Still

We are still…busy

The weekend was long and totally full, but we had a blast. Eric took an extra day off and we headed to the farm for Friday and Saturday. He got to play farmer, the kids played with Grandma and in the pool, and I sat around and did nothing (mostly due to the 90 degree weather and no air conditioning!). We came home on Saturday night, got up for church on Sunday, then Eric manned the crew while I headed to a friend’s house to help with VBS prep. We worked all day, Eric and the kids joined us and we shared a lovely dinner, and we got a ton of stuff done. Memorial Day was also incredibly busy. I got chores done (laundry, clean up the kitchen, clean bathrooms, run to the grocery, make strawberry jam), plus I worked on VBS stuff with my friend for a couple of hours and had my parents come for dinner that evening. 

Of course, we are back to normal life today which has involved going nowhere, trying to finish some chores from yesterday (ironing, putting away clean clothes, kitchen clean-up), and spending a good bit of time reading and hanging with the little ones. Eric put one of our tents up while I was gone on Monday morning (in the living room), which the kids just think is fabulous, so I filled it with our couch cushions today and they’ve been enjoying in indoor “playhouse” quite a bit. I’m pretty tired after the weekend, but we’ll hit our groove again soon…

We are still…married

Eight years ago today, Eric and I got married. We are probably going out for a family dinner tonight to celebrate, although neither one of us managed to get a card or gift for the other this time. Oops. Of course, 8th anniversary gifts are either bronze (traditional) or linens and lace (modern), so I’m not sure what play on that we would have come up with this year. And I am totally fine if Eric doesn’t buy me sheets for our anniversary!

Of course, there’s all the mushy stuff I could say about how much I love him (which I do), and how glad I am that we got married (which I am), or how he’s just amazing in every way (okay, most ways ). But mostly, I’m just really thankful for the man God dropped into my life. I wasn’t looking for him at the time. I remember telling Karen that “this” wasn’t what expected love to be like. But absolutely and for sure, I love my husband. He makes my days better. He still makes me laugh. He loves God and wants to honor Him with his life, and as a dad, no one can top him. I am so very glad to be celebrating 8 years with Eric today. 

We are still…surviving

Megan is still kicking my butt pretty much every day. She speaks in full sentences. She asks to go on the potty every couple of days (and does). She desperately wants to be taller so she can pedal like the twins. She loves the sandbox. She eats sidewalk chalk. She makes me laugh fifty times a day and frustrates me almost as often. She’s massively dramatic, launching herself to the ground when she throws a fit. Her temper and stubbornness is coming out in spades, but sixteen second after fit, she’s laughing again. She’s got the cutest little waddle, she loves shoes (especially Erin’s), and she’s got the cutest way of saying things – “Whyyyyyy?” or “‘Mon, Mommy” or “My turn!” Without a doubt she’s got a stronger personality than either twin, and I’m sure she’s gonna be a our strong-willed child for many years to come. But she’s definitely a fabulous little thing to have around. 

And speaking of difficult stages…3 is also turning into quite a challenge. Alex is slowly making progress on potty training (I suspect he and Megan will finish about the same time). Alex and Erin are coming into a new stage of imaginative play, wanting to sing songs from every “stage” (the front porch, my treadmill, the couch) while holding a “microphone” (hand weights, sticks, etc). Of course, I don’t know where they got that impulse… They also love to hear and tell stories. Alex announces to us that he is going to tell us a story – “Ont upon a time, Megan had a birtday.” There are two or three more sentences and he ends with, “And that is the end of my story about Megan’s birtday.” I guess I’ll have to work with him on “the end.” But as fun as all this stuff is, this new stage of play requires more of me, too. Preparing crafts, thinking of stories, stopping to play games…it’s a lot on top of normal life. 

And despite all the fun new developments (pedaling, climbing, eating on chairs without boosters), they are also testing every boundary they know. There are battles over obedience and speaking respectfully and helping Mommy. There is whining over turning off the TV to play more. There are meltdowns (some of them mine) and infinite conflicts over toys and whose-turn-it-is and who stole whose chair. There is a lot of whining. There are constant demands. There is drama and tattling and all sorts of wear-me-down battles over tiny little nothings. And I get that this is a season that someday I’ll forget was this difficult, but it’s still hard. Some days, it’s a few minutes and a lot of prayer before I can drag myself out of bed to face a day alone with all three. But I also know that it’s worth it. I know that the ground I’m claiming with them right now is about laying a foundation that will last the rest of their lives. I know the lessons they learn now are the lessons they don’t have to learn later (and in more painful circumstances). And I know that God gives all the grace necessary to navigate the crises, one day (or one minute) at a time. So we just keep on…

And mostly, we are still…here. And I’m grateful for that fact. I’m hoping to get back to more faithful blogging again; I’m hoping to figure out a workable summer schedule for us. I’m hoping to connect with some people again and survive VBS and keep my house clean (not gonna hold my breath for that one!). But for now…we are still here. And that is good. 

Happy Tuesday!

Please follow and like us: