The Past Week

Last week came and went, taking the month of February with it.  With the exception of our annual celebration for angel baby, much of the week was uneventful.  The week wasn’t particularly bad, but I was surprised to find myself functioning in auto-pilot part of the time. There were times that I just had to simply put one foot in front of the other, but there were also times where I chose to revel in the simple joys around me.  So if you had popped by for a visit last week, here’s what you would have found:

 

You would have been invited for a cup of tea by the littlest princess. The princess part is important because I'm asked for a princess (dress) on almost a daily basis.  If I'm lucky, she's happy with her tutu or a cotton dress.  If I'm not, she wants to wear her best sparkly Christmas dress to scale the furniture and eat orange slices.  When you arrived for the tea party, you would be instructed to "SEEET" in a squeaky little voice.  You would most likely be served cupcakes with your tea and if the teapot needed refilling she'd turn around to the water station on the door of her play fridge.  You'd also find a little girl who's mastering the English language very well. Her most commonly used phrase of late is, "I want (fill in the blank)." In the case of the lower left photo, you'd be requested to share your real meals as well after hearing "I want bite." And no party is complete without boons.  Bitty Bear wasn't very happy that we'd released all of our balloons at angel baby's celebration, so she was quite happy when I returned with these later in the week.  The only problem is that she wasn’t fond of the static electricity that they caused in her hair and immediately had to fix the problem with the closest possible solution, the dog brush.

You'd also find a little girl fascinated with all things technological.  She is in heaven when given the privilege of playing the computer and actually sits still.  I've been struggling to engage my middle bear as I teach her older sister’s school and try to keep up with her younger sister’s antics.  For now the tablet has been a good solution as it allows her to quench her thirst for video games (educational ones, of course) while keeping her close at hand.

 

You'd also find a momma breathing a little deeper or maybe that’s sighing with relief. Reading has been a constant struggle with my oldest.  She has always been able to retain a ton of information simply by hearing it which has resulted in her not necessarily seeing a “need” for reading.  I’ve had many friends suggest that I just needed to find that one series that captivates her attention.  It finally happened when I accidentally stumbled on this Breyer series while trying to redeem a credit at the local book store.  She literally can’t get enough of these books and we’ve already ordered the entire series.  She’s almost done with it too.  It’s incredibly exciting to see this child look forward to reading by herself or to her little sister at bedtime.  You’d also find another hole in this sweet girl’s smile as she just lost her tenth tooth.  There was more blood than I cared for this time, but she was quite satisfied with the result.

 

 

You'd also find lots of messes. Every time I turned around it seemed like every single toy in the house had been drug out onto the living room carpet.  As much as it makes me want to pull out my hair at times, it also brings me much joy to see my girls playing together.  At the end of this long week, you'd find a mom that introduced the girls to delivery pizza for the first time while their father was at a work function.

 

In the midst of the sticky floors, piles of laundry, never ending dog hair, toys strewn everywhere, and unhealthy diets, you'd find a momma that is truly thankful for the regular and routine.  This past week serves as a gentle reminder to revel in the small things, to be grateful for having these babies together.  We anxiously prepared for our number three.  She was the only one of our girls to have a nursery ready before she arrived.  We would have gladly walked that road.  Ultimately it was not our choice.  But having had that small glimpse into the life of a child with chronic health issues nudges me to appreciate this ordinary week even more.  Whether it's because of disabilities, disease, finances, deployments, or even infertility, I'm reminded there are others who think my and your "mundane" looks just right.  The only perfect response for a weary soul is gratefulness.

Psalm 107:1-2

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
his love endures forever.

² Let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story

 

Philippians 4:6-7
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; ⁷ and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Colossians 4:2
Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving