Happy & Sad

I got up super early today and learned what it is to be one of THOSE mamas.

You know those mamas on T.V. who act insane for the sake of their children?

We have a Christian day school in our town that is known for its talented teachers, beautiful/delightful atmosphere, enriching curriculum, reasonably priced tuition, and tender loving care. I have several friends that work there and they are IN love with their job.

(a mural at the school...I just want to crawl in His lap and hug Him)

They have a 2 year old class that fills up fast. As in fast, I mean you better put on your track suit the day it opens registration to the public and run with sweat pouring to the entrance.

Once it is filled, forget about it..unless by chance somebody moves or forgets to turn in their paperwork.

I have been stressing about this for some reason. I felt like I was trying to enroll my kid into Yale or something...Registration was this morning for NEXT Fall. I had heard that the class was already nearly filled.

I couldn't sleep last night. I couldn't think about anything else. I knew that I had to get there EARLY. My buddies had already warned me to be prepared with shot record and payment in hand. I prayed about it this morning, too. I asked the Lord to give me a peace about this and if it was meant to be, than so be it.

I got to the school at 7:06. There were 6 people in line ahead of me. *sigh*

The line grew at an astronmical rate. By 7:15....18 people. By 7:20...25 people... My palms began to sweat.

I made it to the registration desk and there were only 2 spots left. Wow.

With registration packet in hand, a pocketbook a little lighter, and a look of relief on my face, I left for work.

But that's when I saw it...her first school supply list.

Then suddenly my euphoria changed to melancholy.

My baby needs school supplies and not formula?

That, dear readers, is the perfect definition of bittersweet.

Happy and sad.

No Thanks...Two's my Limit

Especially when it comes to the number of near heart attacks that I can handle in one day.

**Disclaimer**
The following true story in now way reflects my poor parenting ability or lack of attention to my child. That's my story and I'm sticking to it. 10-4

This weekend has been wonderful. Our business has gone paperless which has eliminated HOURS of work that I usually do on the weekend (payroll, invoices, reconciling checks, etc) so we actually got to spend some time together as a family.

Chris and I took the whirlwind to the park on Saturday afternoon. Syd LOVES to play on the playground and has recently learned to climb a twisty metal bar kind of thing that looks really dangerous, but fun, nonetheless. She has an impeccable sense of balance and has never fallen off it once. She climbs on it. Jumps to the platform climbs down it. (repeat)

Well, on Saturday, she decides to climb up the twisty metal bar kind of thing and jump on the slide platform (as usual). I climb up to the platform (which takes an unbelievable amount of taxing effort on my part) to monitor her as she plays on the "higher end" of the playground. Everything is going well until my child decides to LEAP OFF of the twisty metal bar thing which is approximately 5 feet off the ground. By the grace of God, she clears the entire thing and lands face down. Just picture the Nestea Plunge only falling forward and into a pile of sand and grit. It all happened in slo-mo. She lept, I screamed a gutteral wail of a scream that sounded something like, "NOOAHH RREE OH MY GAWWW!" Chris scooped her up. She gave us a courtesy cry, spit out the sand and kept going. We were very fortunate that she did not hit her jaw, face, or other valuable body part on the metal bars as she lept to her demise. Her guardian angel works double shifts these days. Hence...heart attack numero uno.

It took me a good 45 minutes to catch my breath and for my heart rate to return to at least 120 bpm. I was mentally wiped out for the day. But then, the day of family togetherness continues.

The hubs decides to grill steaks. He goes to the meat market while I stay home to "watch" Sydney play outside. We are in the backyard hanging out, playing with rocks and tricycles...the normal stuff. My phone rings, I answer it, I turn around to check on Sydney only to find that she is gone. Within 3.4 seconds, my child completely vanished from Planet Earth. I run around the backyard, no Sydney. I run into the garage, no Sydney. I look inside the house, No Sydney. I begin to have that fear that only a mother can get which feels like a lead ball the size of a boulder in your stomach. I begin screaming her name. Nothing. I run into the front yard and cars are stopped in front of my house.

You can put the pieces together. My child was in the street and had stopped traffic. I sprinted down the driveway, scooped her up, and apologized to the patiently waiting motorists who were thinking, "What a LOSER mother this is...I should call CPS right now. What in the *&^% is she thinking? They should lock her up."

I waved, smiled meekly, and trudged back to the house where I locked my child inside, collapsed on the couch, and had a moment. A long moment. Hence, heart attack numero dos.

So, 2 is my limit. Only twice a day can I face near tragedy.

Thank God for his protective graces.

Thank God that Sydney is okay.

Thank God for toddler leashes.

Decisions

Decisions.

They were much easier before I got married. All I had to think about was, "How will this affect me?"

Then, I got married. Then my decisions became secondary to his decisions. I stand by what I vowed on my wedding day. I respect him and submit to his authority when it comes to making the final call on da biggies. Call me old-fashioned, but the words you repeat on the big day actually have meaning behind them. Do people really understand what they are promising?

Then, I had a child. My decisions then became tertiary. First, "What does hubs think?" Secondly, "How will this affect Syd?" Thirdly, "How will it affect me?"

On a side note, I think it is VERY interesting that some folks keep making decisions when they are married with kids as they did when they are single. Sad.

I have some major decisions to make in the new few months... I have been pondering, praying, promising, rationalizing, suggesting, and questioning...I want to make the right decisions in accordance with God's will. Being in His will is of paramount importance to me.

Next time you are on your knees, mention to the Lord, "Please guide me where you want me to go, tell me what I NEED to hear, and give me the good sense to LISTEN and OBEY."

Much obliged. I'll be praying the same thing.

"They Make Me" - A Birthday Poem

They make me smile, they make me frown

They think I am a circus clown.

They make me giggle, they make me scream

They make me have some wacko dreams.

They make me grin, they make me seethe

They make me laugh 'til I can't breathe.

They make me question my profession,

And then I MUST go to confession.

They make me glad I am a teacher,

They confuse me with a preacher,

And then there are days I wonder why,

I get out of bed and try,

To make a difference in their lives.

Cause I get tired of the drama,

And all the teenage trauma,

But then, some days,

they call me "mama"

They make me tired, They make me sigh

But they are the apple of my eye

And today they made me cry.

(I hope you enjoy the pictures of the surprise birthday party my kids planned for me all by themselves.)

 

Sock Hop Sydney!

I can't believe I haven't shared the highlights of Sydney's 2nd Birthday Bash yet. It took place nearly a week and half ago.

Maybe it's because lately it seems like:
I teach nonstop.
I answer phones nonstop.
I text our worker bees nonstop.
I take care of a 2 yr. old nonstop.

And also it might be because:
I have flown across Texas for a meeting.
I was stuck in a town across Texas because my flight home cancelled.
I have driven countless miles to countless places.

But for whatever the reason, finally...here are the pics!