Spring Cleaning

What's the big deal with "Spring Cleaning?" What's the big whop? Everyone's talking about it. There are "tips" and articles written about Spring cleaning. In our local newspaper Spring cleaning was the topic of the Question of the Week. If you ask me, (which no one has, but that's the beauty of a blog. . .) Spring cleaning is just cleaning with the windows open for the first time in 5 months. Woohoo!!

Stand Firm

I am so glad we do not walk alone in our journey's. I am thankful for friends and family who love me and care for me. I am thankful for the whole Armor of God that I can proudly adorn. Some days even the littlest of issues can stir up fear in me. Becoming overwhelmed is only one fear-filled thought away. The way in which we have conversations with ourselves direct the path we take . . . fear or peace . . . anger or acceptance . . . anxiety or serenity . . . Where does God want us to be? I believe He wants us to suit up each day for battle, to stand firm and not be afraid, to be armed and ready with His Word (Ephesians 6:10-20). For today, I am choosing peace, acceptance and serenity. I choose God. I didn't start my day this way, but it is how I am determined to conclude it. Gentle words to myself and strong pleas to God. "Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones." Proverbs 16:24.

Walk with me down a path of peace and talk pleasant words with me . . . (okay, so you may have to lock the kids in the closet for a time. . .)

"Water, Anyone?"

It's no wonder I'm dehydrated!! I drink my water (bottled, of course) at room temperature. I have a small kitchen and so I keep my water in the exercise room (ha - the laundry/storage room. Did you know ellipticals are great for drying sweaters on?). There was no water in the kitchen and I asked my daughter to bring me a bottle, she said o.k. and then she left the house. No water for me. So I decided to get it myself and on the way I grabbed the mail, read a letter, put out the recycling, roasted some red peppers (don't even ask!), brushed the dog, answered the phone, made a phone call, emptied the dishwasher, filled the dishwasher, bleached the sink, emptied the garbage, vacuumed the living room, walked the dog, gave the dog water, chatted with my husband, blogged, and now I'm light-headed and I may be heading into a coma . . .
"Will someone bring me a bottle of water???"

"Oh, thanks, honey, when did you get home?"

I drank about 2 ounces of water and then the phone rang, I lost my glasses, found my glasses, checked the e-mail, watered the plants, swept the floor, drove the kids to piano and now I can't remember where I put my water. . . is it any wonder that I'm dehydrated?!!

Notes To Self

Listen more, talk less.
Don't be offended.
Balance and boundaries.
Healing and harmony.
Rest and renew.
Fear not.
Let your yes be yes and your no be no.
Love unconditionally.
Laugh.
You get more flies with honey than you do with vinegar.
Keep an eternal perspective.
Parent boldly.

Okay, now it's safe to start the day.

On Friends, Ladies Retreats & College Visits

On Friends: Needing a friend and being needed by a friend are symbiotic. One is fully dependent on the other. Without one part of this equation, the other is < (you can tell I've been hanging out with my daughter just by the science and math anologies - it's a head shaker). In everyone's life, there comes a time when you are in one position or the other. I am reminded to thank God for either position . . .

On Ladies Retreats: Laughter and tears, though not symbiotic, go hand in hand with Ladies Retreats. I believe they are esstential (that is, Ladies Retreats and laughter and tears). Even though you can have one without the other they are more powerful with all that estrogen flowing freely. I am reminded to thank God for friends who drag me to retreats, listen to me complain and then have to drag me home . . .

On College Visits: I am in favor of them ; )

There you are, all caught up on my life in three (count them) three short paragraphs . . . the sum of which is > anything (to me, that is).

On Crying

My kids are always making fun of me for crying. You know, Hal-mark commercials, happy endings, sad situations. . .etc. . . and since I am in that wonderful stage of life called peri-menopause, I cry even more. So last night when I was crying in the car on the way home from the soup kitchen, I just looked out the window and hid my face from the kids. We took along with us 2 kids who asked if they could join us - no provocation on our part, just genuine interest in serving the homeless like we do. It was, as always, a blessing to be the hands and feet of Jesus by providing food and company to this group of souls. So, why was I crying? On the way home, the 5 young adults that were with us (our 3 plus 2), sang all the way home. It was amazing. They were simply happy and they expressed that happiness by singing. My favorite was "Hey There Delilah." I remember when my middle child cried at her Kindergarten graduation and I asked her why, she said, "I have too many feelings inside and they came out my eyes." Honey, I know just how you feel.

