Acronyms and Mother's Day....

Something that I have learned going through the adoption process is that there are a LOT of acronyms...and I thought credit unions had a lot of them (CU's as we call it in the industry - LOL).  One of my favorites is the one that we are as of Monday and that is DTC (Dossier to Ch*na)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  The bottom line is that it's one step closer to our daughter...and finding out who she is.  I can't wait to see who God has for our family!  Once we're DTC we wait for LID (log in date) which is when we can get matched...I told you there were a lot of acronyms.

More acronyms that I love...

I hope that you can read it because it's precious...and the last one was right.  I hugged him right about then - of course while crying. :-)

The other side was pretty awesome as well...

That is the most beautiful letter my child could ever write to me.  His awesome teacher laminated it and I will cherish it forever...and remind him of it when necessary! ;-)

Just think...next mother's day we'll have 3 children in our house!!!!

Vicarious Living

I have two children and they are both boys. I'm naturally a boy mom with my love for sports, but I've never been a natural athlete. In fact, I was always a choir geek (I guess I still am) because I was gifted musically and have a natural love for music. I thought that I was more secure in those facts about myself at 38 years old. I thought that I had moved past the "shame" of being picked last when teams were picked many years ago until yesterday afternoon.

Both of my sons asked to play fall baseball. I was fine with this because fall ball is more laid back and not quite as intense with as much pressure. My oldest (J) has played both fall and spring baseball before, but it has been a year since he has played anything since he opted for karate last school year. This is the first time for my youngest (C) to play any type of organized sports. J is usually the smallest in his class or on his team and C is usually the biggest. I can tell already that C has some natural athleticism, but J has to work a little harder.

Now, back to yesterday afternoon - J had his first baseball practice of the season. Once again, he was the smallest kid out there on the field at practice. He doesn't seem to notice that as much as I do. As practice progressed and they were working on different drills at different stations I noticed that the other boys seem to be much further along than J with hitting, catching and general baseball skills. He doesn't seem to notice that as much as I do.

I found myself commenting numerous times to my husband as we watched, "He needs to work on that more". Finally, after the third or fourth time of saying that my husband looked at me and said, "It's ok. He is doing fine." As soon as I heard that come out of his mouth it was as if I went back in time at that moment. I started having those feelings of inadequacy and failure that I used to have during P.E. in middle school. I mentioned that to my husband and he said that I shouldn't live vicariously through my child. I argued that I just wanted our children to succeed and I didn't want them to ever be in last place. In his merciful way he said that he understood, but I just needed to keep it in check.

He was right (he's right a lot I might add). That night as I was having my time with God I realized just how right he was. It's the Lord's kindness that leads us to repentance and that afternoon the Lord used my hubby's kindness toward me to lead me to repentance. I'm very competitive which has been passed down to my children...especially my oldest. I need to practice what I preach as I have been trying to talk to J about how we respond to things, how not everyone is great at everything and how it's much more important to be a good loser because people watch how we handle that and we can be a witness for Christ in our responses. Yikes!

I also realized during this time that I had become exactly what I hated about spring baseball. I had become one of "those parents". I was wanting to push my child into something that he's not. He might get better as he practices, but if he's never an MVP of a baseball game or never makes all stars, it's ok. My husband asked him after practice if he had fun and he said that he did. That's what matters and I needed to be reminded of that. He will also learn some life lessons through being on a team like that and that is also important.

God, help me to be a better parent that seeks You in all that I do so that I model Christ to my children. I pray that I walk worthy of my calling and that if my children look up to me that I will be the woman of God that I need to be. Oh yeah and last but not least, thank You for Your kindness that leads us to repentance, how you sometimes use people to do that and for my precious husband - although not perfect - seeks Christ first.

Muy Caliente...

