Don't some mothers eat their young

I am the proud mother of 4 delightful, beautiful, entertaining and truly exceptional kids. They are very enjoyable people to spend time with and it is so exciting to see them mature and develop their individual personalities. There are many days(about 90%) that I sit back and marvel at their uniqueness. Sometimes I wonder how 4 people from the same family can be so different and so the same all at the one time. I grew up a only child and so this is all very facinating to me.

I said many days I will marvel these things...well the other 10% I truly wonder how in the world I could have been a part of bringing these defiant, disobediant, self- centered creatures into this world. If there are any of you out there that have no inkling of what Iam talking about then you are probably not a parent. And if you are, then I don't wnat to hear about it!
There are days when all they do is fight and argue back and forth for really no reason at all. As I can see it, this is done just for the sake of fighting and argueing. Once again I will remind you that as an only child, I don't get it! They will disobey their mother and be disrespectful. They are proffesionals at manipulation and try regularly to pull the wool over their mother's eyes. As I sit here and think about it I am amazed that if this is only 10% how come it exhausts me so?

When I was pregnant with my first baby(she is now 16) my mother would tease me and say to me "I hope that you have child that will be just like you". She thought that somehow raising me was a challenge and wanted me to experience some of the things that I put her through I would laugh at her then and remind her that I was and explary child and that she had nothing to complain about. I really think that she had no clue as to how hard it could have been. Now after the years have gone by, and there are 4 kids all together, Mom has since apologized for wishing that upon me. She stands back and thanks her lucky stars that she only had one child. Now mom, all I have to say to you is, I understand why some creatures eat their young!

Sweet Sixteen

This weekend my oldest of 4 children turned 16. It was a fairly significant day in her still young life, as I am sure it was a fairly big day for most of you. That is if you can remember that long ago. (that is for you Lance) For most of us 16 meant that we could finally drive the car without our white knuckled mother sitting in the passenger seat screaming at us to slow down for the corners. It may have meant that we were finally allowed to date...with our parent actually knowing about it. (Although this is not the case for my daughter as she will have to be at least 25 until I will agree to dating.) And of course it meant that we would only have to endure living at home for 2 more years until we could move away from the parental units. (this too will be much later for my daughter)
Ok, as I sit here and think about it, I really think that her turning 16 is way more significant for me, her "very young" mother, than it is for her. It is a trip down memory lane as I turn the pages in her baby book and remember the many milestones both she and I passed together. It is a very firm reminder that the major part of my contribution to her young life is coming to an end as in 2 years (or much longer) she will be expected to venture out on her own. Have I taught her all that she will need to make good decisions and survive a life seperate from her mommy? But most of all I am brought face to face with my shortcoming as her mother. Not the sort of shortcomings that involve guilt. (I am sure that is something that all of you mothers out there can identify with.) I am talking about the sort of shortcoming that reminds me that I am only human and without the grace of God and his loving direction I am a complete failure as her mother. It is in this partnership with God that I need to remain so that my beautiful daughter will continue to develop and in turn hopefully strive to be woman He intends her to be. And so my prayer is that I will continue to let Him work through me and be the best mother to my 16 years daughter that he had planned for me to be.

My New House

This is a picture of my new house. Well it isn't brand new mine as I have lived in it for the past 3 months. If you have driven past it you will have noticed that it is covered with much more snow and not a blade of green grass in sight. But that is ok because it is mine. Mine, Mine, Mine! All mine! Okay it isn't all mine as I share it with my 4 beautiful children but for the most part it is mine.
I am sure you wondering why that is such a big deal as I am sure many of you own your own homes.
Let me tell you a little story about this house. This house is a home that was a direct answer to prayer. Yes, an answer to prayer. After many months of begging that God would move me out of my very difficult living situation,( a seperation, in-laws next door and a flooded basement,) God brought this little home to my attention. And 2 weeks after seeing it, it was bought and we had moved in. Cool huh? Yes there is much more detail to the story but I said I would tell you the "little" version.
By the way it has a 2 car garage in the back and it is just a hop, skip and a jump from the grocery store. (good for a mother of 4 , 2 of which are teenagers and one that eats like one). And it is just as cute inside as it is on the outside.