The P’s of Mommy-ing

Mom. A title just above Queen.

I have been entrusted with the special duty of mommy-ing.  With this responsibility, there certainly comes a lot of…duties!  As with most of my posts, I am writing this as I go through lessons and thoughts and incorporating things into my own personal life.   I do pray others would be blessed and something would impact a change in your life as well.

Several years ago, I jotted down 7 words that began with the letter “P”.  All were words of actions I wanted to develop and practice in my “mommy-ing skills”. Today, I have added a few more and before it’s all over, who knows how many there will be!  I’m hoping to write one post on each word.  We’ll see how I do.

The list (as it presently stands) is:

• Pray
• Plan
• Pictures
• Phones
• Pay attention
• Process
• Parent
• Practical
• Patience
• Play
• Practice

First of all, being a mom requires a lot of pouring out of yourself.  From the moment the first child wakes in the morning until you can maybe grab a few minutes to sit after the last one is sleeping at night, mommy-ing is a constant state of giving and giving.  You give of your time, efforts, energy, thoughts, love, service, attention, help, etc. all day long.  While this can be invigorating, it can also be quite exhausting.

In order to do this day after day, you must replenish yourself.  I really believe that moms should have some time for themselves and recharge.  Sitting in a hot tub of Epsom salt and essentials oils at the end of the day is relaxing for me. So is an hour or two at Target by myself after the kids are in bed, a few minutes to read a good book, sipping some coffee and writing in my journal, siting in the living room with my husband and just visiting, or playing Candy Crush on my iPad. These moments to yourself (and doing something you enjoy for at least a few minutes each day) are important!

However, while these things are relaxing and rejuvenating, honestly none of them will fill you up on the inside so that in the middle of the night when the child wakes or in the morning when things start out rough, you have what it takes to pour out.  In order to adequately and effectively mommy, I need to PRAY.

Praying is the first thing on my list because without prayer, I can’t effectively do any of the following “P” actions. Time spent reading the Word of God and asking Him to help make me the best mommy I can be for my kids, is where I draw any strength to do so.  Praying that I can be changed and be what I need to be as an individual and being full of God’s grace and His spirit will enable me to mommy my kids.

Choosing to take a few moments to pray and gather strength from God’s Word will make a difference and it has proven time and time again for me!

this is the day the Lord hath made; let us rejoice and be glad in it                                                 (Psalms 118:24)

Take a Chill Pill

A merry heart doeth good like a medicine… Proverbs 17:22

I woke up this morning to an upside down house.  It made me want to crawl back to my bed.  Or whine and cry.  Definitely not laugh and be merry.

We had a great weekend away from home.  But, you know vacations are actually a lot of work?  Yeah, the suitcases for five with both the dirty and some clean clothes, the toiletries, the many pairs of shoes or boots, and now thanks to the “below zero” weather this weekend, there are the coats, gloves, and hats too!  Not to mention the things that somehow find freedom from the bags they were originally stowed: electronic devices and their cords, wrappers, empty water bottles, loose papers torn out of coloring books or notebooks, stepped on crackers…  Got the picture?  Well, most of these items (and more) were still scattered around my house.  Despite my efforts to have left the house looking “company-ready” on Thursday, it suddenly was most definitely not.

I shared a few of my weary thoughts with my husband and he suggested getting the boys started with school, put on Christmas music, and start cleaning one room at a time.  This idea actually didn’t sound too bad!

After he scooted out the door for work, I decided to…take a chill pill. 

You see, sometimes I feel like a drill sergeant.  I’m not an early bird, but during the school week, I want the boys to get up and moving so they can get their school work done.  ASAP.  (By the way, we are thoroughly enjoying the “Sefcik Schoolhouse” and I thank God for this opportunity.  We do not take this responsibility lightly!)  But, there is more than just school work to be done.  We wake up running and we go to bed exhausted.  I feel like I am constantly hurrying the poor ducklings along to the next project, place, or program.  You know the drill.  The outside jobs, the meals to cook and then clean up, the laundry, the bank runs, the bills, filling the van with gas or getting its oil changed, rummaging through stored up treasures (or junk – whichever way you want to look at it), rearranging, shopping…and on and on and on it goes.  

So in the midst of the daily, sometimes exceedingly-rushed routine, I find myself becoming overly serious.  Snapping orders and running about.  (Maybe like a chicken with its head cut off.  Okay, it’s not that bad.  Hopefully I don’t run in circles.  *smile*)

This “chill pill” I took today was deciding to stay home.  THE WHOLE DAY.  I decided we were going to start school after lunch.  I took the idea of playing music.  Only it wasn’t Christmas music.  It was a toddler Veggie Tales CD of silly songs.  And it was cranked remarkably loud.  

We had so much fun!  We started with cleaning the boys’ room and moved on to the downstairs family room.  Next, we tackled the laundry.  I purposed to enjoy their help, and help they did!  We accomplished enough to satisfy my “whine”.

Then the real fun began.

I can’t quite recall how it all started, but as we were finishing up the laundry, we started tickling each other.  This turned into a tickling/wresting/chasing-around-the-house war.  It lasted a good 45 minutes.  I don’t know the last time I let my hair down (literally) and truly played with them during a scheduled “work day”.  Sure, we take breaks and do art projects.  We exercise and run laps around the outside of the house.  I believe we even have fun with the typical routine.

But, this just felt good.  Taking the time to run around and laugh and be silly changed the outcome for the rest of my day. Our day.  Because when mama is merry, her house is merry.

I chose this day to just take a chill pill.

And with no regrets, I am thankful that I did.

this is the day the Lord hath made; let us rejoice and be glad in it  (Psalms 118:24)