Summer Time

It seems I blinked and the summer was over. We have had lots of fun and stayed busy this summer.

My oldest started 4th grade and my 5 year old started Kindergarten in July. There weren't as many tears (his or mine) with my 5 year old starting school as I thought there'd be. He's becoming so independent and proud that he knows how to get to his class all by himself. He enjoys buying school lunch twice a week. He's so shy so I wasn't sure how he'd do with having to say his lunch number aloud but I've been to lunch with him a couple of times so far and he's sounding pretty confident! He's starting to learn and recognize sight words. He's on his way to reading!

During the summer, my daughter went to preschool camp and loved it! The first month she went gave my 5 year old and me some time to spend, just the two of us. I rarely have the time to spend one-on-one with each of my children but I feel like my 5 year old, being in the middle, really doesn't get the chance. The way I see it, my oldest got all of my time prior to my second being born....3 years....and my daughter is having her time with me alone now that the boys are both in school. So I try to steal time as best I can with each of my children. The second month my daughter went to preschool camp, I had 3 whole hours, 3 days a week for 3 weeks all to myself! I never knew what I was missing! I was able to finish tasks that I started. I feel so ADD at times because I'm constantly having to stop something I'm doing to referee or help them and so I'm constantly barraged with "Mama!"

In August, during the boys' track-out, we went to the lake for the week. We camped in our travel trailer. My husband's parents and aunt and uncle camped with us as well. It's always so much fun to spend a week swimming and spending time with the whole family. With everyone being so busy, it's nice to be able to get together. While we were camping, we decided that the RV we had (Damon (now Keystone) Hornet) was just getting too small for our family of 5...not to mention feeling like the 10 year old trailer was being held together by 3 year old caulk. So, we took the plunge and bought a new RV. It's a Keystone Laredo. Here's a picture of the new trailer along with a link to the floor plan and other pictures.

http://keystone-laredo.com/index.php?page=321BH-gallery

We are going to try out our new trailer next weekend when we hit Myrtle Beach. I'm hoping all goes well. All of the kids are so excited to have their own space and beds. My oldest has even told me that with the exception of taking showers (the shower is in the kids' room) we (the parents) are not allowed in their room. Perfectly fine by me! We're also planning on going to Boone, NC next month to try out the new camper.

My youngest and I started back to preschool this week (her as a student and me as a teacher). This year I am teaching the young twos (as opposed to the 3's for the past 2 years). Our first week has gone great...very low-key and easy-going, though we do have a couple of kids who are having a hard time adjusting. We'll see how next week goes. I know it'll get better....or so I'm told!

Gardening

I was reading my devotional book for mothers this evening and the devotion for today inspired me to put it in my blog....well at least an excerpt. It ties really nicely into my previous posting with "planting the seeds of faith" in my children. Here it is:

"My job was to plant the seed in your hearts, and Apollos watered it, but it was God, not we, who made it grow."

1 Corinthians 3:6

"It's easy for us to get frustrated when, after diligently planting seeds of righteousness in our children and watering those seeds with prayer, we don't see green sprouts emerging through the dirt. It's easy to wonder where we went wrong. But we have to remember where our job ends and God's begins. He promises that, if we are faithful to sow seeds and provide regular watering, He will be faithful to bring increase.

-Renee Gray-Wilburn"

Jump To Me

I drive a Ford F250 diesel truck. My original mode of transportation was a "Soccer Mom" van. This was of course before the gas prices sky-rocketed. Now that the cost of diesel is enormously expensive (compared to what it once was) and my work is much closer than my husband's I've been driving the gas guzzler (as I affectionately call it).

This truck is so huge! I literally have to get in completely to strap my younger 2 children in the truck. By the time I've gotten them in the truck and sit in the driver's seat, I'm much too tired to even start driving to wherever it is I needed to go. Perhaps I'm just out of shape. No, I blame the truck! Did I tell you it's huge?

