Volunteering

I just got home from volunteering in Mae's class. They had a Fun Fall Day. Her class and three others took turns going from class to class to do fun Fall Projects. I helped in her classroom making fall wreaths. Will came also. He just played around the classroom very well. It was so fun. It reminded me of my teaching days. I enjoyed conversing with the other teachers. I enjoyed helping the children with their craft. I enjoyed seeing all the finished products. I enjoyed seeing all of their sweet happy faces.

You want to know what I enjoyed the most?

--Being able to come home with the realization that I don't have to go back tomorrow!

I loved being a teacher, but boy does it wear you out!!

The Light

Last night I was watching my new favorite show, The Unit. It's this crazy military show about these guys who are special agents of some sort and their families that are having to live in the witness protection program. Anyway....last night's episode was a continuation of last week. One of the special agent's daughters was kidnapped. She is in the military as well. The show basically consisted of the agents rescuing this young woman. The mother of the young woman wanted to help, but couldn't because it could blow her cover. So, they sent this scientist woman to talk to her. She explained that some family members have this special bond that extends the physical realm. She compared it to the theory that some twins can actually feel each other's pain. So she asked the mom to go back through her memories of her daughter and find a time when they really connected, good or bad. She thought back to this time when the girl was young and the car broke down with just the mother and the little girl. They were in a bad neighborhood and a guy was trying to break the back window of the car. The Mom told the little girl that she was going to get out and talk to the man, then they were going to walk to the phone booth just down the street to call Daddy. She then told the little girl to lock the door and not to open it for anyone but her. The Mom then went to the back of the car, gave the man her purse and wedding ring, and then matter-of-factly told the man they were going to walk to the pay phone. The Mom then went to get the little girl out of the car and they both slowly walked to the pay phone. The Mom was confidently reminding her daughter that everything was going to be all right, just walk slowly to the light (of the phone booth), and to not look back. The young woman was rescued by her father and the agents and then the Mother got word immediately. She thanked the scientist woman and said she didn't know if it actually helped her daughter, but it helped her get her mind off the present situation. When the Mom was reunited with the daughter, the young woman said, "Mom I remembered what you always told me. I stayed strong and walked toward the light."

This crazy TV show reminded me of a time when I had to be super strong for my daughter when I didn't want to. I wanted someone else to take over and make things better, but only I could do it. Thank goodness with God's strength I was able to do it. When Mae was a baby my mother and I had to take her to see a doctor in another state. In order to get there in time we had to leave very early. It was still dark out and unbelievably foggy. The fog got thicker and denser the further we drove. I could not see a thing. We couldn't pull the car off the road because someone else could come along and hit us. I got so scared. All I wanted to do was curl up and let someone else take charge. Then we saw it. It was a faint small light. It was the tail light of an 18 wheeler up ahead. Mother and I prayed and followed that light. Those two tiny red tail lights were the only things we could see. God had given me the strength to go on by giving me a light to follow. The situation reminded me of all that I had to go through to get her help. I felt I had to be strong for her and to do anything in the world for her. I have told her this story and will again many times. I hope that she will remember it when she has to be strong for her own children one day.

Now, of course, I don't believe in these crazy powers, but I do believe that we give gifts to our children in our parenting and in our everyday life. God offers little miracles every day and if we share them they continue to give us and the ones we love around us the strength we need in those times when all we have to follow is a little light.

Monkey In The Mirror?

Will is growing up so fast. I know that I've already written about him and his talking, but I just have to comment on him again. It just seems like everyday he comes up with the funniest little things. I guess it's because the other two were so close in age. Or maybe it's just that I was a crazy woman back then with them being so close and little at the same time. I think possibly it is because I now have two other people at home with me to laugh in amazement at all the new accomplishments.

Just the other day we were out eating lunch at a Mexican restaurant. We had met Rusty there and had the best meal. We were seated at a large round booth and we let Will sit in the middle of us like a big boy. He did very well and ate his entire meal of chicken nuggets (yes, I know, we pretend they are fried Mexican style). When we were waiting on our check he decided to get up and walk around the booth (actually on the seat) and check things out. There was a mirror on the wall behind us. He kept looking at it checking himself out. We thought this was so funny. He then stood up, looked at himself, and then crouched down and came back up slowly peeking at his reflection making the most serious face I've ever seen. Complete with furrowed eyebrows. It was all I could do but laugh. That night we were watching a program on Animal Planet (John Russel's favorite channel) on Orangutans. It was talking about how smart these animals are. They did this test on one of them that consisted of looking in the mirror with a blob of blue paint on their heads. If they tried to wipe it off they knew it was their own reflection. They amazingly passed. The scientists went on to explain that human children will not know that they are looking at their own reflection until the age of three. I thought this was so interesting. It made me think of Will and him making that face in the mirror. Was he really thinking he was seeing some other cute little boy around the corner? How funny. So, of course, I had to do my own test. I made a mark on his cheek and took him to a mirror. He immediately tried to wipe it off. Well, I thought, either I have a gifted two year old, or those scientists were off on their theories!

