Thursday, July 28, 2011

The Parable of the Lost Shoe

My daughter is the first born. She is also the first grandchild on both sides. She is also the only grand daughter and, for my in-laws, the only girl at all. My husband is the middle of three boys so you can only imagine the amount of dresses and shoes this princess has. Teaching her appreciation has been something we have to intentionally work on. In our back yard we have rail way ties that block off our lawn from the down grade hill that is wooded. Right behind one of the ties is a large dirt pit. The kids love to dig, and fill, and cover themselves in it all the time. Most days they come back missing various articles of clothing, most commonly shoes and socks which I try to stay on top of. It doesn't always happen. Laila had just got a new pair of pink Crocks from my Mother-in-law when I had to make a routine trip out to the dirt pit to check for clothing left behind. I found one Crock. Today I instructed Laila to put play shoes on and go out to find her missing Crock. She huffed and puffed and said, "It's too hard mom. It's just lost. I can't find it." (Because I know how well threatening works *sarcasm*) I replied, "Well then Ill just throw that one away since you don't want to find the other one!" She looked me strait in the face and said, "Okay Mom, that's fine. You can throw it away." *Backfire* She received a time out in her room wile I contemplated what my next move would be.
When she came out I explained to her about gifts, and how they are precious because it means someone else was thinking of us and wanted to make us happy. I also explained appreciation for the thing that we have, and if she was unwilling to put the effort into finding her lost shoe that I would have to take away the excess amount of shoes she had leaving only a pair for playing, and a pair for going out. (She has several beloved pairs including sparkles and bows) She looked at me in hopelessness and said, "Mom, I just don't know how to find it." I understand her struggle. She often has a hard time looking for misplaced objects. I tried to take this as an opportunity to teach her the process of finding something. I asked her where she remembered having her shoes last. After a long detailed story she told me the dirt pit. I explained that if she remembered having them in the dirt pit she should look all around it and see where it might hiding out of sight. I told her if she was to put good effort into finding the lost shoe, and found it, we would have a party to celebrate. She lit up. "With cake?" I said no, I cant make a cake, but we will celebrate and call your Vovo to tell her we found your missing shoe and she will celebrate with us. Needless to say she found the shoe. She was so excited. We all jumped up and down and hugged her and sang.
At lunch I read the kids the parable of the lost coin. Laila immediately saw the connection between the woman who found her coin and celebrated, and herself who had found her lost shoe. I talked about how God will find us when we are lost, although I don't quite think she understood. After dinner we baked cookies and congratulated her on finding her lost pink Crock. I wonder if they will remember this day, and the excitement over finding something you thought was gone forever.

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

A Lesson in Serving Others

Recently my children have acquired a preference to what color plate they want their food to be served on. We have a rainbow selection of several different kinds of plastic plates. "I want blue!", "No, I get the blue one!" fills the table at every meal. We have matching bowls that have different characters at the bottom and they started asking me for a specific character AFTER I had poured the milk into the cereal. Seriously???
My girlfriend talked with me the other day about how she frequently talkers with her kids about serving God by serving each other. *Idea*... I started plating their food, placing it on the counter, then calling them to eat by saying "please grab a plate (or bowl) for someone else". They love it!!! I have not heard one complaint about what plate, or bowl, someone got. No one is mad that someone else got a bigger strawberry then them. They are all so excited to give the plate to someone else then rush to their spot to see what they got.
My six year old daughter asked me the other afternoon at lunch why they had to give someone else a plate. I told her that we serve God by serving each other. This phrase is in preparation for writing lines later as a character development tool. ;)
Sadly I have noticed that in their excitement to serve each other no one ever grabs my plate :( but I wont be picky about who they are serving. In my mommy heart I do hope soon someone will notice my lonely plate sitting on the counter and choose to serve me too.

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Schedule: Day 1

I tried my hand at a schedule this morning. Worked wonderfully! I felt in control of my kids, and was not pulled in five different directions trying to accomplish them all at the same time. I got up and had quiet time before anyone else was awake. A feat I have been praying about for almost my entire Christian life. I got to listen to a sermon, and take notes, and found some wonderful passages to meditate on. We played at a friends house for two hours and left at an appropriate time, not when everyone was melting down. When we got home the boys had quiet reading time wile Laila and I made lunch. That's right, I said that my two and four year old boys read quietly by themselves wile Laila and I made lunch. During lunch I sat with the kids and we memorized the seven days of creation. I wasn't making phone calls, trying to clean, or accomplish anything else wile they where at the table. I wasn't yelling at them to stay seated, be quiet, and finish eating. After everyone was finished we washed up, then cleaned the kitchen and table. I had fifteen minuets of reading with them before nap time, which they loved! I sent Laila to her room to do thirty minuets of quiet reading time and had planned on sitting with the boys for at least that time so they would fall asleep. They where asleep in twelve minuets!!!! Hallelujah! I am now enjoying my computer time.
Today is like a whole new life. I know that it will not always run this smooth, and I know we have character development to work on that will not change over night, but to go from the Mom yesterday who was frazzled and hopeless to a Mom who is in control and accomplishing results is a great feeling.
Now to finish my schedule and continue on this new path of redirection...

Monday, July 25, 2011

Starting Something New

I sit here writing after sitting in my boy’s room for almost 2 hours trying to get them to fall asleep for nap time. I know there has to be a better way to live. I just recently celebrated my 8th wedding anniversary with my husband Filipe. We have three beautiful, creative, active children and are expecting our fourth in November. We live close to family and friends, in the city I grew up in. Filipe has a job that supports our family, while I stay at home raising and educating our children. We have so much to be thankful for, and so much more than many others. So, why does life feel so hard? Am I doing something wrong? How am I supposed to do this?
I feel like I am at a crossroads. I can hear God calling me to something better. The question is what? And how do I get there? I am ready to move. I know there are other women out there who feel the calling to surrender their lives and do things differently even without the approval of others. I want to document the journey and transformation my family takes as we follow God’s path and not the worlds.