Who's Being Disciplined Here?!

Three...the number of children I have, the number of beings in the Trinity, the number of branches of government...the number three has significant meaning in about every spiritual realm there is.

The number three "invokes expression, versatility, and pure joy of creativity" according to one site that I found while searching for the significance of the number. While I delight in the tie it has to the "Pure joy of creativity", I must say that there is another meaning for three in this house:

The age at which all current abilities to articulate ones self stops and a regression of moans, whines, and yes, uncontrollable sobbing takes over.

I believe that if I live to tell the tale of the year my daughter was three, I will be one of the bravest women alive!

Okay, dramatic? Yes (maybe I am starting to see where she gets it from...) but in all seriousness, the whining. must. stop!          

(and that includes me)

What this phase is showing me is so much more than my capacity to restrain from actually pulling my hair out. It is showing me that God uses my children to discipline me. You see when Rachel is going through one of her tantrums, I have a choice. I can choose to get in her face and MAKE myself heard; which usually ends in both of us acting hysterical and eventually both of us crying and feeling guilty and apologizing...and well you get the picture. OR I can see this from the eyes of someone who has only been on the planet for three little years. Three...its just not enough time to learn to eat, sleep, grow, walk, talk, use the toilet, count, color, play dress up, share, get dressed, pick up toys, sing, dance, AND rationally deal with each situation that is unfavorable to her...and maybe neither is 28.

See I forget that she is only 3. I throw 28 year-old expectations on her without even realizing it! And sometimes I throw 5 year old expectations on her, because her brother gets it why shouldn't she? If I took more time to help her get there instead of being mad that she isn't there, how differently would our days play out?

Now before we head down a path of Mommy guilt, never to return, I want to stop at that one question. "What if I spent more time helping her get there instead of being mad at the fact that she isn't there?" This is my current discipline. You see, I am not a perfect parent (gasp, what?! I know!) But I am the parent that was meant to have these three children. God knew me inside and out before I had these children. They weren't given to me by accident. They were a gift to me as much as I am a gift to them...did you hear me? I AM A GIFT TO THEM TOO!

As I am journeying to become everything God wants me to be I am in charge of being a (huge) part of their journey as well. They will see me grow and change and make mistakes and ask them for forgiveness and apologies all along the way. So today I see that through prayer and meditation  I need to be seeing these dramatic-melt downs as a chance to shave off rough parts of my patience and coach my gift (daughter) on how to deal with them too. We are both learning...and we are both making huge mistakes. But Love covers a multitude of sins (whether they come from the mother or the daughter)

I leave you with something that Lisa TerKeurst put on her status today (she is president of Proverbs 31 ministries)

"You have the exact qualities God knew your kids would need in a mother. So, each day, hold up your willingness and ask God to make you the best version of you that you can possibly be."

Go. Ask. Do.

Catching Up: September 2012

September was an eventful month for us. We started the month with Lauren's birthday and the first day of school all in the same week. As a matter of fact Lauren went to her first MDO on her actual birthday. I felt a bit bad about that, but it was only 4 hours and she doesn't know it was her birthday...

You can tell they are SUPER thrilled to have their picture taken. Levi didn't want to smile and Rachel was crying because I didn't put her backpack ON her back...Lauren is the only one who seems excited, but I chalk that up to innocence.

After his first day of Senior Preschool. Feels good to be the big man on campus.

On Labor Day weekend, we had a cookout with family and friends to celebrate our baby turning one. Life would not be quite as entertaining if we didn't have little Lauren in our lives. She turned one with 8 teeth and a few steps under her belt. She officially started walking more than crawling a couple of days past her first birthday. She is by far the best eater we have and out eats Levi and Rachel almost every day. She babbles a little but not much language yet. Her first word was "Hi". She is and has been in the 75% for height almost her entire first year. She is my only brown-eyed kiddo, but they shift to a blueish green from time to time. Her hemangioma is fading and barely noticeable now. They say it could fade completely by age 2. 

Lauren found that cake is a magical thing and she had no problem taking it down.

Posing with her Aunt Sammy and Cousin Amiyah.

Just a week and a half after Lauren turned one, Rachel celebrated turning 3! She is so bright and funny. I am enjoying (most of) the differences between her and Levi. She is a bit more dramatic, but that same characteristic makes her fantastic at pretend play. She love animals especially dogs. I love her sensitive side even if it makes her prone to whining and crying about seemingly insignificant things. I look forward to seeing her blossom in the next few years to a full-blown preschooler. She is such a joy to me!

The last two weeks of September brought wedding planning furry as my best and oldest friend, Rachel got married. I was honored to be the Matron of Honor and arrive in Nashville on Wednesday before the wedding to help prepare. Then Matthew joined me on Friday night through Sunday. It was nice to be there without the kids even though I am sure they would have LOVED to see Auntie Rachel and Uncle David tie the knot.

No Smoking

Levi comes walking up to me with a little stick in his mouth. When I ask him to take it out of his mouth he informs me that it is his candle.
"Your candle?" I say

LEVI: "Ya you know how some people walk around with candles in their mouths and And they blow the smoke out."

ME:"Oh, yeah I know what you mean (realizing in my mind he is talking about a cigarette)."

LEVI:"Yeah, so I want to walk around with this. And they make people sick."

ME: "Why would you want to make yourself sick?"

LEVI:"They don't make you sick if you have it in your mouth. Only if you breath in the smoke. So it gets other people sick. Not me"

ME: "Well they get you sick too. That is a gross habit and I wouldn't want to do that if I were you."

LEVI: "If it is gross, why do people do it?"

ME: .... I honestly didn't know what to tell him.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

The Catching Up Series

This is the longest gap I have ever had in my blogging history! The most unfortunate thing about this gap is that it's the most active time of year. Birthdays, Holidays, Family Time. I have missed it all! So, for the next few posts, I will be catching everyone up to speed. If nothing else, I will be logging in the memories that are still fresh (ish) in my mind before they are (semi) lost forever. When I look back on my blog, I don't want a gaping hole where Lauren's first birthday should be (or Rachel's 3rd or Levi's 5th for that matter).

So please enjoy... The Fall of 2012 Revisited.

Catching Up: August 2012

This month is typically full of birthdays for my husband, brother and sister-in-laws and Father-in-law. Now, on top of that we start getting ready for school. All of my children started school of some sort this year. Lauren entered her first year of MDO (Moms Day Out) at the local Methodist Church. Rachel entered her last year of MDO and Levi his last year of Preschool! So for one year they are all in the same building for school. This will only happen one other time. When Lauren is in Kindergarten and Levi will be in fourth. I know that seems a little detail, but I like tidbits like that. And it is one of the few interesting things I had to say about August. But watch out, September was a doozie!