March 13, 2009
Wow, I can't believe it is Friday already. This week has flown by. Lets start with:
Sunday: Taught 4 year old Sunday School (which my son is in), Taught Children's Church (which both boys are in) hosted our Deacon Family potluck. So I had enough excitement to knock me out for the rest of the week but I had to pull up my sleeves as my week was just getting started on
Monday: Big daddy had duty, so I was going to be a single parent for 2 days. No fun especially when you are use to help. So I was determined to get these kids out of the house and exercise!! This meant walking to the library in a light drizzle which turned into a down pour once we got to the library. (Thank You Lord for showing me compassion) Thankfully a sweet new friend I've made was there and gave us a ride home. We had a move night and I let the kids stay up till almost 11, hoping they would sleep in but on
Tuesday: CJ, my youngest was up at 630am. This was a bit stressful cause I still had to get ready for our play date that morning and was looking for a sewing pattern. Another dear friend, who will be moving soon, was going to help me figure out this pattern but I couldn't find it. Fast forward an hour, I'm still working on getting things ready the boys are waking up so I pass the kids off to the T.V. I get everything done and have about 30 minutes to get them ready and fed and that is when the drama begins. No one wants to turn off the T.V., no one is hungry, no one can find their shoes. Okay so I'm almost boiling at this point, but don't take it out on the kids cause I'm the one who brought the whole situation on myself but come up with a very drastic solution. Lock up the T.V. and unplug the computer. We are late for the play date, the food court is under maintenance and is closed so we head to the Spot. Turns out to be a blessing as my new sweet friend is there with her kids and we all play together. I get sun burned, invite them over for dinner, all it good. Oh yeah, Big Daddy is at home sleeping recovering from his 24 hour duty and half day at work as he has a Deacon's meeting to attend tonight as well. We end up having a great night, dinner turned out wonderful, kids were tired from a whole day of playing and I get them in bed by 830pm and its lights out for me, Big Daddy still isn't home.
Wednesday: we wait around for maintenance to bring a new washing machine, that's another post in its self. Have dinner and finally see Big Daddy for about 30 minutes. Kids and I head out to get out of the house around 1ish and we don't get back till 430. I hadn't brought my watch, yikes. Normally no big deal but we should be leaving for AWANA at 445, I still need to fix dinner for Big Daddy as he is working late and wont be at AWANA tonight, feed the kids get the van loaded and go, go, go. We don't even leave the house till 5, I forget crafts have to go back upstairs to get them, run through the drive thru for dinner and speed down the expressway to church. I've got a headache and endure a night of Cubbies. They were great but the headache wasn't. Thankful I found that pattern I was looking for and we get home around 9ish and have the kids in bed by 10ish.
Thursday: still no T.V. (well they did get to watch it twice for 30 minutes as I needed to take a shower.) NO video games and NO computer!!!!! Go down to the park and play till noon. Come home, eat lunch that was warming in the oven, get CJ down for her nap, work on school, and let the boys watch T.V. so I can get some work done on the computer. Get CJ up at 3, T.V. is locked back up and we head out the door to go vacuum out the van, the kids got their gum balls, and I picked up some milk and extra items at the Commissary. Back home to work on dinner, burned my meatballs, had a play date with my sweet friend from about 6 to 745ish. (Her hubby is gone) did quick baths for the kids and got them in bed by 9ish. I myself am sooo tired and know that Big Daddy thinks I'm mad at him. I'm not, just worn out and well you know what talking can lead to and I'm just not in the mood this week. And so this brings me to
Friday: I'm up at 445 cause I woke up and figured no need to go back to sleep for 15 minutes and I have this long post to write anyway. We are going to the loop t loop park, that is what JJ calls it with my sweet friend and her boys this morning. So I still have to pack lunches, make those meatballs again as I'm taking a friend dinner because she is moving to a different house tonight. I also still need to do my notes for Children's Church on Sunday and finish up our school week.
