I find myself getting stuck on fun, creative titles.....I blame this on my incredibly creative friends and family who have great blogging practices. I am tired of thinking about that part of it, so maybe no title. IF there is a title by the time I post this, I thought of one!
WOW it has been a while since I have blogged..... I have learned something about myself. I do love journaling, and I find so much inspiration and I relate to so many blogs that I read. I once stated that blogging is therapeutic. Being able to say whatever I want and be honest, without having to actually tell the story to a face. I have learned that being open about the struggles of parenting is easy for me. I welcome the advice and I love having private messages sent from people that relate to our family and appreciate the encouragement. Being a parent, faults and strengths, is afterall who I am most of the time. It is just that time in my life..... Helping my children grow to be independent adults, making wise choices, choosing friends wisely, having an unwavering faith in a God who gives grace freely when we actually don't make the best choices. Those are the monuments in my life right now..... Being the parent that I am called to be. SO, my amazing children have my attention and devotions.... sometimes to a fault. A fault? Welllll, I sometimes let my heart (and mouth) over power what my mind knows is the best thing.... A friend recently put on FB "Situations that involve my kids, involve me" The Mama Lion instinct in me roars a little too quickly sometimes. We all want for our kids the best and biggest.... not necessarily a bad thing.... only sometimes it is. Especially when emotions take over.
We have had an amazing Summer and early Fall..... After our super fun vacations, we geared up for school. I am in disbelief most of the time that I now have a 5th grader. 3rd grade and Kindergarten doesn't sound too bad, but when I consider that this is the LAST year of elementary school for Madison, I have to take deep breaths..... over and over again. I remember A LOT about my year at IA Lewis 6th grade school, and very little had anything to do with academics. I remember noticing fashion and what was in or out..... I was in a "friendship club" ..... I remember thinking about going to dances and it becoming a fun thing for people to have dances at their house. All of the Ruston elementary schools coming together, meeting SO many new people. The bubble I lived in was beginnging to expand. I remember activities were surfacing..... who was cheerleader or in the band or the basketball team. This was the year I decided I would be a fabulous Saxophonist.... That didn't work out quite like I planned. We changed classes and had lockers..... SO many new responsibilties. It wasn't all good.... I remember my new glasses were MUCH thicker than the year before, and I remember someone asking me once if my mom made my blue jean skirt.... I really chuckle about that at this moment and in these aspects LOVE that I am a rational adult and realize that 6th grade was not defined by that moment.... BUT at the time, I NEVER wore that particular mini skirt again. Too bad, digital cameras were not around back then, I would really like to insert pics of that extremely awkward year for me...... ha!
I think one of the disadvantages of raising your children in the same place you were raised, is all of the preconceived notions of what life will be like.... wanting to change what went wrong, wanting to make the great things even greater. An example??? Remember those THICK glasses I referred to? I let Madison get contacts in 4th grade!! Not only did I let Madison get contacts, but I may or may not have told the dr who thought she was too young that I would find someone that would give them to her. :) I promise it was the absolute nicest way possible..... and then he prescribed them :) Were the contacts for me or her? I can list lots of reasons she needed them.... mainly dance, but if you had seen my last pair of glasses in 6th grade, you may understand why I allowed my 4th grader to get contacts..... Once again, SO glad that I can see as an adult that life was not defined by that moment, but those glasses were terrible! :)
Why don't I worry about these issues with my boys? It is peculiar to me that I have a more natural confidence in "trying issus" with boys. Don't get me wrong..... there are all kinds of issues..... what to play, how much is too much, football, baseball, coach or not to coach, travel ball and who's on what team, who's NOT on what team, motivating with out provoking....we are constantly teaching them about what it means to be a "Modern Day Knight" That is actually a MUST READ book for parents of boys.... It is actually geared for dads but moms need to read it, too. The title is Raising a Modern Day Knight. Boys just don't seem to get jumbled up in the same JUNK that girls do. One of my biggest struggles as a parent is to learn how to not get wrapped up in things that Micah and Jon Robert are totally oblivious to because they are BOYS! Oh how I LOVE boys!! I must also say that Madison is WAY less interested in all of these things I am referring to than the average girl...... I have no doubt that she wouldn't care one bit if someone asked her if I made her skirt. She would look at them and say,"No." and move on.... she may even laugh and ask if they knew her mom..... because that is clearly not possible. :) She has never ONCE gotten drawn into all the drama that I hear about from some parents, she is just a laid back girl. And I pray that she stays that way! They are such great kids..... I seriously need to just let go of things that will all work itself out....or I need very high powered medication..... I do realize I worry WAY too much about things that will naturally work themselves out.
I appreciate FB for many things....... I have several friends who just inspire me with their status updates. Social networking has its FAULTS.... WOW at the faults, actually WOW at the people who use it for negativity.... I find myself feeling immature/ BEING immature (ha!) sometimes with some of my reactions to FB. I think we all do that. But then I step back and just take it for the little that it is worth and KNOW that my one on one relationships, except all of my dear friends I can't see when I want to because they live away from me, are more important. ANYWAY, (Gosh I feel like I am rambling) I just read a status (because I took a break from typing this) that says something like "Be in the moment, not react to the moment." People that say things at just the right moment, which this precious friend usually does, are inspirational. It totally changed where I was going with this post. Jaime Turner, and I almost put Jaime Callendar! :) YOU are an amazing person and friend.
So, where I was going? I am sure that statement sparked curiosity..... That may or may not also mean sparked nosy-ness! :) No worries, I would totally be curious, too. In a nutshell, I have been so hurt lately. I have dealt over the last few months with things that I NEVER imagined I would in my adult life. I thought that this post would turn from pointing out that it is easier for me to blog about kids than my own person struggles to actually sharing some of my own hurts and how I am struggling getting over them..... Because that is absolutely the case. However, I don't want to react.... I want to live in this moment and do what it important. LET.IT.GO. And know what matters Here's what is important.... here's what I want my life to show my kids.... Here's what I want my children to grow up valuing..... THIS is what I value and THIS is what I want my life to be.
Play hard, play sweet, play fair...... when you mess up, because you will, say your sorry, try to make it right.... Not everyone has the same opinions, not everyone is going to like the same things..... ALL people deserve kindness, making sure no one feels left out and everyone feels welcome is a quality that will ALWAYS make new friends.... This is not something that stops mattering when you are a grown up.... When someone hurts you, be willing to forgive, when you hurt someone, be willing to make it right..... Remember that the only unconditional love comes from Christ, it isn't possible for people to not have conditions..... Lastly, when things fall apart.... whether it be friends, finances, relationships, WHATEVER the situation may be, you must evaluate the situation and fall back on what is true and right... start from scratch everyday. And ALWAYS remember it is easier to start from scratch everyday when you trust and believe that God is bigger than any situation and that joy comes from Him. "Perseverance must finish its work so that we may be mature and complete, not lacking in anything." Keep pushing, keep going.....
How about that inspiration for the day???? :)
