Wednesdays

Most of you that follow my family blog know that my husband travels often for his job.  Like every week.  He is usually gone during the middle of the week, Tuesday-Thursday.  I usually have two parts of my day.  The part where the older kids are at school and I'm home with the two little ones and the part when the older kids get home from school.  Well today I want to talk about the 2nd part of my day, specifically Wednesday. Anyway Travis happened to be home this Wednesday and at 3:30 he said the FUNNIEST thing.

To quote he said: "So we don't have anything tonight do we?"

I actually LAUGHED OUT LOUD.

My reply:
"As soon as kids get home in 10 minutes we need to get on homework"
I continue: "From 4:30-5:30 I will be taking Dayton to scouts and helping the scout leader with their activity"
"At 5:30-6:30 you need to take Reece to soccer practice and you'll need to take Sadie with you."
"When I get back from Dayton scouts at 5:45 I'll pick up Landon and take him to his scout meeting that's from 6pm-7pm, but you'll have to pick him up at 7pm because I have a meeting at the church that is at 6:30-7pm so I won't be back in time.  Oh ya, you will also need to grab Seth (friend) while you are getting Landon and just bring him to our house and his mom will pick him up at our house because she won't be able to be here until about 7:15"
He inserts:
"When do we eat?"
I reply:
"We will eat at when I get home from my meeting, around 7:30 and then I'll start on homework and you can get ready for your church meeting that is at 8:30 and I'll get the kids in bed."
His reply:
"I just remembered I need to go out of town suddenly"
My reply:
"(laughing) Ya! welcome to my life"

10 minutes are up, kids are home from school, ---Ready Go!

What actually happened.

Everything that I was suppose to do went off without a hitch.

Dad's part?? Well.....

Reece made it to soccer but without shin guards or a water bottle (sort of important when your going to be running for an hour)

Dad did pick up Landon and Seth from scouts but instead of bringing Seth to our house where his mom was going to pick him up he dropped Seth off at his house, where nobody was home, and drove off without waiting to see if Seth got in the house okay, which he didn't, and was left outside, in the dark, waiting on the curb, for his mom to get home.

Of course Travis realized his mistake immediately when Seth's mom showed up at our house to get Seth and Seth was not there and she immediately jumped back into her car and sped home and Travis was left thinking  ......oh crap.  After several phone calls, (Travis calling to apologize, me calling to apologize) I'm happy to report Seth is just fine and hopefully not permanently scarred for life.

On the way home from my meeting I called Travis to make sure he wasn't screwing everything up check in and let him know I was going to grab a pizza for dinner. (I didn't know anything about the Seth incident at this point)

 His reply: "Oh, I've got dinner cooking just grab some milk from the store."
My response: "Really? Wow, how nice. Okay cool, see you in a minute"

Getting home with milk and $65 worth of other "stuff" (that always happens right?).  Kitchen is a BOMB.  Kids are finishing up the last of the chicken nuggets.
Me thinking: "How in the heck is the kitchen this messy from making chicken nuggets?"
Travis says, "What can I make you? I had no idea the kids ate so much and they ate all the food and there isn't anything left for you (as he is finishing eating my salad from Paradise Bakery that I had for lunch and was saving the rest for later)."
It's 8:00 at night, I'm tired, I'm hungry....Travis has a meeting to go to.
My reply: "I'm fine, I'll find something"
I'm thinking: "Seriously could have been eating pizza right now (with my leftover salad) and had a clean kitchen"
Travis leaves for meeting and I finish up homework, clean kitchen and get kids in bed.  Travis rolls in at 10:30 pm and is exhausted.
Travis asks,  "You do this by yourself when I'm gone?"
My reply, "Ya, today was easy"

For the record,  I would NEVER EVER want to do his job.  Way more than I could ever handle but it is sometimes nice when he realizes my job is hard too.

You are of worth, of Infinite Worth

Today as I listened to this song by Miley Cyrus I reflected on a recent experience I had.

"I can almost see it

That dream I am dreaming

But there's a voice inside my head saying

"You'll never reach it"

Every step I'm taking

Every move I make feels

Lost with no direction

My faith is shaking

I was at the mall a few days ago in a popular store.  There were several teenage girls there with their mothers and the girls were picking out and trying on dresses for the upcoming Homecoming Dance at the local high schools. 

I look forward to the day when I can take my own daughter shopping and have "girl time" together.   Unfortunately the feelings I had while in this store were so opposite of what they should have been. 

The dresses that these beautiful girls were trying on were so inappropriate for who they are.  I was crying inside.  I watched these girls try on dresses that were too short, too tight, too skimpy and too "grown up".  I also watched the mother's acting more like peers than parents.  

My heart was breaking. 

I was quiet on the outside but on the inside I was screaming!! 

I wanted to take the girls in my arms and shake them and say:

"Do you know that you are worth so much more than what that dress shows you as?

Do you know how valuable you are?

Do you know that you are already beautiful and you don't have to wear things that diminish that beauty.

You are of worth! Of INFINITE worth!"

Parenting isn't a popularity contest.  

Our children deserve so much more than that.  

Call me old fashioned but I still believe it is a parent's responsibility to teach and rear their children and parents will be held accountable for the way they do or don't do this.  

Why did these mother's approve of their daughters wearing things that take away from their true beauty and show them as objects rather than self confident, strong, respected, beautiful young women that they are?

It is easy to be discouraged.  It's easy to think that morals and values are out of date, out of style and things of a past world, a different time--- but they aren't.  

Instilling morals and values in our children and in our society are more important than ever.  I think about the heartache that comes when you dismiss it too easily.

Society likes to teach if you restrict, discipline or "preach" too much than you are limiting your children and crushing "who they are" and it labels you as being "close minded."  

I say if you are too open minded your brain falls out.  

If you don't restrict some things for your children then natural consequences of actions (teen pregnancy, drug addiction, lost opportunity from failing grades etc.) will restrict your child for you.  

If you don't preach to your children about the things you feel are important who will?  I'll tell you who will--peers, media-including TV shows-music and lyrics--magazines etc., society, popular trends of the day, and anyone else they come in contact with.

There is a lot of good in the world.  More good than bad.  

But I gotta keep trying

Gotta keep my head held high

There's always gonna be another mountain

I'm always gonna wanna make it move

Always gonna be a uphill battle

Sometimes I'm gonna have to lose

Ain't about how fast I get there

Ain't about what's waiting on the other side

It's the climb

The struggles I'm facing

The chances I'm taking

Sometimes might knock me down

But no, I'm not breaking

I think this song can be applied to parenting.  There are always going to be things we as parents want for our children.  Sometimes it will be an uphill battle, sometimes we are going to lose.  Sometimes we might get knocked down but we can't break. We have to keep trying.  Always trying.  We have to be strong.  Push on.

The one part of the song I disagree with is where she says "Ain't about what's waiting on the other side" because it is EXACTLY about what is on the other side.  We have a goal for our children and we have to keep our "eye on the prize." We cannot let our view get skewed with all the distractions in the path.  We have been entrusted with these precious children and the responsibility is ours.  We can do it.

I may not know it

But these are the moments that

I'm gonna remember most, yeah

Just gotta keep going

And I, I got to be strong

Just keep pushing on"