This too shall pass....

Sometimes as a wife and mom, I get tired. I get weary of doing the same things over and over, and not ever feeling like I get ahead. I spend the first half of my day schooling, and the second half cleaning, only to wake up the next morning to what looks like a small tornado touched down somewhere in our house. In its path must have been the jar of homemade jelly. For it is now spread all over my newly mopped floor. As I lean down to do a quick mop of this area, I remind myself, "This too shall pass".

The laundry room did not bypass its path either, for it looks like a years worth of dirty clothes were "deposited" there, as well as stray kitty litter, dirty shoes and craft supplies. This looks like I will have to spend the afternoon in here putting it all back together. I don't really have a free afternoon. So, I cram it all in the hamper. Do a quick sweep with my sock covered feet to push all the litter to at least one side of the room. And remind myself, "This too shall pass".

A morning wake up call to three separate girls rooms should have been done with my eyes closed. "Girls! Didn't I just fold all that laundry yesterday?? Why oh why did you feel the need to make little tents for your stuffed up animals with it??"...."This too shall pass...This too shall pass...This too shall pass.

Night time rolls around where I get to spend a little bit of one on one time with each girl, as I tuck them in. They tell me their most favorite parts of the day. They give me homemade love letters and pictures they made for me during their free time, and they shower me with hugs and kisses. When they are all snuggled in bed I turn to leave their room and gently close their door, and it hits me. Oh No....this too shall pass!!

There are many seasons in a mothers life. They go by so quickly. I am praying that this season does not, for it is one that I love and cherish. Help me Lord to not get caught up in the weariness of it. Help me to not focus on the things that don't really matter. Help to remember the joy on that little one's face as she made her own sandwich, instead of focusing on the floor that "captured" most of it! And Lord....help me to remember that cat mess next time I see a precious little kitten that I think I  MUST have. ;-)

The importance of label reading ;-)

By now I think we have all heard how important it is to read the labels on our food. There are so many things we are supposed to be avoiding, that it really limits what we should be buying. It shouldn't have High Fructose Corn Syrup. It should be low in calories, sugar, fat and of course sodium. If it does have fat it needs to be the good kind, not the trans fat stuff....well that leaves lettuce. ;-)

Not only is it important to read the labels before you buy them, I am beginning to see the importance of labeling them after as well. Take yesterday for an example. Before I go to the store I like to do a clean out the fridge meal. I try to use up whatever ingredients I have left before I add new ones. I found some tomato soup leftover from earlier in the week. Hmm...that would be perfect with grilled cheese. So, I made the grilled cheese and re-heated the "soup". When the girls were called in for lunch and told what was on the menu, they were thrilled. EVERYONE likes this meal. Only something seemed weird with the soup. Oh dear....that's not soup, that is spaghetti sauce!! Pizza sandwiches anyone??

At dinner time one of the princesses disappeared right as it was time to sit down. She returned shortly after with these little food labels to use for the meal time. One for drinks, one for foods, and one for vitamins. 

Guess she wanted to be sure she knew what she was eating this time. ;-)

Wordless Wednesday

Snow Day!

I am not a huge fan of New Year's resolutions. It's not that I think there is anything wrong with them...I just don't normally make one. But this year there are a few things that I have promised myself that I would try better at doing.

I want to to treasure EVERY day, and look forward to what it might bring. I don't want to always be worrying about tomorrow, and end up missing out on the blessings that might come with the "right now".  I want to take the day for what it might bring, and make the best of it.  So, we started today. What better time than today, to just "roll" with it and try to turn it into an adventure? Yes, we did school first. But it is amazing how motivated those three students can be sometimes. ;-)

I have heard so many people say that they would like to start eating better. I feel like we eat pretty good around here, but there is always room for improvement. 

Nice warm chocolate chip cookies after playing in the snow.

Hmm...not sure that will go with our "trying to eat better" desire. Oh, I know...

Mmmmm. Peppermint Hot chocolate to accompany the cookies.

There. That's "better"!