The Most Important Job

Bed time was a total beast tonight.

I was doing bed time solo, which is totally fine.  Lukas was being a professor and I am totally good with that, thrilled in fact!

It's a very rare occasion, but BOTH of the guys were screaming and fighting bed.  Normally bedtime is lovely.  We have worked hard to create a sweet bed time for our sweethearts and they really do well with it.  Also, normally, either one or the other is "acting out".  (note the quotes)

It just goes to show you that even the best parenting plans don't always work.

Tonight however, they were both completely exhausted, overly exhausted.  Therefore the fight.

As I was getting frustrated and worked up, irritated and a little defeated, I was reminded of something I read awhile back:

"Remember, you are not managing an inconvenience, you are raising a human being."  Kittie Franz

I don't know who Kittie Franz is, but she came through for me tonight.  It had to be divine intervention, but I remembered that quote out of nowhere and it calmed me down.  It changed my disposition.  Suddenly I wasn't irritated standing in the hallway.

I took a second look at my wonderful baby (which yes he'll always be) and reminded myself that he's only going to be like this for a small time.  I watched his little eyelids drooping.  His chubby hands resting by his face.  I appreciated that all he needed was to have me near him.  To provide that comfort for him.  He doesn't need it most nights, but tonight for whatever reason he did.  Now all I am is so thankful to him for that.  I needed that reminder.  That reminder to SLOW down.

What was I really going to be doing instead anyway?

And you know what.  They both went to sleep.  Now they are peaceful and resting for another inconvenient yet wonderful day.  And I can't wait.

This Year's Verses

All at the same time I was reading Praying Circles Around Your Children by Mark Batterson (loved that book!)  AND one of my favorite blogs (Specific post HERE).

Both of these ideas themed around the fact of praying for your kids.  "Praying" for my children was already a given, but both of these sources gave me the idea to designate Bible verses to each of my guys and pray for them through that verse.

Last year's verse was a shared verse:

"Let them grow in wisdom and stature and in favor of God and man."  (Luke 2:52)

Since this was the first time trying this, I decided to practice with the same verse for each of them.  This allowed me to think over verses all this year for the next year.  Verses that I felt would benefit them personally.  Individually.  Here's what I came up with:

Cameron, my cautious, inquisitive, planner and thinker:

Philippians 4:6 New Living Translation

"Don't worry about anything; instead pray about everything.  Tell God what you need and thank Him for all He has done."

Tate, my independent, determined, fearless two year old:

Proverbs 3: 5-6 ESV

"Trust in the Lord with all of your heart and lean not on your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make straight your paths."

Here's to another wonderful year that I get to pray for these boys.

Interrupting Throwback Thursday

We now interrupt your regularly scheduled episode of Throwback Thursday for an important announcement:

I DID IT!!!!!

That's right!  It has officially been 21 days since my last Coca Cola.  

It wasn't easy.  I wanted a coke every day and I passed up the opportunity for a nice cool fountain coke in a Styrofoam cup many times.  

BUT I do feel that I have definitely broken the habit.  In the meantime:

1.  I was also able to stop being addicted to caffeine with a weaned off of caffeine technique that left my headache to a dull level for only one day.

2.  I have greatly decreased my soda intake altogether, most days not having any at all.  I did have an occasional root beer or very occasional orange soda (like 2 the whole time) when we went out.  The thing is though, they don't cut it and I feel pretty good saying that I don't want to drink them for the sake of drinking empty chemicals, colors, and calories.  Maybe just the occasional fizz.

3.  I don't feel the need to run out the door and get a Coke because my 21 days is over.  In fact, I am going to go for 30 with these final 9 days being completely soda free.  I haven't decided on lemonade yet.  

4.  My weight has not changed in either direction.  I don't know if I can call quitting soda a weight loss diet.  I haven't fully "dieted" either though, this was a one task habit break folks.  One at a time.

5.  I don't have more energy, probably less without caffeine at all.  I did think that not putting all of the horrible stuff into my body every day would leave me feeling a little different for the better.  Other than the lack of guilt, I can't say that I feel differently.

6.  So while I can't say the typical "I gave up this bad for you food" statements about feeling extra great, I do feel good not being addicted to something.  Even as silly as this addiction was, I did feel kind of bound to it.  I would actually get a head ache and it would effect my day if I didn't have any, now I don't have to worry about it.  

Overall, I consider this a big win!

So there you have it folks!  The sticky note habit making/breaking technique is a winner for me!  I really did love pulling a sticky off of the wall every day and I knew that if I even broke down one day, then the stickies would all have to go up again.  That really worked for me.

Now I'm off to plot my next goal. Mwah ha ha.

Every Year

On C's first Christmas, our family went to one of our wonderful friend's annual boat parade parties.

This is one of our FAVORITE Christmas traditions.  The food is amazing, the company is superb, there's a trombone group playing carols, and the boats all put on their best Christmas lighting gear for a lovely parade.
That year, the hostess gave me a potted Amaryllis plant.  She gave it to me with the idea that I could "transplant" it into my "garden" and enjoy it from there.

I can't think of any other time that I've ever planted anything.  Seriously.  That's rather embarrassing, but gardening has never been my strong suit of mine.  In fact, I have deemed myself a "dead thumb".  Even so, I figured I'd give it a try.  I enjoy gardens.  I love pretty flowers.

3 years later, here it is:

I love this thing.  I have such a weird amount of pride for it.  I planted it, and it stayed alive.  That deems this probably the most resilient plant ever, but I don't care.

In fact, I have taken a picture of this Amaryllis every year since the first year it bloomed and it is becoming a tradition that I really look forward to.  This year it's even expanded and has two big stems meaning 4 flowers!

Sometimes it really is the little things that bring joy and make my heart sing so loud.