Weekend? We just had a weekend? I'm not so sure. I played the stereotypical Supermom (yeah, AS IF!) role on Saturday, changing diapers, making meals, doing the grocery shopping, clipping coupons, washing and folding four loads of laundry, doing dishes, and making not one but TWO dishes to take to potluck....all while caring for two preschoolers, a toddler, and a newborn and dodging the gloom and giggle fest that two teenage girls (only one is mine, of course) were having all day, while my hubby and son were at a football game. Where's my medal?
In all seriousness, it's really not as difficult as it looks typed out. Thankfully, the crises usually come one at a time. Except, of course, for times like this morning, when I had Shelby screaming bloody murder because while I was changing her diaper, Dani comes in saying "eww, mama, EWW!" and pointing to the poo stream dripping down her leg and trailing behind her on the carpet. Lesson number 1 for Shelby--sometimes a bottle has to wait!
This was a weekend to truly focus on the blessings in life, even through the trials. I could have spent the entire day Saturday moping about being left at home AGAIN for the fourth weekend in a row and stewing about how all of the weekend work really does fall on me while Pete goes out and has fun. I could have wallowed in self-pity about the fact that moving back to the US meant we lost $1000 from Pete's pay every month and it took the physical act of deferring a car payment (ugh, just the very thought of it makes me queasy...) to the first of October so we can get our payments evened out and not have to pay all the bills in one pay period. I could have whined and chosen to spend the weekend sitting on my couch because I seriously do NOT feel good--and it really hurts like the dickens for me to even talk. I could have burst into tears when the mail arrived on Saturday...containing two bills--a $250 vet bill for the day Cleo died, and a $850 hospital bill that we never saw coming because we've never once in 19 years had to pay a cost share for any of our medical care.
I could have. But I didn't. THAT, my friends, is what keeps me sane. Not some superhuman amount of patience or militant organization, but a conscious choice to dwell on the blessings. It was a long, hard road, learning to refocus. It took years of tears, marital discord, and even a short bout with antidepressants, but I finally got my thoughts straight.
This weekend, through the trials, I chose to see that even though I spent most of the day 'alone' (with all these people in the house, I'm never truly alone) bearing the brunt of the household maintenance and the extraneous tasks that I really needed Pete's help with, I have a roof over my head, a wonderful house to care for, WAY too many clothes for all of our backs, food in the fridge, and six healthy children. The finances--well, even though we STILL have to be careful with our money for the next few weeks, we'll more than "make it", even if the idea of a deferred payment (it's just being deferred for two weeks, I keep reminding myself of that!) does make my knees go all wobbly. We were blessed with enough food during the week after Shelby's birth that I was able to make those two dishes for potluck with frozen leftovers, and when we added $10 of groceries to it, we ended up taking a pot of blackeye peas, a mexican casserole, a seven-layer salad, a big jug of tea, and two cakes! Not bad. Through all of the mess, I had to grin that I don't have to run out and replace a dwindling diaper stock while Dani battles this "teething diaper" thing, because I have a closet full of cloth diapers that wash up nice and clean to be used no matter how long this lasts (and it's going on two weeks already). My throat may be screaming in pain (even though I don't want to make a sound), but the seven hours spent at the church building yesterday for a revival, potluck, and area-wide youth devo were pain well spent! Those two bills in the mail....well, they're painful. But it's not going to bankrupt us to make payments and pay them off. And I'm STILL thankful that we didn't have to pay the full $16,000 hospital bill!
Oh, and through it all, I did get to see that my little $100 digital camera takes pretty good pictures, even from the nosebleed seats of Bryant Denny Stadium! I am thrilled (albeit a wee bit jealous) that Pete finally got to attend a Bama game. It's something he's wanted to do for a loooooooong time, and it was FREE! He and Jon had a blast, and of course, Alabama wiped the field with Western Kentucky! ROLL TIDE!!!!
Check it out, a picture that has me in it! No, this isn't the greatest picture of me OR Shelby, but it's the only one I've got of us since she was born! She's getting pretty good at holding that wobbly head up, but that flash....it makes a girl's eyes run for cover!
