One of Those Days

I finally showered and put clean clothes on - it's almost 5:00... p.m.

Yep...It's one of those days.

I woke up late because I had trouble getting to sleep last night.  My mind was racing with all the things that need to be done this Christmas season.  Sound familiar?

My boy came in and woke me up several times before 7:00 a.m.  I finally roused myself and shleppped down the stairs to make him some chocolate milk and popped in a dvd for his viewing enjoyment.  I dragged myself back upstairs and spent the next half hour trying to fall asleep.  My boy returned to announce that he had pooped.  "You need to change me!"  He loudly proclaimed.  OK - forget about falling back to sleep.  After I cleaned him up and sent him on his merry way, I returned to lay in bed.  And - you guessed it - I fell sound asleep.  The next thing I know, it's 9:13.  9:13!!?!  Rats.

I have this schedule I try to maintain - breakfast at 9:00.  Start homeschool at 9:30.  Finish by 11:00 or so.

Mmmm - that didn't happen.

The kids all needed a bath, so we ate breakfast, then I sent them up for bath time.  My 7-year-old daughter used up all the hot water for her luxurious bath, but I didn't know that until I had refilled the bath with clean, cold water.  Well, the little ones still needed a bath.  I added bubbles, but the two littles couldn't be enticed to dip themselves in the chilly water.  I opted to "bucket bath" them by dumping water on the top of their heads, soaped them up, and rinsed them off, shrieks and all.  Well, they were dirty.  Baths done.  11:00.

I decided to bring my daughter's schoolwork upstairs so I could supervise drying and dressing of the little ones.  She started off with Snap Circuits - built an alarm system.  Cool!  When it came time to put the pieces away, she morphed into a grumpy teenager.  "I don't wanna do school."

Oh well!  We had to "do school" anyway.  She perked up when I let her make her own math facts flashcards  - she loves to draw.  At the halfway point through school, my mother and father-in-law rapped at the back door.  I was mortified.

Why?  You may ask.  Why were you mortified?  Well, I was still in my pajamas.  And I hadn't brushed my teeth.  Come to think of it, I hadn't brushed my hair either.  The kids were all dressed and shiny as new pennies, but I was planning to clean up after lunch.  Too late!  My secret had been exposed.

Thankfully, my in-laws are pretty much the best in-laws you could ask for.  They didn't mind at all.  They didn't comment on my kitchen table being coated with breakfast and lunch dishes or the schoolbooks and markers.  I just handed off the book my daughter was reading to my mother-in-law and she patiently listened to her while I rushed upstairs to make myself presentable.  

We had a very nice visit, after which my son and I took naps.

It is now after 5:00.  My dishes aren't done.  My laundry isn't folded.  I haven't started dinner. 

But my kids are happy, and despite the chaos, we've had a good day.

In fact, while my girls enjoyed their afternoon snack, I squeezed in some devotion time.  Instead of keeping it to myself, I read to them and shared what I was learning.  For some reason, I always learn more when I'm teaching.

We read a Proverb, so explained who King Solomon was.  When he became King, God said, "OK, Solomon - I will give you anything you wish for.  What do you want?"  I asked the girls what they would want and they answered "all the video games in the world" and "all the stuffed animals in the world."  I explained that Solomon wanted to make the right choices as King ruling over all the people of Israel, so he asked God for wisdom. 

Here is the Proverb:

"From the fruit of their lips people are filled with good things, and the work of their hands brings them reward."

We talked about how a tree grows fruit, and that there is good fruit or bad fruit.  I explained if we say lovely, nice things, it is like a sweet, juicy apple.  When we are mean to each other and say bad things, it's like a stinky, rotten, smooshy apple.  Who wants a rotten apple?

So we all decided it's better to speak sweetly to each other, because well...good fruit is more desirable than something rotten.

I tell you - those 5 minutes spent talking with my girls made all the chaos melt away. 

It's the heart of parenting.  95% chaos, stress and hard work.  5% wonderful moments.

I wouldn't trade those moments for anything.

I am so thankful for my children, and my God who gave them to my husband and me. 

And for moments like this that remind me what's really important.  Even when it's one of "those" days.


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