I LOATHE just surviving. I like to enjoy my days and children!
But this week, I was having noneya of it. I needed a total Rewind Week!
Nothing went right... Picture this...
Children= horrible, cranky, disobedience, testy, forgetful, on and on.
Days= overwhelmed, messy, disorganized, thing in boxes, on and on.
Me= irritable, impatient, horrid, stressed, period (sorry guys), on and on.
By Thursday afternoon I could take no more. I totally broke. Called Adam at work, cried for 15 minutes, then he came home and took Miss Beautiful to her learning center because I could not complete one more thing. Thank you Jesus for my strong and servant-hearted man! I then put Nehemiah to bed and Avi Joy on a task and just breathed and prayed.
I like things to be "just-so" you see and to feel like I am accomplishing a task makes me feel great. I love To Do list's and being on a schedule. With this move, everything has been crazy! I cannot get anything done. Homeschooling completely busted this week and we accomplished nothing. We added 7 hours a week for Miss Beautiful be/c she is a year behind in school and is now in tutoring and that has added unexpected stress on my part. And Nehemiah, well. (I just sighed really loud typing his name.) I do NOT know what to do with him. I need some discipline tips- SERIOUSLY. COMMENT. (Not like, oh sorry sweetie, it will get better, no, like- this worked for my 2 year old boy, try this...)
I have tried nice correction, i.e= talking sweetly, positive reinforcement
I have tried medium discipline= time outs, pinch on hand, going to room
I have tried harsh consequences= spakin' on thigh/bottom, separation in crib
NOTHING WORKS. He is impulsive and irritates others with his rash behaviors and constant whining. And sadly, I loose it right after he does.
He is my cherry in top in so many good ways, but when the house is going down hill, he is the cherry on top that turns it into complete chaos. Help.
I am still not over this week, but today made it better.
We played Hookie- yea us! No work, no school, just time together.
We have been wanting to go back to our college, Northeastern State University, to see the trees and to show the kids where we met. We had a wonderful relaxing drive, I read some from a book and we listened to music and talked.
We arrived at NSU and walked around for a bit. The first building we saw, the NET, brought back a lot of memories.
1.) The NET building was the computer center of our school. It was built my first year of college and we HAD to get an email address to get the syllabus for our classes. I was so completely put off by this and was actually mad about it. And email? What is email for heavens sake?
2.) I was in this building attending a teaching lecture for my student internship on September 11th. We all watched on the large TV screen in our classroom as the planes crashed into the twin towers.
Next we showed the kids where we used to live. Adam and I met in this building. Fall 1998. I will have to share how we met sometime- super funny stuff. I lived on First South and he lived on Second Southeast, we were friends for two years while living in these dorms.
We ate lunch at Sam and Ella's Chicken Palace. Divine salad and pizza!
Then we took some family pictures. This whole not-showing-her-face-thing is getting old already. My plan was to take lots of pictures in the colorful leaves and some individual pictures of the kids, but we got 8 pictures and the battery died. smile.
We stopped at the Tahlequah Drug and Soda Shoppe on the way out of town and ordered hand-spun shakes. They were delicious! Who doesn't love to end their day with a large pina colada shake, yes please!OK- back to spewing. See, the To Do list is So long and nothing gets accomplished. How does that happen? So much to do that nothing gets done?? What?!
I have seen 2 organized mama's move and it seemed like they snapped and their house was done, unpacked, organized and children were all off playing, happily. I daily throw down comparing to others because I am just slow at this whole getting things done thing. I know some of you are laughing be/c you think I get everything done, and quickly, but there is SO MUCH, it is overwhelming. How does 19 kids and counting mom do it with such grace? Please don't knock the Duggers, I really love them.
They say you can hit a 3 month honeymoon wall and I think we hit it with LIFE. Miss Beautiful has been with us since July- that is an adjustment- hello. I took on a new job (homeschooling) in August and we just moved in Sept and I have two kids under four- I had to throw that in. Ok, do you hear the violin's playing? "Get over it," some would say, or "So and So, has it worse." Yes, those two things are true, but this is my life and as I stated above, I am not comparing, I am trying to enjoy my life, my Lord, my husband and my kids. But this week has been a struggle.
Something good in this string of blaaah... I love my new bible I got for my birthday last week. I asked for the Amplified bible. I am crazy over it. I feel like the one I have been reading for 12 years (NIV) is now my elementary school bible and this is my PhD bible. I beyond love the descriptions and added details and am really growing in my love for Him.
My second good thing was starting MOPS this week. My sweet girlfriend has been going to Mothers of Preschoolers for years and this week, I needed some connecting time- so I went and loved it. Now that we are doing school on MWF, I had to let go of some past activities that I enjoyed be/c they do not allow kiddos over 5. I used love bible school: studying the word, discussing questions, eating brunch and socializing (oh and getting dressed in something other than p.j.'s or painting clothes). I thought I would be ok without this, but again, after many months, nope. I need that time and it was renewing for my soul.
My favorite passage this week was 2 Corinthians 12:9, "But He said to me, My grace (My favor and loving-kindness and mercy) is enough for you [sufficient against any danger and enables you to bear the trouble manfully]; for My strength and power are made perfect (fulfilled and completed) and show themselves most effective in [your] weakness. Therefore, I will all the more gladly glory in my weaknesses and infirmities, that the strength and power of Christ (the Messiah) may rest (yes, may pitch a tent over and dwell) upon me!
Yes, pitch a tent over and dwell upon us! Oh how this description lingered in my heart for days.
The Perrymans
