A Mother's Prayer

My girls are visiting their grandparents this week.  It is a nice reprieve from parenting and it is especially timely as I am going to be starting working full-time in just a few weeks.  One of our goals this week is to get the house cleaned up and put back in order which can be a daunting task with kids running around!

As I was cleaning the kitchen yesterday, my gaze fell to the windowsill over the sink.  There sat a little framed poem that I have had for many, many years.  My Aunt Sharon gave it to me when Anna was a little tiny thing.  It had sat in her windowsill while her children were young.

It is looking a little rough, but it has been in the windowsill of two mother's, five children, four states, twelve homes....it is precious.  It has served its purpose of reminding of my most important responsibility.  I will pass it along to another young mother when it is time.

Here is what is says:

A Mother's Prayer

God, give me the wisdom to see that today is my day with my children,

That there is no unimportant moment in their lives.

May I know no other career is as precious,

No other work so rewarding,

No other task so urgent.

May I not defer it nor neglect it,

But by thy Spirit accept it gladly, joyously, and by thy grace realize

That the time is short and my time is now,

For children won't wait!

written by Helen M. Young

Just a few years ago....

"It's going to be a GREAT day!"

To say that Abby loves fried eggs would be an understatement.  She would eat them at every meal, every day.  It's a good thing that she is as active as she is or she would be in big trouble!  It is not uncommon for her to eat 3 fried eggs for breakfast come home from school and ask for more eggs for her snack.  We joke about "cutting her off" from her eggs. 

So this morning, for whatever reason, everyone was moving a bit slow.  I told Abby that I would fry her some eggs for breakfast.  She asked if she could have some jelly toast with them.  I told her that I could do that.  She jumped out of bed and exclaimed, "It's going to be a GREAT day!"

How can you not want to take the time to fix a kid eggs when it means that much to her??  Even though it made me skip washing my hair...I made her eggs and toast.

I am pretty sure fixing breakfasts like these on a busy work day morning should at least get me a vote for Mom of the Year!

She's a happy girl!

Entrepreneur Fair

Tonight was the Entrepreneur Fair at the elementary school.  The 5th graders had to come up with a product, slogan, advertising campaign and then sale it.  Abby chose to make sno-cones and her friend made hair bows.  It was a great night full of fun and lots of energy!

They sold 51 sno-cones and 23 hair bows.  They learned what if felt like to serve customers and have a "rush."  They didn't just sale things.  They had to sample the wares of their friends.  Pop-corn balls, brownies, cup-cakes, pop-sickles, and bacon kabobs....yes....bacon kabobs...were enjoyed.  The thing was the most exciting for Abby was the hair dyeing booth.

She chose to have a section of her hair dyed blue  to get ready for the upcoming soccer tournament. Here is what it looked like after it had dried.

So, although it was a LONG day and it was hot and loud, the girls left happy and feeling good about themselves.  What more could you ask for??

Tree climbing mishaps

Abby is an incredible tree-climber.  She loves to climb absolutely as high as she can and give me a heart attack in the process.  She has climbed trees since she was able to reach the lowest branch.  As a little one, she would often climb up so high that she would freak out and not be able to get herself down.  Anna would run inside in a panic and Aaron would have to go outside and get her out of the tree.

As she has gotten older, she continues to climb higher and higher.  This past week, she discovered a new tree just down from our house that is a perfect climbing tree.  She has made it into her little "clubhouse" and often sits and reads up there.

She convinced Anna to come and climb the tree with her.  Anna made it up the tree just fine...coming down was another matter.  She swung off the final branch and as her feet hit the ground they flew up and she promptly landed on her backside.  While trying to catch herself, she managed to hurt her shoulder.

So....we ended up in the emergency room on Sunday afternoon.  The good news is that the collarbone is not broken....the bad news is that they put her in a sling anyway...

The doctor told her she needs more practice climbing trees.  I think he just wants more business!

The Adventures of a Soccer Tournament--Part I

We are finishing up the first day of a two day 3V3 soccer tournament.  This type of soccer is fast paced with lots of scoring.    Preparation for the tournament started yesterday.  We packed bags, tents, coolers, blankets and pillows on Friday night so that we could pull out at 5:00 AM on Saturday morning and drive to Cincinnati, OH.

Here's a glimpse of what Abby packed in her soccer bag

We arrived at the field about 8:00 ready for a full day of soccer. 

These tournaments are great for the on-the-field advancement but one of the great benefits is the team bonding that takes place. 

I feel blessed to be part of a great group of girls, parents, and coaches. 

More tomorrow!

Let us run....

"Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us" Hebrews 12:1b

I don't run. There are a few occasions that I might run:

1. I was being chased by a ferocious animal or someone who was big and scary
2. My children were hurt or about to be in danger

That's about it. Not a big fan of sweating.

It is for these reasons that I have been and am thoroughly impressed with those athletes that choose the sport of Cross Country Running.

I was thoroughly pleased when my oldest daughter decided that she wanted to try the cross country team when she started middle school. I figured that she needed a little discipline and this was just the sport to get her that.

It has been a tough season for her so far. She wrecked her bike on the team bike ride and ended up in the emergency room (she's fine just lots of bruising and a sprained wrist). She has finished last on her team in every race.

But, she is loving it. She has already met one of her goals. She has decreased her time each and every race. She has found a place to belong which is so very important in middle school. She has done all of this and stayed true to who she is...she runs every race with a beautiful, girly bow in hair.

 Yesterday, I was lucky enough to get to go to one of her meets. If you have never been to a cross country meet, you have to understand that it is not exactly a great spectator sport. There is not a lot to see at a meet unless you run around to different parts of the course which I do not do (see the beginning of this post.) Pretty much parents scream like crazy at the beginning of the race while the runners are still within earshot and then stand around and talk until the first runner comes back into sight at which point screaming and cheering take place again.

I was standing at the finish line anxiously waiting for my daughter to appear at the top of the hill. Many runners have already come through and I have enthusiastically applauded and cheered them on to the finish while looking for my sweet Anna the whole time. All of the sudden, there she is topping the last little hill and has the finish line in sight.

I begin cheering as if my life depends on it. She is the last of our girls to come to the finish line and she is digging hard to pass the girl that is in front of her. She is exhausted and is running as hard as she can with a great look of determination on her face. She has set a goal to finish every race as strong and as fast as she can. That is what I am yelling for her, "Finish strong, Anna! Finish strong!"

Cross Country is not about winning and losing. It is not about first or last place. It is not about the runners around you. It is about overcoming your own hurdles; defeating self-doubt; pushing yourself harder each and every race. It is about getting better and persevering.

She is learning that and I am re-learning important life lessons.

She passes me and I keep yelling. I am caught off guard by the swelling of emotions within me and of the tears forming in my eyes. I have never been prouder of her in my life.