Where are my shoes?!

So a crazy thing happened this morning. I was on my way to Starbucks to meet my mom when my leg started to itch. Seeing how I was driving, I couldn't really bend down to scratch it. So instead, I used my toe on my other foot to scratch it. Stopping the story for a minute, I was already about 20 minutes from home and less than 5 away from where I was going. I had woken up early so I could get Katelyn ready to meet my mom. Back to the story now. So as I was scratching my leg with one of my toes, I looked down and realized I was still wearing my slippers! I was too far from home to go back at this point. I was just a little embarrassed. So for the rest of the day I walked around in my jeans and t-shirt with my black somewhat fuzzy slippers on.

At one point in choir tonight, the guy next to me leaned over and said, "Are you wearing bedroom slippers?" then proceeded to look at me like I had 3 heads. I just said Yes and laughed along with him. Why doesn't anyone tell you that when you have kids, you lose all your braincells?

Pow Pow Sun

I got to keep Elias today while his parents were at work. Katelyn always has so much fun when he's there. Anyway, we were on our way to pick up Mimi and then head on to church when I almost peed in my pants. Elias' side of the car happened to be in the sun. You could tell by his squinty eyes that he was not enjoying it. Before I know it, he started talking to the sun. He told the sun, "I'm going to give you pow pows!" Pow pows are his parent's spankings. Anyway, he began to hit the window and say, "Pow pow, sun!" He then told the sun he was going to send it to time out. I seriously thought I was going to have to pull the car over. I was laughing so hard! Oh, what comes out of the mouths of little ones!

MOPs Lesson

I am so thankful for MOPs. Mrs. Bacon always seems to be talking straight to me in the Bible study time. Today she was talking about bitterness and how it effects us and how it effects other people. Bitterness is not something I think about a lot. I wouldn't necessarily put it on my list of sins that trip me up. Believe me, I have many on that list, but that wasn't one of them. But the more Mrs. Bacon talked, the more God showed me my heart. I have been starting to harbor bitterness toward my husband and my daughter.

You see, once I met my husband, all I've wanted in life was to be a wife and mother. I love my husband and daughter with all my heart, but life isn't perfect. We all tend to get this picture in our minds of the perfect husband with the perfect kids, in the perfect house, etc. Then, when life doesn't measure up to our perfect standard. we (or at least I) start to harbor resentment. Dan doesn't do things the way I think he should, or Katelyn decides she's going to throw a fit in the middle of the food court at the mall. Life is not perfect. You all know what I'm talking about.

I started resenting Dan because he got to leave in the morning then I was left with the crying child. I began resenting Katelyn because it's impossible to make a "quick" run to the store. Everything with a toddler takes planning and thought. Do you have the snack and juice so she won't scream as we're going down the grocery aisle. Do I have a change of clothes for her when inevitably her diaper leaks all over her pants. It's those little things that just start to add up. Can I get a witness?

But Mrs. Bacon shared a verse today, Hebrews 12:15 that really hit me. "looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled;" It hit me. The bitterness that I had toward my husband and daughter was starting to effect them. It causes distance in my marriage. My temper is quicker to flare over minor things. My nerves are shorter so I'm more likely to raise my voice. The bitterness is not only eating me up, it's hurting those I love most in this world.

Mrs. Bacon encouraged us to learn to be grateful in those times we see the bitterness creeping in. I've always prided myself in being a thankful person. I write thank you notes for gifts given to me and services performed for me. I thank God for the things He provides. But how often do I thank God for the fact my husband has a job that is making a difference in eternity? How often do I thank God my child was born healthy and has no health problems? How often do I thank God that I have more clothes in my closet right now than a majority of the world will have in their entire life? It's so easy to be thankful for the gifts people give us, or our house or other tangibles. But when we get down to those things that aren't exactly how we think they should be, that's when it gets hard.

My goal this lifetime is to become a grateful, thankful mom. Thankful that I will have stories to look back on and laugh (see earlier posts). Grateful for memories I have ministering alongside my husband. Thankful for the time being my daughter wants to be with me all the time. Just thankful for all things, even when it's not perfect.

One of Those Days

I have to share a funny story. One day a couple of weeks ago, I had Katelyn on the potty. That is a miracle in and of itself because the newness of the potty has worn off. She could really care less that it's there now. Anyway, she was going potty and I was so excited! We flushed the pee pee away, rinsed the potty and washed our hands. We went back into the living room and were playing. About 5 minutes later I start to smell the smell. You know what I mean! I go to get Katelyn and realize in all the potty excitement I had forgotten to put a new diaper on. Needless to say, there was no poopy in Katelyn's diaper (since she had no diaper). It was in a nice little pile on my living room floor. Let me tell you what a blessing that was!

Let's just say I learned my lesson. I have not forgotten the diaper again!

Deep Wide Jesus

Okay, so my husband has been getting on to me because I haven't written in a while. So Dan, this is for you. Things have been going pretty well. Katelyn is getting so big! I can't believe it. It seems like she grows an inch every day. She has finally let me start putting her up in pigtails and bows. I truly have the cutest girl that has ever lived.

Katelyn is also starting to speak in sentences. She says things such as, "I want down," I want that one," and the dreaded, "That's mine." How do all babies learn that word? It's like it's programmed in their brain. We're trying our best to nip that in the bud very quickly.

We have also learned that Katelyn loves to sing. She loves "Deep and Wide," "If You're Happy and You Know It," and Jesus Loves Me." Though often times she gets a little confused. We'll be driving along in the car and I'll ask her what she wants to sing. Usually she says Jesus. So, I start singing "Jesus Loves Me." I have barely started the song when she starts singing "Deep and Wide." So, I switch songs to sing with her, and she starts saying Jesus! We can't win for trying. But I must say that there is nothing as precious as hearing your child say Jesus. We ask her who loves her and even before she says mommy and daddy, she says Jesus. We much be doing something right.