Its time, once again, for "I just wanna..."
As a mom and wife, there are many things I catch myself saying. Things I "wanna". Please don't mistake this as a lack of gratitude. Because I'm grateful. Really. But sometimes... I just wanna... well, it'll make sense when you read them. For Part 1, click here.
So in no particular order, I just wanna...
... pee alone.
... have a cup of coffee without anyone dropping something into it.
... wear heels. Err... have somewhere to go wearing heels.
... wear a shirt that's not smeared with one of my children's... DNA.
... take a shower.
... understand everything Abby's saying.
... know what Micah's thinking.
... clean my whole house in one day... and it stay that way.
... decorate my house like my pinterest boards.
... be a fun mom, who does the unexpected.
... be a good daughter, who calls often.
... be an involved friend, who's always there.
... be a hot wife, who.... ahem. Anyway.
... go somewhere without a stroller.
... be able to hear the radio in the Suburban.
... be done with PMS forever.
... answer my phone without screaming in the background.
... put children to bed and them stay there.
... have a hidden camera on my table at dinnertime. Even if just for the audio.
... bless my husband the way he blesses me.
... buy everything the kids want for Christmas.
... be super mom.
Is that so much to ask? :)
Tis the season?
I think all moms should get a vacation after Christmas. And I'm not talking about the kind where all your kids are home from school for two weeks.
I've talked to so many moms in the last 48 hours that are exhausted from this season. Its only the 13th. And I can totally relate. I told one of them last night that everyone should be very impressed if I haven't pulled out all of my hair by the end of December.
I'm conducting an unintentional experiment with my phone- seeing how many reminders I can pack in without it exploding.
Ballet/Hip hop classes
Bible studies
Christmas shopping
Wrapping presents
Christmas productions (2 for one school, 1 for another, and 3 for church. Thankfully my kids aren't in the church ones, but I'm guessing Jake will have to work and I'd like to go to one of them.)
Christmas cards and all that that entails (taking pictures, ordering the cards, addressing and mailing)
$10 for 2nd grade service project by Friday
Canned goods for 2nd grade service project on Monday
Graham crackers for Kindergarten gingerbread house party by Monday
Fruit salad for 3rd grade party on Wednesday
Apple juice for 2nd grade party on Wednesday
Wrapped book for 1st grade party next Friday
Fruit tray for 1st grade party next Friday
Taking meals to friends who just had babies (because I can't imagine doing all this with a newborn)
And all this while still trying to keep up with day to day life with a half dozen kids.
4 of whom just got over strep.
Are we having fun yet?
~~~
So if you are one of those moms running around like a chicken with its head cut off... you are not alone. Go cry in your closet to the Lord for 10 minutes if you need to and dive back into the world of Christmas tree cupcakes, Tamiflu and snotty noses, wrapping teacher gifts, uploading videos of your kid singing Silent Night in the Christmas play to Facebook. Be patient as you wait in the long lines at Target with a crying baby as everyone glares at you. Try to act calm when your 3 year old pulls an ornament off the tree for the 589th time. Take a deep breath and remember the reason for the season.
The Prince of Peace.
Aaaahh, yeah remember Him? Lets let Him reign in our hearts and calm the crazy storms of the American Christmas season. Its not about all the rest of it anyway. Its about Him.
The Prince of Peace.
Aaaahh, yeah remember Him? Lets let Him reign in our hearts and calm the crazy storms of the American Christmas season. Its not about all the rest of it anyway. Its about Him.
And come January, call me. We can have a girls night out. I'm sure we'll both need it.
Bibles and Babies
Last night we started our Advent book. A day late I know, but nevertheless.
Its a big, hardcover Advent book with "board book" type pages... each with a beautiful, ornate door and a portion of the Christmas story behind it. It was a gift from my best friend a few years ago... it says, "To Ashley, Emily and Abigail" inside so... at least pre- Micah and Mabry's first Christmas. :)
Each night, we open a new door, but always starting with the first. So that by Christmas, the kids have at least the first several pages memorized and we finish with the 25th door. I can almost still hear Emily's little voice in years past saying, "Im-man-yell. Which means, God wif us."
So last night as we opened and read the first two doors, it occurred to me that Mabry was probably too little last year to remember the book.
And the sheer joy and excitement of this mysterious, glorious, beautiful book was almost too much for her to handle.
All the kids sat at my feet while I held the book and explained, yet again, that we'd only be opening two doors, because it was only December 2nd. And as I opened the first page, Mabry gasped as if I'd just showed her the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen.
