted. The stinkin' kid LOVES medicine! I have to force it down Luke's throat and then Evan just goes and guzzles it like juice? Oy.
He has also been known to: Eat toothpaste right out of the bottle. Climbed up on the counters to get into the peanut butter jar (which he told me happily after I came downstairs and found the remains on his cheeks and sleeves). Also chocolate truffles. Also has marker-ed on the walls, curtains, and futon cover. Of course himself too. (P.S. did you know those magic erasers thingies take marker off walls?! Give that inventor a treat!).
But then he wins over my heart every day with his little eyelashes, his little sentences and the way he says things. Falling down in what looks like a catastrophic way and then getting up and yelling "Ta-da!" like he meant to do that! The way he says "Ratatouille" (his new favorite movie). And 'wasp'...sounds like 'whops'. The way his little arms always get stuck when he's trying to get his shirt off. The way he looks for something and then says 'there i- is' when he finds it. "That's siwwy." He'll sneak up on me and then roar "ah-ha-ha"...
Love that little man.
(p.s. 1 in these photos, he's 2 1/2 now, but I just love these!)
Monday, April 8, 2013
Perspective
As the creepy old food critic guy in 'Ratatouille' so rightly demands, "I would like some fresh perspective. If you can give me that, I will go away a happy man." Or something like that.
Sometimes that's what we need. Nothing earth shattering, just summer squash prepared in a slightly different manner. Something that can make us stop and reflect, and be better for it. Here are a few such instances that have occurred for me in the last month or so. There's no plot or connection, just true stories to freshen up your spirit...
Perspective 1: Several weeks ago in a Bible study I attend, several of us young moms were going around the prayer group divulging our felt yet untrue failings as moms. "I'm so overwhelmed." "Please pray I have the self control to not yell at my kids!" "My son has some discipline issues I need wisdom with." You get the idea. Now I will say the one thing I love most about this group of ladies is the diversity. I'd say 25-85 is the age range, with everything in between. Our dear eighty-something member, who I'll call Mae just because I want this to be confidential, pipes up after a few of our 'please pray that I don't pull my hair out' rants. This is what she told us, with tears running down her sweet cheeks:
Perspective 2: At the playground today (thank you God it was nice enough to go outside!) we started at the wooden castle, then went on to the tot lot, and finally we checked out the blue playground just to get them all in...it has been forever! So as we head over to the blue one, I notice a group of handicapped men and women in the pavilion next to the play area. As I observe it seems there are 4-5 young women my age-ish taking care of severely handicapped people ranging in age from about 20-50 (about 5 of them). One of the young men who I'd say was 20 but had the intelligence of a 3 or 4 year old came to play with Luke and Evan. I asked the woman watching him what their group was and she said she's part of a day care program for disabled people to give their parents/ caregivers a break (Supportive Concepts is what the agency is called). Extreme cases of autism, mental handicaps, Down's, as well as severe physical disabilities are what they specialize in. All I could think was 'wow- what a job'! I am so blessed to have healthy children, and I feel ashamed to complain about their simple colds when there are so many families out there (and I know several) that have disabled children to attend to on top of everything else. I made a point to show Luke the wheelchairs and to tell him that some people can't use their legs and arms or their brains like we do, but that God loves them just the same. I know he probably didn't understand or take much notice, but I pray he grows up with a heart of love for everyone God made, even, like Jesus said, "the least of these."
Perspective 3: I recently watched October Baby (and was a crying mess). I don't want to spoil it if you haven't seen it. Please watch it and you will be refreshed with how God can indeed work his healing into the most painful circumstances we humans can experience. It made me want to hug my babies a bit harder, and a bit longer, and tell them I love them a bit more often.
And when I screw up, God's always there, whispering in my tears: "I forgive you."
That's it for now. Enjoy these beautiful summer-is-really-coming days!
Sometimes that's what we need. Nothing earth shattering, just summer squash prepared in a slightly different manner. Something that can make us stop and reflect, and be better for it. Here are a few such instances that have occurred for me in the last month or so. There's no plot or connection, just true stories to freshen up your spirit...