My father-in-law has a few things that he grows himself and peppers just happen to be one of those things. I've been on a picture taking kick lately due to the beauty of the leaves right now (see post below). When I saw these peppers my geeky side thought that this would just make a great picture. As I looked at the picture it reminded me of how we shouldn't be lukewarm, but hot for Jesus (I know my mind works in strange ways)! In Revelation 3, the church of Laodicia was explained as lukewarm: 16 So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. I hope that the Lord never has to say that about me...I pray that my Christian life is always hot like the peppers my husband puts in his awesome salsa! I challenge you to the same as well. I know that my children are watching and that's what I want them to see and absorb from my life. How about you?

Do you ever wonder?

Do you ever wonder where your kids get things sometimes? My 6 year old strikes again. Today I went to the women's ministry luncheon at church after the morning service so my sweet hubby took the boys to lunch. He said that on the way they had the radio on Briarwood's worship service and the pipe organ solo began and he said, "Ooh...vampire music". We don't watch things with vampires so it makes you wonder, but he also hasn't ever grown up in a church with a pipe organ so we found it pretty funny. Kids say the funniest things sometimes.

I am so sorry that I haven't gotten Easter pics up for those of you that wanted to see my two handsome boys! Here they are:

Jackson was excited to "dress like daddy with a tie". I really laughed out loud when he said that...if he only knew how much Ernie hates wearing ties and only wears them a few times or events a year! I really wish that I could be like fellow blogger Laine that always has matching stuff for the kids, but I'm usually shopping on my lunch hour at the Kohl's down the street and do the best with the choices there. I will continue to aspire to be like her one day though! :-)

Praise the Lord that we serve a LIVING God...Easter is so incredible for us as Christians!

Parenting isn't for wimps!

Why don't kids come with user's manuals? I don't even think that would help sometimes...it would be like the manual that comes with this computer - in 6 different languages and none of them are Greek, but it seems that way anyway!

I love my children more than my own life, but lately I seem to think of myself as a failure as a parent more than successful as one. Am I the only mom that feels that way sometimes? Seriously, can I get a witness here?

Most of the time I can say that my two boys are really well behaved...MOST of the time. It's those "some of the times" that can get to you. It's during those times that it is the easiest for me to lose my temper or religion or witness...whatever you want to call it, but any way you look at it shows me as the wimp! How can someone weighing 100 pound less than me get the best of me like that? The answer is, 'because I let him'...that's the sad commentary regarding this matter. I'm older, wiser and more mature, right? Well, sometimes, no I'm not if I'm truly honest with myself.

Have your children ever had a "come apart"? Mine had one a little while ago. I tried to put him in time out after I had told him 'no' to something and he proceeded to throw toys across the room. I then had to pull a "super nanny" on him which I can honestly say that I've never done before. What? You don't know what a super nanny is? That's when she instructs the parent to put the child on the naughty spot (time out) and if he keeps getting out then you continue to pick him up and put him back on there without speaking to him. Do you know how hard that is? Well, Super Mom typing here actually did it. He was screaming the entire time...and this went on for about 30 minutes. Super Nanny suggests that you keep them on the naughty spot one minute for every birthday they've had. In this case that made 2 1/2 minutes. You know...it was the funniest thing what happened during that time. It took him about 90 seconds and he quit screaming and completely calmed down! This Super Nanny knows her stuff I thought to myself. At the end of his time I took him and sat him on my lap and told him why he was put in time out and that I loved him but he wasn't going to do that. I asked him if he understood to say 'yes ma'am'. He did and we hugged and it was over. I couldn't believe it!

Now, I could tell you that I loved every minute of it and that I wasn't frustrated after the 20th time of putting back in time out and that I had the most pleasant look on my face, but that would be about as ridiculous as me not trying that before now after almost 6 years of parenting already under my belt! It worked even though my back is paying for it now from picking him up so many times (that child is thick!), but the point is that I didn't scream or show him my frustration and in the end the results were what I wanted.

If I didn't know it already, I certainly know now that parenting isn't for wimps. My mom and dad didn't raise a wimp though or a quitter for that matter so suck it up and let your kids know you're in it for the long haul! Just think...if I thought that was bad imagine how much fun I'm going to have when they reach their teenage years...oh boy, I need to invest in some knee pads for all the time I'll spend praying!