I wrote--really wrote this post with pen and paper--at 30,000 feet while we began our ski vacation in Montana. Honestly, I think the week ahead of a vacation seems twice as hard, and not just because of the suitcases waiting to be filled. Anyway, here goes...
I had misread my calendar for Monday and had reworked a slew of Monday appointments so I could take Paige to the eye doctor. On Sunday I got the confirmation robo-call for the appointment--on Tuesday. So everything I had moved had to be moved again! Arghhhhh...
The first part of the week: RAIN and LAUNDRY. Georgia is catching up and thankfully finally coming out of a drought. The problem is that we had to endure four solid days of rain, from sprinkles to heavy downpours with no break. Meanwhile I stayed inside and washed, dried, folded.
We've been dealing with Paige's eye infection since September. It's a viral infection, quite tenacious. Her report this time was: the scarring was smaller but in a worse location; on the good side the virus seems to be lessening. We are shifting medicines slightly and keeping an eye on it (no pun intended!). I think I haven't written about that before but it has been a learning experience for all of us. Paige is one tough cookie.
Jack seems to have stepped up in taking his schoolwork seriously. He is capable but the self-discipline he brings to athletics hasn't always translated. I'm going to take a second a brag on him: first, he patiently waded through three rough drafts of his autobiography, one time with his demanding mama; second, he decided to buckle down with algebra and, as a result, got a 100 on his latest test. Awesome!
So I'll brag on Matthew a little, too. He also got 100 on his algebra test. (Yes, both boys are in algebra this year.) And no, the whole class didn't get 100. My boys are just smart and hard workers. Okay, bragging over!
Ash Wednesday, Lent begins. My previous post is what I'm trying to do for Lent. Unfortunately the operative words there are "I" and "trying." I'm mostly failing miserably. I am just exhausted right now, and I think it is chiefly because of my chaotic house. Patience. Baby steps. We did hear an amazing sermon on Isaiah 58 that night. If I can find the link to the sermon I'll add it, but you might find the reading a useful one at this time of year.
Thursday, Darcy's class went to the Michael C. Carlos museum in Atlanta. (Here's my TripAdvisor review.) Her class has been doing a three-week unit on Greece, and this museum holds wonderful Greek and Roman antiquities. Of course, the hit of the day was the Egyptian mummy exhibit! So much for the Greeks and Romans!
That leaves Friday. Did you ever have a day where everything seems to be conspiring to make it a terrible day? That was my Friday. I had been invited to speak to a "Moms of Preschoolers" group as part of a panel of moms who had "been there."
Well, man plans, God laughs. We had lost backpacks, terrible hair, forgotten homework, escaped dogs, and misplaced clothes before 7:30 that morning. On top of that, the lady I sat next to had homeschooled her now-adult children, three of who had ADHD and one of whom had Down's Syndrome, all while starting and still heading an international Christian mission group. Yeah.
But. The bags got packed, we made it to the plane, and by the time this gets posted I'll have rased a glass with some dear friends while we look out at the snow-covered landscape that surrounds us. And life is good.
Afterword: I started typing this on Saturday evening but jet lag and the altitude, and possibly the beer I had with Bill and Kat, combined to wipe me out halfway through typing this up. So I'm late.
Also: No Dorie recipe this week! The high altitude wreaks havoc on baking, so we'll wait a week.
Finally: I thought I would have some awesome pictures to post here, but forgot that my awesome pictures are still trapped on my camera, and will be all week. If I figure out a way around that, I have some wonderful new pictures to share. If not, well, I'll still have pictures to share but just a little later.
2 comments:
I know your Friday was hard... it just made your vacation all the sweeter, right? I can hear in your tone that you were beating yourself up because of super homeschool mom sitting next to you. There will ALWAYS be a mom that has done it "better" (in our opinion), so please don't be hard on yourself. You know what I think about you and your abilities and you are an awesome mom with a lot to offer moms just starting to walk this journey.
Enjoy your time away, and give Bill and Kat a hug from us!
Amen, Mary. I think your words translate well to just about anyone. There will always be a better preacher around the corner. There will always be a parent whose kids are more perfect. There will always be a person who knows more about God's Word and who studies it more. There will always be the parent who does more laundry, runs their kids to more events, and has more time to spend at home. There will always be someone in life who is just better at specializing in that one area of life that we are examining at that particular moment.
The real question isn't "are you the best at ___." The question that leads to truth is: "Are you the person God wants you to be in the lives in which God has called you to be." (Sorry, my grammar-fu has apparently failed me.)
And ... hair-raising Fridays aside (pun intended) ... I personally think we've got some awesome moms in this congregation. We have an awesome set of moms who are indeed being the person God has called them to be in the lives of the people to whom God has called them. {Dads, too, but I'm speaking to moms presently.}
In other news...
Please send my regards to Jack and Matthew about their algebra grade. Tell them, "Their Trained Theological Expert - and former math teacher - is proud of you."
I am sorry to hear Paige's eye infection is lingering. I will remember her in my prayers.
And please tell Bill and Darcy that I am happy they seem to be flying under the radar, because it appears you have enough things in your life to worry about! LOL
Seriously, I hope you enjoy your week. Facebook seems to think that you are. God's speed, safe journeys, and we'll see you when you get back!
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