This is Worth It!

Our lazy sick day today turned out to be very dull compared to the wee hours of the morning. We spent a lot of time in the playroom and Girly Girl regained her strength. These three little girls make every sleepless night worth it!

After the Drama

I know that many a girl has been accused of being dramatic, but Fall Festival 2009 brought out the best in Toads. I have never had to buy him a costume. We were out of town some years, wore Aggies jerseys one year, borrowed some and so on. This year, as a special treat, I bought him a costume that he picked out (on sale for sure!). Naps were had by all and he was the last to wake up.....quite possibly on the wrong side of the bed. When he woke up he could not decide what he wanted to wear. We finally decided on the Aggie football player - which was ok since the Ags have played some decent ball the past two weeks. The costume might have been on for a total of ten minutes before he began shedding pieces so that it was easier to flip down the big slide. Ahhhhhhh, all that drama for ten minutes and a photo.

P.S. Our little mermaid was very cute and had a fabulous time without all of the pre-show drama!

A New Way to Read

It seems there is actually someone other than my mother who reads this blog and there has been a request for a way to 'subscribe' without a reader. I have added a form on the right of the page that allows you to sign up for email alerts. You will only receive an email when there is a new post or change to the blog and the emails only come out once a day. Honestly, I don't have it all figured out yet. This is a trial run. I may deactivate it after a week. We'll see. Let me know if you love or could really just do with out it.

This Face Says it All

So I am not exactly sure what ALL she wanted to say, but she surely communicated a lot in this photo. Our sweet Samoosa was a ladybug at our fall festival this evening. She had such a great time in the bounce house and really thought she was a big girl. She was not too pleased to find out she could not go on the big blue slide with her siblings. Thus, this photo. So cute, yet so........I can think of many things, but we'll go with cute.

One Outweighs the Rest

I had a conversation this week that got me to thinking. A young mom of one precious little boy and I were talking about being mom to one and being mom to more - what it's like, what I'm like, how you do it, how you don't. I was speaking very candidly about my experiences and thinking back to the whole conversation, I am glad I did. It was good for me and hopefully encouraging to her.

Being mom is the most important 'job' I can have. It outweighs my other responsibilities by far. There are other important things I do - both in and out of the home - that require my love, attention and effort, but almost all of them could be done just as well by someone else. The thing about being mom to Toads, Girly Girl, Samoosa and String Bean is there is nobody else that can do it better than I can. I don't say that with attitude. I say that with the confidence and endorsement of the Creator of the universe. The Lord called me, ordained my steps, designed me to be His child, Nathan's husband and mom to these four precious children. He chose me - with my strengths and weaknesses - to love, mold, nurture, train, encourage and guide their little hearts and lives.

I was made for this. I am not a generally laid back person. I have a junk drawer or two. I can go with the flow sometimes. I have yelled at my kids. I like rules, guidelines and routines. I make mistakes. I feel strongly about things being organized. I get frustrated and exhausted. With all of my faults, I will always be mommy. I can't do it on my own, but in the strength of the Lord Jesus, I will strive to be mommy for His glory. I am honored to have such a high calling and count it a privilege to be mommy of our four.

Being Present Means So Much

There is just something about the man, the head of our home, Daddy, husband being home. The whole day can be completely out of whack. The baby could have wet through two sets of clothes. The two year old could have bitten through two layers of skin - attached to someone else's body. The darling diva probably had a meltdown about dancing clothes and the only boy ended up just plain old tired of girls. That doesn't even include the freshly minted pink load of laundry or pot plant that was completely dumped out in the living room floor. This scenario is only compounded when Daddy is actually out of town. Everyone really pushes the limits and 'buttons' during those times.

Our whole existence could have all been completely looney and in walks Daddy from a long day at the office or a short trip. The initial response is glee and it is like a switch has been flipped. Calmness comes over our home. You can feel it in the air. The tension is gone. He doesn't have to do or say anything. He can sit in big blue and just be. It is simply the authority in our home being present that enables stability and peace to flow throughout - from Mommy on down to the littlest of all, String Bean. His being here gives us the confidence that we have someone looking after us. His physical presence in our lives takes away all the cares and worries of our lives.

He is a wonderful picture of what the Lord Jesus is to the Christ-follower. Just Jesus Christ being present in my life takes away the cares of the world, provides protection and peace, stabilizes an otherwise chaotic life, and relieves the tension of my sin. His personal presence in my relationship with Him is what I trust in and rely on for daily living and all eternity. I am ever so thankful that Nathan is willing to just 'be' here but even more awestruck at the unimaginable cost and sacrifice that was undertaken for my Lord to be in my life. Thank you Lord Jesus.

A Long 8 Months Could Get Even Longer

Eight months seems like a really long time. At this rate, eight months could easily turn into 12, 14 or even 16 months. We started bedtime routine from the beginning. Everyone knows how it works. Pajamas, medicine, teeth, bed. Daddy always does the tucking. Mommy says the good nights, but it's Daddy time that ends the night. The kids just love it. Up until 8 months ago. That's when it started. Samoosa had been perfectly fine going to bed and sleeping through the night. Now, not so much. She cries, screams, beats on the door, sobs and most often falls asleep on the floor next to the door. It is just awful. I often want to cry with her. It can last up to an hour. In recent days, it has gotten down to a meager 15 minutes with a rare one-hour night thrown in there.

I am torn between sad and mad at the whole thing for one reason. She stops crying as soon as she sees the hall light come on to announce my arrival and begins crying again when I even think about leaving the room. The days of us actually going up to her ended months ago and that is why these months seem so long. There is nothing left to do. Many remedies have been sought and tried and even tried again to no avail. This is one of those parenting moments when you know you are doing the right thing and yet it is so hard.

I know we cannot allow her to control the situation - she is only two, imagine what her controlling methods will look like when she is 12. I know that if she knows she can get her way now, the pattern will continue. It will be all about her. We also cannot allow her to do what we call 'hijacking the family.' We have a routine for a reason. Late evenings are for the parents. We have adult conversations without interruptions. We enjoy each other's company. For just that time, we do not have to read books, throw balls, get drinks, find baby dolls, etc. We focus on us. Going up to Samoosa's room to meet her needs takes away from our time and hijacks the family plan.

We have chosen to protect husband/wife time and help her understand that she is not in control. The pull on my 'motherly, oh just go hold her' emotions is strong and yet we have had to choose to let her cry it out. It is so hard. I pray I do not have to hear her sobbing 'Daddy's baby' from behind that door for even one more night.