“When my kids become wild and unruly, I use a nice, safe playpen. When they're finished, I climb out.” -Erma Bombeck

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

In the toilet

Fortunately for you, there is no picture of this one...today with 32 children at Castle Park in tow... We had just arrived after waiting one hour outside the park. I had to pee, but of course I waited until 32 of our children used the bathroom first(that had only TWO stalls). I quickly get in the bathroom, roster of all the children in my mouth, walkie talkie in the left pocket and cell phone in the right, I need to hurry because all the children are waiting for me. My cell phone is crucial... along with tons of snapshots of Presley and videos of her babbling, the bus company numbers in case they are late, school security to inform of trespassing skateboarders, bosses numbers are all in my cell.

I quickly finish peeing, flush with the foot, turn around, pull up my pants and....OUT GOES MY CELL PHONE RIGHT INTO THE FLUSHING TOILET!!! Before I could even dig my hands in the toilet to retrieve it (I actually tried by the way) it was gone. The suction of that toilet was like an airplane toilet. In two seconds my phone was gone.

I would like to think that God was protecting me from some tragic accident the phone would be the cause of....but Terry isn't buying it.

Thursday, June 5, 2008

My Mirror

Those of you who check this blog for updates and pictures...this will bore you-consider yourself warned.

She is watching me: So we switched her seat around so that now she is facing front. I realized after a couple days she just sits there and stares at me. I could see her in my rear view mirror...just staring at me, mouth open. I would turn around and she would be just tickled. She probably is just awed that "this is what mom's been doing all my life when we are driving somewhere". But it hit me one day...that my daughter is watching me. Forget the things I will tell her. Who cares about the lessons I want her to learn...or the mistakes I don't want her to make that I did...or the bad things about me I don't want her to inherit.

She will learn the most by my example.

My most deepest desire above all for my daughter (that bleeds into EVERY area of her life) is that she will see Christ as the center of her life. That when she goes through hard times-and she will- that nothing will separate her from the love God has for her. That she will turn to Him when she is sad, scared, lonely, hurt-but also when she is in happy times of her life too.

I can take her to church. Our family can builds deep friendships with those who feel how I do. I can pray for her all her life morning and night. I can put bible versus around the home so that she sees them and is reminded. And while all those things are worthy of doing....it will be meaningless if her mother does not live it herself.