Choosing a Song

Blogger seems to think I don't need paragraphs today. Hope this isn't too hard to read!

"My back aches.

My pack's too tight.

My booty shakes from the left to the right.

From the left, to the right.

From the left and to the right."

Those are the words of a silly song I once sang from within the mountains of Colorado. My dear high school friends and I went on a five-day backpacking trip through Young Life. It was the summer before our Senior Year. (1995 for inquiring minds.)

Now we were only 17, so I highly doubt our backs really ached. However, I do remember blisters and thinking that my backpack really was a tad too heavy and a bit tight.

I don't remember how many miles we covered, but I do remember we reached our destination.

The conditions weren't always perfect, but we had fun. We slowly worked toward our goal and enjoyed doing it.

I recalled this trip today as I worked in the kitchen. The older children are at Mother's Day Out. As with any morning we need to be somewhere at a certain time, I can get a bit anxious and frustrated when no one else has shares my sense of urgency.

So when, moments before we were to leave, I found Ann and Chris hiding under blankets in my bedroom, I simply barked orders.

"Don't hide right now!"

"We don't have time for this."

"Don't make a mess in this room!"

"Hurry up and find your socks and shoes."

"Let's go. Let's go. Right now!"

It doesn't quite have the same ring to it as the Backpacking Song, now does it?

As I drove them to "school," I replayed the morning's events in my head. I could have chosen a different way to respond this morning. I suppose I could have song a song, but more realistically, I could have been playful.

"Where are you?" I could have called.

I could have laughed when they giggled from beneath the blankets. They would have probably begged to hide again, and I could have said they could as soon as we got back home.

Then we could have raced down the stairs to get shoes and coats.

There are many other positive ways I could have encouraged their cooperation this morning. Sure, it might have taken more energy and creative thinking. And, yes there is a time to expect their immediate obedience. But I don't think running a few minutes late to a Mother's Day Out program qualifies as one of those situations. The Lord doesn't run around barking orders at me. Why should I do that to my children?

Hiking through the mountains takes a lot of energy. Parenting takes more. Just like we were going to eventually end up back at base camp, I was likely going to eventually get the kids to school.

It would have been a lot more fun if I'd done it with a "song."

Just Thinking

Before Ann was born, I bought a lovely pale yellow Creative Memories Scrapbook. Within a month or two of her birth, I faithfully began cropping pictures of every. little. milestone.

Almost eighteen months later, Chris was born. The pale blue scrapbook was waiting. Less than six months later, I began working on his first scrapbook.

Now, little Jane is nearly 9 months. If you asked me about her scrapbook, I would say something like:

"Um, what is that? Could you spell that please?"

"Does that start with an 'S'?"

Another One for Mimi

Both my mom and her husband are having a tough day. (That is probably an understatement.)

So, though I'm not too fond of posting pictures of me, I thought I'd post this picture for my mom. I have no doubt it will make her smile. I could have emailed it to her, but she is my most loyal reader, (except for maybe my husband) so I thought my blog was the perfect place to put it.

We love you Mom/Mimi! This was taken last night. True to form, little Jane smiled just as the camera was directed her way. We love you and are praying for you both.

It Isn't Easy Being Green

This evening, as we cleaned up the kitchen, Tony and I had the following conversation:

Tony: "Would you buy the good dishwasher detergent again?"

Me: "You mean Cascade?"

Tony: "Yes."

Me: "I was just trying to be environmentally friendly."

Tony: "You throw away like 20 diapers a day."

I guess I'll be adding Cascade to this week's grocery list.

If you give a two-year-old the cereal box...

the baby will be very happy !

Not Quite There Yet

We're in the midst of our second try at potty-training Chris.

Yesterday, I was encouraged that he asked to go a few times before he wet his underwear. He seemed motivated by the little pumpkin candy rewards he received.

Later in the day he ran up to me and said, "Mommy, I wet my pants. I need a pumpkin candy."

Of course, I said, "Well buddy, you need to actually go in the potty to get a candy. You can't go in your pants."

He hopefully added with a sense accomplishment, " I went in my underwear too!"

Alrighty then. It has been noted that we have our work cut out for us.

Attack of a Bit of Mommy Guilt

Some days...

You have to break the "only-one-cup-of-juice-a-day rule."

You have to let the kids watch more than one show.

Because if drinking juice while watching a movie is what gets everyone through the rainy, cold, day with a smile on their faces, then so be it.

Those type of rules are only guidelines anyways. They aren't things that will matter in twenty, ten, or five years.

Now, my head knows these things. But, I still have this nagging guilt when we have days like this. I feel like I've failed my children because I haven't kept them otherwise occupied with age-appropriate activities.

Perhaps I'll overcome the guilt by cuddling with them as we watch a movie. Seems like a good compromise to me.