Bella Peace was getting undressed for a bath. She's just about to step into the tub, but she stops.
Me: "Come on, get in."
Bella Peace: "Mommy, waaaaait. I gotta do somefin furst." She's already undressed at this point, but she plops down on the bathroom rug.
Me: "What is it, Bella."
Bella Peace: "I gotta get the fuzzies out of my toes. Me and Gracie like dat." Then she proceeds to pick all the sock fuzz from between her toes.
Nice. :)
Quote
Monday, January 31, 2011
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
He is Good!!
Some days I can get easily discouraged. Some times I feel a bit fragile. I'm not sure why. Maybe it's hormones, after all Elizabeth is just 4 months old. Maybe it's sin, I can easily let myself be discontent. Maybe it's Satan. He always knows exactly how to get me. The wrong doctor might even diagnose me as being bipolar, because I ebb and flow with my ups and downs. I've said before that I'm living my dream, but sometimes it's still hard. I cannot express how much I love my husband and my children. There are not words!! And as crazy as it is, I would gladly, lovingly, willingly accept more children. But being a Mommy is a big responsibility. It's hard. Add homeschool in there, and it's even harder. Rewarding, YES!! But, hard. I think that's were the ups and downs come in. I LOVE my life so much, but sometimes the pressure and responsibility drain me. I feel tired. Then I can easily look around and feel discouraged. I also get scared. Am I teaching them everything they need to know... academically and spiritually. Am I helping to grow them physically by feeding them well. I hear my girlfriends talking about shopping at Earth Fare and sharing their great healthy recipes, and I think about my reality which is that many days I celebrate the fact that I picked up some canned soup really cheap when I was couponing because that's about all I feel like I can pull together for dinner that night.
SO, today. Today I was discouraged in how our school day was going. My mother in love is on her way to my house for a visit. My house is a mess by the way. And then there was a character issue with one of my children today. It was kind of a biggie, and we spent a lot of time working through it, addressing it, dealing with it. In the moment in the back of my mind I was thinking, I don't have time for this. We've got to do math and clean this house for company. But after it was over and I put the kiddos down for a rest period, the Lord reminder me of the fact that teaching them to know and love Him is the absolute most important thing. I have to be reminder of this nearly every day.
Then I started thinking back to a few years ago. When Mary Ruth was born, I had 3 children under 3. I remember feeling stressed on occasion (by on occasion I really mean like all the time!) then too. I remember trying to cook dinner at night and trying to keep all three safely occupied. It seemed that every time I got ready to walk out the door I realized that someone had a dirty diaper. By the time I changed that diaper, someone else would have a dirty diaper. I still have dirty diapers to change, but it's different b/c only one is in diapers and her bum is so little it hardly counts. :) I have more big ones that little ones. I have the older ones to help. It's not me and 3 babies anymore. One of my greatest concerns back then was that I did not play with or interact with my three little ones enough. I can look back now on that and laugh!! What was I thinking? I was with them playing and interacting every single moment. Hahaha!! Our biggest discipline issues then were things like not touching the VCR. Often other moms with older children would warn me to appreciate those days and even those struggles, because the concerns grow bigger as the child grows bigger. I that often I thought, surely they've forgotten. But, now I'm beginning to see that. Now instead of touching the VCR, I have to watch out for attitudes and heart issues. Things that you cannot correct with just a pop on the hand. AND, I am fully aware of the fact that while now these things are big to me now, in a few years I will realize that these were the easy days.
Someone told me one day that these times are easier, because at the end of the day I can put them all to bed and know that they are safe at home in bed. One day I will go to sleep worrying about where they are or what they are doing or if they are safe. I know this is true. Another older, wiser friend said this, "When they are little you lose sleep due to feeding time. When they are children you can lose sleep to sickness, nightmares or a number of things. When they are older you lose sleep to worry or arguments." Again so true. I'm sure more true than I realize right now. Last Sunday, a sweet girlfriend (there's a link right there) of my said, "the days are long, but years are short." Makes me want to cry!!
Well I had all this stuff floating around in my mind and then, then I sat down to check my email. I had an email from a friend that is going through a very difficult situation right now. I also had an update from a friend who currently is undergoing treatment for breast cancer. The strength, courage, and grace that she has amidst her circumstances made a huge impact on me. I was overwhelmed by the emotion I felt as I read over these emails and prayer requests.
