Happy Mother's Day!

I just had to wish all you moms a HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY today!!

I hope it was a wonderful day with family or friends. If you didn't have someone to be with, then I hope you were at least able to call someone . . . your kids . . . your mom . . . a mom you know . . . a mom-to-be . . . a spiritual mom to you . . . Just go call a special woman in your life and wish them a Happy Mother's Day!! :)

I had an emotional day today. Not exactly sure why. Some of it was probably pent-up tears that didn't get released last week during my monthly hormonal craziness . . . If I don't cry at least once a month, the tears will start to flow at the most inopportune times! :) Actually, I do believe some of it was the enemy (Satan and all his evil cohorts) trying to ruin this day . . . trying to remind me of all the areas where I have failed as a mother. . . . where I don't feel like I measure up to the Super-Mom status we are all led to believe we should and can achieve. . . where I wish I had done things differently and am praying that God is just able to super-glue the things I have broken (my children's hearts, minds, emotions, relationships, etc) . . . where I want to do things differently, but am not sure if I am really going to change (due to laziness, procrastination, bad habits, etc). . . . . etc, etc, etc.

I did receive the most precious cards from my 5 kids today - some sweet, some funny, but some of what they said I still had a hard time digesting. Was I really all those wonderful things, or are they just saying them because it's Mother's Day and that's what they are supposed to say? One part of my kindgergartener's card was hilarious . . . but at the same time, poignantly true and sad. He was given a few pages with sentences to fill in the blanks about his mom. Here is what he wrote:

Happy Mother's Day 2008
My Mom's name is Loire (Close . . .it's Lori)
My mom is 38 years old (no I'm not! . . . . the kids always say I'm older than I am!)
My mom is as pretty as a flowr.
My mom makes the best cocees (cookies).
**My mom's favorite thing to do is BE ALONE (caps added by me.)**
My mom thinks it is funny when I be silee (silly)
My mom doesn't think it is funny when I don't cleen my room. (he's right - I don't!)
My mom loves me.
I love to play with my mom.
I love my mom because she is my mom.
Happy Mother's Day!
Love,
Jacob
2008

So . . . my favorite thing to do is not . . . scrapbooking . . . being on the computer . . . photography . . . or even playing with my kids . . . no . . .it's to "BE ALONE"! I just died laughing when I first read it. He knows me too well! But today it did make me sad.

I do have 5 kids (ages 3-12), and for most of the time, every day, I have most of them home (a few go to school in the mornings some . . . it's complicated). And there are many a night when daddy has to come home and scoop all the kids out of the house "to give mommy some alone time" (what an awesome hubby I have!!!). So Jacob is really right when he said that. But I got to thinking today . . . is that really what I want my kids to say or remember about me. . . ."Mom sure couldn't wait till we were all out of the house and she could be alone!" I don't really want to be alone all the time! I am just an introvert by nature and the way I rejuvenate/re-energize is to be by myself . . . to get some time with God, to be able to think without interruption every 5 minutes, to relax and watch a show, read a book or even blog . . . .you know what I mean? I don't get much of that this year. But I don't really want that to be my legacy. It just made me realize that I need to be more careful with what I say and do. I LOVE my kids A TON - and whenever I am not with them and I come home - I LOVE seeing their smiling faces and hearing their sweet voices (when they are not screaming!). I do LOVE being a mom and I do cherish the little things - the snuggling, giggles, playing games, etc. I need to show that more . . . .verbalize it more to them. I used to tell them that my favorite book is one called "Five Minutes Peace" (I do still love it as it describes what most moms go through with little ones around) - but I don't want my kids to think that I feel that way ALL the time. There are just moments that we ALL need 5 minutes (or 10 . . .20 . . . or maybe an hour) of peace! :)

To reassure you, my day wasn't a washout of sadness and tears. I had my good cry, and then wiped my wet face, reapplied my makeup, welcomed my parents, brother and his wife and daughter, and had a wonderful lunch with them - celebrating Mother's Day and one of my daughter's B-days. I played a game, chatted, took some pictures, giggled, and now am getting a few minutes of time to "be alone" while daddy gets dinner for all the kids (and even brought me some food!). After I finish this post - I will be rejuvenated to go back and finish off this Mother's Day with snuggles, back scratching, stories and more (and hopefully no tornadoes! The weather is looking scary!). And tomorrow . . . I have another chance to change things for the better!

So - what would your kids say about you? What do you want them to remember about you - that you were always loving, angry, stressed out, on the computer, tired, happy, fun??? I think I will be doing more soul-searching and being more intentional about the legacy and memories that I am creating for my children. I know I cannot ever attain "Super-Mom" status . . . but to my kids - I do want to be the best Mom that I can be for them!

God bless all you Mother's and all you do!! I know someone has said that if we were actually paid for all we do we would be making over $116,000 a year . . . .though - like my sweet friend Lynae said "I would probably be fired from many of those jobs" (ie - house cleaning, cooking, etc)! :) Hey - we can't be perfect at everything!! :) Just do your best "as unto the Lord"!

Live a LIFE of LOVE today!

The least of these . . . continued.

I wish I had this song to show you when I originally posted "The least of these . . ." .
This is for all those days you feel like "just being a mom" is tough . . . .tiring . . . not getting you closer to God . . . etc. Hang in there and be encouraged! You are worshiping God by obeying what He has called you to do! He sees and He knows!
Blessings!



Song: "If Ever You Worshiped" - by Danny Oertli

The Mom Song

OK -Here's another thing I love about moms (and parenting)!! If you haven't seen this, be prepared to watch it over and over and be tempted to memorize the lyrics! :) My kids can repeat quite a few of them . . . .though, I wish they would actually listen and obey them! . . . . They'll understand when they become parents!