Perspective 1: Several weeks ago in a Bible study I attend, several of us young moms were going around the prayer group divulging our felt yet untrue failings as moms. "I'm so overwhelmed." "Please pray I have the self control to not yell at my kids!" "My son has some discipline issues I need wisdom with." You get the idea. Now I will say the one thing I love most about this group of ladies is the diversity. I'd say 25-85 is the age range, with everything in between. Our dear eighty-something member, who I'll call Mae just because I want this to be confidential, pipes up after a few of our 'please pray that I don't pull my hair out' rants. This is what she told us, with tears running down her sweet cheeks:
"I truly hope you won't be offended when I say you girls have it so good. Your kids have it so good! My mother told me everyday I was growing up that she didn't want me, that I was a mistake. I would come home from school and she'd be drunk. She used to beat me in her drunken rages with a cat-a-nine-tails. When I got my first job I would bring home my pay check and it went straight to her and I only got to keep any cents leftover. I do remember when I was about 16 I wanted to go out with a girlfriend somewhere. I asked my mother if I could go and she lost it (she had been drinking). I finally got up the courage to stand up to her so I sat on the couch and put my legs straight out so she couldn't get me. She never whipped me after that. I came to Christ two decades later, but it still took me longer than that to forgive my mother. You girls LOVE your children. And your children love you! Yes there are days you're not going to like and times when your kids are driving you nuts, but overall there is love in your homes!"
Perspective 2: At the playground today (thank you God it was nice enough to go outside!) we started at the wooden castle, then went on to the tot lot, and finally we checked out the blue playground just to get them all in...it has been forever! So as we head over to the blue one, I notice a group of handicapped men and women in the pavilion next to the play area. As I observe it seems there are 4-5 young women my age-ish taking care of severely handicapped people ranging in age from about 20-50 (about 5 of them). One of the young men who I'd say was 20 but had the intelligence of a 3 or 4 year old came to play with Luke and Evan. I asked the woman watching him what their group was and she said she's part of a day care program for disabled people to give their parents/ caregivers a break (Supportive Concepts is what the agency is called). Extreme cases of autism, mental handicaps, Down's, as well as severe physical disabilities are what they specialize in. All I could think was 'wow- what a job'! I am so blessed to have healthy children, and I feel ashamed to complain about their simple colds when there are so many families out there (and I know several) that have disabled children to attend to on top of everything else. I made a point to show Luke the wheelchairs and to tell him that some people can't use their legs and arms or their brains like we do, but that God loves them just the same. I know he probably didn't understand or take much notice, but I pray he grows up with a heart of love for everyone God made, even, like Jesus said, "the least of these."
Perspective 3: I recently watched October Baby (and was a crying mess). I don't want to spoil it if you haven't seen it. Please watch it and you will be refreshed with how God can indeed work his healing into the most painful circumstances we humans can experience. It made me want to hug my babies a bit harder, and a bit longer, and tell them I love them a bit more often.
And when I screw up, God's always there, whispering in my tears: "I forgive you."
That's it for now. Enjoy these beautiful summer-is-really-coming days!
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
Daddy-Daughter Date
At any rate, as fate would have it, I was driving my dad's truck this past Thursday, (that's another story) and he had the radio tuned to a Reading station on which was playing an interview with the conductor of the Reading Symphony Orchestra. Very interesting. Then they mentioned the concert for Saturday and I thought, why not? And, how can I go? With a poor sick mother and a tired and not-too-overly-thrilled-at-classical-concerts husband, I decided to invite the one man that fueled, paid for, supported, and still to this day encourages my passion for music. My dear father. Just the two of us on a memorable evening out!
On the program? Some amazing piece I had never heard of before by a man I had never heard of before, Grieg's A minor piano concerto (which I played...can it be...10 years ago with this very same orchestra), and Dvorak's New World Symphony!! What a great 2 hours for my ears and my heart and my sanity being restored! Uh, well, at least temporarily...
PLUS, half time proved to have a delightful surprise hidden in it as I literally almost bumped my dear friend Kate whilst in line for my peanut M&M's. How special to run into a friend somewhere where you're pretty sure you won't know a soul! (Like when you run into friends at Hershey Park randomly!) Plus she was with a friend who I had never met before that was also sweet and lovely. Plus, they had a lovely reception in the third floor ballroom afterwards where we all got to eat SWEET STREET!!
Ok, break for a snotty, crying, sick baby...Transpire 4 hours...
