Love: The Four-fold Edition

A visit from my parents and sister has definitely boosted my spirits. And focusing on others works wonders for any lingering self-pity.

And the Quadrilateral diagram of love?

Sports Fan pointed it out the first night:
Mama looks young when you're here, he says to my parents. Normally, she just looks like Mama. But she isn't just a Mama. She's a sister, and a daughter.

And a wife,too... points out DH.

Sports Fan nods in wonderment. And I see the impact this has on him. He is amazed that one person can be so many things to so many different people.

I feel the responsibility, but most of all, I feel the blessings and the support and the love that weaves it all together.

And I am so grateful.

:)

Writers' Block

That's what I'm gonna call it.

Although, I think there may be a more accurate name to convey my state of mind these past few days.

But I'd need a blog post to describe it.

Bingo!

Ever since the contract on our house fell through, I've been in a panic, scared to death that a phone call from the centralized showing service was going to find me in my pj's at 10:30 am, hair in curlers, teeth unbrushed, coffee in hand, and of course, house a disaster.

And so, the computer beckons, but I soundly ignore it and turn my attention to more important matters like using old toothbrushes to shine the fixtures in the bathroom.

Besides, I think. What in the world will I write about? Do people really care that I was in a bad mood yesterday and the only therapy that worked was running the lawn mower for over an hour, mowing our and our neighbor's lawns... defeating the mower since it ran out of gas before I did? Or, how about, is it really worth blogging that since I neglected to take my progesterone last cycle, I am now ekeing out every last ounce of sanity I possess just to make it to the "proper" time of the month before I can shoot up again? Or my homeschool prep? Which is still in the "needs to be done" stage... how organized I am feeling right now. What a slacker mom...

Or, here's the icing on the cake... how about the phone call I got from DH this morning, about the people who may want to buy our house and would like to know... could we move out by the end of the month?!?

As in... this month.

August.

8 days from now.

Yes, I have a lot on my mind right now. And I am praying and trying to trust. Just like all of us do everyday.


:)

Irresistible

The Nutty Family's clever marketing scheme....

Could you pass this by?

:)

Guess What I'm Doing This Morning??

Let's hope the rain stays away, and the children don't try to buy back their toys....

:)

ps. hope y'all enjoy my blog song!

Circling the Wagons

Thursday was promising to be a very trying day. That much was perfectly clear by the time we went to bed Wednesday night. We had some big decisions to make about the house and I wondered if we would ever be able to get to sleep.

As soon as I woke up in the morning, the pit in my stomach came slinking back and I could barely eat breakfast.

And I said to myself, that's it. This is crazy.

And I packed the kids up and whisked them off to the lake.

This is what I do. I need to "circle the wagons" and sit and relax and breathe deeply. I need to spend time with just the kids. No friends, no shopping trips, no sulking in my little house with ornery children.

The lake is a perfect place to do it. Yes, it's a lot of work for Mama to pack up lunches and haul it to the beach and clean sand out of the toys and shoes and sandwiches... But when the kids are playing and I can plop my chair into the water and let my legs float while receiving many pebble treasures from Little Love, it's so refreshing.

When we got home, everyone got in the shower. I just love that feeling of being clean and warm and tired.

And that was the condition I was in when I found out that the contract had fallen through.

I was disappointed, and a bit angry, but way (way way) deep down there eventually came welling up, a sense of peace.

We have no obligations (aka... contracts) elsewhere. We have no deadlines to meet. There is no reason why we have to move right now. (other than the undeniable fact that as the kids grow bigger, the house seems to get smaller...)

I think the hardest part about this is the altering of my perception of the future. I had been looking forward to our nomadic journey to the Rockies for the fall semester of homeschooling. It was going to be an adventure to pack the house into storage and live as travelers for awhile. Kind of eclectic and different. I had been hoping to be in our new, spacious home by the Thanksgiving holiday, since my family is expected to celebrate with us. I had visions of us all chatting in a huge living area, then retiring to our separate sleeping quarters, with plenty of room for all.

