Squinkies

Obession.

 Do you know about Squinkies?

My kids received some of these tiny, rubbery toys for their birthdays last year and they have been a hit at our house! There are animals, cars, babies, princesses, etc. Literally hours of playtime at our house with these.

 Don't forget the accessories! Vehicles, campfires and more.

Greater Love Than Mom's?

Tonight we took our middle child, Brinley, to Kindergarten orientation. She is going to rock at Kindergarten. She knows a lot more than Brayden did when he started Kindergarten (because she's the second child? A girl? Both?) and she is so excited!

When I really stop to think about it, I could go crazy with worry. I can't be with my kids at every moment of their life, nor do I think that is healthy. I'm glad that they are independent and well-adjusted enough to go to school and daycare happily each day. But what if...

What if one falls off the swing set on the playground and breaks an arm?
What if some crazy person walks into their school and starts shooting people for no reason?
What if there is an earthquake, fire, tornado, etc.?
What if __ (fill in the blank with the current crazy news story)?

Could anyone love my children more than I do? I'm their mom and I will go to the ends of the earth to protect them from harm. I heard on the radio recently a great reminder- that God loves my children more than I do. That takes a while to sink in. But it also gives me great peace. I can't protect my children from everything. Bad things happen to good people all the time. But I know that whatever situation or outcome they face, they have someone much more powerful than their mom watching out for them.

Full of Good Things

On Sunday after a church breakfast where my children were well-behaved (thank-you-very-much!), an older gentleman commented on our way out the door "I can see you have your hands full!" Can I just say that comments like that drive me completely crazy?!

Especially after a morning when my kids were enjoying donuts and coloring relatively quietly. If you're going to comment, at least choose a time when things are really nuts. Like when we're trying to grocery shop and one kid is trying to climb out of the Ergo and the other two are whining and fighting with each other while completely ignoring the fun kid-friendly grocery lists I had prepared for them.

I saw this posted on a friend's facebook page and it's from an article at Desiring God Ministries. Here is an excerpt:

Motherhood is not a hobby, it's a calling. It is not something that you do if you can squeeze the time in. It is what God gave you time for.

Lately, I've been a little overwhelmed with appointments for my kids. Here's the rundown on the past few months and the next few weeks:

* 3 well visits
* 3 dental appointments
* 2 orthodontist appointments
* 5 hearing tests
* 2 vision tests for baby girl, including 1 at a pediatric eye doctor
* 1 Early Intervention assessment
* 3 speech therapy home visits
* Twice weekly speech therapy visits at school
* 2 busted lips

It seems like someone is always needing something pretty out of the ordinary. But somehow we've made it all work. We've been able to schedule most appointments for the Friday afternoons when I leave work early,  we have had some great providers to work with, and things are falling into place.

When it gets a little crazy, I try to remind myself that motherhood is a calling. Those little moments that I share with my kids each day are meaningful and impactful. God chose me to be the mama of these three children, of all the zillions of kids out there, for a specific purpose. There may not be a lot of "me" time in the midst of packing lunches and wiping noses, but this is what God gave me time for. Right now it's morning snuggles, dance parties, nail painting, board games and getting cozy on the couch while reading bedtime books. I am savoring these good things each day.

As she closes her article, Rachael Jankovic responds to that comment of "You have your hands full!" with "Yes, full of good things!"