Smothers Day

Yesterday was a delightful day! About 7:15 three youngsters came bouncing down the steps...well...one of them came bouncing in from the living room where his bed still resides...and I was informed by the eldest that I MUST stay in bed.

Too bad for me.

While that may be a serious punishment for a child, it certainly didn't break my heart.

I lay there reading a magazine while listening to the giggles from the kitchen. Before too long in they paraded, each child carrying a bag of M&M's and Jason following along behind with a beautiful orchid.

"Happy Smother Day!!!", they announced! They were right. It was a rather smothering day. :)

After the appropriate amount of gushing, Addie remembered that she had a gift for me, only from her. She proceeded to the other side of our bed where she had 'hidden' it from me. Never mind the fact that it was on my side of the bed and it had been sitting there for several days. :) I didn't peek in it, not even once.

I wanted to be surprised when the time came to open it, and I truly was.

Every year at her school they have an auction. Parents and students donate items (kind of like a garage sale) and the students bid on the item of their choice, all of which are paid for with fake money that they earn through-out the school year. She had told me that she really wanted something badly, but she wasn't going to tell me what it was until she brought it home.

It ended up being a doll. She had thought she would keep it for herself until she realized that Mother's Day was coming up....then she decided that I would LOVE it and she gave it to me instead.

I did love it. Not necessarily the doll itself, though it is cute, but I LOVED the fact that she took an item that was highly treasured, an item that she had been looking forward to having for herself for several days, and gave it away.

I finally lumbered out of bed (yes, lumbered is the correct word nowadays) and we hustled around getting ready for church.

After a wonderful sermon, we headed back to the van where the menu was discussed for lunch. I was informed that when we arrived home I was to grab a bag of M&M's, a blanket, and a book and head to the recliner while Jason and the children fixed our meal.

I didn't argue, though I did dis-obey the orders just a tad. I was told that I couldn't go into the kitchen, but I HAD to snap a picture of the chefs.

Lunch consisted of hot dogs (Will was confident that they were my favorite...apparently he hasn't caught on to the fact that we only eat them about 3 times a year...when we camp), salad, and chips. Dessert was to be frozen fruit and chocolate texas sheet cake, but til that time rolled around we were entirely too stuffed for dessert.

After lunch I was told firmly that I HAD to go take a nap. Once again, I was devastated, but I obeyed my children and bedded down in the recliner once again.

While I slept, Addie and Will washed all the dishes and cleaned up the kitchen. Wow.

I woke up right as I heard them say, "There, all done. I bet Mommy will be impressed."

And I was. Nothing quite like being ordered to take a nap and then waking to find the kitchen completely cleaned up.

We headed outside where the children rode bikes,

Swung,

and jumped on the farmer style trampoline. A tractor tire inner tube.

They love that thing. Will ended up with a slightly sore foot from twisting it when he landed wrong after an awesome stunt, but other wise it appeared to be fairly safe.

We all headed to the pasture on the four wheeler to 'help' Daddy move the sheep....and were pleasantly surprised to be able to meet the first lambs of the season! An adorable set of triplets.

This morning when Jason went back out to check on them, two more ewes had lambed during the night..one set of twins and a single (though she didn't appear to be quite done, so we'll see how many she ends up with).

I'll have to say, lambing season has to be the best part of living on a small farm. I love to see the new life. The wobbly little legs. The instinct to nurse. The bouncing around just a day or less after being born. The mommy sheeps constant baa's to keep the lambs close by. The lambs' answering bleats. If you've never been around a new mama and her lambs, I encourage you to find a farm with sheep around lambing time.

Anyway. That's a little off topic. Except not really, since that ewe became a mom on mother's day. :) Along with the cow that had a calf yesterday morning. :)

We got back to the house about 7:30 and finally ate our fruit and cake...along with popcorn. The children were sent off to bed about 9:00 and Jason and I sat down to a feast of grilled lamb spareribs. :) Isn't that what all parents do? Eat after their children are sleeping soundly?! It really wasn't planned that way. Really. We had planned to grill and eat as soon as we were back from the pasture, but the new lambs kind of detained us so we ran out of time.

It was delicious, by the way.

Then off we went to bed. Only to be awakened at 2:00 by Jack needing to go to the bathroom, and then again about 4:00 by the barking dogs, and about 6:00 by the alarm clock.

And thus begins another day. Addie is off to school, Will is sitting at the table attempting to get his attitude in check so we can do "school", Jack is playing, and Jason is in the field....hopefully on the last day of planting!!!

