a journey in motherhood

As opposed to fear-based. Grace-Based Parenting. The single best book on parenting I’ve ever read. Nothing about the minute details of dealing with specific discipline issues, or potty training, or anything like that. Instead an overall mindset of parenting our children the way God parents us. With grace. Meeting their needs for security, significance and strength with Love, Purpose, and Hope. Giving them the freedoms to be different, vulnerable, candid and to make mistakes. Much of it was afirming, some of it was challenging - all of it opened my eyes to how my heavenly father gives me grace. I was convicted of a lot of things in my heart, both relating to my parenting and not. I felt like it opened up my eyes to the truth about what God’s grace does for me and how I am in turn to live out a life of Grace towards others. It also challenged my faith - in a way that said - walk the talk, be a doer, not just a hearer, if you believe it - live it! It encouraged me and gave me a lot of confidence to raise my children in any enviroment, because greater is He who is in me than he who is in the world. If you love God and love your kids, this is a must read.  Here is the authors site. I can’t wait to read other books by him.

Who knew? I just love my new ipod. I spent two entire days loading over 200 albums onto it. 21 days worth of stuff, and only took up 10GB of the 80 that i have! I had $70 in itunes gift cards too so I got to buy some fun stuff. The Wicked soundtrack being my favorite. I also downloaded 15 different seminary courses from Reformed Theological Seminary and plan to add the whole Bible when I decide to tackle all those CD’s. When Charlie got his a while ago I thought I’d never want one since I don’t really consider myself that “into” music. I’ve proved myself wrong, everyone should have one of these things. well I’m probably the last person to figure that out.

My lovely big front loading washing machine has been acting up lately. It’s only a year old and I recently declined the extended warranty so I’ve found this very frusterating. I did what I often do when confronted with a problem, I tried to ignore it…until I couldn’t anymore. In fact, I tried so hard that there has been a 1/2 washed load of dirty diapers in my machine for 2 days now. Dreading having to call and pay someone to fix it for us I got Charlie involved and we decided to see if we couldn’t figure things out. I can’t count the number of times I’ve thanked the Lord for placing my life in this period of time all for the internet. That’s where we found our help. The lovely posters at www.fixya.com had the solution and it worked. Now we’re waiting for the washer & floor to dry of the nasty smelly water that drained ALL OVER before I can finish my 2 day old dirty diapers. Don’t worry, I’ll be washing them a few extra times at least. I’m just grateful to have avoided the cost of a service repair, and I feel so empowered like I could fix anything now. loveit.

In the last month I’ve had 2 flat tires. Totally flat. The first was when we pulled out of the garage on our way to church, got 1/2 way down the street and realized we had a problem. Large screw right in the middle of the tire. So we had to pile out and cram into the truck & deal w/ the flat later. Which was actually rather painless, as Sams Club fixed it for free. We didn’t even buy the tire there - sweet huh? So we went back there yesterday b/c this time I had a flat when I came out of the Dr.’s office. Though I’m sure I caused the leak when I hit the bricks while trying to avoid hitting Charlie’s truck when I was pulling out of the driveway. (I’ve hit the truck before and this was a better option!) Anyway, thank you Toyota for giving me a spare that is exactly the same as my regular tires b/c no one seems to have the right kind in stock right now, but once again, Sams helped us install the spare for free, and even advised we buy a spare elsewhere b/c it would be cheaper.

Before the the flat incidents we had another close call. We all went out to the car only to find it completely dead. This caused more anxiety than the usual, oh we just have to jump it annoyance, because we own a hybrid. Who knows what you do to get a hybrid engine recharged? We do now. And it happens to be the exact same way you do with a regular car. Jump it. phew! Thank you Toyota again. Though we did have to figure out how to get the care out of the garage first - did you know there is a secret gear shift override button? There is. I must admit what you can learn from these annyoing bumps in the road helps make up for the frusteration they cause. Can you tell I’m an optimist?

Elliot’s first christmas was nice b/c it was a 1st, but it was stressful as I recall trying to put him down to sleep while he was screaming in my arms, while the Christmas dinner was eaten by everyone but me…I got it cold. I am so glad that was not the case for Libby’s first Christmas. She napped at our place before we headed to the K’s, napped there before we headed to the S’s, and then napped there again. Timing was impecable! If you’ve never mothered a child there’s just no understanding what a feat that was!
On to the day, it was really wonderful, start to finish. The kiddos woke and it’s tradition to open stockings together on our bed. Elliot really enjoyed it this year and it was fun to have him understand and get excited. I got the suprise of the year when i found an ipod at the bottom of my stocking!! Charlie & I had a spending limit and let me tell you it was no where near the cost of an ipod - so it was a total shock. It was really neat b/c it’s pretty much the first present from him I have recieved that was a complete suprise, for some reason my mind usually figures out what is comming - it can’t be helped. but not this year! I loved Elizabeth’s gifts too b/c it was all stuff I NEEDED for her! The big gift of the morning for Elliot was his electric guitar and amp. (Amazon.com said it was for 10-15 yr olds - ha!) He’s quite the little performer now, instructing us to sit and watch him while he jams for us. Fortunetly for now it’s still cute, we’ll have to work on not showing off as he gets a little older. Libby darlin’ got mostly clothes but a few musical toys herself. However she’s wearing 18 month clothing so who knows, she may be her daddy’s basketball player!
From home we went to the IL’s & celebrated with them & had a yummy breakfast. We all got some great stuff, the funniest was Elliot’s tool box that Grandpa had written his name on - except he’d forgotten to put one letter of his last name - which is his own last name.
Next we went to my parents home to celebrate some more. We’d had Christmas Eve dinner there the night before w/ my brothers so gifts had been opened, but with my grandparents and aunt there it was very special celebrating again - and without gifts there was an even bigger emphasis on the greater meaning of Christmas. We had a time of reading Bible verses that shared of all the gifts God gives us, and I played the song “I have seen the Light” which brings me to tears every time i hear it, it’s so emotional.
We were home & the kids were in bed before 7:00 and I spent the rest of the night figuring out itunes and for not being that “into music” I sure have a lot I like. The soundtrack to “Wicked” has been my favorite purchase so far!

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Tonight we visited Bethlehem. For a few weeks now we’ve been sharing the story of Christ’s birth with Elliot. We purchased a Little People Nativity that he can play with, moving the characters along as we all tell the story. What happens on Christmas? “baby Jesus born” who is Jesus? “God’s Son” It’s been a privilege to share the miracle of God becoming man with my son. It’s an amazing time in his life as he is beginning to understand more complex concepts and articulate them. It’s inspiring to my own faith to see “childlike faith” in my son begin to emerge. Tonight we visited a church nearby, where they transformed their campus in to Bethlehem. We began by being escourted into King Herod’s courtyard, then into the streets of bethlehem where there were merchants, beggars, and livestock. Then we traveled to the countryside and saw the shepherds, then an angel apeared and we followed the shepherds to the scene at the stable and finally we heard from the wisemen. For Elliot it was all very real, right now in many ways what he saw tonight in his mind was the real thing. He spent much of the evening with his jaw dropped and eyes wide open staring at what he was seeing and hearing. The church had done a beautiful job at presenting a very real replica, down to actual opportunities to make clay pots and taste foods in the “marketplace.” Even the baby “Jesus” was a real little baby. The responsibility of teaching my children the truth about God is serious, and it is in my prayers often. The side effect is a deepening of my own faith, the time I spend reflecting on the truths that I instill in my children blesses my soul too.