Sledding and Hot Chocolate

Monday, (nearly a week ago now!) we had just enough sleety slush that the kids could use their Christmas sleds. Man! We had SO MUCH FUN! The ice on the grass was just right and the mini-hill between our driveway and our neighbor's yard was just long enough. The boys would carefully balance their sleds at the "top" of the hill, then take a good, long running start. . . flinging themselves onto the sleds and careening across the grass. It was hysterical. Rhyle, especially. He could not get the hang of landing on the sled while continuing his forward motion. The result was repeated wipeouts, with the sled taking off and Rhyle ending up somewhere behind it (with great force from that long run!). It was delightful.

Of course, Livia had to have many turns, and she preferred riding solo to sharing with the boys. "Gan! Gan!" she would say. ("Again!") Nevermind that her pants were soaked through and her fingers were cold. She loved it.

Finally, I decided we best go in to use the restroom, have a snack, and get warmed up. My back was turned while I put Livia's car away in the garage. (Just a quick rabbit-trail and praise to God: this is the "Cozy Coupe" plastic car that I think Livvi has coveted for a year. We almost got her one for Christmas. . . but they are over $50! I kept thinking I'd find one at a garage sale, but honestly. . . I don't really go to garage sales. SO. . . I noticed one in our neighbor's backyard. They were moving, so I asked. And God, through them, GAVE us a Cozy Coupe of our own. Truly wonderful; ask any of my kids.)

Anyway, I heard crying. It was Owen, which surprised me, given all of Rhyle's violent episodes falling off of his sled. "What?!" I cried out to him. "Are you okay?"

"I fell off my sled in the snow," he cried. "And I'm all cold and wet!"

I'm horrible. Thinking that he was crying because it was (nearly) his first time getting really cold and wet in the snow, knowing how unpleasant it is to have snow down your neck. . . I laughed.

Then he came closer. . . . and I saw that not only had he fallen off of his sled. . . He had fallen FACE FIRST. So he was cold and wet AND bloody. With tiny scratches all over his face and a bruise or two, as well. And I had laughed!

Well, we went inside to clean up, warm up, eat up, etc. While we were still at the door unbundling everyone the topic of hot chocolate came up.

"Can we have hot chocolate?" Rhyle asked.
"hmmm." I pondered.

"I NEED hot chocolate!" Owen said.
"Why?" asked Rhyle.

"I NEED hot chocolate right now!" Owen whined (cold and bloody).
"Why?" Rhyle asked again. "Is it for your face?"

Embracing Motherhood

Is it okay to quote from some of my favorite blogs? This one comes from "Wife, Mama, and Country Mouse?" I LOVE it. I've wondered many times why I can be so content and HAPPY, even, in mothering. . . while I see women around me struggling with the idea of being with their kids. So many times I've heard, "I just need a break." or "I need to get away for awhile." or "Things will be better when they are in school." These things may be true, of course, but I have sensed an underlying discontent with the job of motherhood accompaning these comments. When I feel called, when I feel purposed, when I feel absolutely validated by God in what I'm doing. . . I don't need to get away. I can glory in service. (Elisabeth Elliot again!)

“All mother’s love their children, but not all mothers love motherhood.”

“This is the secret for liberating us into the fulfillment of motherhood. It is only when we receive the revelation that God has created us for this task and that this is our destiny that we will walk in the power and anointing of motherhood. It is only when we embrace motherhood with all our hearts that we will truly enjoy it. Even though we devotedly love our children, if we do not wholeheartedly accept the role of mothering, we will never experience the true glory of motherhood.

“This is why many mothers are frustrated with their mothering role. They have spent years training for careers, and find motherhood a threat to their career. Of course they love their children, but the actual function of motherhood is a hindrance to their plans. This causes vexation and frustration. God wants us to not only love our children, but to totally love and embrace the high calling of motherhood which He has given to us as a divine charge.”

