Ice water.

It was midnight.  

I was laying in my bed 

but not really sleeping.  

The hassles of my life were jogging 

laps around my brain.  

Would our finances ever balance out? 

Are my teenagers coping with the pitfalls of such a complicated stage of life?

Am I giving all that I can?  

Will I ever catch up with the daily tasks 

that endlessly pile up 

before I can sweep or wash or 

fold and put away?  

Sleep didn't have a chance in the race and then an interruption.  

The squeak of my name 

which usually echoes through the night at least once from my clan.  

And I stumbled from my bed 

to solve the next crisis.  

It was Milo.  

He was thirsty.  

And he wanted ICE water.  

So I continued my half sleep walk 

to the kitchen 

and as I opened the freezer door the realization hit me like a glacier crashing into the sea...

I CAN get my baby ice water. 

Some mamas have to walk

 a mile to get their babies a drink.

  

Some mamas have to give in 

and provide dirty water that they know could make their children sick.

Some mamas have to weep 

at the begging voice of a thirsty little one for they have nothing to give. 

But I could get a clean glass, 

turn on a faucet, 

plunk in a few ice cubes 

and deliver to not even parched lips. 

And in light of this, 

what did I really have to worry about??  

It was a few weeks later that I got my copy of the book "One Thousand Gifts" 

for a study at church.

Sunday afternoon flew by as the words settled over me like a sweet salve to my soul.

You know when that happens?  

Everybody fend for yourselves...

Mama's lost in a book.

The book is written by a Mom of six.  Smothered in dirty socks and crusty dishes.  

And she begins to track all of the little things that make her life so sweet.

A journal of gratitude that shifts the focus from worry and stress 

to an acknowledgment and thankfulness to God for what is amazing, 

right before her eyes.

And so as I turned the last page, I opened my own journal and wrote the first entry:

1. Ice cold water in the middle of the night.

S*A*T*U*R*D*A*Y*

(clap,clap)

Totally Fantastic.

Spent the morning ALONE with Levi

(that never happens)

We went shopping for some new glasses

and wandered around Wally World.

Josi (the angel child) stayed home taking care of Milo and Elsa and when we got back she had even cleaned the house.

Later we picked up a friend of Josi's and spent part of the

afternoon tie dying. 

I had never done it before,

 what a blast!

You can buy a kit of 3 colors with dispenser bottles and rubber bands for less than $10 bucks.

If you don't think you have enough rubber bands, just stop buy the local grocery store and a cool chick that works there will give you a handful.

(Judy u rock!!!)

Finished off the day playing under the trees with Milo's new set of construction tractors that his big bro brought him from town.  We built a road and watched Elsa sample dirt and twigs.

If I could bottle the love I felt today, I would.  I would open it when I am older and greyer, and just bask in that familiar aroma of my children.

To Levi, Josi, Milo and Elsa:

"May today there be peace within. May you trust that you are exactly where you are meant to be. May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith in yourself and others. May you use the gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you. May you be content with yourself just the way you are. Let this knowledge settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love. It is there for each and every one of us."

— Mother Teresa

Saturday Quote of the Week

Saturday Quote of the Week:

This is Levi's favorite quote.

" Never, never, in nothing great or small, large or petty, never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.''  -Winston Churchill (source)

descriptive movies for the blind

Much to someones delight...

and to the credit of one awesome big sister with incredible Netflix management skills, Toy Story 3

has been monopolising available spins in our DVD player.

This morning when I started it up, I noticed a language selection menu.  There was of course good ol' English, Spanish and French, but another choice caught my eye....English descriptive version.

Nine months ago, I would have zipped through the language selection, hit the play button and let the techno nanny manage the little one while I delved into my to do list. 

But today I had a sweet cooing someone to give me good reason to take note.  So I picked the descriptive version.

It was amazing to me that someone had taken the time to describe every non-verbal action that crossed the screen.  It was like hearing the storybook version, both poetic and enlightening.  Captivating my mind in such a way that I could hardly believe my ears.

Toy Story 3.

  Narrated in a way that my sprout of a couch potato could carry on with a family tradition. 

 

There has been a big part of my mind and heart worrying about whether Elsa's visual impairments would prevent her from getting all of the education she would need. I feared that I might miss out on giving her every boost for success, hardly even considering how she might be simply amused.

So upon seeing something so well thought out, casually presented, and easily accessed to give her great entertainment, I was sort of stunned.  There are really people doing all they can do so that my little chicky babe can even sit back and enjoy the show. 

Awesome.