A Good LONG day

Upon stopping and taking a deep breath and considering, this is absolutely a stellar day.

My husband is healthy, loving and has a job to go to, and so we are able to put food on the table and enjoy shelter from the rain.

Our children are also healthy and their little bodies are full of chubby nooks and cranies to prove it.

We have a home to call our own, and it has electricity, running water, commodes and a coziness about it.

We have a Hope that transcends circumstance and a Love that-at any point in our lives-outweighs judgement, performance and love reciprocated.

All of the above is singularly provided by a God who is personal, closer than a breath and bigger than our measly minds can conjure up.

I write all this on this rainy Monday morning to remind myself.

It's just one of those mornings.

All in all, we have it made in the shade. Yet in terms of the nitty gritty of mothering a baby and a toddler (and carrying a baby), this morning was definitely on the "gritty" side of things.

It started by walking in to cheerfully greet my complaining son in his crib, and immediately he made his "broom, broom" sounds, which tranlated into English means "Can we go away in the Jeep, NOW?" .

I said "Later". This has been my answer ever since. Two hours later, he's still begging and to ensure my understanding of his deep desire to flee our home, he brought me my shoes, took my slippers off and put them on my feet. I can't say he's not helpful.

I decided to organize a drawer in our dry sink (which the TV is on) in which I would put 'crafty' things for him (and eventually Annie) to do. Note: In my world, "crafty" things are comprised of paper and colored pencils. No glue, no stickers, no playdough...not yet! I put a piece of paper on their little table for him to draw on and gave him one or two crayons, making a mental note to keep a close eye on him.

I guess I turned my head for one second to long, as I heard rapid gagging sounds behind me and turned to see hundreds of multi-colored crayon crumbs had exploded all over his teeth, tongue, lips and chin. Oh, and his hands as he's trying to wipe his crumby mouth clean. Of course, there were teeny wax balls all over the carpet in which Annie, whom we call the human vacuum cleaner, would be all to eager to suck up with her quick fingers, which go directly to her mouth.

So thus the vacuum cleaner came out at 7:30am.

This is just a small sampling of my morning so far and the clock is telling me it is only 9:06!!!!

Where is the massuese and the cleaning maid??? Why isn't the arts and crafts nanny here yet???

Who said they could take the day off???

Yet again, I remind myself of the GOOD things that God has given us for this day. I have a short-term memory at times, so this is something I will need to choose to stop and consider before I feel bad for myself...a lady with a terrible bed-head, my pink cotton to-the-knees nighty and canvas sneakers that I'm still wearing, thanks to my ever-eager to be on-the-go son. Notice there are no pictures of this image. Your imagination will suffice - and probably be terribly accurate! (Annie's playing so nicely at this moment and I'm thankful. She plays so well by herself. It will be a challenge to give her that space come September-when their is one ahead and one behind her!)

Here is a little prayer I have hanging in my closet. I would like to say I read it and live it every day, but I do not. I finally ripped it off the door, because the time gazing at my closet door on any given day probably amounts to 3.2 mili-seconds. Now it is located on my coffee table.

JUST FOR TODAY

by Marjorie Holmes

Oh, God,

give me grace for this day.

Not for a lifetime,

nor for next week,

nor for tomorrow,

just for this day.

Direct my thoughts and bless them,

Direct my work (gritty though it may be!) and bless it.

Direct the things I say and give them blessing too.

Direct and bless everything that I think

and speak and do.

So that for this one day,

just this one day,

I have the gift of grace

that comes from your presence...