Mother of the Year

Anyone that knows me knows that when a sentence starts out with "Mother of the Year", something awful is about to follow. I forgot Rebecca at church. Now, I didn't make it out of the parking lot, but if I hadn't talked to Ron on the phone I would have. Don't send me hate mail, I feel bad enough. Let me take you back in time before the "incident." I was up quite late on Friday and exhausted from a busy week. Saturday morning I got up and ready to roll at the fine hour of 7AM. Six short hours of sleep...darn. So I drag myself through the day being productive with house work, laundry, heck I even made a full dinner meal before Ron left for work so he could take it with him. He closed Saturday so the evening activities were all up to me. I got all the the kids showered and church clothes picked out and everyone was in bed. I check the calendar and realize that I have to teach the two-year old Sunday School class in the morning. I do a little scrapbooking and wait for Ron to get home at 11PM. Then I hear it...a horrible barking, wet cough coming from Ryan's room. He is burning hot, and coughing that scary cough and he is wide awake. I put him back to bed after I get him set up with some Tylenol and a humidifier. I spend some time with Ron and when I go check on Ryan he is still awake. I ask if he's OK and he, being the sweetest sick kid ever, says, "Yes, mommy, I OK!" I go to bed at which case it is now 1AM and I sleep for one entire hour. I wake to Ryan calling my name and saying all kinds of weird things. I pick him up and he says he's hungry. So downstairs we go and we remain WIDE AWAKE until 5:30AM! When I can no longer stand it, I take him upstairs to my bed and he falls asleep right up against me. I have literally about 1/4" of the mattress now. I do my best to fall asleep. I tell Ron that he can't be my "helper" in Sunday school because Ryan can't go. Ron asks if I care if he goes to first service and then we'll meet with the children and I can teach the Sunday school for second service. I don't mind and off he goes. Now the plan is that I will drive to the church, Ron will come out and take Ryan and Rebecca home with him. Reagan will be my helper for the Sunday school. After church is done we will race home because Ron has to get to work. Upon pulling up to the church, my awesome husband has a cup of coffee for me in hand, made just right! Now Rebecca doesn't want to go home, she really wants to go to Sunday School. Well what kind of a parent says, "No you can't go to church!" So I change my mind and tell her OK she can go. I drop her off, Reagan and I run upstairs and do our thing. Had a great time with the kids...what a great age group. So time is ticking and parents are taking forever to pick up their kids. Ron calls and is like, "Are you almost done??" Finally I get the last kid off to a parent and Reagan and I run out the door. We are so late I am meeting Ron at a McDonald's so he can be on his way. The parking lot after second service is a nightmare. It takes a good ten minutes to get out of it. So I am waiting in line and call Ron to tell him I am just trying to get out of the parking lot. That's when he says, "how was Rebecca's class? Was it the normal one that she usually attends?" to which I reply, "shut up, she's with you." Imagine my panic when through the fog of my brain our change of plans becomes crystal clear and I realize that my daughter is sitting in the Sunday school room with no parent picking her up. I drive like a crazy person out of the car line and try to be patient as I hear Reagan in the back saying, "OH MY GOSH MOM!!! I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU FORGOT REBECCA!!!" Now I didn't realize until Ron pointed it out later, that Reagan didn't remember her either...but alas it's not really her job to make sure I have all the children. So we run into the church and Reagan's says as loud as possible, "Rebecca, MOM TOTALLY FORGOT YOU!" The Sunday school man looks at me and tries to say something nice like, "it happens when you have two parents picking up kids." Did I mention that there was Rebecca sitting alone on a bench looking at the floor all sad??? Ugh. My poor baby girl. Anyway, I apologize over and over again and she of course forgives me. Now I am even more late to meet Ron and I decide that because I am such a great Mom the least I can do is get the kids McDonald's for lunch. I guess this will just have to be one more session of therapy I have to pay for when my kids get older.

How big is Jesus?

A while back we were walking past a cross hanging on the wall at our church. It's really big and cut out of marble, my best guess is the cross is about 15 feet high. As Reagan was walking past she looks up at it and says, "Mom, just how big was Jesus?" Needless to say we laughed and let her know that this particular cross was for decoration and to remind us what a gift Jesus gave us on the cross. I just love the way kids think!!

Giggles with Bob!

