sunday thoughts

I used to dream about hosting a morning talk show. I realize now that it wont happen, but I always like the part when they banter at the beginning about their weekend etc...

So this is my version. It is Sunday night, the kids are in bed. I had a nap today so I actually feel somewhat awake so it is a good time to blog about my week and review life and the lessons I learned here at the Harvey House. I will admit now that most of the thoughts will come from the last few days since i seem to be losing my long term memory. By long term, I mean last Monday.

Emma came and told me that her bum was talking and she needed to go poo.


Samuel and Issac (ok, frustrating! i keep spelling his name wrong. my son! what kind of a mother am i??) Isaac discovered each other this week. They were laying in their crib, holding hands (ahhhh!) and then Samuel made eye contact with Isaac and giggled, and then Isaac giggled back. I am sure that rainbows and butterflies flew out of my eyes. I love having twins.

Speaking of the twins, I just want to say that I love having boys. I know the girls love me, but my goodness the adoration that those boys look at me with! I can understand why there are so many comments made about mothers in law(not my mother in law, other mothers in law just to be clear) - i am pretty sure i will be that creepy lady from the book "I love you forever"- in twenty years you will very likely see me driving across town with a ladder on the top of my by then ancient mini van so I can rock my baby boys back and forth, back and forth..."as long as I'm living my baby you'll be" .....you need to read the book.  

last night we had friends over for dinner.  We love every minute we can spend with them. They are in grandparent stage and nothing phases them. When Alina (our never grumpy, made of rubber, bounces back from anything kind of a girl) kept rubbing her tummy saying "mommy, tummy hurt" I didn't think she really meant it.

That was a mistake.

Just as we all sat down to dinner, she walked over and threw up all over the floor by my feet.

We all just popped into "clean up vomit" mode and go on with dinner (not a parent? just wait,  you will understand one day, trust me it is super fun!)

Alina is in a funny phase, but I think all of her phases have been funny so far. You know people who are just funny? Well, Alina is one of those. For no one's benefit, she walks around the house with a box on her head and runs into walls just to make herself laugh. And she insists on going potty all the time now, for fun. Sometimes she gets the timing right - I am sure by accident, but it encourages her in her self-potty training adventure so I am spending copious amounts of time in the bathroom waiting for lightning to strike.

Today we went to the park. We call it the blue park, and we all love it. We drive across town, it is right next to a Starbucks and the toys are great for the stage the kids are in.

It also makes me nostalgic. Look at this picture we have of Emma in this park from spring a year ago.  She looks so tiny going down the slide. She needed help to get around all of the toys, get up on the slide etc... This year there is no turning back. As soon as we arrive she is off playing and showing Alina how to do everything.

Next year, at this time the boys will be walking (probably) and we will be out of baby phase for good. And then I am done. Every new thing they do is the last time I will do it. They roll over, and that is the last of our babies to roll over for the first time (I am not making this stuff up, I actually think about this stuff) I am so aware of the sweetness of this season. My children are close and they love spending time with us. These days will pass so quickly.

I am also really challenged about the producing the fruit of the Holy Spirit in my life (Galatians 5:22). Encouragement can be a gift along with hospitality, or leadership. But patience is not a gift, love is not a gift, nor is kindness or peace. All of those must be grown in my day to day life. Sometimes, under the guise of "discipline" kindness goes out the window. Lots of times, because I want to do something else,  not something important, just what I want to do...patience takes a back seat to my own agenda. I am so convicted about this...how can I expect to raise patient, kind and loving kids if they see irritation, impatience and unloving behaviour in me?

Grrrrr! There are days that I seriously just want them to come and put their pajamas on the first time I ask them! After the 100th "naked parade" as much as I love hearing them laugh, I am done! I am tired, I don't want to laugh any more, I just want to have some quiet before I fall into bed and do it all again tomorrow. But then, of course, when I am putting them down and their little hearts quiet down, we make eye contact, we pray and we have those moments that make parenting worth the craziness that happens every day.

So, there you have it. The world through my eyes this week. I am about to go and close said eyes.

Goodnight.