Now I'm so tired I don't trust myself to form any kind of beautiful sentences so I will leave you with a few pictures to prove my story true. And a few more simple sentences that even Luke could read.
It was grand. I love my dad. I love great music. That guy's name is William Wolfram. He is tall. He plays a mean piano. Dvorak's melodies at times remind me of Star Wars. I love mini eclairs. I love Kate's hair. The end.
Friday, March 15, 2013
Diary of a pooped mom...
Dear Charis,
In 10 years when life is rolling along with a whole different set of issues and troubles, but when you have help setting the table, the children can do their own laundry, and maybe even MAKE DINNER THEMSELVES, I want you to remember that God and his grace got you through these days. So many women say they can't remember the whirlwind of life with toddlers and babies, but I want you to remember. I want you to honestly remember the good, bad, and the ugly, so at the end of a long day in 2023 you can say "Well, God got me through THAT, so he can get me through THIS."
So let's just list the accomplishments in any given day of the past 3 years, or at least 3 days:
Wake up to Luke crying "Evan is eating all the chips and making a big mess!"
Go downstairs to a happy Evan, who had indeed eaten half a bag of corn chips with shards all over the floor to prove it. He didn't eat hardly a nibble of his second breakfast.
Suck vac the crumbs. Get the kids cereal.
Wipe snot from their noses.
Get Kelly, whose awake now and crying to prove it. Change her pee'd through outfit (no one around here ever gets changed unless they are really, truly dirty). Nurse her, never fast enough. Go back downstairs to Evan screaming because Luke is shooting cheerios at him like a gun. Unload the dishwasher, with their help. They have only broken 3 dishes in the whole time (at least a year) that they've been helping do this.
More snot.
Tell them to go play. Wash dishes. "Mom, Evan's poopy!" (no wonder with all those chips). Change Evan. Make him sit on the potty. Go back to kitchen. Start washing dishes again. Kelly starts crying. Feed her cereal that looks like cement. She loves it. Luke asks "can you read to me?" Not now. In a little bit. "Like in 2 minutes or 4 minutes or 1 minutes?" "Like in an hour- go play."
But I help him wipe his nose first. And then force some meds down his throat so he'll stop coughing.
Clean up kitchen table. Start a load of laundry. Exercise, maybe, if it looks like I can squeeze in 20 minutes. Change Kelly's poopy diaper. Have the kids clean up the mess of toys they've made so far. They watch Winnie the Pooh while I shower and Kelly takes her short morning nap. (The showering only happens 2-3 times a week. Gross. But that's my reality.)
Wipe snotty noses.
Get lunch ready: sliced apples, graham crackers, pb&j, rice cakes, whatever. Sometimes read them a Bible story while they are sittin' there. Go get Kelly. She plays nicely for a little while I eat and the boys go play. Oh yeah, pay the credit card. Go through the mail. Change out the laundry. Settle a toddler dispute. Put on kids praise songs (please dear God get some of this stuck in their heads!). Sit and play with them for 7 minutes.
Help Luke wipe his snotty nose.
Put Evan down for a nap: change him, read to him, rock him, 8 minutes flat. Nurse Kelly, change her again, put her down for a nap. Ok. I can do this. Finish cleaning the kitchen. Pick up and vacuum. Fold laundry. Pass out on couch for 20 minutes while Luke watches a little show. Check e-mail, catch up on news, write grocery list, another round a laundry. Teach Luke for 10 minutes how to write his letters. Savor the next 1/2 - 1 hour of just him and me. My most productive 1 hour of the day. Usually try to tackle a few things of the never ending 'list.'
Help Luke wipe his snotty nose.
Before I know it, Evan's up. Put him on the potty. Start dinner. Settle an argument (already, why can't you guys just get along?). Go back to dinner. Get Kelly (how can 3 hours go by so fast??). Wipe her snotty nose. Change her and cuddle her for 2 minutes. Go back to dinner. I think I can squeeze in a blueberry coffee cake while I'm at it. Nurse Kelly when she's tired of playing rough with the boys.
Wipe Evan's snotty nose.