Ryan has a build a bear...bear, named Bob. Well last night Ron and I are upstairs watching American Idol and we hear laughter coming from Ryan's room. It was so funny. So we pause the T.V. and try to figure out what he is laughing about. Even though all my kiddos know better than to get out of bed, I thought maybe Reagan was in there producing this belly laugh from Ryan. Finally Ron and I could take it no longer and we went to look. There in the dark is Ryan and Bob having a fantastic laugh. When we asked what he was laughing about, Ryan simply replied, "I dunno!" and proceeded to laugh some more. I so wish I had a recorder handy so I could play it for you, but alas it will just be one of those I have to keep in my own mind. What a fun end to the day!! Here is a picture of Bob...He does have two eyes you just can't see the other one.

That Was Easy

So I took the plunge and decided to try to take a bible study course at my church again. I think I mentioned recently that last semester didn't work due to someone small not cooperating! Anyway, we went this morning and when I took him and pat (his hammer)to the room I said, "OK, Ry, Mommy is going to go." He looks at me from across the room and says, "You coming back for me?" I said, "yes" he says, "You come get me right?" I replied, "Yes, when mommy is finished I will come back for you, I will always come back!" With that he smiled and said, "OK then, bye!" and ran off to play with the kitchen. I had a great time and so did he. On the ride home he was telling what he played with and then kept asking for what I thought was a hamburger. For most people that is a no brainer and a trip to McDonald's, but Ryan doesn't eat hamburgers so I wasn't sure. Finally upon turning onto our street I figure it out...Yep...HAMMER! He forgot Pat at church. Now it's in the preschool wing so if I go in there on Sunday they are going to think I am stealing toys, he wasn't even in his regular room. I can't turn back because Rebecca was going to get off the bus in 15 minutes. I couldn't go after because everyone would be gone. Then it dawns on me to call my dear friend and my "bail-outer person" Tiphanie!! Thankfully she was still at the church and took the weird looks from the room ladies and got his hammer! Mrs. Stewart is Ryan's new hero. Next week...no toys go in the room with him!! Kudos to my brave boy, He finally did it!!

It Works!!

So Ron has been on vacation this week. So far he has had the flu and Ron, Rebecca and I have a head/sinus cold. The coughing at night has been the most frustrating for Ron especially. So last night I remembered reading about putting the Vapor Rub on your feet and then putting socks on. Well it worked like a charm!!! Neither one of us coughed even once last night! I am so glad I remembered this trick because I have been wanting to try it. Ron looked at me like I was crazy, but I told him that if it worked how jealous he would be that I was sleeping soundly while he was coughing away. It didn't take him long to join me in my apparent craziness!! LOL So if you have a cough put the Vapor Rub on your feet and slide them into some socks and rest well!!

The Silent Offering

In the fall I started going to a Bible study. I was with my good friend in the class and I was enjoying it. Well schedules changed at home and I had to start taking Ryan with me. At the time, Ryan had zero interest in being left in the childcare and so I started to miss meeting after meeting until I finally gave up. Then one day I received a card in the mail that changed my perspective 180 degrees. The card mentioned how I was missed in the class, but went on to say how one day it will be my turn and to be thankful to the opportunity to give my family my silent offering. The silent offering of their care, a clean home and meals on the table and in lunchboxes. As I pondered that thought, it became less of a thankless job, less of a frustration that my son would rather be with me than anyone else and more of an inspiring task that I have been given to do. An offering is given with a willing heart. An offering expects nothing in return, but the joy the giver gets in giving it. So in the months followed, I began to enjoy the last little bit of time with Ryan before he would tell me, "Score! I get preschool!!" and would run in the room to have the time of his life, while I walk away to do "my" thing. So many of us have areas of our lives that if we could look at it as an offering and not a duty or a job, we would find that joy that comes from giving. Today I woke up a little early to make little tiny rice krispie treats for my girls to take to school. Treats they had requested at 8pm last night. It was my offering to them, to make them happy and all it cost was a little sleep and a warm shower. Around here if you don't get in the shower before Reagan...well...goodbye hot water!! LOL However, tonight I got a Valentine that said, "Dear Mom, you are the best Mom in the entire world! I love you, Reagan." Today my offering was noticed and because my attitude was right I was able to be blessed by Reagan's comment and not feel guilty that my heart was irritated this morning. That's pretty great. So now I am starting to put God's Word into everyday action. I never could get this concept of "Do your work as unto the Lord..." I always thought that I would be taken advantage of and that it was too hard to understand how to "Work as unto the Lord..." Now I get it. When your work is an offering to those around you, there is no feelings of being taken advantage of, no score card to keep track of, just a silent offering that I choose to give to those I love.