Moments

I decided today that so many of our life experiences need to be measured in the moments with our children.  If we take the whole day and look it as a whole, we may often come to the conclusion that that was a bad day.  Cameron threw25 fits, Braxton ignored me 35 times, Dakota pouted over something menial 17 times, therefore on the whole it was a bad day.

To be frank, it seems like more than not when we spend 24 hours a day together, we have a lot of bad days.  We are those people that when you spend a lot of hours with us you go away thinking thoughts, or talking to your friend about things like:  "Boy that kids cries ALL the time!!" "I don't know how Geana has the patience to put up with all that fighting." "Those boys do not listen to a word she says" and on and on......  Anyway I am fully aware that this is a regular occurance, I ask me these same questions every day MANY MANY times, but in the end I realize quite a few things.
         One,   God will not give me more than I can handle, and sometimes I am at my breaking point, but no--it is not more than I can handle.  
         Two, this is such a tiny part of their lives.  Someday soon they will be adults and I will have the chance to spend eternity with them as adults and I only have such a short time to get to know and care for them as children.  
         Three, what doesn't kill me makes me stronger, right?  I will not die because I am embarrassed 5 times a day by my child's outbursts.  I will not die from chores not getting done when I want them.  
         Four, I am so so blessed to be their mom.  Some people would kill to be in my situation if only they got the opportunity to be parents.  I try to always remember how much just being a mom means to me.  
       Five, I am being put through the "refiners fire". God has a plan for me and I have a lot of work to do to get to where he wants me to be and this is all part of the plan.  Patience does not come easy.  Keeping my voice low does not come easy.  Sarcasm does, when it should not.  Anger gets the best of me.  Each day I am being refined into the woman I should be.  I pray a lot harder when I am frustrated and at my wits end.  I turn to the scriptures more often when I have "had it". I guess if that is what it takes to get me to choose the right, then that is what will come my way.  
      Six, I need to focus on the moments.  Today Cameron had to go to the bathroom for the second time during the $1 movie so I took him out.  Soon Brax came running out saying "I've seen it mom, I will take him, you go watch."  That should be what defines my day--my child thinking of others before he thinks of himself (YES!!!).


I guess in one word I could describe our summer so far is EXHAUSTED.  I could sugar coat it to make everyone think that from sun up to sun down being worn down is a great happy experience, but I will just be real and say I am EXHAUSTED.