Valentine heaven

My children LOVE all things Valentine.  Stores quickly pack away Christmas merchandise from their shelves, only to set out Valentine's Day goodies, sometimes as early as January 1st.  That excites us!  Countless hours are spent on card making around here.  And I do mean countless.  Already my kiddos must have put in five full hours, and said holiday is still a month away.

For me, that means bliss.  Busy children are content.  Busy children stay out of trouble.  Busy children delight their Mommas.

breakthrough

I met with my pastor today regarding my dysfunctional parent situation.  It was so liberating to have this counseling!  Why in the world did I wait so long??  We covered a number of issues, and he wholeheartedly affirmed my new, tough-love stance.

He also said that I needed more support in my life.  I told him about all of you, and what a blessing you have been to me these last two years.  While he was relieved to hear this, he said it was mandatory that I have a flesh-and-blood friend right now, as well as a woman who can act as a surrogate mother.  In fact, he is holding me accountable for this.  He mentioned his wife as a friend possibility, since she is about my age.  I happen to really like his wife!  She teaches at a Christian school, so we have a teaching background in common.  They have two children at home--one in middle school and one in high school.  Their oldest child, a daughter, just got married last summer, and attends Moody Bible school along with her new husband.

Pastor also wants me to show up at the Ladies Bible Study on Sunday nights, for more fellowship.  There are only teenagers in the nursery at that time, which is why I have rejected the Bible Study idea previously.  Our family would add four more children to the mix, including a baby who will probably cry her eyes out at being left.  The only time I've left her in the nursery was during the Christmas play, so that I could see the whole thing up close and give encouraging smiles to my boys, who played shepherds with minor speaking parts.  Pastor is going to work on getting an adult in there, and I told him I could work in there on a rotation.

He is also going to address issues with my husband, who didn't grow up with a loving father.  Pastor will be a friend and encourager to him, and put others in place to do the same, including someone who can act as a father.

And lastly, he is going to make sure our children have surrogate grandparents!

PRAISE THE LORD!  I'm going to sleep so well tonight.  For the first time in a very long time, I don't feel alone.

Don't underestimate the counseling skills of your local pastor!  You just might be blessed if you make an appointment!

Sunday morning meyhem

What can you be sure of on Sunday morning, during church prep?

- A shoe (or two) will go missing just as the family prepares to pile into the van.

- Mommy--forgetting that it's better to dress the troops AFTER BREAKFAST--will have a hissy over the spill that ruins a carefully-chosen kid outfit.

- A certain cereal, desired by the resident picky eater, will be all gone.

- The eight year old will suddenly outgrow all acceptable church outfits.

- Two heads of hair will not stop sticking straight up, despite three applications of water.  Where's the old-fashioned goop when you need it?

- The baby will sleep lousy the night before, making Mommy feel cranky--not at all spiritual.

- Mommy and Daddy will throw irritated words at one another, for no good reason.

- Mommy will say how next week, all clothes need to be laid out the night before.

Fast forward one week: Mommy feels too busy to lay out clothes on Saturday night.  Every day has enough trouble of its own.

"I'll just get up earlier and do it in the morning", she assures herself.  But, remember, the baby always sleeps lousy on Saturday night?

Oh, what a vicious, enemy-induced cycle!

Eight Years Old

Enough with the pictures already.  Can I just have my cake, please?

Peter Turns Eight

The important thing about Peter is that he loves science
It's true that he loves food
And that he likes being with people
And that he enjoys making soups
But the important thing about Peter is that he loves science

The important thing about Peter is that he loves read-aloud time
It's true that he loves babies
And that he loves special time with parents
And that he changes things up in our computer control panels
But the important thing about Peter is that he loves read-aloud time

The important thing about Peter is that he enjoys arts and crafts
It's true that he is handsome
And that he will be much taller than his parents
And that he boogies to Christian rock dance tunes
But the important thing about Peter is that he enjoys arts and crafts

The important thing about Peter is that he likes snapping pictures
It's true that he rides his bike really fast
And that he loves playing with brother Paul
And that he gets excited about playdates and parties
But the important thing about Peter is that he likes snapping pictures

The important thing about Peter is that he might be a chef
It's true that he reads fluently now
And that he makes chocolate shakes in a blender
And that he enjoys science experiments with Daddy
But the important thing about Peter is that he might be a chef

The important thing about Peter is that he might be a teacher
It's true that he enjoys teaching his preschool sister
And that he has an eclectic music taste
And that he likes to hike and look for insects and amphibians
But the important thing about Peter is that he might be a teacher

The important thing about Peter is that now he's 8!
It's true that he has trouble waiting
And that he asks "How many more minutes until...."
And that he vacuums quite well
But the important thing about Peter is that now he's 8!

I tried to get a picture of the matching dresses Grandma sent for their birthdays in Dec.  See how crazy it is with a one year old?

I'm crazy in love with that little squirrel!  Those two little squirrels, actually!

plowing, chiseling

A miraculous thing.  Suddenly, Peter reads fluently, beautifully.  While always at grade level, he lacked speed and fluency.  What a precious thing, listening to him read!  I couldn't stop kissing his head today while he read through a long story.  Softly spoken praise words spilled from me.  

In truth, I wanted to get out of my seat and jump up and down, shouting to all the world that my Peter had made it to the top of a mountain.

Instead, I settled for putting my arm around him, patting his shoulder, kissing his hair.  He finished and I grew more animated, asking him if he noticed anything different about his reading.  As I offered up more and more praise, he seemed quietly pleased.

Oh, I realize these things don't happen suddenly.  The dots start connecting at very young ages and spurts like these come every so often, resulting from steady work.  They only seem sudden.

Usually, I'm the only one elated over such events.  The students?  They seem unaware of how far they've come.  They scratch their heads at the teacher's sudden elation.  What's gotten into her?

Teary moments like this?  The teacher lives for them.  Even after years of teaching these moments still delight--each time feels like the first time.

The early reading phase challenges both teacher and student. It can be long, arduous--like jogging around the same track, day after day.  No variety.  No end in sight.

Then one day, long, fluent stories flow from the mouth of babes.

Brand-new adventures await the fluent reader.  No more stumbling, no more fatigue.  Books become something to devour rather than something to plow through.

This whole phenomenon reminds me of the Lord's work in my heart.  Lofty virtues like quietness or steadfastness at first seem like steep, jagged mountains.  How will I ever get there?  I'm too flawed...too weak.  I can't do it.

But He is faithful to continue his steady, daily work.  Lovingly, he stretches us.  We feel uncomfortable, bent out of shape at times, from his chiseling.

One day a virtue takes root in us.  We go about our tasks, unaware of the change....not realizing how far we've come.

But He rejoices.

No, quietness and steadfastness have not taken root in me.  Yet.  They are just examples.  But I do feel the chiseling.
________________________________________

At dinner tonight I asked everyone what their favorite part of the day had been.  Peter replied first, "Reading with Mommy."  While he didn't understand my elation, exactly, he did soak it in.  What a blessing!

I failed in my parenting in some respects today.  But for thirty minutes, I was a perfect mother to Peter.

I have to ask you, Lord, to make the most of these moments, in their hearts.  May they forgive my imperfections.  Have mercy on me, a mother.  Give them amnesia for the worst times, and vivid memories of the best.  In your name, Amen.