Parent-Training...

 

They wanted to be babies!

Sometimes I think that's the only 'real' training that goes on around here! Or the term 'child-training' would be better termed as 'parent-training'!
Motherhood is hard. In fact, I'm becoming more and more convinced that it is the hardest thing that I have ever attempted and probably will ever attempt to do in my life. But lately I've been far to caught up in the 'hard' of it and I've missed the blessing and joy in it. It seemed as though the children, and especially one child, was not getting 'it' at all. And then Baby Dear began to show us what she's made of and it all looked to huge. This thing of teaching children gentleness, love, respect for other people, talking kindly, and being happy even when life isn't fair seemed to be impossible.

I adore that little finger!  \"/

And then God began to show me the ugliness of my own heart. I try to teach the children to be loving to each other, but I am very good at thinking some VERY unloving thoughts!! This past Friday evening, Wes got home later then normal, and then informed me that he had brought the work truck home and that we needed to take it over to the tire shop that night yet, and drop it off, so that new tires could be put on first thing in the morning. 

Coloring one of the gigantic Dora coloring pages from Grandma.

We quickly ate our supper of this 'yummy stew' that I had made. (the flavor was good, but the veggies were rather crunchy and the meat was tough/"\) I left the dishes and we proceeded to attempt to bundle up all three children. They were NOT in a good mood and so the whole getting dressed procedure was taking longer then normal. Mama was grouchy. And it was snowing...hard and fast... To make a long story short, we  finally got everyone in the van  and started the trek to the tire shop over slippery, snow covered roads.

Soaking feet and watching movies!  \"/

My thoughts were not exactly what you would consider charitable. I was picturing Wes' Amish boss, sitting peacefully warm and cozy, in his house, while we took three children out onto the bad roads. Seriously, some people don't know how nice they have it. Before the words even came out of my mouth, I knew Wes' answer. I said, "Do you get paid extra for this?"

somebody found the fridge!

And God spoke to me. He asked me how I plan on teaching my children to extend love to each other when I have such  unloving thoughts. Do I want my children to only show love in word and deed, or also in thought? I guess I was rather 'hit right between the eyes'.
Un-loving thoughts seem to enter my mind all to quickly. And then my imagination runs wild and I imagine all sorts of things about other people that are so unkind and unloving.

 

Happiness!!

Oh, and the gentleness and speaking kindly to each other thing... Last night we spent the evening at McDonald's. Aubrey and Kyler had some sticker charts for an incentive and the 'prize' was supper and playtime at McDonald's. They were thrilled!! I honestly think I've gotten asked a couple times a day, every day since we started, "When can we go to McDonald's"?  

This is what happens when they find my collection of sour cream/cottage cheese/cool whip containers!!

They played their little hearts out! When we got home, they were still wired, since they had both had more then their fair share of pop! So Daddy and the 3 littles raced through the house in an attempt to 'wear them out'. It worked! \"/ And we began to get them headed off to bed. I said something to Aubrey and in a quiet little voice she said, " I don't like when you talk bossy to us!" I replied, "But I didn't talk bossy to you." "No", she said, "But sometimes during the day you do." OUCH!

Interesting combinations!

I've been doing a lot of thinking. I've been reading through Psalm 119. Yesterday Morning verses 33-37 challenged me:
      33. Teach me, O Lord, to follow your decrees...
      34. Give me understanding, and I will keep your law and obey it with all my heart.
      35. Direct me in the path of your commands, for there I find delight.
      36. Turn my HEART toward your statutes...
      37. Turn my eyes away from worthless things....

I was sorting through the kids clothes an they found the hats...

Maybe the problem isn't that my children aren't 'getting it'. Maybe it's because I, as their mother, don't 'have it'. Perhaps I have lost my joy, my oil is becoming depleted in my lamp, my priorities have shifted the wrong direction. Maybe this whole training process is really God working in my own heart; molding me into the person He wants me to be. Maybe it starts with me.

The nightly activity at our house!  \"/  No, we don't have a 'no running' rule at our house!

She loves to be in the action!

I'm coming to the realization the what my children need most is not the perfect mother who is the perfect disciplinarian, the perfect house keeper, who easily glides through each day following the perfect schedule. What they need most is for me to love God with all my heart, love and honor their Daddy, and LIVE OUT in my life what we so desperately  want them to learn/become. They need to see me seeking to please God and when I fail, I need to be humble enough to apologize and tell them that I was wrong.
Sometimes I'm appalled at the ugliness of my heart. I'm learning that the Christian Life is really a walk. A day-by-day, step-by-step process. And this thing called Motherhood is so much more then feeding, dressing, and bathing little people. It's actually a refining process of my heart.

The sunset was gorgeous, even though this didn't capture it well...