Start of Summer

The kids have been out of schools since last Tuesday at noon. I really have enjoyed not having to get up and get lunches ready, kids ready and out the door. Here it comes.....BUT, I really am not enjoying the fighting, tattle telling, whining, moping kind of stuff that has been going on as well. Very dramatically, I might add.

I hear it's normal for siblings to carry on this way. The bickering and peckering. Blah blah blah. BUT, I don't want that to be normal. I want a peaceful, kind, loving home. Where everyone whistles as they do their chores. Help each other out when needed. And when disruption comes, things are settled in a kind manner. Family Prayer, Scripture Study, and Home Evening seem to be just the opening exercises for a good ol' fashioned "Mom!! She's looking at me!", and "He always gets to read its my turn!" and "Do we have to???".

I have enjoyed some of this time with them. (When they are sleeping.) They are very funny and amusing to hang out with. I just wish those times would be more than the fighting, whining, carrying on times. And it only been a week of summer so far. Boy, am I in for it if something doesn't change....maybe it's me.

Here are a couple of pics to show them in their cute times. I will post their "other side" another time.

IMP - the imp was a small lesser demon. It should also be noted that demons in Germanic legends were not necessarily always evil. Imps were often mischievous rather than evil or harmful, and in some regions they were portrayed as attendants of the gods. Their behavior is described as being wild and uncontrollable, much the same as fairies, and in some cultures they are considered the same beings, both sharing the same sense of free spirit and enjoyment of all things fun.
This is my Imp.

Imps are often shown as small and not very attractive creatures. But as you can see, my little Imp is incredibly adorable, and nicely built for his age.
Today in S.Meeting he wanted to be free from my grasps and the pew we were sitting on. Of course, I was trying to keep him as still and reverent as I could. In efforts to escape, the Imp throws his binki across the aisle. The person it landing by did not notice it. I tried to coerce my other children to reach out and grab it. They would not. But the imp that threw it was shouting "binki, binki" while stretching for it as i held him back by his waistband. Knowing what he was planning...an escape....I didn't want to let him go to grab his binki. But I gave in and let go to see if that was really what he was going to try. The moment I released my grip he snatched up his binki, and jetted for the door. I looked at the man who the binki was next to. The look on his face was a "Holy Cow, what was that? Lightning?" look. Aquinna went after him. I sat for a moment. Took a breath and also headed for the door. Luckily Quinna caught him half way down the hallway or I would of never caught him.

The imp spent the rest of the meeting time in my arms in the hallways. I knew what would happen if I let him down. He fought, he cried, he wiggles he 'riggle'd. He tossed his binki over and over and wiped his nose all over my shirt. But I didn't put him down. Until.....the last 5 minutes. My arms were burning. I knew the meeting was almost over. He was tired and sleepy. He laid on the floor with his blanket and his binki. Watching me. He was so still. Then he got up slowly. I was right there waiting for him. He inched away and pointed at the coat hooks to hang up his blanket. I said sure....then he ran. Past the water fountains. Past the restrooms. Flying down the hall. There was no way I could have caught him in the shoes I was wearing. Plus, he would stop when he got to the next foyer. He wouldn't run back into the S.Meeting room. He did stop. I was still coming down the hallway. I saw him point to me and tell someone that his "mama" was coming. He was not looking at me at all. Then he was gone. He did it. He ran right throw the chapel to the foyer on the other side. Thankfully the closing song was just getting started. But there was no way I was going to follow him through there. I would wait until the meeting was over and grab him on the other side. Someone whispered to me that my little imp "was cute." I rolled my eyes and shook my head no. One of the young men came around the hallway with my imp in his arms. I told him to keep him. He then returned him to me after the closing prayer.

I gathered up my things, my sweet older children had cleaned up the toys and coloring stuff and packed it back in the bags and had all ready vanished to their primary classes. I led Ben, I mean my Imp to Nursery where I pushed him into the room, told the Nursery leaders "Thanks" and left. Of course I sat outside the door and listened to him cry for a minute. After a few minutes I heard nothing so I headed to my own class. I knew the Imps teachers would bring him to me if he had too hard of a time in there. But they never did. It was an amazing Sunday after that. I went to the rest of my classes. I enjoyed the lessons. I was uplifted and felt so much peace. And then when church was over and I picked him up from his class, he saw me and started wailing. He was definitely letting me know that he was not happy with me. He got over it by the time we got to the car. I can't wait to do it all again next week. Yippee!!

Random Post

Sometimes i wish I could just change with the thought of changing. Wanting to be better and realizing what you need to fix and have it magically be fixed. Being a better wife, mother, babysitter, sister, friend. Sometimes the want is so bad but the effort is not there at all. Why can't the want be enough? Why can't we appreciate it and not take for granted the mercies in our lives without effort? Even with knowing that the effort and work is what really makes us grow and change, I still can't seem to do it. I just want to skip that part. It's kinda like I'm telling myself, " Hey you know the lesson, you know that the work is the important part. So why not just skip ahead to the end because you know if you work at it that you will have the ending anyways." Any of this making sense? Is it ok to ask ya'll to pray for me to have a desire, no wait, for me to just put more effort into it?