Mothers

I love my mom - she has passed on her love of bacon....

My mom filching a piece of bacon BEFORE breakfast!

She is incredibly talented with all things involving sewing.....

My mom and the wall hanging she made me with the fabric scraps left from outfits she has made for the princess.

She is the best grandmother my children could ask for!

Grandma and their Royal Highnesses on Christmas morning.

Most importantly, she and my father set an example of how a couple should love each other.

My parents - admiring their grandchildren playing on a hill in Colorado.

Happy Mother's Day, Mom! You are a blessing every day, and I love you bunches!

Yes, You Guessed It (plus something different)

What a week it has been! Between the Prince having a hard time, and Patient Husband becoming impatient with the dandelions that have exploded in our yard, and birds building nests in our gutters and porch lights, it was not easy for me to look for little blessings. However, then yesterday occurred.

It started off with lunch with my friend W from church. She is a split mom - two children in college, and two children in elementary school. So she has been through my situation and is going through my situation. It was a wonderful lunch, with yummy french fries (so much for eating healthy), crispy chicken tenders (the best I have tasted), plenty of Diet Coke, and interesting conversation. Conversation that had nothing to do with dandelions, birds nests, leaking gutters, or why I am the worst mom in the world.

Follow that with a conversation with my big sister (who is exactly 3 years, 10 months OLDER than me!), who can always lift my spirits. While I may have pulled a prank or two on her when we were younger (nothing major, mind you), she is my best friend now. I just love her! Said conversation also had nothing to do with dandelions, birds nests, leaking gutters, or why I am the worst mom in the world.

And to top it all off, my two children decided that I wasn't the worst mother in the world, and we spent an hour before bedtime singing silly songs, trying to teach the Princess how to roll her "rr"s in Spanish, and laughing over her pronunciation of words in the Prince's Spanish book. Followed by their wanting me to ask them topic questions in math, spanish, science, and social studies, FOR FUN! It was sooo much fun listening to the Princess mispronounce words and the Prince laughing and trying to get her to say them correctly. But by the end of the evening, she had "Como te llamas" down pat! And there was no conversation about, you guessed it, dandelions, birds nests, leaking gutters, or why I am the worst mom in the world.

So, while it was a hard week, I can say that I made it through and was rewarded with a day of blessings!

Yes, It's About the Children, Again

In the short time I've been blogging, most of these posts have been about my children. Well, you lucky two readers, so is this one! It is just that being a mom is the best job EVER, and even though they do try my patience, my children just fill my heart.

Last night, the princess asked me, "Mom, remember you told me to tell you when someone tells me something and says don't tell anybody?" (We've always told the children this to protect them, that if someone should tell them something and say don't tell your parents, many times they DO need to tell their parents.) Well, it turns out a friend of hers now has a boyfriend, and her parents don't know. But it just warmed my heart that my daughter trusted me enough to tell me, that I haven't totally messed up as a mom. I just pray that she always feels that way, although I am prepared for the worst!

To top it off, my big guy came home after orientation/mobility, and his vision teacher told me that he had invited her to dinner. Now this may not seem like a big deal, but he has fought his teacher tooth and nail this year, as he does not want to be blind, doesn't want to use the tools designed for the blind, and thinks she is unfair when she insists that he use those tools. But he has matured enough to get past that, and is realizing that his teacher only wants the best for him. This is a big deal for him, and I am so proud. And his teacher was touched beyond belief that he made that step.

A picture to make you smile - can you guess how many grapes are inside her mouth?!



I may survive motherhood yet!

Fishing is Fun, Really!

As anyone who knows me will tell you, worms and I do not get along. So what was I doing near a fish you ask? Why, I will happily tell you - the children and I went fishing with my dad and grandpa this weekend. And my 93 year old grandpa put us all to shame!

The children heard their grandpa and grandpa-great talking about fishing, and insisted they should go fishing too - there went my plans for a relaxing Saturday! Needless to say, my dad needed me to go along, as Grandpa would need a little help - not that I am much help, seeing as I flat out REFUSE to bait the hook or remove a fish! (I had a secret weapon, though - my grandpa said he would do it for me if my dad wouldn't!) So out we trekked to Mr. Lenz's pond for an afternoon of fishing.

