Whistle While You Work

I was so excited to move to our new house because the dining room has a tile floor. In our old house, the dining room was carpeted, and you can imagine what that looked like after 8 years and 5 kids. Even when a spill was caught immediately, the carpet retained a small stain.

We're riding on the train, mama!

But what I've learned is that sweeping the dining room floor is a process. It's one that I put off longer than I should. I'm glad that I have a friend come to my house three days a week so that I at least get the floors swept then!

Today as I was frantically sweeping before my friend arrived, I was also going over my to-do list for Thanksgiving. Overwhelmed is a little too steep, but I was close. But then I heard choo-choo noises coming from the doorway. My folded-over floor runner (yes, it is a carpet remnant from the boys' room upstairs!) was the perfect spot to play. And while they played, they sang. I wish I could have caught all the singing on a video for you, because there is nothing like two two-year-olds singing "Jesus Loves Me" loud enough for the world to hear!

This wonderful moment took my mind off of all the things I put on my list and helped me live in the moment. I'm so thankful God gave that moment to me today and I pray he gives you a few of those types of moments in the busy days ahead!

Facebook Friends

Do you ever think no one needs you? Do you feel that you are not significant, that you haven't really helped anyone in a long time? I do. I know my kids need me, but I often feel that outside of these five littles I am not really making a contribution to anyone. Maybe that's one reason I write these blog posts...
Anyway, today I want to encourage you. I have been blessed by reading several different Facebook posts today, and I seriously doubt that the people who wrote them had the intention of helping me when they wrote. You, my friends from MLC that I rarely see beyond a picture of you on Facebook; you, my family spread throughout the country; you, my church family; all of you are such a blessing. Seeing your pictures of your littles playing baseball and swimming and going to the park; reading your stories from preschool and high school and the library; commiserating with you when you and your family are sick; these all encourage me to keep doing what God has given me to do.
Social media has gotten a bad rap lately--adults are addicted to it, kids can't look people in the eye. But this is one girl who is thankful for all her Facebook Friends today. God bless you all!

I am not super mom

I have been called super mom more times than I can count by some wonderful, well-meaning people.  These friendly folks don't have the opportunity to see me in action at home, surrounded by five kids most of the time. But today I will give you a glimpse.
This morning I took my first post-baby (meaning, I had my three littlest plus my friends two kiddos) shopping trip to Aldi. The kids were great! We returned home and I unloaded the car, fed the baby and set to work unpacking all the great groceries. Enter the new technology I have added to try to earn a little extra money for my family: I must scan the barcode for every product purchased on a shopping trip, and enter it's price. So, as I worked to complete these tasks, the baby got lonely and started fussing. Hearing the baby fuss got the next two (ages 18 months and 2 years) worked up.  They started fighting. My three year old got upset that they were fighting and started shoving them apart. Before long, I had four crying children (out of five), and three sitting in time out. I wanted to sit down and cry myself. Or at least sit down and snuggle my baby and forget the world of crabby toddlers (who were really just hangry).
If you had been here, you would have seen first hand how un-super I am. I totally need God to get through every single part of my day. It is only by his grace that I get to continue caring for these wonderful blessings.

Treasured

I've read, often, a part of the Bible that puts me to shame. It's not Proverbs 31, full of descriptors of a prosperous wife, although I am far from being the woman described there. It's not Exodus 20, convicting me of not putting God first in my life. It's Luke 2:19. "But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart."
I am a task-oriented gal. I love planning, making a list and checking things off. I still have the master list of all that went in to the week before my wedding--it's one of my favorite lists (yes, I am that nerdy!).
But often, I let the tasks get in the way of the relationships in my life, especially some of the most important ones: my relationship with my kids. I want a clean, organized house stocked with healthy groceries which are all prepared and ready to put into meals for the week. These are not bad things until I let them be more important than why I am cleaning, planning, cooking.
Today I got to take my only daughter with me to the grocery store...alone. With five kids, one only two months old, this was a treat. But, there we were, driving across town to do a double store trip (Walmart and Aldi), and I was already planning all the other activities that needed to be accomplished for the day. I'm sure I missed some wonderful singing and a fantastic discussion.
Fortunately, God whacked me over the head, as he often does. As we were driving from Walmart to Aldi, I was talking to Ruthie about stranger danger. I wanted her to be aware but not afraid, but when we arrived at Aldi, she asked me to hold her hand. And so, there I was, trying to push a cart through the store with my five-year-old attached to me.  What a blessing God let me see! I was connected with her, and making a memory and not worried about all the other things that needed to be done.
I'd like to say I spent the rest of the day more focused on my family than on the chores, but I didn't. Several times today I stressed over not getting to the tasks I really wanted to check off my list. But God called me back to see my kids, the time I was spending with them. And now I have time to sit and ponder over these treasures and lock these memories away in my heart.