{Thirty Days of Thanks~Day 27}

WOW! I can't believe Thanksgiving break is over and it's time for school to start back! I don't usually cook on Sundays, but tonight I had some steak that needed to be cooked, so I made a nice meal for me and Joshua. We were watching the Patriots game (he's a BIG fan of all teams Boston---who knew?) and I was wrapping garland with lights---it seems that ALL my garland needed new lights this year---ugh...that takes SOOOOOO long---but, I digress. I decided we'd eat in the den and finish the game together. After we prayed, Joshua asked, "Why are we having such a nice meal?" Sad---I know. "We are celebrating going back to school", I said. He dropped his fork and just looked at me---"....because we only have THREE WEEKS left until two more weeks off!!" I continued! WHEW!!!  SCORE!!! Does this teacher/mama know kids, or what? He decided he would still eat with me since I added the second half of the sentence and we enjoyed our meal. After dinner, we cleaned up, he helped me put up my garland outside (yippee!) and then we headed upstairs to decorate his tree. Of course, when we arrived, we found that the lights on his tree don't work this year---great. So yet MORE lights had to be replaced. I just giggled and began the process of cutting off the lights---it's one of those trees that the lights come ON the tree, so they are practically HARDWIRED on! As I did the tree, he played Legos and we talked, studied for a history test, talked some more---made some decisions that needed to be made. It was an "ordinary day"---like many days I've spent with all three of my children. I treasured this day, though---I wish I could convince young mothers to do this! It's so hard when you have three young children around---you never get a moment to yourself, you never have an adult conversation between the hours of 8AM and 6PM...the ordinary can seem so mundane. But I will tell you---on the other end of parenting---that your children REALLY DO grow up too fast, they really do leave home and go to college and meet someone, fall in love, get married and move away (even if it is only a few miles.) They aren't living in your home anymore---the treasured moments come less and less often. This is the way it is supposed to be---but it's not fun. I am so grateful for some perspective as I parent my third child---I was selfish when my girls were little. Don't get me wrong---we read a lot of books, played lots of dress up, had tea parties, doll drama, played "newscaster"---and I watched MANY, MANY full on ballet productions. AND, I was engaged with them, but I think part of me just longed to be doing something else. I hope I've not just confessed what no other mother has ever felt, because I may be quite ashamed of myself if so. I think this is probably a normal response to living the life of a stay at home mom---it is the hardest job ever.  I LOVED it---but I wish I had treasured all those moments more. I have always been struck by the " but Mary treasured up all these things pondering them in her heart" verse in the gospel of Luke. I have wondered why this was written---was it just for the harried mom who needs to be reminded that these are the beautiful things in life? I needed this reminder often,  because now---on the other end, I realize it is gone in a blaze---and before I know it this boy will be in the CrAZY Junior year, or going off to college or meeting his bride at the end of the aisle.

WOW----again, that sounds so dramatic! But that's how fast life goes sometimes. I hope you will join me in treasuring all that happened today---perhaps your children are already gone--but you can still treasure the beautiful moments in your day. Maybe you are the mom stuck at home with three kids---or whatever random number---just find ONE thing today and "treasure it up and ponder it"---save it to remember at another time. I hope your day was a blessed one. Thanks again for stopping by!