Stick on another show for the kids so I can finish dinner. Ed is hardly ever home when we eat. But I try to somehow get them all around the table and try to teach them manners: Eat your food, I don't care if you don't like it, stop crying, just eat it!, feed Kelly her mushy goo, Evan spills his juice, yell at him, clean it up, apologize to him cause he's still crying, no more drink for you, forever! 4 more bites if you want a treat. Oh you don't want blueberries in your cake? Too bad. Do I eat? Somewhere in there.
Wipe some more snot, but ran out of tissues. Whatever, just use a cloth napkin. Perhaps read them another Bible story.
Start cleaning up. Luke suck vacs this time. Evan puts their dishes in the sink. Then they run wild while I try to clean up the kitchen. Again.
Pray: Dear God, help me. I'm so tired. I'm so tired.
Ed comes home. To a big mess made in the last 15 minutes. Not a cushion is left on the couches. Now I can do even more chores without the kids buggin' me. Fold and put away some laundry. Run to the grocery store. Come home and put stuff away. Nurse Kelly and put her to bed. Wash more dishes. Get Ed's lunch ready. Go sing to the boys Away in a Manger (Ed usually puts them to bed though). Watch a show with Ed and eat snacks. Brush my teeth (let's be honest, sometimes). Go to bed and pass out. (No sleeping pills needed here!).
Note: this was written in winter when I did not have the car most days, Ed was working long hours, and the kids were sick off and on for 3 months. I CANNOT WAIT FOR SUMMER! Yet, we did occasionally get to church, and we got in a few play dates, went to Bible study most of the time, visits with grandparents existed... So it wasn't all so mundanely tiring!
And now for a song ( to the tune of These Are a Few of My Favorite Things):
Favorite things: When they run and laugh and squeal with delight, when Luke sings, when Evan hugs, and when Kelly cuddles with me. Also, Ed's face. It's pretty amazingly good looking. Making cookies with the kids. Playing War and Go Fish! with Luke. Singing with them. Playgrounds. Summer! When they make those grunting noises while happily eating. Little baby butts. Date nights. Silent nights. Popcorn. Looking forward to fun things.
So there it is Charis. A bit of reality of my life in the winter of 2013. I'll look back and laugh. I know I will. Sometimes I laugh now. I'm learning to embrace the craziness. I grew up swimming in a clean, clear, indoor pool, back and forth. But white-water rafting is a lot more exciting. Harder, yes. But adventurous! So here's to the life-long adventure of mothering...
(My hour is over, and a fresh poop scent is wafting down the stairs, beckoning...)
In 10 years when life is rolling along with a whole different set of issues and troubles, but when you have help setting the table, the children can do their own laundry, and maybe even MAKE DINNER THEMSELVES, I want you to remember that God and his grace got you through these days. So many women say they can't remember the whirlwind of life with toddlers and babies, but I want you to remember. I want you to honestly remember the good, bad, and the ugly, so at the end of a long day in 2023 you can say "Well, God got me through THAT, so he can get me through THIS."
So let's just list the accomplishments in any given day of the past 3 years, or at least 3 days:
Wake up to Luke crying "Evan is eating all the chips and making a big mess!"
Go downstairs to a happy Evan, who had indeed eaten half a bag of corn chips with shards all over the floor to prove it. He didn't eat hardly a nibble of his second breakfast.
Suck vac the crumbs. Get the kids cereal.
Wipe snot from their noses.
Get Kelly, whose awake now and crying to prove it. Change her pee'd through outfit (no one around here ever gets changed unless they are really, truly dirty). Nurse her, never fast enough. Go back downstairs to Evan screaming because Luke is shooting cheerios at him like a gun. Unload the dishwasher, with their help. They have only broken 3 dishes in the whole time (at least a year) that they've been helping do this.
More snot.
Tell them to go play. Wash dishes. "Mom, Evan's poopy!" (no wonder with all those chips). Change Evan. Make him sit on the potty. Go back to kitchen. Start washing dishes again. Kelly starts crying. Feed her cereal that looks like cement. She loves it. Luke asks "can you read to me?" Not now. In a little bit. "Like in 2 minutes or 4 minutes or 1 minutes?" "Like in an hour- go play."
But I help him wipe his nose first. And then force some meds down his throat so he'll stop coughing.