And I read, "His name shall be called Immanuel-- which means, 'God with us.'" Mabry whispered, "Woooooooow...."
"God sent the angel Gabriel to Mary in the village of Nazareth. The angel said, 'Greetings! The Lord has blessed you and is with you.'"
Closing the little cardboard door, I interpreted the words for the little ones. "Guys, this is Mary, and an angel came and talked to her."
Standing to her feet because she couldn't say it sitting, "YES Mommy!!! I LOVE angels!! Das MARY!"
"Shh, ok Mabry, sit down."
As I turned the page, she let out another gasp. And seeing the next door opened she screamed, "MOMMY!! Its an angel, an angel, an angel!!!" Now jumping.
"I know Mabry. It says, 'You will give birth to a son, and you are to name him Jesus. He will be called the Son of the Most High and will reign forever; his kingdom will never end.'"
At hearing something she recognized, she screamed again in her mousy, high-pitched, Mabry voice, "JESUS?! Mommy, I LOOOVE JEEEESUS!!!" Still jumping up and down.
As I interpreted the words once again and confirmed that the older girls understood, Mabry closed her eyes, pursed her lips into a tight, knowing smile and began twirling around the room behind them.
I closed the book, and the kids all got up as Jake came back into the room with Abby (he left just as we started to change an explosive diaper). As I went over it all again with Abby, Mabry jumped up to tell Jake what we read. "Daddy, there's angels and baby Jesus and............. and I LOVE Bibles and Babies!!"
Jake and I looked at one another and laughed... "Bibles and Babies". Oh Mabry. You are too cute, what are we gonna do with you? :)
Its a big, hardcover Advent book with "board book" type pages... each with a beautiful, ornate door and a portion of the Christmas story behind it. It was a gift from my best friend a few years ago... it says, "To Ashley, Emily and Abigail" inside so... at least pre- Micah and Mabry's first Christmas. :)
Each night, we open a new door, but always starting with the first. So that by Christmas, the kids have at least the first several pages memorized and we finish with the 25th door. I can almost still hear Emily's little voice in years past saying, "Im-man-yell. Which means, God wif us."
So last night as we opened and read the first two doors, it occurred to me that Mabry was probably too little last year to remember the book.
And the sheer joy and excitement of this mysterious, glorious, beautiful book was almost too much for her to handle.
All the kids sat at my feet while I held the book and explained, yet again, that we'd only be opening two doors, because it was only December 2nd. And as I opened the first page, Mabry gasped as if I'd just showed her the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen.
And I read, "His name shall be called Immanuel-- which means, 'God with us.'" Mabry whispered, "Woooooooow...."
"God sent the angel Gabriel to Mary in the village of Nazareth. The angel said, 'Greetings! The Lord has blessed you and is with you.'"
Closing the little cardboard door, I interpreted the words for the little ones. "Guys, this is Mary, and an angel came and talked to her."
Standing to her feet because she couldn't say it sitting, "YES Mommy!!! I LOVE angels!! Das MARY!"
"Shh, ok Mabry, sit down."
As I turned the page, she let out another gasp. And seeing the next door opened she screamed, "MOMMY!! Its an angel, an angel, an angel!!!" Now jumping.
"I know Mabry. It says, 'You will give birth to a son, and you are to name him Jesus. He will be called the Son of the Most High and will reign forever; his kingdom will never end.'"
At hearing something she recognized, she screamed again in her mousy, high-pitched, Mabry voice, "JESUS?! Mommy, I LOOOVE JEEEESUS!!!" Still jumping up and down.
As I interpreted the words once again and confirmed that the older girls understood, Mabry closed her eyes, pursed her lips into a tight, knowing smile and began twirling around the room behind them.
I closed the book, and the kids all got up as Jake came back into the room with Abby (he left just as we started to change an explosive diaper). As I went over it all again with Abby, Mabry jumped up to tell Jake what we read. "Daddy, there's angels and baby Jesus and............. and I LOVE Bibles and Babies!!"
Jake and I looked at one another and laughed... "Bibles and Babies". Oh Mabry. You are too cute, what are we gonna do with you? :)
November/Thanksgiving
So long November, I so enjoyed you this year!
After nearly a full month of counting my blessings, we enjoyed a wonderful thanksgiving meal with family and friends. Even though I stayed up late the night before to iron tablecloths... and got up early to mop the whole downstairs before any children woke up... and "facilitated" Ashley and Emily in the kitchen cooking up a sweet potato casserole and a corn casserole... I really enjoyed it. Really and truly. And in spite of 9 adults and my 6 kids running around after dinner... and the countless spills, tiny scoops out of the tops of pies by little fingers... trying to entertain and have grown up conversation while still keeping up with diaper changes and sippy cups... I really. Enjoyed it. It seems counting your blessings doesn't make life easier, but it sure makes it more enjoyable. :) What a blessed Thanksgiving we had this year!
