Prayer

“Prayer is not asking. Prayer is putting oneself in the hands of God, at His disposition, and listening to His voice in the depth of our hearts.”

― Mother Teresa

For the first time in months, I have been able to be still.

I took a bubble bath one day and stared at my toes sticking out of the water. I wouldn't exactly call this "prayer" in most contexts, but on that day, it was. It was a prayer of thanksgiving for the opportunity to be still...to listen to the bubbles pop and not have to think or plan anything for the moment. The kids were in school, the dishes were done, and the laundry wouldn't be finished for another 55 minutes.

I took a nap. I felt guilty knowing that millions of hard-working people were working hard...but not so guilty that I got up and resorted to any of the jobs that were waiting for me.

Earlier this week I took a walk in my neighborhood with one of my twenty-something friends. She had signed up to run a race with another twenty-something friend and asked me if I had made any new year's resolutions. I told her that, honestly, my only goal had been to survive until January 3rd, and now that I had, I would need to spend some quiet time before The Lord figuring out the next steps.

Should I volunteer more at the kids school? Should I take on another batch of college girls? Should I read more books and learn how to better relate to my preteen or romance my husband? Should I learn how to cook lighter meals so that we can better pursue health as a family? Should I return my relative's call or wait for a better time? Should I work on new music and new routines for my exercise classes? Should I surprise my working friend and take her to lunch? Should I pack the Christmas things, or would they be okay just as they are in the attic? Should I start savings accounts for the kids who have actually saved money, or would that just be more work at this stage of their money management? Should I plan something more exciting for my mom's upcoming birthday? Should I try and fix the pants with holes in them or throw them away? Should I give the outgrown kid clothes away or try and consign them? Should I return to my old cardio schedule at the gym or should I mix it up this year? Should I think of something more interesting to blog about?

I didn't decide to do any of those things, at least not quite yet.

 

 

A Walk in the Woods

This weekend we enjoyed being outside with our family.

Kindness and Hustlers

Today I witnessed two separate instances of human nature in the Aldi grocery store parking lot. The first was a younger woman who handed her shopping cart (with required quarter still intact) to an older woman who was about to enter the store. I smiled to hear the older woman still remarking over the small act of kindness to me once we were inside the store. "She said, 'Don't worry about the quarter! You don't see that often!' " I nodded and smiled.

Then, when leaving the store, I was approached by a woman that had been hustling people in another grocery store parking lot a few weeks before. "I've met you before!" I said with enthusiasm and recounted part of her story. When she realized that I was not giving out money today even after she added on the part about her mother passing away, she smiled good-naturedly and went on to the next person. I offered her some of my groceries, but she wasn't interested, saying they'd stick in her teeth.

I wondered what makes some people want to give, and some people want to see what they can get.

I pray that our family falls into the first category more often than the second.

 

 

Rescued !

You know you have five kids when you get really REALLY excited about having your own car battery charger. Someone must have left a light on again as we started Monday morning with another dead battery.

My knight-in-shining-armor rescued me AND bought me a present.

Some girls want jewelry, I wanted a way to get back on the road!

 

January

 

Now that the kids are settled into school I am roaming the city trying to play catch up for the last six months of constant activity.

 

It has been our tradition to go to Chick-fil-A for breakfast on the first day of school so that the sad mothers of kindergarteners can weep since their children are all grown-up (or in my case three cheers for the start of a new learning environment). I was there with my crew in August, but since my two newest children just started school, I drove though the drive-in by myself and redeemed my Chick-fil-A coupon.

Crazy for Clearance

Most happy find...88 cent bags of World Market holiday shaped pretzels

The ultimate fitness motivator.... We use mini m&m's (by the clearance bagfuls) as mini rewards for just about anything....100 sit-ups, push-ups, words recognized in the phonics homework, multiplication facts mastered.

If we have any left over, I will sort out the red ones for February and the green ones for March!

 

January 3 - Advocate

This morning I spent two hours filling out forms to register our newest children into the school our other children have been attending since 2006. I met with classroom teachers, ESOL and speech teachers, school secretaries, registrars, lunch ladies, and tried to help the school nurse figure out our translated immunization records. Even the principal came out of his office and remarked incredulously, "You're still here?!!"

This afternoon I haggled with district officials over a missing school choice sibling request form and filed appropriately (I hope) wondering where the one I filled out a year ago is now residing in cyber-space.

Tonight I reviewed immigration and Ellis and Angel Islands, and prayed my ESOL homeschoolers can adjust well to their new learning environments. Then I prayed I could keep up with handling everyone's homework and get dinner on the table in the months (years) to come.

After dishes, I got on the computer and pleaded with a middle school lead teacher for consideration in an interview for NEXT year's school placement. We have been in school for ONE day and it is now time to rally for next year's MIDDLE SCHOOL selection.

Being an advocate is exhausting.

Father, I thank you that you have good and perfect plans for these children. They have come so far. Help me have eyes to see the work you've done, and not drown in the work there is still to do.

January 1

An ordinary person (hobbit) invited to live a life of adventure, not without cost, but with great reward.

 

Today I had a Mama- son date with B. We went to see the Hobbit. He read the book recently and was good to fill me in on what I was missing.