Clean up kitchen table. Start a load of laundry. Exercise, maybe, if it looks like I can squeeze in 20 minutes. Change Kelly's poopy diaper. Have the kids clean up the mess of toys they've made so far. They watch Winnie the Pooh while I shower and Kelly takes her short morning nap. (The showering only happens 2-3 times a week. Gross. But that's my reality.)
Wipe snotty noses.
Get lunch ready: sliced apples, graham crackers, pb&j, rice cakes, whatever. Sometimes read them a Bible story while they are sittin' there. Go get Kelly. She plays nicely for a little while I eat and the boys go play. Oh yeah, pay the credit card. Go through the mail. Change out the laundry. Settle a toddler dispute. Put on kids praise songs (please dear God get some of this stuck in their heads!). Sit and play with them for 7 minutes.
Help Luke wipe his snotty nose.
Put Evan down for a nap: change him, read to him, rock him, 8 minutes flat. Nurse Kelly, change her again, put her down for a nap. Ok. I can do this. Finish cleaning the kitchen. Pick up and vacuum. Fold laundry. Pass out on couch for 20 minutes while Luke watches a little show. Check e-mail, catch up on news, write grocery list, another round a laundry. Teach Luke for 10 minutes how to write his letters. Savor the next 1/2 - 1 hour of just him and me. My most productive 1 hour of the day. Usually try to tackle a few things of the never ending 'list.'
Help Luke wipe his snotty nose.
Before I know it, Evan's up. Put him on the potty. Start dinner. Settle an argument (already, why can't you guys just get along?). Go back to dinner. Get Kelly (how can 3 hours go by so fast??). Wipe her snotty nose. Change her and cuddle her for 2 minutes. Go back to dinner. I think I can squeeze in a blueberry coffee cake while I'm at it. Nurse Kelly when she's tired of playing rough with the boys.
Wipe Evan's snotty nose.
Stick on another show for the kids so I can finish dinner. Ed is hardly ever home when we eat. But I try to somehow get them all around the table and try to teach them manners: Eat your food, I don't care if you don't like it, stop crying, just eat it!, feed Kelly her mushy goo, Evan spills his juice, yell at him, clean it up, apologize to him cause he's still crying, no more drink for you, forever! 4 more bites if you want a treat. Oh you don't want blueberries in your cake? Too bad. Do I eat? Somewhere in there.
Wipe some more snot, but ran out of tissues. Whatever, just use a cloth napkin. Perhaps read them another Bible story.
Start cleaning up. Luke suck vacs this time. Evan puts their dishes in the sink. Then they run wild while I try to clean up the kitchen. Again.
Pray: Dear God, help me. I'm so tired. I'm so tired.
Ed comes home. To a big mess made in the last 15 minutes. Not a cushion is left on the couches. Now I can do even more chores without the kids buggin' me. Fold and put away some laundry. Run to the grocery store. Come home and put stuff away. Nurse Kelly and put her to bed. Wash more dishes. Get Ed's lunch ready. Go sing to the boys Away in a Manger (Ed usually puts them to bed though). Watch a show with Ed and eat snacks. Brush my teeth (let's be honest, sometimes). Go to bed and pass out. (No sleeping pills needed here!).
Note: this was written in winter when I did not have the car most days, Ed was working long hours, and the kids were sick off and on for 3 months. I CANNOT WAIT FOR SUMMER! Yet, we did occasionally get to church, and we got in a few play dates, went to Bible study most of the time, visits with grandparents existed... So it wasn't all so mundanely tiring!
And now for a song ( to the tune of These Are a Few of My Favorite Things):
Puke-colored oatmeal meets bibless disaster
Toddler is running with boy roaring after
Dry erase markers all over the sheets
Little black sneakers on opposite feets
Glasses are crashing and baby is crying
Suck-vac is broken and snot just keeps coming!
Dishes and dusting and more endless chores
Little hands helping but making mess more!
When the boy bites, when the kid whacks,
When I'm feeling MAD
I strain to remember my favorite things,
And then I don't feel so bad:
Favorite things: When they run and laugh and squeal with delight, when Luke sings, when Evan hugs, and when Kelly cuddles with me. Also, Ed's face. It's pretty amazingly good looking. Making cookies with the kids. Playing War and Go Fish! with Luke. Singing with them. Playgrounds. Summer! When they make those grunting noises while happily eating. Little baby butts. Date nights. Silent nights. Popcorn. Looking forward to fun things.