My Day

Okay, this is what I did today. Homeschooled #1 and #3 child, plus our new student. Wrote a letter for a friend, wrote a letter to a friend, made 10 pounds of macaroni salad for us to serve at the soup kitchen tomorrow, took #3 to piano lessons, dropped off new student, picked up #3 at piano, picked up #2 at school, ran home because #1 forgot books, dropped off books and #2 at piano, went to grocery store, came home and made meatballs for dinner, watched an episode of LOST with #2 and stressed out over Charlie's death, served dinner, took shower, picked up friend to go to another friend's for a beading party, dropped off a meal for needy person on the way, made a beaded bracelet for a friend, came home and am now blogging . . . You may think that I don't mention the names of family members on my blog for security reasons, but if truth be told, by the end of the day I can't even remember my name, never mind the names of my children!! Thank you, Lord, for my life, my husband, my mini-van and the ability to blog when I can't even speak a coherent sentence. And thank you, Lord, for my dear children, whatever their names are.

More Limericks

We had family meeting, number two
It was quite like visiting the ZOO
Still no fun
Still much to be done
Quality time with the kids too few

Looks like Mom's on the phone again
This happens a little too often
She's got talkative friends
Conversations don't end
So we'll get to my schoolwork . . . when?

We're all talking in silly limericks
Keep it up and I'll give you some kicks
We must be done
This is no fun
I think I'm developing some ticks.

. . .are we having fun yet??? Oh, yeah. . .

Ya'll Should Skip This

Since no one was having any fun, I decided to assign my homeschoolers to write Limericks. You know, for laughs. Here's what we came up with.

There once was a dog from the Seeing Eye
He was oh so clever and oh so sly
We took him to church
There he did burp
And he blamed it on an innocent guy.

We had a nice family meeting
The kids, they took a beating
It was not much fun
but we got a lot done
The time with our kids is fleeting

There once was a boy named Peter
And someone called him a cheater
He punched him out
And made him shout
"Peter is not really a cheater."

That's the wrong representation
And it's causing me frustration
That's not what I meant
Words, insufficient
To convey my implication

Told you to skip this one. . .

Are We Having Fun Yet?

Life is not a blog, but it’s not so gloomy. Parenting is, indeed, hard work, but we can handle it. Menopause stinks, but it’s not fatal. And well, teenagers, they still stink but I’m not afraid of them. We have to retell the events of our life with humor or we’d just go crazy. My hair is turning gray and I tell everyone (actually anyone who's willing to listen, even if it is only the check out girl at Weis – I know she really doesn’t want to listen but she has to, I mean she’s stuck there at the register and it’s not my fault that I had $180.00 worth of groceries) that I have earned every one of my gray hairs. Pluck them out, never! dye them, no way! They are my crown of glory. I am woman and I am strong and I will not let life (or teenagers) beat me down. So, I blog on, making light of the events of our life. It’s okay that the water heater leaked all over the new carpet, or that the dog chewed yet another shoe, or that the little plastic gear shift marker cost $175.00 (!!), or that hot flashes really make you sweat and that is not a pretty sight, or that gas is going up to $4, or that I have another 16 gray hairs (but who's counting) . . . it's all just fun material for a blog . . . are we having fun yet???

Life Is Not A Blog

Life is not a blog where you get to retell the events of your life with a humorous twist. Menopause is not funny nor is it pretty, teenagers are not endearing. Parenting is not a joke or a lark. Menopause stinks, teenagers stink (literally) and parenting is hard work. The culture in 2008 is just working against all the principles we are striving to teach our children. TV sitcoms degrade men, aging women and the handicapped. TV sitcoms elevate children to goddesses and dismiss the value of family. Who’s in charge here anyway? American Idol, though entertaining, is just more propaganda, promoting the idea that you can be “discovered” if you get enough people to look at you. The “look at me” society we live in has no room for true character development. If life were a blog, this would be funny. . .

Why I Blog

I've been asked why I blog. It really did start with my daughter who didn't want to hear me vent anymore . She was like, "Yeah, Mom, I'm setting up a blog for you. Just go to New Post and type." I really liked it. It is a creative outlet for me. It also became a challenge of sorts to write my thoughts, a beginning, middle and end, in one paragraph, with humor if possible and all for the Glory of God. Even if I don't mention God in my blog, He is always present. My family is truly a blessing to me and often I'm in awe that God would love and bless me in this way. Complaining about my kids is just my justification to speak of them so often. They are always on my mind (or in my face) and blogging about them is my way of thanking God for the gift of being a parent. Blogging also gives me an opportunity to keep a record of the events in our life (proof to show my kids when they are grown how rotten they were . . . jk). So, when I try to tell my kids stories about good kids gone bad and they call over their departing shoulder, "Oh, go blog about it, Mom" . . . I do . . . and sometimes they are sorry . . .