"The Mom" song, sung to the William Tell Overture, by Anita Renfroe.

What a mom says in 24 hours, condensed into 2 minutes and 55 seconds! Hilarious and talented!
I will post the lyrics below.

Check out her website - Anitarenfroe.com. She is a Christian speaker and comedian. Click on "What's new" and you will hear her newest video with her "Dad sense" song - what dads say to their kids in 24 hours! (sorry dads).



"The Mom Song"

Get up now
Get up now
Get up out of bed
Wash your face
Brush your teeth
Comb your sleepyhead
Here's your clothes and your shoes
Hear the words I said
Get up now! Get up and make your bed
Are you hot? Are you cold?
Are you wearing that?
Where's your books and your lunch and your homework at?
Grab your coat and gloves and your scarf and hat
Don't forget! You gotta feed the cat
Eat your breakfast, the experts tell us it's the most important meal of all
Take your vitamins so you will grow up one day to be big and tall
Please remember the orthodontist will be seeing you at 3 today
Don't forget your piano lesson is this afternoon so you must play
Don't shovel
Chew slowly
But hurry
The bus is here
Be careful
Come back here
Did you wash behind your ears?
Play outside, don't play rough, will you just play fair?
Be polite, make a friend, don't forget to share
Work it out, wait your turn, never take a dare
Get along! Don't make me come down there
Clean your room, fold your clothes, put your stuff away
Make your bed, do it now, do we have all day?
Were you born in a barn? Would you like some hay?
Can you even hear a word I say?
Answer the phone! Get off the phone!
Don't sit so close, turn it down, no texting at the table
No more computer time tonight!
Your iPod's my iPod if you don't listen up
Where are you going and with whom and what time do you think you're coming home?
Saying thank you, please, excuse me makes you welcome everywhere you roam
You'll appreciate my wisdom someday when you're older and you're grown
Can't wait till you have a couple little children of your own
You'll thank me for the counsel I gave you so willingly
But right now I thank you not to roll your eyes at me
Close your mouth when you chew, would appreciate
Take a bite maybe two of the stuff you hate
Use your fork, do not burp or I'll set you straight
Eat the food I put upon your plate
Get an A, get the door, don't get smart with me
Get a grip, get in here, I'll count to three
Get a job, get a life, get a PHD
Get a dose of,
"I don't care who started it!
You're grounded until you're 36"
Get your story straight and tell the truth for once, for heaven's sake
And if all your friends jumped off a cliff would you jump, too?
If I've said it once, I've said at least a thousand times before
That you're too old to act this way
It must be your father's DNA
Look at me when I am talking
Stand up straighter when you walk
A place for everything and everything must be in place
Stop crying or I'll give you something real to cry about
Oh!
Brush your teeth, wash your face, put your PJs on
Get in bed, get a hug, say a prayer with mom
Don't forget, I love you
And tomorrow we will do this all again because a mom's work never ends
You don't need the reason why
Because, because, because, because
I said so, I said so, I said so, I said so
I'm the mom, the mom, the mom, the mom, the mom!!
Ta da!!!

Just a Mom?!

Many of you have seen this before - but I just had to reprint it here. If you haven't read it before . . .

Enjoy!



JUST A MOM?

A woman, renewing her driver's license at the County Clerk 's office,
was asked by the woman recorder to state her occupation.

She hesitated, uncertain how to classify herself.

"What I mean is, " explained the recorder,
"do you have a job or are you just a ..?"

"Of course I have a job," snapped the woman.

"I'm a Mom."

"We don't list 'Mom' as an occupation, 'housewife' covers it," Said the recorder emphatically.


I forgot all about her story until one day I found myself in the same situation, this time at our own Town Hall. The Clerk was obviously a career woman, poised, efficient, and possessed of a high sounding title like, "Official Interrogator" or "Town Registrar."

"What is your occupation?" she probed.

What made me say it? I do not know. The words simply popped out. "I'm a Research Associate in the field of Child Development and Human Relations."

The clerk paused, ball-point pen frozen in mid air and looked up as though she had not heard right.

I repeated the title slowly emphasizing the most significant words. Then I stared with wonder as my pronouncement was written, in bold, black ink on the official questionnaire.

"Might I ask," said the clerk with new interest, "just what you do in your field?"

Coolly, without any trace of fluster in my voice, I heard myself reply,
"I have a continuing program of research, (what mother doesn't)
In the laboratory and in the field, (normally I would have said indoors and out).
I'm working for my Masters, (first the Lord and then the whole family)
and already have four credits (all daughters).
Of course, the job is one of the most demanding in the humanities, (any mother care to disagree?) and I often work 14 hours a day, (24 is more like it).
But the job is more challenging than most run-of-the-mill careers, and the rewards are more of a satisfaction rather than just money."

There was an increasing note of respect in the clerk's voice as she completed the form, stood up, and personally ushered me to the door.

As I drove into our driveway, buoyed up by my glamorous new career, I was greeted by my lab assistants -- ages 13, 7, and 3. Upstairs I could hear our new experimental model, (a 6 month old baby) in the child development program,
testing out a new vocal pattern. I felt I had scored a beat on bureaucracy! And I had gone on the official records as someone more distinguished and indispensable to mankind than "just another Mom."

Motherhood!
What a glorious career!
Especially when there's a title on the door.


Does this make grandmothers "Senior Research associates in the field of Child Development and Human Relations"
And great grandmothers "Executive Senior Research Associates?" I think so!!!
I also think it makes Aunts " Associate Research Assistants."