~ Nancy Campbell, The Power of Motherhood

Many Thanks

This year we created a paper chain of things we were thankful for. Each person added a link (nearly) every day. Some of Rhyle's are illegible (is that what you call it when he didn't really make many actual letters?) For posterity (and fun!) our list this year (okay, so it was actually LAST year, but I'm just taking the thing down now with the Christmas things!):

1. God's word-speaking directly to my heart (2 Chron.20:12)- Calli
2. Jeans- O
3. Carpooling with Martins- C
4. Good music- B
5. Lights- O
6. Holly Carver! (A new distributor on my team)- C
7. That Rhyle remembers the way to church- B
8. Windows- O
9. Angel food cupcakes-C
10. ljljljljljlkj- R
11. Fun nights with Mommy-B
12. Clothing- the right sizes and colors given to us- C
13. The whole world- R
14. Friends- O
15. Food- R
16. God- O
17. Good babysitters- C
18. Couch- O
19. Jody's call and encouragement today- C
20. Playing froggy on the couch- R
21. Encouraging midterm grades-B
22. Catching falling leaves- O
23. Plates and bowls- O
24. Bowls- R
25. Having a leaf fight with Owen and Rhyle-B
26. Clocks-O
27. The Bible- B
28. Owen learning to read-B
29. M&Ms- R
30. lkfja;ldfj;ldskaj;dslfj- R
31. Rhyle- D
32. Dad and Rhyle- O
33. 3 years with Rhyle- M
34. Pump It Up- O
35. Warm, beautiful fall weather- C
36. Quiet times- B
37. da;lfjeoa;ej;aflj = Pump It Up obstacle course- R
38. Lights- O
39. Animals- R
40. Drinks-O
41. M&Ms- R
42. Healthy kids- B
43. Relationships (the Thackers open home)- C
44. Fresh fruit- B
45. First music lessons, Owen learning to sing a note- C
46. New relationships (Brandi, Holly, Donna)- C
47. Hoses (houses?)- O
48. Daddy- L
49. Forks- O
50. A free electrician friend and a working dryer- C
51. Plates-O
52. Redeemer PCA, a church that feels like home- C
53. Owen held the door open for his Sunday school teacher- B
54. aldfjaow;v l- R
55. Hearing my sons pray- B
56. a;lfjpqao;falsk- R
57. Free books at the library- C
58. Cameras- O
59. Broccoli and carrots- R
60. Healthy family- B
61. House- R (with a picture!)
62. House- O

Loving Means Discipline

Okay. This is not really connected to any recent events (except that discipline is a continual "event" around our home with three kids in "PRIME training years" as I say). My thoughts were prompted by a great devotional by Elisabeth Elliot, where in part she says:

"My parents loved us enough to make us wear galoshes (those awful things with black metal clasps) when "nobody else had to wear them"; to see to it that we got five meals a day (three for the body and two for the soul, the latter including hymns, Bible reading, and prayer); to say no to things like candy or coming in when we felt like it, or skipping piano lessons and church; to give us chores to do around the house and to make it clear that if we didn't do them they wouldn't get done; to give us an allowance even during the Depression and teach us that some of it belonged to God; to stick by what they had said--line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little. They drew lines. We knew where they were drawn. They didn't move them. They knew more about life than we did, and had a fairly clear picture of what was good for us. Like other kids we complained that they didn't love us or they would do so-and-so. "When you have children of your own," Mother would often say, "you can let them do that if you want to." She knew we wouldn't want to--if we loved them.

We've got it backwards--love says don't restrain, hate says restrain. God puts it the other way: "The Lord disciplines him whom he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives. . . . If you are left without discipline . . . then you are illegitimate children and not sons" (Hebrews 12:6, 8 RSV). "When we fall under the Lord's judgment, he is disciplining us, to save us from being condemned with the rest of the world" (1 Corinthians 11:32 NEB).'"

I can't say it any better. But it does strengthen my heart when I'm weary of training, of feeling like the "bad guy", the meanie, the kill-joy. But, oh! Does it give my heart the sweetest joy when I observe my children practicing restraint and self-control and even selflessness as a result of the disciplining love of their parents and their Heavenly Father.