Month: November 2016

Oh, this blog.  Oh, this life.  My kids are disappointed in my lack of posting on the blog in any consistent manner.  They say they want me to write down stuff about our life, but the stories I have these days with tweens are VERY different from the toddler days.

When they were 2, 4 and 5 years old, they would say and do some hilarious stuff.  We still talk about the time Mack stuck his head in the potty.  Molly still asks him, “WHY would you ever do that???”  We also laugh about when Mack pooped in the woods and told us he did it because he wanted to see what it was like to be a bear.  Hmmmmm.  I can’t say the word “pilgrim” without thinking of Ruby telling me about her teacher at church dressed up as a “pig worm.”  I was so confused until I realized she was saying “pilgrim.”  So cute.

Since the fall of 2008, I have posted pictures of chubby kids running around half-dressed or photos capturing them playing in the sprinkler in the back yard, pictures of them eating with food all over their faces, photos of princesses, cowboys, superheroes, detectives and more.  Cute, funny, adorable stuff that needed to be documented.  I am so thankful I recorded the stories here on the blog before I forgot them.  Those years can be such a blur.

I miss those days.

We watch videos sometimes from when they were young, and Ruby usually asks me in disbelief, “So, this is what you did all day?”

Yes, Ruby.  That was what I did all day.  Diapers.  Food.  Books.  Bottles.  Costumes.  Toys. Make-believe. Lots of answering questions and settling disputes over snacks and sippy cups.  What a fun, messy, exhausting, blessed way to spend my days.

These days I’m not physically exhausted, but mentally and emotionally I am.  The disputes involve iPods and favorite shirts.  The questions are heavier.  And after snapping a picture of Mack, he says, “Don’t post that anywhere!!!”  The girls want to see it to approve it before I post it anywhere.  I was mortified to hear Molly say, “Yeah, that one is good.  It is ‘instagram-worthy.'”  HUH???  Dear goodness.  We had a little talk about social media at that point–The way we select only certain photos that reveal the best sides of our lives. I gave warnings and cautions.

Big Sigh.  Parenting in the 21st century–not a simple pursuit.

How in the world did I get on all of that?  I suppose I am just trying to say that blogging about the family is a bit more of a challenge than it used to be.  Don’t want to embarrass the kids with stories they wouldn’t want me to share.  And definitely can’t post pictures that aren’t approved.  I am keeping up with some of our life on Instagram and just started receiving chat books, so that is exciting.  But it doesn’t help me know what I want to do with the blog.  Maybe devotional thoughts as I have some time?  Key words: as I have time.  

But for now I am going to try out our new electric pencil sharpener.  Exciting times around here, people.  Exciting times.

 

We all want the best for our kids.  I admit that sometimes I have grandiose ideas of what they might do as a career one day.  They will be successful and give me full credit for all of my hard work and sacrifice throughout the years as their home school teacher/mom who invested YEARS of her life and time into each one of them….or something like that.

Sometimes though, these kids of mine remind me that they, indeed, have their own thoughts, ideas and goals for their own life (and this is a good thing).

Go with me for a moment– Yesterday we were on our field trip to JAARS, learning about how people devote their life to having the Bible translated into another language. We learned about pilots who risk their life on a daily basis going in and out of jungles to reach people who have never heard about Jesus.  My imagination ran away from me, and I could picture each of my kids in a certain role that the folks at JAARS told us about yesterday.

Well, my dose of reality came today at lunch.  Each kiddo was eating quesadillas and chips while sitting on their stools.  I was standing opposite them and Mack said, quite randomly, “I don’t want to die.  I want to be like Elijah.”

“Oh, really?  You just want to be caught up in the sky to heaven?” I asked.

“Yes, I think that is way better than dying,” he said, confidently.

Molly sits up straighter and announces, “I don’t want to go to heaven for a while.  I have stuff to do…like have kids and stuff.”

I gently told her that having kids is good and all, but it also comes with a lot of heart ache and hard work–and that heaven would surpass anything she desires here on earth.

She gave me a You-Are-Crazy look and then said, in all seriousness, “I have to get married.  It’s my life goal.”

Then, Mack confirmed that not dying, but just going straight to Heaven was his life goal.

Interesting conversations around here…..and good reminders that the kids need direction and love and prayer, but in the end, they will make their own decisions and career choices. Super glad that isn’t all on me.  Whew.