When my young children get out of the truck, they've started playing this game with me. After they strap out, they say "I want to jump to you." Although this goes against every mother-protecting instinct I have for them, I indulge them and say with outstretched arms "Ok, jump to me." They spend another couple of seconds making sure I'm standing just right: arms outstretched the right length and whole body a certain distance away. Then when I'm in the perfect spot, they stretch out their arms, close their eyes, smile broadly and then jump to me with all of their might, never flinching. I admit to saying a quick prayer as they are making sure I'm where they want me to be prior to the jump, but each and every time I catch them.

Watching my children do this with such complete trust and faith in my catching abilities reminds me of how I think I should be and perhaps we all should be with God and our faith. Many times God says to us "Ok, jump to Me" and we hesitate or don't do it at all. May we trust God in the same way our children trust us. Stretch out your arms, close your eyes, smile broadly and jump with all of your might to our God who never fails to catch us.

The Great Balancing Act

I created this blog, I don't know how long ago. I decided I'd try out a blog when I had something to say. Well, it's been months and now, I finally have something I feel is worth sharing!

I read a Christian devotional book for Moms. Today's devotion inspired me to write in my blog. Here it is:

On the Back Burner

"God has given gifts to each of you from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Manage them well so that God's generosity can flow through you." 1 Peter 4:10

"I used to do oil painting, but I have put that on the back burner since I had children," my friend said with a sigh.
When you become a mother, bring all you are to it - bring your art and music, bring your love of nature and your favorite football team. You will need all of these things to build a happy, whole child.
"Sure," says the new mommy, "but, when? I barely have time to brush my teeth."
Well, a baby must sleep sometime. Keep a corner of the bedroom as "Mommy's space." An easel would fit there, or a few great books. A journal beside the baby's calendar will let you record how you are growing along with how she is growing. Designate Thursdays as sandwich night and use the saved cooking time to pursue your soul. Give the toddler a tiny paintbrush, or the teen a piece of sheet music and pursue creativity together.

Our children are not interruptions; they are traveling companions to share the richness of God's world with us.

-Karla Doyle

I can't begin to tell you how many things I have put on the back burner since becoming a Mom. The family scrapbook I started before I had children....let's see....I'm up to year 4 of that one. Not bad, you may think. Well, considering I've been married for going on 13 years and can't even begin to fill in the blanks with the milestones, you can see my frustration. I am half way through a scrapbook of a 2 week European vacation my husband and I took....in 1999. My first born.....I haven't even completed his first year's scrapbook and he's now 8. Don't even get me started about my other 2 children's scrapbooks. Luckily, I have the pictures, I just have to make the time to put them in their scrapbooks. I did get the chance to finish a frog shaped napping quilt for my then preschool age son. I was able to give it to him when he was 5 years old...much too old for naps. I started on my second son's Curious George quilt while I was pregnant with him. He's now 5 years old and I still haven't finished it. I do have the topper completed. I have bought a storybook pillow I plan to make for my 2 year old daughter. It's still in the packaging.

I don't know how some Moms do it. How do Moms have time to do the things they love while taking great care of their children? I used to think that any interests that I had needed to be put on the back burner in favor of my children's interests: swimming, soccer, baseball, scouts. I'll have time when they're older to do these things, I'd say to myself. Well, guess what? They are getting older and my back burner just keeps getting filled.

I mentioned to my husband (ok, probably more like complained) that I really don't have a space of my own. So, bless his heart, he took it upon himself to help me create a space of my own in the house. We got rid of the junk piling up (mostly out-of-date children's clothing) and he took down my old craft table from the attic and dusted it off. It's now in it's own space in our bedroom. Of course I have a humidifier on it. But I do also have picture frames on it...a reminder of yet another craft I've put on the back burner.

This devotion reminded me that my children need to grow up seeing their Mom as a person....with interests and passions for things outside of them. They need to grow up remembering how well-rounded I was and how fulfilling hobbies and other interests can be. Only then can they really learn to be complete, well-rounded people with interests they will be able to share with their children. Perhaps today's the day I start cleaning off my back burner....