As you can tell I am busy busy busy. This week wouldn't have been so bad but any down time I had I've had to use to get things done for stuff outside my home. And there laid the problem which God has been working out in me since last September. There are things I know I need to do, want to do but can't because I just don't have the time. I need to exercise, I need to start back in my Bible Study, I need not be so busy but I'm doing all these things I can do which doesn't leave me much time for anything else. So although these things I can do aren't complete time consumers, because of them I'm busy all the time. So last week after much prayer (meaning I've been in prayer about this for over a month and already had my answer, I've just been arguing with God over it this whole time) I decided enough is enough. I called the Pre-K director and let her know that after May I would no longer be able to teach the 4 year olds and she would need to find a new teacher, after this year of AWANA is up, I will not be a leader next year as I am taking the year off to spend with CJ before she starts the year after. (The boys will still go, they will just go with Big Daddy). I called our VBS director and let her know that if anyone else wanted to lead the Pre-K program this year please let them. If she couldn't find anyone to do it, I would (because I had already given my word that I would) but I felt like God was asking me to step out of alot of ministries so I could focus on my most important one MY FAMILY. We are buying a curriculum for next year so I will not have to plan any lessons, and we are taking the summer off!!!!!
I have cast aside the "I Can Do It All" cape and have begun to prayerfully consider what God wants me to do. My husband and I are hoping to do a Love and Respect small group study with our Deacon Families but that wont be possible till after May, I see that now. And so I have to rest in God's timing and follow Him in obedience as I continue on this path to having a heart for home. Being at home isn't always a choice I have woken up to and said yeah, I get to stay home with all three kids all day long, void of adult conversation, clean, cook, clean, change diapers, listen to a bunch of whining, and if I'm lucky have a few good moments in there with my kids. But God has given me a glimpse of what is in store and that has motivated me enough to stick this through. I've always said, I've not stayed home because I wanted to but because this is God's will for my life. I've not always liked that idea but I've continued in obedience even when my heart wasn't always willing. Homeschooling is God's will for our lives and year by year we seek his wisdom in this decision, never assuming that there will be another year. But in my heart of hearts I am very thankful and have been blessed to have all my children home with me this long and very thankful for another year to enjoy them and get to know them better. Because even on the worst of days; it was hard to imagine a day without all my children home with me. I know things will be different this year because my heart is really in it. For my children, for my family, for myself. God has grown such a deep desire to be at home and school my own children that things will be different this time around. I know that we will still face many of the same problems but I have a hunch with my new found attitude, it will be a different journey all together.
I suggest if you find it hard to exercise daily, fit in a bible study weekly and can't find time each day to to read your bible and pray, you may be on the same life raft that I was on. I recommend you take all these things to the Lord and ask Him what you need to give up so that you can grab hold of His life line and hang on as He pulls you up out of the storm of a busy life into the safety in His Will for you.
I have been so busy this week, just in case you skipped the above L-O-N-G post, so I didn't visit too much this week. I'm still busy catching up on replying to comments. Hoping to get that done this weekend. However I was able to find two places worth mentioning. Hope you enjoy
No Time For Flash Cards (great things to do with your kids)
Cute and Quick Baby Gifts (need an idea for something to make for that baby shower, here are 11 to chose from)
Dear Father, thank You for again encouraging me as I walk this path You have set before me. This is the very scripture that softened our hearts to homeschooling:
6:5-9 Love God, your God, with your whole heart: love him with all that's in you, love him with all you've got! Write these commandments that I've given you today on your hearts. Get them inside of you and then get them inside your children. Talk about them wherever you are, sitting at home or walking in the street; talk about them from the time you get up in the morning to when you fall into bed at night. Tie them on your hands and foreheads as a reminder; inscribe them on the doorposts of your homes and on your city gates. How blessed I am that Your Word is Living and daily renews me and helps set my feet upon the path which you have marked out for me. May we continue to desire Your Will for our lives and face the discomfort of being refined by You daily. In Jesus Name we pray, amen
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