All of these events have led me to fall before my Lord and thank Him, to praise Him, and ask Him to forgive me for my discontentment. He's blessed me so much. My family and the privilege to serve them is a gift! It is a big responsibility indeed, and He has entrusted me! I pray that the Lord will grant me strength, courage, grace, and wisdom for my daily little struggles. I pray that I would appreciate these days, and not take them for granted. I hope that you are encourage to do the same. Now I must go and teach my children, clean my house (remember my mother-in-love is on her way), wipe bottoms, prepared dinner, occupy little ones...
"The days are long, but the years are short."
SO, today. Today I was discouraged in how our school day was going. My mother in love is on her way to my house for a visit. My house is a mess by the way. And then there was a character issue with one of my children today. It was kind of a biggie, and we spent a lot of time working through it, addressing it, dealing with it. In the moment in the back of my mind I was thinking, I don't have time for this. We've got to do math and clean this house for company. But after it was over and I put the kiddos down for a rest period, the Lord reminder me of the fact that teaching them to know and love Him is the absolute most important thing. I have to be reminder of this nearly every day.
Then I started thinking back to a few years ago. When Mary Ruth was born, I had 3 children under 3. I remember feeling stressed on occasion (by on occasion I really mean like all the time!) then too. I remember trying to cook dinner at night and trying to keep all three safely occupied. It seemed that every time I got ready to walk out the door I realized that someone had a dirty diaper. By the time I changed that diaper, someone else would have a dirty diaper. I still have dirty diapers to change, but it's different b/c only one is in diapers and her bum is so little it hardly counts. :) I have more big ones that little ones. I have the older ones to help. It's not me and 3 babies anymore. One of my greatest concerns back then was that I did not play with or interact with my three little ones enough. I can look back now on that and laugh!! What was I thinking? I was with them playing and interacting every single moment. Hahaha!! Our biggest discipline issues then were things like not touching the VCR. Often other moms with older children would warn me to appreciate those days and even those struggles, because the concerns grow bigger as the child grows bigger. I that often I thought, surely they've forgotten. But, now I'm beginning to see that. Now instead of touching the VCR, I have to watch out for attitudes and heart issues. Things that you cannot correct with just a pop on the hand. AND, I am fully aware of the fact that while now these things are big to me now, in a few years I will realize that these were the easy days.
Someone told me one day that these times are easier, because at the end of the day I can put them all to bed and know that they are safe at home in bed. One day I will go to sleep worrying about where they are or what they are doing or if they are safe. I know this is true. Another older, wiser friend said this, "When they are little you lose sleep due to feeding time. When they are children you can lose sleep to sickness, nightmares or a number of things. When they are older you lose sleep to worry or arguments." Again so true. I'm sure more true than I realize right now. Last Sunday, a sweet girlfriend (there's a link right there) of my said, "the days are long, but years are short." Makes me want to cry!!
Well I had all this stuff floating around in my mind and then, then I sat down to check my email. I had an email from a friend that is going through a very difficult situation right now. I also had an update from a friend who currently is undergoing treatment for breast cancer. The strength, courage, and grace that she has amidst her circumstances made a huge impact on me. I was overwhelmed by the emotion I felt as I read over these emails and prayer requests.
All of these events have led me to fall before my Lord and thank Him, to praise Him, and ask Him to forgive me for my discontentment. He's blessed me so much. My family and the privilege to serve them is a gift! It is a big responsibility indeed, and He has entrusted me! I pray that the Lord will grant me strength, courage, grace, and wisdom for my daily little struggles. I pray that I would appreciate these days, and not take them for granted. I hope that you are encourage to do the same. Now I must go and teach my children, clean my house (remember my mother-in-love is on her way), wipe bottoms, prepared dinner, occupy little ones...
"The days are long, but the years are short."
Monday, January 24, 2011
Minor Moments ~ Volume 2 (continued)
At dinner tonight, Grace told her Daddy of her new desire to be a missionary. Luke said, "no way Grace. The enemy might kill you."
Grace: "It would not matter, because I have Jesus in my heart. I would go to Heaven."
AWESOME!!
Wesley talked to her about how she could be a missionary right now, how we are all called to be missionaries every day where ever we are. We also talked about what Luke said. It was a precious time around the dinner table.
I've definitely sensed the Lord moving in Grace's life lately. She wrote me the best letter ever a couple of days ago. It talked about how she loves the Lord and knows that there is only one God.
Makes me proud. And very, very thankful.
Grace: "It would not matter, because I have Jesus in my heart. I would go to Heaven."
AWESOME!!
Wesley talked to her about how she could be a missionary right now, how we are all called to be missionaries every day where ever we are. We also talked about what Luke said. It was a precious time around the dinner table.
