Mommin' It Up!

October 16, 2008

Rough morning.

I got my daily dose of mommy-guilt pretty early this morning.

As we were getting ready to leave, the kids were in the car and I was going back and forth into the house getting everything we needed to leave, and as I walked out the door for the last time, I could see Kate crawling around in the backseat. I pointed at her and said “Get in your chair!” I was really just kidding and didn’t mean to come off harshly, but she couldn’t hear me and could only see my hand gestures.

When I climbed in the car, her lip was quivering, and she said to me, “Mommy, why did you yell at me?” And as I assured her that I didn’t mean to yell or hurt her feelings and was just being silly, the tears started flowing. It wasn’t a manipulative cry, or a I-didn’t-get-my-way cry, she was genuinely sad. And it just about broke my heart.

A couple minutes later, I heard her say “I am going to wear my Hello Kitty jammies to school when it’s pajama day,” and when I turned around and saw the big smile on her face, I could tell that all was forgiven. And when I dropped her off, she playfully pushed me out the door as she always does. She was fine, I know she was.

But it left me very unsettled this morning, and I’m not sure how to get past this feeling.

October 15, 2008

WFMW: Perspective

Yesterday I had the honor of speaking on couponing at Nurture, a local moms group. It was WAY fun. The Nurture moms are a great group of women and were so sweet and welcoming to me and my friend Andrea who was nice enough to come with me (in case I made a total idiot of myself and needed someone in my corner). After a yummy breakfast and some coffee, we read some Bible verses and had some discussion about what it means to be responsible with what God has given us. One of the verses the Nurture leaders had included in the discussion was Luke 16:10-11. Coincidentally, I had been going to read those verses in my talk.

10 Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. 11 So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? (New International Version)

When I was reading those verses in preparation for my talk, it was like a lightning bolt hit me. Most of the time I think that God has put me in the “very little” category, but the reality is, I have so much. Compared to most citizens of this world, I am a millionaire. My three-bedroom 1917 urban home probably seems like a palace to so many who live in just one or two rooms, or worse yet, have no home at all. It has clean, warm running water and beds with soft mattresses. I drive a car that offers the highest luxury of its class (*cough*in 1994*cough*). My children are well-fed, happy, healthy, and bright. My sweet husband is gainfully employed. He works long hours, and we wish he was home more. But when he’s not with us, he’s working hard. He’s not out at the bar, or anyplace worse, he’s working hard using the talents God gave him to provide for us.

I have so much, and I am so thankful.

Having a little perspective is what’s working for me today. For more helpful insights, go visit Rocks in My Dryer.

October 14, 2008

No Human Growth Hormone Required

This weekend, I watched Sammy age two years right before my eyes. And I didn’t like it! I nearly cried.

At the ripe old age of six months, he got his first hair cut. And suddenly, he looked like a two year old. When I showed Jenny the pictures, she said “He doesn’t look two, he looks twelve!” But he does look awfully cute. Wanna see?

He is such a big boy. And it is so depressing.