Sigh

It's hard to let go of that vision. But, I have to for now. And hope that God has something absolutely wonderful in store for us.

He must, right?


:)

In Which Nutmeg Decides That Putting a Gun to Her Head Would Accomplish More...

Today is the last day of the option period on our house.

And it's going out with a BIG.....

fizzle.


The lovely young couple that had fallen in love with our house like we did 6 years ago, just decided not to buy our house. Of course, it was much more complicated than that.

Way more.

But, in the interest of charity, and taking into account my current state of mind, I won't go any further... other than to say that I am so glad we made every concession we could. At least my conscience is clear.

We tried.

And so, it starts again.

Again with the cleaning, again with the showings, the no-shows, the packing, the painting, and did I mention the cleaning?

God has a plan. God has a plan. God has a plan.

I. Love. This. Nun.

Go read.

And link.

And be inspired.

Daily.

:)


h/t Barbara

Look-A-Likes?

I took the peanuts+friend to the library this morning. Of course, the main source of angst came from my Little Boo, who was in a constant state of invisibility. Every time I turned around, she was just.... gone.

By the time I had corralled her to my side a billion times and collected approximately thirty thousand books, I was a bit frazzled. We were finally gathering our bundles when the librarian who was studying Little Boo remarked to me:

She looks just like you.

Knock me over with a feather. No one has ever said that to me.

And, so, for your discernment:










And, in case you don't think we look alike:










Raspberries to you!

:)

Monkey(s) on my Back

How many of you have one? or three?

My definition would be: something that needs to be done, but somehow manages to remain undone, long past any reasonable amount of time it would take to get done.

How scientific.

My monkeys used to be my dental appointments, or my lovely "annual". But now with 5 kids, I actually relish the few hours spent alone in the doctor/dentist office, flipping through magazines. Still don't enjoy the actual visit though. Never have.

No, my monkeys are more on the homefront. Cleaning the fridge, the walls, the baseboards. Making sure sheets are changed, watering the tomatoes. Sometimes, it's more personal.... worries about friends and family, many prayers needed, and maybe a feeling of helplessness to overcome. All of this can be dizzying. And a clear-headed solution is needed.

Some days, monkeys like these really get me down. Not because the dirty baseboards bother me so much, but more because they just get lumped in with the rest of the duties that pile up around me during the day. Some days, I just want to hold up a white flag and let the monkeys take over and do what they will.

And those are the days that I need to put my head down and just do. Those are the days when our image of the sacred heart looks at me tenderly and implores me to offer it up for the souls He longs for. Those are the days when I take a deep breath and smile at my children and beg for extra graces and virtue to make it through.

Thank goodness for my DH. He is the boost I need to pick myself up, dust myself off, and get to work. And how blessed we are for this work! We really really are. And I am truly grateful

Many is the time I've been mistaken
And many times confused.
And I've often felt forsaken
And certainly misused.

But I'm alright, I'm alright
I'm just weary to my bones.
Still you can't expect to be bright and bon vivant
so far away from home.
So far away from home.

~Paul Simon

:)

Last One...

...until September.

Sports Fan turned 8 on Thursday. Thus ending the incessant boasting of Little Dear that she was the "same age" as her brother.

He was elated.

We had a.... nutty day. You guessed it. From a house showing that never happened (argh) to the kids' science class and a whirlwind birthday celebration here.

But Sports Fan and his friends had a blast. After their playtime, they came home to cake and a rousing shoot-'em-up time with the kids in the neighborhood. I sat on the couch with DH, watching the boys crawl through the grass, swing from the tree-house and shimmy up the playhouse roof, fire-arms in hand.

Too tired to grab the camera, I impressed the picture in my mind.

My boys, being the energetic, simply wonderful little men that they are.

God bless them.

:)