Thursday, day 66- Sunday, day 69

I know this is super gross, but this is basically what my last 4 days has looked like.  It has been anywhere from 100-105 degrees outside and I have been stuck inside all day with SNOTTY kids.  I am not feeling great either.  My version of this cold is just making me exhausted.  Thankfully, I do not have this (see above picture) problem myself, but boy my children have! 

This is all I have.  The weekend was miserably hot and we were too sick to get out and do anything.  My house would have imploded if Matt hadn't been home to help me with keeping it picked up and mildly clean.  Next week will be busy.

Wednesday, day 65

Today  was another day at the hospital.  I need to find a good name for these days.  It is almost like a 1/2 day at my primary job at home, but really it is less than that.  Although, I am almost doing an entire days work in 5 hours between 4pm and 9pm. 

When I got home we played for a little bit and then we got things ready for Jonathan to skip swim teama nd try a soccer camp.  We got him a little soccer ball last night.  He was so excited and doesn't even know what he is doing.

Well it was so much fun!  Matt was able to get off work a little early and meet us at the field.  This little camp is being hosted by the church we are attending, Exodus.  They separated the kids by age and Jonathan was learning to kick the ball and run with about 12 other little boys and girls.  He listened so well and played and had so much fun! 

But, poor Ethan :(  He wanted to play so bad, but it was for 4+ and plus, he was so snotty.  He cried for Jonathan (or "Jonython" as he says).  He kept saying, "I want to play with my Jonython"  It was sweet, but sad.  Maybe tomorrow and definately next year.  As for now, maybe I have a little soccer player on my hands!

As for my Bible reading plan.  So, I don't know if it is the plan that we are reading or if Matt just busted my bubble, but he said he didn't want to read the Bible like this anymore.  We are reading 1 chapter (or sometimes 1/2 if it is long) in New Testament, 1 chapter starting from beginning of Old Testament and then a Psalm or Proverb.  For the last 40 days we have been reading at least 2 chapters in Exodus per night and it is HARD!  Reading all the instructions on building the Tabernacle every night is really trying!  I think he is burned out!  There has got to be a better way to read.  Even I almost fall asleep reading about 2 cubits the height and 1 cubit the bredeth.  It is hard and I am not retaining or learning anything.  Wonder if there are some other options...

Tuesday, day 64

Today was a busy day at the hospital, but when I got home we got to go to the pool. I was excited, because last Thursday Jonathan decided he wanted to learn to swim by joining the swim team.  He did such a great job on his first day and was so excited about practice today. 

Funny, somehow he didn't want to listen or follow instructions today. With me or anyone else.  The coach was a no show at practice and there was only one helper for the 4 year olds.  Basically it was a huge waste of time before he ever got started. Then he realized, "I don't actually have to swim or listen.  I can just float and she will carry me through the water to the wall."  That is NOT what I was interested in watching while I was sweating buckets in the sun.  Plus, there were other kids watching him take his sweet time, waiting for their turn.  Time to get out!

I had to take a minute and step back.  I have promised myself and asked God to keep me true to this promise.  I WILL NOT BE THAT MOTHER!  You know the mother that forces her children to do sports they don't want to do.  The mother that takes all of the fun out of every activity by making it a competition or never accepting that her child just doesn't want to.  I want my kids to try new things and not be a quitter, but if they don't like it, fine.  If they don't want to go to practice, then they don't play.  Plus, I am NOT going to over schedule.  I heard one mom friend of mine say her kids were comitted to one sport or activity per semester.  I think that is a great idea.  We will see how that works.

So back to today:  He said he wanted to keep swimming when I asked him to get out of the pool.  He was so busy playing with a leaf that was floating in the pool he wasn't kicking or doing anything.  I told him that he had don't well today, but that other kids wanted to swim too and if he didn't feel like following instructions and actually swimming today, we were going to do something else.  He was about to cry, but I told him to swim or get out and we would have icecream.  He agreed and we went to the Belmont Soda Shoppe for a milkshake.  God gave us the MOST beautiful day to enjoy the park before we melt later this week.  It was perfect! 

Hopefully I haven't discouraged Jonathan, but if he doesn't want to swim, he doesn't have to.  We will see.

Monday, day 63

This is how this week is going to go!  I have the best intentions and I wake up smiling.  The kids are rested and so am I.  But, somehow, they SUCK the niceness and happy mommy right out of me!!

It may also be hormones...

Either way, my goal this week is to start praying for my children.  I was reading on Pinterest about a great book all about praying scripture over your children.  So, I updated my Amazon account with a working credit number (since mine got stollen after my last purchase on Amazon.com) and bought the book on my Kindle.  I hope that this helps me choose the right prayer for each stage for my children..  We will see.

TODAY- Sunday, day 62

HA HA!

I can blog enough to catch up and still blog on the exact day!

Today, we made it back to church.  I might not have been moved by the music today, but I was inspired by the message.  The pastor preached out of Luke 18:1.  He pointed out (and I love this), that Luke went ahead and pointed out the summary, before he told the parrable that Jesus shared.

The Parable of the Persistent Widow

18 And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. ² He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. ³ And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ ⁴ For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect man, ⁵ yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.’” ⁶ And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge says. ⁷ And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? ⁸ I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”

I felt this overwhelming urge to improve my prayer life.  I feel comfortable talking to God, but the pastor reminded me to pray like a child does.  Or ask like a child does.  He joked, by saying that when our kids ask us for something they don't say, "Oh Father, we are not worthy of dessert because we did not eat all of our dinner, but if it pleases you can you bless us with some dessert."  Instead, they say, "can I have dessert" or at my house, "Mommy, get me dessert!"  It is not that I don't want to be respectful, but especially when I pray out loud, I am sure that I will mess up or sound unsure or uneasy. I should have faith and let the Holy Spirit take over and just talk to God.  It is really not that hard.

So tonight I will work on my prayer to God, for myself and my children.

Saturday, day 61

Finally got back into the groove and read my Bible reading plan last night this Matt.  Were reading from Proverbs 13 and when Matt read this verse,
                     Whoever spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him.
                                Proverbs 13: 24

This makes me feel like a better mom when I have to punish.  Yesterday, Jonathan got in trouble and I sent him to his room and he was crying and I heard him say to Ethan that I didn't love him anymore.  I was heart broken to hear him say that.  I went directly to his room and should have read this passage to him, but instead, I hugged him and tried to explain how I will always love him, even though there are times I don't like him very much.  If only they knew how it hard is for a parent to disciple your children sometimes.

My day was crazy today with a bridal shower and Jonathan's preschool picnic, but they kids napped, had fun and we even met some new people at the picnic.  On to tomorrow, where we will finally get another family day.

Friday, day 60

If this worked for anyone I invited over, I would never have to clean!