Heeeyyyy Miiiisssttteeerrr Wiiiiilllllsssoonnn!

Over the course of the past week, I've gotten 3 calls from Riley's teacher about his behavior, have had to track him down in the neighborhood after he left the yard twice, have had to threaten physical punishment for dumping out drinks in the t-ball dugout, and have had about 10 "Come to Jesus" conversations. It's not that he doesn't know what to do, and what not to do. He understands the expectations perfectly. He just wants to do what he wants to do, regardless of the consequences.

After Riley's final t-ball game last night, we were driving to Wal-Mart to pick up a few things we needed. On the way there, I turned back to see why Riley was so quiet, and much to my horror, Riley has a paperclip, tied to the end of a piece of fishing line, swinging it around like a lasso. It was in that moment that I realized I'm raising Dennis the Menace. At least Dennis the Menace loved his mom right??

That...Determined...Face

A friend shot this picture of Riley at his last Tee-Ball game. I love it.

I'm There

You know that commercial for a financial planning company where there's a red dot, and each person is passing through a certain stage in their life? There's a guy getting married, and the overhead voice says, "Where the brown futon can't come along," and the groom says, "I'm there," while standing on the red dot. Then there's a couple having their first baby... and so on.

Well I'm at this place where I've found things which once meant so much to me, are totally useless now. I'm where some people's opinion would have been really hurtful, just doesn't affect me. And as weird as that sounds, I'm totally happy about it... Where's my red dot?

Can you handle it?

I totally think that's true. But I think people use it in the wrong way. When someone's going through a storm of horrible things in their life, it's inevitable that a friend will throw out the "God never gives you more than you can handle," statement. And nothing could be more true. God never GIVES you more than you can handle. But sometimes, as humans, don't we CHOOSE to take on more than we can handle, and that's when we feel broken? I think friends should be saying, "God would never want you to handle all of this. He would want you to turn to him. So maybe you should evaluate the problems in your life, and give up the situations that you made the bad choice to take on, and rely on God to fix it." Am I way off base? I know this is a little deeper than my usual posts, but sometimes a saying really makes me think :o).

This post is in now way related to any situations in my life. I am actually very happy with our current situations. I am about to start classes again on Tuesday, while still working full time, and raising the kids (which includes extracurricular activities). Also, Carl leaves for Iraq in July, so I'll be managing all of this on my own for 6 months... But I think those who know me best, know that I will need encouragement, but will be fine. Thanks for hearing my rant!

My Blessings

When I was younger (before 20 obviously) I said I never wanted children, and really, I didn't. Then I had Riley, and that changed. Then I had Grace, and more love. Then Asher, and my heart grew again. I can't imagine my life without my children now. They are my life. They make my life incredibly challenging, unbearably enjoyable (like that feeling when you ride an roller-coaster and you hit the first drop), and indescribably sweet. I learn something new from them everyday, and find new perspectives that enrich my life just when I least expect it. Children are a testament to God's grace in our lives. On this Mother's Day, I am thankful for my children as individuals, without whom, I would be a sub-par human being, much less a mother.

Peanut Butter Jelly with a BASEBALL BAT

Riley's kindergarten class is hosting a "Mother's Day Tea Party" today. The kids will be making lunch for us: PB&J. I will take a moment to allow you to watch his favorite Peanut Butter and Jelly song, courtesy of Family Guy.



When Riley came home from school yesterday, he spewed a barrage of questions at me. "Mom, do you like peanut butter and jelly? With crust? Without crust? Lots of peanut butter? Lots of jelly? A little peanut butter? A little jelly? No peanut butter? Or no jelly? Normal peanut butter? Normal jelly?" He asks me this, all in one breath. Then, with the gleam of sophistication and accomplishment in his eye, he says, "Mom, I'm going to use a plastic knife. I'm not even nervous."

His random stream of peanut butter questions reminded me of the shrimp scene from Forest Gump.



Those two scenes sum up my afternoon yesterday...

I'll Fly Away...

Yesterday I drove Grace to Roseville for a haircut. At a stop light, she noticed a little flock of birds taking off from a telephone wire. She got SO excited, and said, "Mommy!!!! Look at the biiiiiirds!!!!" She sat there watching them for a minute, then a silence fell over her, and her expression turned blank as we drove off. "Mommy," she said, "I want to be a bird. Why didn't you make me a bird?" So I tried to explain to her that God chose her to be a person, and that people can do lots of nice things for birds, but that I had no control over whether she became a bird or a human, because I am only capable of producing humans, with God's permission. She became very angry, and today, has still decided that she want's to be a bird. Riley has tried to set her straight, but he also has failed. Maybe I should have named her Robin.