Well, it’s winter. : ) I wish that statement invoked warm feelings and lovely memories of hours of snuggles and fun snow day memories. That is just not that way things have gone in our house the past two weeks. One snow day the kids had lost all technology privileges indefinitely before 8am. Another snow day everyone declared themselves “bored” before we’d even had breakfast. Kate summed it up well this morning for our household when she said, “I am so over winter.” Amen sister. But then I was over it December. ; )
It’s been a season of discipline and testing here at our house. It seems each kid has picked an issue to deal with that requires lots of instruction, discipline, attention, etc. There has been a lot of fighting and relearning of the house rules. It’s been hard for me. I know some of this is due to some all around winter blues and sleep deprivation due to ear infections and sleep rebellion. Several days lately I have began the day “feeling” like I just can’t do this today. I just don’t feel like dealing with a teething infant and the thrilling 3’s and children who act entitled and ungrateful, with a child who could care less about their grades at school.
But, while it is REALLY easy for me to dwell on the hard parts, the days have had some moments of victory and I’m trying to train myself to dwell more in these places. The child struggling to care enough to try at school, brought home an A on a test, the child who wouldn’t eat their food and got told their was nothing else for them to eat, eventually came back to the table and ate their food, the kids who lost all forms of technology have been seen playing games together and using their imaginations in all kinds of fantastic ways. I’ve gotten texts from some good friends to make me laugh, such as “I really have not heard a peep out of u all day, which concerns me because I know in the psyche ward they first take away all outside contact.” And others that just reminded me that they were praying for me and my peace and resolve. God has really blessed me with some really great friends in this season of my life and I’m truly grateful to have people to walk thru the highs and lows of parenting with.
I guess my point in writing all this is simply to remind me, it’s never as bad as I make it out to be. There is almost always more going right than going wrong in my life. It’s all a matter of perspective and it is past time for me to rejoin the land of gratitude and contentment in my circumstances. Sounds familiar doesn’t it. In a lot of ways, I’m not any different than my kids. Daily working on becoming more like Jesus and less like the selfish, ungrateful, entitled person it is so easy to be.
Enough about all that. Now, while I share these perfect looking pictures, please remember, it’s just really hard to take pictures of kids fighting and mass chaos, although maybe I’ll try that this week, it may help diffuse some situations. : )
Mike and Lincoln went to a Men’s Deer Fry, so I let Kate pick out dinner for the rest of us. She picked, cheeseburgers, breadsticks, donut holes, and Kool-Aid. My stomach may have turned over at the grocery store when she was picking it out. : )
For a lot of reasons, I admire Lincoln. Probably because he is our child who is most like Mike. He has his brain and his patience. He was practicing his piano lessons the other day and was still willing to let Anya sit on his lap, even though it took him a lot longer and she was not necessarily helpful.
When Kate and Lincoln get home from school, no one is happier than Anya.
Kate and Lincoln spent one of their snow days making their Valentine’s Day boxes. They worked on these with no help from me. Well, I googled Big Ben Images for Kate, but that’s it.
Creighton and Anya are starting to play together! Most of the time they still just fight, but we’re making positive progress.
With that, enjoy the rest of your day. : )