After nearly a full month of counting my blessings, we enjoyed a wonderful thanksgiving meal with family and friends. Even though I stayed up late the night before to iron tablecloths... and got up early to mop the whole downstairs before any children woke up... and "facilitated" Ashley and Emily in the kitchen cooking up a sweet potato casserole and a corn casserole... I really enjoyed it. Really and truly. And in spite of 9 adults and my 6 kids running around after dinner... and the countless spills, tiny scoops out of the tops of pies by little fingers... trying to entertain and have grown up conversation while still keeping up with diaper changes and sippy cups... I really. Enjoyed it. It seems counting your blessings doesn't make life easier, but it sure makes it more enjoyable. :) What a blessed Thanksgiving we had this year!
We topped off the thanksgiving festivities with our church small group. We had a crab boil feast. On the back deck, Jake fills a hug pot (the same one we use to fry a turkey) with corn on the cob, small red and gold potatoes, artichokes, seasonings, and lots and lots of crab legs. Then we cover the kitchen table with newspaper, dump out the pot on the table, and enjoy! We may or may not have gone through five sticks of butter for dipping. ;)
And afterwards, we played "mafia" and "trim the war sheep" and laughed and laughed and laughed until I'd cried most of my makeup off and my abs hurt.
So I'll say again, because its worth repeating: Counting your blessings doesn't make life easier, but it sure makes it more enjoyable. I'm so thankful for my family and my friends. I'm thankful for those I do life with. I'm thankful for every one of those little arrows in my full quiver. And I'm thankful for my better half who makes everything.... so much better. And I'm thankful that my heart is in the hands of Jesus who gives me life, and gives it more abundantly.
So with a heart FULL of thanks... so long November, hello Christmas season.
So with a heart FULL of thanks... so long November, hello Christmas season.
21 Days of Gratitude: Day 21
This beautiful fall morning, the day before our national holiday to give thanks, I'm thankful for:
#1) Jesus, my Savior. I'm thankful that He died on the cross to save a sinner like me. I'm thankful for His Spirit that lives inside of me. And I'm thankful for hope of Heaven.
#2) I'm thankful for my family. The Lord has blessed me beyond measure with an amazing man of God to be my friend, my love, and head of this house. And for six beautiful, healthy, smart, funny, loving children. I couldn't mean it more when I say, its an honor to be their mother.
#3) I'm thankful for my extended family and friends. We are richly blessed by those around us that we do life with. Some we're celebrating with here tomorrow, some live too far, some we'll love on this weekend. But for each and every one, we are grateful beyond measure.
I can't believe how fast that 21 days went. Looking back over all my days of Gratitude, it puts tears in my eyes. I'm so blessed. And I find myself being really sad to end these 21 Days of Gratitude! I think I might start a thankful journal. Something I've always wanted to do, but now I'm in the habit of it, so it'll come more easily.
Signing off, with a grateful heart....
#1) Jesus, my Savior. I'm thankful that He died on the cross to save a sinner like me. I'm thankful for His Spirit that lives inside of me. And I'm thankful for hope of Heaven.
#2) I'm thankful for my family. The Lord has blessed me beyond measure with an amazing man of God to be my friend, my love, and head of this house. And for six beautiful, healthy, smart, funny, loving children. I couldn't mean it more when I say, its an honor to be their mother.
#3) I'm thankful for my extended family and friends. We are richly blessed by those around us that we do life with. Some we're celebrating with here tomorrow, some live too far, some we'll love on this weekend. But for each and every one, we are grateful beyond measure.
I can't believe how fast that 21 days went. Looking back over all my days of Gratitude, it puts tears in my eyes. I'm so blessed. And I find myself being really sad to end these 21 Days of Gratitude! I think I might start a thankful journal. Something I've always wanted to do, but now I'm in the habit of it, so it'll come more easily.
Signing off, with a grateful heart....
21 Days of Gratitude: Day 20
#1) Thankful for awesome neighbors who bring us party leftovers to feed our little troops!
#2) Thankful for extra hands around the house to help me clean for Thanksgiving.
#3) Thankful for Paula Deen and her delicious, butter-filled recipes. ;)
#2) Thankful for extra hands around the house to help me clean for Thanksgiving.
#3) Thankful for Paula Deen and her delicious, butter-filled recipes. ;)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