And me? I'm struggling to get my self back in gear after a very, very lazy day. I don't think that M&M's and a book should likely be on the agenda as part of my daily routine.

If You Pray for Patience....

....expect to receive circumstances that will require much exercise in patience.

If you pray for strength to meet the day, expect to receive circumstances that require much strength.

If you pray for wisdom in raising your children, expect to receive circumstances that require much more wisdom than you could ever come up with on your own.

In other words. If you pray for something, expect God to answer.

That's the conclusion that I came to at 2:00 this morning while I was waiting on lil' George to stop kicking me so I could sleep again. And really? It's a no-brainer.

Why do we pray for miracles and then act so surprised when it happens?

Why do we pray for patience and then act so surprised when God sees that our circumstances allow us to practice patience?

Why?

I know, we're human.

But should we really be so surprised when God gives us what we ask for?

I'll have to admit that the past week really isn't what I had in mind when I started to pray for patience. Had it been up to me I would have just gained extreme patience in my every day life.

One thing about me...I am far from a patient person. I used to think I was patient...and then I had children. :/

Not to use them for an excuse, but that really is the truth.

I love to have quiet time. Time when I just sit and do absolutely nothing. Not even read. Or eat M&M's. Time when I can lounge in a chair and stare at the ceiling. Not for a whole day or anything...just 20 minutes will do me a world of good. Time when I can shut off my brain. Time when I don't have to talk to anyone. Time that's it's just me and God.

That sounds selfish, I know. But trust me, it doesn't happen very often. As any mother knows, there simply is very little time during the day when it is actually quiet. Someone always needs something.

And that is when I snap. My patience button gets pushed. I bark at the children. I tell them in not so kind ways to be quiet. I escort them to the door to have some play time outside.

Not a pretty picture. But the honest truth.

And so. I started to pray that God would bless me with patience. And is He ever doing that.

This past week with Will has been something that feels as if it were written and we're just acting out the parts. It's been hard. It's been very unpleasant. It's been sad. It's been eye-opening.

I've learned once again just how much I need God in my life. I've learned once again that only He can give a mother the strength, patience, wisdom, gentleness, etc. that is needed on a daily, no secondly, basis.

Honestly? It's been good for me. But that doesn't mean that I've enjoyed it.

In fact, the day that I put up the post requesting prayer (which I have definitely felt...thank you all times a thousand) I had a meltdown. A kind of major one, in fact. I called Jason after discovering something that Will had done, and cried through the whole phone call. I called my mom and asked her to come over...after I sobbed so much that she thought something MAJOR had happened.

In reality? I had reached the end of my rope. I had been trying to do it all. Tough it up, put on a good front when we leave the house, act like nothing is wrong, smile at the appropriate times...actually that kind of resembles a hypocrite, huh?

Anyway. Mom came over as soon as she could. She walked in and sat Will down and let him know that how he was acting was not really acceptable. He was a little sad at knowing that Grandma knew what was going on, but nothing really changed that day.

The next day was super!! He bounded down the steps, raced through his jobs, and was able to play all day. Of course, that could have had something to do with the fact that he was going to spend the day at Grandma's (which he didn't know until after the jobs were done), but he did have a super day. So did I. That day was the ultrasound. Yes, we know what we're having, no, we're not going to tell you. :) It's name until the day it is born is 'George'. Just as it has been from the day we found out it was for real.....

The day after the super day was not so super. He woke up with a little attitude, which escalated rapidly and made for a rotten day. For him. He was in a bad mood all day...which appears to be made worse if Mommy doesn't join in on the bad mood fest. Bummer for him.

If I walked out of the room he was in, he screamed. If I hugged him, he screamed. If I gave him a kiss, he screamed. If I made a phone call, he screamed.

In other words, if he didn't feel like he was in control of what I was doing, he screamed. Oh so pleasant. :)

Thanks to much praying all day, and the prayers of you all which I could most definitely feel, God gave me strength and patience and love.

This morning it has been a little up and down. He started out horrid. Then switched gears and did his first job while singing. Then switched gears again and is taking well over an hour to do his 20 minutes worth of 'school'...which equates doing workbooks, but don't tell him that. :)

We shall see how the rest of the day goes. As I keep telling him....all I can do is be the Mommy that Jesus expects me to be. I can't control his behavior. I can't make him WANT to do what is right. I can't force him to do his school.

BUT I CAN be the Mommy that Jesus wants me to be...and by His grace...that will I do.

Thank you all for your prayers. And for those of you who have contacted me and said that you are dealing with the same thing? I'll be praying for you.