I've definitely sensed the Lord moving in Grace's life lately. She wrote me the best letter ever a couple of days ago. It talked about how she loves the Lord and knows that there is only one God.
Makes me proud. And very, very thankful.
Minor Moments ~ Volume 2
Grace just told me that she wants to be a missionary all over the world!
All I can say is...
"I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth."
3 John 4
All I can say is...
"I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth."
3 John 4
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Finished!
I've started several new post, but lately I seem to get interrupted and can't get them finished. I just finished one that I started several days ago. It's below this one! Hopefully I will get a few others finished tomorrow. Right now, I gotta go to bed! Night, night!
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Minor Moments
I'm stealing and modifying this idea from another blog. "Minor Moments" will be a new thing on my blog. It'll be my way of sharing something little like a cute kid story, a toddler mispronunciation, something funny that happened, just some little something without providing the whole background story which I often feel I need to do but which sometimes takes too much time. You'll get the idea.
So here goes...
Minor Moments ~ Volume 1
Grace reviewing a math concept that I would have said she knew firmly...
Me: "Grace will you demonstrate 129"
Grace places 1 one hundred square, 2 tens, 9 ones in the appropriate frames.
Me: "very good, Grace"
Me: "now I would like you to add 2 more ones"
Grace places 2 ones in the ones frame.
Me: "Good. So now how many ones do you have in the ones frame."
Grace: "um, 1,2,3...11. There's 11."
Me: "Oh, so you have 11 ones in the ones place." I'm attempting to help her realize there's some action needed.
Grace: "um, yes"
Me: "So is it OK to leave 11 ones in the one place."
Grace: "ooooooh...no. No, Mommy."
Me: "Soooo, what do you need to do." Hoping she remembers the concept of renaming.
Grace: "Ummmm....(thinking, thinking)....throw some in the garbage." And she was as serious as a heart attack!!
I'm thinking we better review this concept a little bit more.
Bella Peace puts one of my hooded zip up sweaters on herself. Then she puts the hood on. It looks like a robe on her and is dragging the ground.
Grace: "Oh, Bella Peace you look so 1850s."
Bella Peace (proudly): "Yes I DO!"
Bella Peace is attempting to get into a cabinet. Wesley is blocking the door.
Bella Peace to her Daddy: "Schooch you big one."
Sometimes I'm surprised by the level of maturity Grace shows. Other times I find myself asking, "whose the baby?"
Mary Ruth and Elizabeth. At times, Elizabeth looks just like Mary Ruth. Baby E is getting so big!
Luke and Liz hanging out together right before bedtime. Lizzy LOVES Luke!!
A friend reminded me a couple of days ago that I have a blog. Hopefully this post will suffice until I can actually take some time to organize my thoughts and get something else done!
Hope you enjoyed Volume 1 of Minor Moments!
So here goes...
Minor Moments ~ Volume 1
Grace reviewing a math concept that I would have said she knew firmly...
Me: "Grace will you demonstrate 129"
Grace places 1 one hundred square, 2 tens, 9 ones in the appropriate frames.
Me: "very good, Grace"
Me: "now I would like you to add 2 more ones"
Grace places 2 ones in the ones frame.
Me: "Good. So now how many ones do you have in the ones frame."
Grace: "um, 1,2,3...11. There's 11."
Me: "Oh, so you have 11 ones in the ones place." I'm attempting to help her realize there's some action needed.
Grace: "um, yes"
Me: "So is it OK to leave 11 ones in the one place."
Grace: "ooooooh...no. No, Mommy."
Me: "Soooo, what do you need to do." Hoping she remembers the concept of renaming.
Grace: "Ummmm....(thinking, thinking)....throw some in the garbage." And she was as serious as a heart attack!!
I'm thinking we better review this concept a little bit more.
~~~~~~~~~~
Grace: "Oh, Bella Peace you look so 1850s."
Bella Peace (proudly): "Yes I DO!"
~~~~~~~~~~
Bella Peace to her Daddy: "Schooch you big one."
~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~
Mary Ruth and Elizabeth. At times, Elizabeth looks just like Mary Ruth. Baby E is getting so big!
~~~~~~~~~~~
Luke and Liz hanging out together right before bedtime. Lizzy LOVES Luke!!
~~~~~~~~~~~
Hope you enjoyed Volume 1 of Minor Moments!
Monday, January 10, 2011
Laugh 'Til You Cry!! {Snow Memories}
If your bladder is weak, you'd better go to the bathroom first. These are hysterical!!
Good Times!!
Good Times!!
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