In all seriousness, it's really not as difficult as it looks typed out. Thankfully, the crises usually come one at a time. Except, of course, for times like this morning, when I had Shelby screaming bloody murder because while I was changing her diaper, Dani comes in saying "eww, mama, EWW!" and pointing to the poo stream dripping down her leg and trailing behind her on the carpet. Lesson number 1 for Shelby--sometimes a bottle has to wait!
This was a weekend to truly focus on the blessings in life, even through the trials. I could have spent the entire day Saturday moping about being left at home AGAIN for the fourth weekend in a row and stewing about how all of the weekend work really does fall on me while Pete goes out and has fun. I could have wallowed in self-pity about the fact that moving back to the US meant we lost $1000 from Pete's pay every month and it took the physical act of deferring a car payment (ugh, just the very thought of it makes me queasy...) to the first of October so we can get our payments evened out and not have to pay all the bills in one pay period. I could have whined and chosen to spend the weekend sitting on my couch because I seriously do NOT feel good--and it really hurts like the dickens for me to even talk. I could have burst into tears when the mail arrived on Saturday...containing two bills--a $250 vet bill for the day Cleo died, and a $850 hospital bill that we never saw coming because we've never once in 19 years had to pay a cost share for any of our medical care.
I could have. But I didn't. THAT, my friends, is what keeps me sane. Not some superhuman amount of patience or militant organization, but a conscious choice to dwell on the blessings. It was a long, hard road, learning to refocus. It took years of tears, marital discord, and even a short bout with antidepressants, but I finally got my thoughts straight.
This weekend, through the trials, I chose to see that even though I spent most of the day 'alone' (with all these people in the house, I'm never truly alone) bearing the brunt of the household maintenance and the extraneous tasks that I really needed Pete's help with, I have a roof over my head, a wonderful house to care for, WAY too many clothes for all of our backs, food in the fridge, and six healthy children. The finances--well, even though we STILL have to be careful with our money for the next few weeks, we'll more than "make it", even if the idea of a deferred payment (it's just being deferred for two weeks, I keep reminding myself of that!) does make my knees go all wobbly. We were blessed with enough food during the week after Shelby's birth that I was able to make those two dishes for potluck with frozen leftovers, and when we added $10 of groceries to it, we ended up taking a pot of blackeye peas, a mexican casserole, a seven-layer salad, a big jug of tea, and two cakes! Not bad. Through all of the mess, I had to grin that I don't have to run out and replace a dwindling diaper stock while Dani battles this "teething diaper" thing, because I have a closet full of cloth diapers that wash up nice and clean to be used no matter how long this lasts (and it's going on two weeks already). My throat may be screaming in pain (even though I don't want to make a sound), but the seven hours spent at the church building yesterday for a revival, potluck, and area-wide youth devo were pain well spent! Those two bills in the mail....well, they're painful. But it's not going to bankrupt us to make payments and pay them off. And I'm STILL thankful that we didn't have to pay the full $16,000 hospital bill!
Oh, and through it all, I did get to see that my little $100 digital camera takes pretty good pictures, even from the nosebleed seats of Bryant Denny Stadium! I am thrilled (albeit a wee bit jealous) that Pete finally got to attend a Bama game. It's something he's wanted to do for a loooooooong time, and it was FREE! He and Jon had a blast, and of course, Alabama wiped the field with Western Kentucky! ROLL TIDE!!!!
Check it out, a picture that has me in it! No, this isn't the greatest picture of me OR Shelby, but it's the only one I've got of us since she was born! She's getting pretty good at holding that wobbly head up, but that flash....it makes a girl's eyes run for cover!
3 comments:
Those ARE good pictures, and my goodness, what a weekend for you! I'm glad to hear you are counting your blessings with all those diaper/poopoo incidents. Whew!
Wow, I think I would have been pretty furious, but really, how often do team tickets come along for free? He had to do it. But now he OWES you big time! Next weekend is yours and he better make it happen, right??
Hi there Kris!!
I left you a comment on your comment on THL. Nice to meet you!
What a beautiful baby!!! Congratulations!
Blessings!
Jacque
http://jacquedixon.com
http://growingingraceonline.com
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