I look around at the CHAOS that is my house at a given minute (this one!) and I think... well, there are 5 kids that aren't orphans anymore. Surely I can get through this for that!
I'm not the perfect mommy, not the most organized, most compassionate, most patient, or most creative. But I'm their mommy, and that's all they need right now. As for me? Sometimes I need to just suck it up! :)
Michael just left for the community worship service and took Kristopher along with him. I have the other 7 kids here finishing up dinner and my laptop just happened to be on from when I was writing some earlier. So when James started crying because he's in his high chair (he waits there a few after meals to make sure it's staying down when he has a runny nose and tends to reflux the entire bottle back up), and Wesley spit out a huge mouth full of lemonade-- complete with meds, and then Lynae heard them both crying and decided to join in on it too because she's really not feeling great after having started the iron last week, and then Micah, in his wonderful stage of mimicing, decided he'd join in the fun as well... Aleksa was just standing in the doorway to the kitchen looking at me with a very sad expression on her face since her food (and second servings) were gone several minutes ago and she was excused from the table with Emma, Micah, and Kristopher at that time while the 'slow pokes' finished up theirs... Brianna is here too but she just took it all in stride that time as she finished the last of her dinner up. And Emma... she may not have even noticed the crying :)
So in the midst of the chaos, this is what I did. I stopped giving Wesley the drink since he's spitting it out and I really don't want to be angry trying to get it down him. I asked James to stop. When he did, Lynae and Wesley and Micah stopped too. Aleksa walked away deciding that she was going to find a babydoll and shove a cookie up its shirt then feed it a salt shaker. I wish I understood her imagination... :). And now the house is CALM, and QUIET.
So now, just 3 minutes later, there are 7 sweethearts in my house... and yes, 5 used to be orphans. But I'm their mommy now, and I'm very glad to have each one of them as my son or daughter.
Tonight I feel blessed! Abundantly so. Even with 4 kids screaming and one pouting and two ignoring the world. It's my life, and I'm loving it!
Cookie in the shirt = cookie in her tummy
ReplyDeletesalt shaker = bottle of milk
Milk and cookies!
And yes, you are blessed, and so are they!! :)
I think I love you :). And not only because you became Mommy to Wesley who I care so deeply about, but also because you are Real and you Care and you and your family make me smile through your blog. Thanks for the post. Cheers to living through the chaos!
ReplyDeleteThanks for keeping it real, just love following your family, its such encouragement to ours.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for sharing this, Meredith. What a great perspective! Even though I only have one former orphan here, things are still chaotic at any given time (5 other kiddos too).
ReplyDeletePlease keep sharing honestly. :-) You inspire me and help me with my perspective...like when I'm secretly whining about having TWO in diapers...I think of you. LOL
Happy Birthday too! Hope you had a great night out. (Sorry, I had to laugh when you asked for ideas for where to go in Orlando. Here we are in the frozen north in a small town and have SO many friends that go to Orlando for "entertainment". I'm sure you found something to do! :-))
Praise the Lord. No, you're not perfect, but you're a pretty awesome mom! Thanks for sharing this moment.
ReplyDeleteHow was your birthday OUT? What did you do?
I really enjoy reading your blog. You have such great perspective and a fabulous attitude. Thanks for helping the rest of us see the silver lining in things :)
ReplyDeleteThank you. I needed this today.
ReplyDelete