Before my dad could cast his own line, the princess caught a fish almost as soon as her line was in the water. Here comes her grandpa to take that fish off the hook - then, he went back to bait and cast his own line, yet oops! Princess catches another fish! Now, a considerate daughter would attempt to remove the fish for her daughter herself - but I have not been called a brat for nothing!

As much trepidation as I had for getting dirty and touching slimy things, we had the most fun that afternoon as we've had in a long time. Not only were we able to spend time with two of my most favorite people, but the children learned how to cast their own lines - and are quite good at it too. When the fish stopped biting, we sang our fish songs - and wouldn't you know, the princess caught another fish after we finished singing! The big guy was able to spend time with his grandpa teaching him the proper 'jerk and reel in' method for catching a fish, and I was able to watch my grandpa spend the afternoon doing something he just loves doing.

The sweetest moment for me was watching my grandpa casting out for the big bass that kept eluding them all afternoon, who actually jumped off my dad's hook, while my dad was packing up everything else. While my dad put up all the other poles, put the caught fish in the bucket, packed away the fishing tackle, my grandpa kept casting out. At 93 yrs. old, my grandpa still sets the wonderful example of how to keep trying. It was a long afternoon for him, but I just loved watching him fish, and I loved watching my dad in the role of being a son. There is something about watching my own dad be the child (albeit the grown-up child) that was touching - I could see where my dad became such a good father - he had a very good role model.

May they both keep fishing, and may I be around to spend more Saturday afternoons touching mud and muck. Maybe next time I'll even bait a hook! (You're right - that won't happen!)

I Am the Mother of a Virtuoso

Think the title of this post is a bit much?! Perhaps, but I am just so proud of my girl.


Tonight was her last orchestra concert that I will be able to attend - the Fine Arts Festival happens when I am out of town. But I was just so proud to see how much she has improved her bowing and playing since the beginning of the year.

What I am most proud of is that she has stuck to violin playing for two years now. She practices with a minimum of fuss, and even gets up super early two days a week to play in the Fiddlers group - just for fun. She definitely didn't inherit her joy in playing from her mother - who gave up the violin after just a few months!

What is so funny about all this is that I have never liked classical music. Growing up, my parents would play it in the car and I would constantly complain about it. Even now, I ask my mom to turn it off! But there is something about hearing a sixth grade orchestra playing, especially a sixth grade orchestra that has the most precious 11-yr old girl playing violin, and it is the sweetest music ever heard.

So this is my blessing for today - the joy of hearing music, even classical music, from the violin of my precious girl.

I Didn't Really Want An Answer!

I've been thinking quite a bit recently about how God answers our prayers. How many times have I prayed that I would be a better mother to my children? More times than could be counted on the fingers and toes in our household (to include the pets as well!). However, when a situation doesn't seem to improve, or the children still are sassing (surely they don't take after me when I was a child), it seems that God has not answered those prayers, as my parenting didn't seem to eliminate those problems.

But it finally occurred to me that God had answered those prayers. He is giving me more situations to practice my patience, my understanding, my calmness (which, if I were to be honest, doesn't really exist). Those situations where I just want to run away from home are designed for me to improve my parenting. How can a mother improve how she interacts with her children if the children are perfect angels, no sassing?

So I am trying to remember that God has listened to my prayers about being a better mother. When there are parents who are fighting to keep their child with them from sickness (MyCharmingKids.net), I have two children that are healthy enough to sass. Those two are my everyday blessings.

Just remind me I feel this way about them the next time I am labelled the worst mother on earth!

Searching for Blessings

Lately I've realized that I spend too much time being complacent. I either am complaining about being tired, my children talking back, my husband not being home enough, or some other event/person that is irritating me. How much negativity can one person expend?! In my case, too much. Hopefully, with this blog I will be able to find my everyday blessings, no matter how small.

This happened yesterday, but I think it can count for today: my son decided he was feeling out of sorts at school, so he decided to go to the library and read the Bible online at lunchtime. Not only that, he downloaded the Ten Commandments to read at home later! (My son is blind, and uses a computer program to read documents online.) So many times lately we have argued over the appropriateness of music, shows, etc. - to have him read the Bible on his own is today's blessing!