Summer/School

It's kind of amazing how much a mom's identity is formed by her children. It's been ten years since I've been home without children. From my first pregnancy, I've assumed my God-given duties as a mother with honor. I've been present as much as possible to raise my three, and even in my teaching years, my oldest was in school and I was home when she was. When Noah came along, I submitted my resignation, not thinking twice about explaining that educating my own child was my priority. I've been a homemaker ever since. There has ALWAYS been a need for me to be physically present with my children. If I was away from them, it came with relief mixed with a tiny bit of "I hope they don't need my while I'm gone." Mothering my children has been a constant, 24 hour/day job for years, but those hours are about to change.

The year ahead is daunting. One child is moving from elementary to middle school, another beginning kindergarten, and the third will start preschool. It all seems like too much all at once, and I worry about being able to be supportive enough of each one of them simultaneously. All three of them will need extra attention in the next couple months as they adapt to their new schools, and all the while I'm going to have to find my own way into my altered role as Mom. How will I cram all the teaching that I did over 13 hours each day into a mere six? Are they ready?

For now, I'm choosing to soak up as much summer as I can while it lasts!

Play Ball!

I love this time of year. Ball Season. Maybe it's because I grew up around so many die-hard Cardinals fans, maybe because I have so many memories of my own childhood softball summers, or maybe I'm just a sucker for a boy in a baseball uniform!

He does look handsome after all!

Proposal

I love it when I catch a glimpse of my son's tender heart. Tonight the whole family went shopping together at J.C. Penny. We stopped by the jewelry department for Big Sister, and a round stand of boxed rings caught Little Mister's eye. He was SO excited to see so many rings, and at first, I couldn't understand why. After examining a few one at a time, he spun around, looked up at me with excitement in his blue eyes and proclaimed, "This is the perfect ring to give my bride when I'm big!" I was so stunned as I realized why he's been so happy to see the ring display. His use of the term "Bride" made me tear up a bit, and just his anticipation of marriage truly made my heart swell.

I've always impressed upon my children that marriage is not the only plan God lays before his children. I've talked with all of them about the possibility of being called to religious life or simply to live single in order to serve God in a special way. My sweet Little Mister had never faltered in his desire to be a husband and daddy. His mind is often consumed with the steps he must take in order to be ready to lead a family, and I'm coming to realize that marriage and fatherhood seems to be written in his heart.

Our home contains its share of disagreements, and snide remarks are, unfortunately, tossed between my husband and I from time to time. I'm so thankful that God allowed me this opportunity to see that my husband and I are living an example of marriage that our 5 year old sees as exciting and important and a PRIVILEGE. He watches my husband work so hard for us and notices that Daddies should get down and play with their kids. When he thinks about what career he'd like to have, his concern is always his ability to be a good daddy with his job.

Standing in that department store watching my son kneel down on one knee, box held in front of him and ask, "Will you marry me?" with a huge grin on his face, I was in awe of the child in front of me, so grown up in just five years. How precious and fleeting is the gift of parenthood.