Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Real Life...


I like to use our blog to remind me of all the amazing memories that happen throughout our days together as the Clark Family... but today I just want you all to know that REAL LIFE goes on around here... Below is an email that I sent to one of my precious friends who has a tender two-year-old boy and a brand new little treasure in her home... she's sleep deprived and living literally second by second... Haven't we all been there... maybe some of us are even there now...

I saw her at the park last week... and my friend just happened to witness one of those mini miracles that we so often forget to give a shout out to our sweet Saviour for... the mini miracle that day was that ALL three of my children were sitting in one spot and eating their lunch... there was no fighting, no squirming... no yelling, no disobeying... It truly was a mini miracle!! So that day, at that moment, i wasn't feeling crazy or stressed out... And for that I am grateful...

But...

I must admit that although there most definitely are moments when my three little crazies dress up in their angel costumes and give me a heavenly moment of peace... Please don't be fooled that we too don't have those days when you just want to get back in bed and try again tomorrow!!!

Here's the email..

"Hi there friend... I wanted to send you a little email to hopefully encourage you that you are NOT alone in this crazy thing called motherhood... I know that the other day at the park I was not stressed out but I would love to let you in on my morning this morning...

It was chaotic and stressful and pulling on my heart strings from the moment I got out of bed... :) When i woke up the kids followed me out of my room and went downstairs... I stopped to go to the bathroom... While I was peeing, a fight broke out downstairs about who was going to get the last banana yogurt... Halee started her screaming bit (which she has been doing a lot lately)... so sadly, my first interaction with her for the day was discipline... she was so upset and hadn't gone to the bathroom since the night before so she peed all over the floor and all over me... So i had to clean that up while she sat in her bed and tried to pull herself together...

I went down stairs and started to make some strawberry muffins for breakfast... Then Hal demanded that she have "Mighty Bites' cereal instead of muffins... we don't do "demanding" in our home... If you have a request you may ask nicely and then you are expected to joyfully accept whatever answer mommy gives you... Hal didn't want me to correct her so she broke out in tears again..I sent her back up to her room again...

Whoo, let's try for a third time... after breakfast we went up stairs to get dressed.. I asked Hal to get her shoes on.. she didn't want to, she had better things to do... I told her that when mommy gives her an instruction she needs to obey the first time without arguing or complaining.... She burst into tears AGAIN!!... more discipline and back in her bed...

By the time I got to story time I was so flustered that Tara asked me if I was ok... she said I seemed a little flustered... I totally WAS!!! I couldn't hide even if I tried!

During story time Josiah shouted NO at Tara when she kindly asked him to sit down, then pitched a fit when I told him that he needed to make it right with her... Halee told me three times that she had to go poop so I kept leaving the line to take her... the first TWO times she didn't go at all!!! It felt like a conspiracy even though I knew it wasn't. :)

We went to lunch after the library... Why? I'm not sure!! Skyler was screaming, Josiah was all upset cuz his beans were falling out of the bottom of his tortilla, hal was upset cuz her beans were to hot... all three wanted me to spoon feed them even though two of them are perfectly capable of eating all by themselves... I forgot water for Skyler's bottle, so I had to hunt down some water...

IT WAS CRAZY!!!! So we all came home and went straight down for a nap!!!!!!!!!

I just wanted you to know that I have these kinda days... I have them quite often if you wanna know the truth...

All this to say, I hope you know that you are doing an awesome job! I am not just saying this to throw out kind words... You have a gift of gentleness and patience with your boys that I love and admire about you! You are a sweet treasure to so many women... All those moms in your play group are truly blessed to call you "friend"!! and so am I! :)
"

Anyways... I just think that as moms we need to be so real around one another... we need to constantly affirm one another in the things that we are doing right... (cuz I am confident that we are all aware of the zillions of things that we are doing wrong)...

Did you give a hug to your little treasure today? Did you say a kind word or make a peanut butter sandwich? Did you persevere through a difficult moment or seek the Lord when you felt at a loss? Then you were a great mom today!!!

Real life goes on in the Clark house...

Today I dragged the kids around while I ran errands... So this afternoon I found myself putting on a movie and letting them eat their snacks on the couch... :) We all need a few "movie moments" in our day, don't we???



Till next time...