So there it is Charis. A bit of reality of my life in the winter of 2013. I'll look back and laugh. I know I will. Sometimes I laugh now. I'm learning to embrace the craziness. I grew up swimming in a clean, clear, indoor pool, back and forth. But white-water rafting is a lot more exciting. Harder, yes. But adventurous! So here's to the life-long adventure of mothering...
(My hour is over, and a fresh poop scent is wafting down the stairs, beckoning...)
Friday, January 25, 2013
I give you: The humble PT
Paper Towel, for those of you who may not know my mother's shorthand for the grocery lists.
This humble creation has several uses in my home, from the normal soaking up of spilled anything, spit-up/drool cleaner upper, rougher snot wiper, and even occasionally stands in for when its cousin, TP, runs out (I'll leave you to figure that one out on your own).
The other possible uses are apparently abundant enough to take up a total of at least 7 hours (and counting) over the last couple days (that is, if you are 4 or 2) -
There are actually quite a few more pics of their imaginations at work, but I think you get the idea...
Someday when I'm old and gray I'll probably cry remembering these days with sweet and fond thoughts... Right now I'm in survival mode, but I am earnestly trying to see and savor these little discoveries (cheap as they may be) and not be too distracted by the other bagillion things to do.
Now to heat up some leftover frozen pizza for the hubby, cause that's how tonight is rolling...
Blessings to you and yours these bleak winter days!
This humble creation has several uses in my home, from the normal soaking up of spilled anything, spit-up/drool cleaner upper, rougher snot wiper, and even occasionally stands in for when its cousin, TP, runs out (I'll leave you to figure that one out on your own).
The other possible uses are apparently abundant enough to take up a total of at least 7 hours (and counting) over the last couple days (that is, if you are 4 or 2) -
The Raft:
"Build me!" Meaning, I built it!
And what new thing did we learn today? That if you put round foam blocks down the middle of the roll, it sounds like snorting (and again, you can figure out what word that substitutes!)
Someday when I'm old and gray I'll probably cry remembering these days with sweet and fond thoughts... Right now I'm in survival mode, but I am earnestly trying to see and savor these little discoveries (cheap as they may be) and not be too distracted by the other bagillion things to do.
"My hands were busy through the day, I didn't have much time to play
The little things you asked me to, I didn't have much time for you.
I'd wash the clothes, I'd sew and cook,
but when you'd bring your picture book and ask me to share you fun,
I'd say 'a little later son.'
But life is short and years rush past and little boys grow up fast
No longer is he at your side, his precious secrets to confide.
The picture books are put away, there aren't any games left to play.
The picture books are put away, there aren't any games left to play.
No good night kiss, no prayers to hear, that all belongs to yester year.
My hands once busy, now lie still
The days are long and hard to fill,
I wish I might go back and do those little things you asked me to."
-Taken from my memory from a little hand written plaque
in my parent's bathroom that I learned by heart from a very young age...
an especially pertinent reminder to in my season of life!
Now to heat up some leftover frozen pizza for the hubby, cause that's how tonight is rolling...
Blessings to you and yours these bleak winter days!
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
December...And Happy New Year 2013
Now that December has come and gone (really? that fast?) I've been trying to desperately hold onto some sort of schedule after the festivities have subsided. And by festivities, I mean three days of forcing myself out of bed to spend time (i.e. sit on the couch) with my family while trying not to get them sick. In fact Christmas Eve and Christmas Day I was so sick I went nowhere and Ed took the kids to his folks and the Christmas Eve service and such...oh well. Sicky holidays happen to all of us. But I digress...
Lowe's has a whole buttload (yes, I love that word) of totes with a big banner that says something along the lines of "Ring in the New Year by Organizing your Life". Hah! I'm lucky to just stick to a weekly routine of feeding my children remotely healthy meals and cleaning their clothes. And weeks like this week, when all three of them are sick, even less gets done. Well, actually, LOTS gets done:
1. Lots of TV is watched
2. Lots of snot is wiped
3. Lots of books are read
4. Lots of sheets are cleaned
5. Lots of prayers are prayed
6. Lots of medicine is administered
7. And Lots of cuddling is performed
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