Isn't it funny how we put so much emphasis on what "the experts" say we should or should not be doing that we lose focus of what we actually can do. I'm not saying to forget the milestone chart, but if you just relax and realize what is really important you will get more joy and laughter out of life. I think we all could learn something from Will and his gazes at his reflection: Let's all relax and have fun with that cute boy/girl in the mirror.

Mother's day Memories

OK, I admit it. I'm addicted to John and Kate Plus Eight. (For those of you who don't know my new friends, they are a couple who have eight kids and their own reality show on TLC) I don't know what it is about this show. Maybe it's the way the two parents communicate or the admiration I have of watching them raise all these children. Sadly, I think it's simply because I can relate to it. I know, I know, I only have 3 kids (all different ages) and they have a set of twins and sextuplets. What could I possibly have in common with them, you may ask. Well, ALOT. They go through so much just to get out of the door, they can't go anywhere without people turning to see who or what is coming, and the noise level in their home is always at about the same decibel level as a motorcycle starting up. Yes, I can relate to these people. I wish I had a nickel for how many times someone has said, "My! You have your hands full, Honey!"

Now, let me explain something about our new home town. There are quite a few of what the locals like to call "Snow Birds". They are senior citizens that either visit our call this area home. Many are very nice, but I believe a few have moved here to here not only to get away from the cold weather, but from the chaos caused by young children. Anytime we go anywhere I get the feeling that they would rather not have run into us. I've never received such nasty looks. So, every time we must venture out to the grocery store or Wal-Mart (One of the snow-bird's favorite haunts) I have the talk. You know what I mean. The one where I threaten then bribe and then venture in with enough snacks in my bag to satisfy an entire preschool only to have a meltdown by all three because I don't want to push the grocery cart with the car on it. This, all before we've even entered the store.

My children also have the most uncanny ways to embarrass me, like the time Mae asked Don, my stepfather, why he had a hole in his hair, or the time John Russel drew a picture of himself smoking a cigarette for his kindergarten teacher, or like how Will likes to wear underwear on his head even when the neighbors come over. Some of you may think this is funny, and I too chuckle a bit at these stories, but Oh, how they can embarrass me.

Then they do something so sweet and my heart just melts. Like yesterday on Mother's Day they all helped Rusty make me breakfast. They were so sweet bringing it to me. They were so excited. They brought cards that they had signed and Mae gave me the sweetest little gift. It was a picture of me and her that she had drawn and wrapped in a paper towel. She had one of her little hair bows pinned on top with my name written on the package. John Russel and Will just snuggled up to me and gave me the biggest hugs. We all sat in my bed while I ate breakfast. How wonderful! It's these moments that will last forever. They will shine in my memory, and I will treasure them always.

You don't have to have children to appreciate them. You can either enjoy another person's child or remember what it was like when you were a child. I think that's part of the problem. Many of these people either have forgotten what it was like to have young children or have forgotten what it was like to be a child. Jesus said in Mark 10:14 Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.

My Grandma Miller had 9 children. She wrote the most beautiful poem that is so appropriate for mother's day about the love she had for her children. She understood the importance of children and to treasure them.

Memories

By Emma Haywood Miller

If all the world turned 'gainst me

And my heart was stark and cold,

If all my friends grew distant

And my life grew lone and old,

My heart would yet find warmth

Through the darkness of the night

With thoughts of my dear ones

Pictured 'round the deep firelight.

Dear little children o'mine,

Truly the heart of my heart,

What do I care for the world,

What do I care for its part?

Dear little face in the shadow

Held up for the goodnight kiss,

Where are your worldly riches

To match the sweetness of this?

Keep your jewels so precious,

Hide them in vaults airtight,

But leave unlocked my memories

Of my children framed in the light.

This Mother's Day I'm reminded to treasure the memories of my children good and bad. I'm so blessed to have them in my life and so glad that they can bless others--even in the grocery store!