My Overactive Super Mommy Syndrome

I am one of those moms who suffers from the Super Mommy Syndrome.  I like things to be perfect, they are far from it!  I like all my ducks in a row, they tend to waddle here and there.  I also feel guilty if I let someone help me rather than doing it myself.  These children were entrusted to me after all!

I do believe that children are given to their parents from the Lord and that it is the parents responsibility to raise them rather than pawning them off for someone else to care for.  Honestly, we are pretty capable around here.  We do not whine and ask for help when things get tough.  We tough it out!  This sometimes leads to neglect from family members because they think we have it all together and because the kind of help they offer is not what we really need.  I am learning to live with that.

Even though I have this great desire to be the mom of all mothers I realize how far short I fall.  Maybe that is a God’s way of making sure I remain humble in this area.  When you realize that the Lord entrusted these children to your care to raise them to bring glory and honor to him, well, that often seems an insurmountable task for one such as I!  I must rely on the Lord and not myself, it is only with his guidance, strength, and wisdom that I can be effective at all.  I definitely cannot do it on my own!

This Super Mommy Syndrome is some respects can be healthy.  It keeps one from shirking their responsibilities!  If we are focused on the Lord and seeking to do our best for his glory and not our own then it can also be a good propellant!  Sometimes though our own selfish and prideful nature rears its ugly head and then we have problems.  Sometimes it is hard for us Super Mommy types to ask for help or to even accept it when it is offered.  I have a prime example from today!

My hubby is out of town right now.  One of my children has standardized testing today on the other side of Anchorage (about a 40 minute drive).  My neighbor is taking two of her children so she offered to take him as well.  I said ok.  I woke from a dream this morning in which he didn’t make it on time and I was rushing around to get him there.  I called her when I got up and of course they were there and all was well.  I simply felt guilty because I was not taking care of getting him there myself!  I was letting another person take care of it.  I know this might sound crazy to most of you but I am being brutally honest here.

Let me ask you…..are you a super mommy?  Now let me ask you this, if you do not think you are a super mommy…..Do others classify you that way?  If so, then I would say you fall into that category anyway!

How do you balance your super mommy tendencies and high standards with accepting help from others and dealing with unnecessary feelings of guilt?

Week in Review

It has been a bit crazy here on the home front.  Like so many there is always a lot going on this time of year and we are no exception.  I was even lazy this year.  I didn’t do all of the baking I usually do, I didn’t send out our annual newsletter or even very many Christmas cards.  I didn’t even cook Christmas dinner.  We had the tiniest Christmas ever as far as gifts go.  Hubby and I didn’t even get each other a thing.  It was a nice quiet Christmas with our children and we enjoyed it.

One of our daughters turned 8 years on the 26th and we had a nice party for her.  We had a few families over and the children had fun with the pinata in the living room.  I hope I do not find candy months from now under the treadmill or something.  I think she had a good day!

I will be lazy once again.  Rather than separate photos (one for Christmas and one for a birthday) how about one of the birthday girl lighting the Christ candle.

On top of all of this joyous celebration we have also had some trials!  If you follow me on twitter or facebook then you may already be aware of this.  One very recent Saturday we found the carpeting in my son’s room soaking wet.  The wall he shares with the laundry room was so wet is crumbled when touched.  Well, that leak is fixed, carpeting still drying out after a little more than a week and a wall to be replaced.  We then woke the following Sunday morning to a bulging and leaking ceiling out side of his bedroom door.  Another leak with a very poor patch job from the previous owner.  Hubby missed worship that morning replacing copper piping, leak number two fixed.  Then in the evening on Christmas day we found another leak.  This time it was in the bathroom which shares another wall with my son’s room.  This wall will also need to be replaced.   We found the piping not even connected!  This too has been repaired.  We are however still having issues with our water.  This week we will see about having our hot water heater, which we think is the culprit for all of this, either repaired or replaced.  Then we have walls to rebuild.

To top it all off we are passing around a cold……….

Oh well……

Count it all joy…….

Even amidst the struggle of leaky pipes and leaky noses we are still incredibly blessed!  I thank the Lord for his many blessings, his provision, his protection, and his never-ending faithfulness to his children!

So how was your Christmas worship and celebration?  Anything else “fun” happen during the past week??

Snow, Snow, Snow

Big beautiful snow! I love it when we get a big dumping of snow! I am one of those crazy people who loves the snow! Along with it being beautiful and FUN, I find it to be such a great reminder of what the Lord has done for me!

Psalm 51:7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

Isaiah 1:18 “Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.

With this in mind as we come to celebrate the first coming of our Savior looking forward to his return, here are some photos of our white, white snow! Enjoy!

The deck railing–two feet of snow…..

Tree covered in snow, look at the tree trunk to see how deep it is.

Children on a pile, notice the newspaper mailbox.

Inside the beginnings of our fort.

Can it Be?

Can it truly be that my little one is a year old today? It seems only yesterday that I was waddling around with her inside! She is a sweet, funny, smart, talking, walking toddler now! Where did this past year go? She is definitely an Alaskan baby too! Her very first word was “bear” and said with a growling tone! Makes me laugh every time I hear it!

Happy Birthday Sweet Bella Boo! We love you!

Patience, An Exercise in Self-Control

Homeschooling brings many ups and downs.  There are the days that are full of joy because your children seem to really grasp the concepts you are teaching and then there are days when you wonder where the children have placed their brains!  The concepts that seemed so easily grasped the day before have overnight turned into what seems to be a foreign language.  There are days when the children seem to have forgotten things that we have been working on for years!  It is easy to get discouraged, frustrated, and angry.  I have found myself in this situation more times than I would like to admit.

I have often been told that I am a patient person.  I beg to differ with those who say that.  In fact, I think it is one of my weakest areas!  I may indeed be more patient than some but it does not necessarily make me a patient person.  It is something that is a constant battle for me.  I want things done the instant I think of them and I want them done correctly.  I want my children to understand and remember everything the first time I teach it.  I do not want them to not understand.  I do not want to struggle to get the point in a manner they understand, I simply want them to understand.

This sounds a bit unrealistic doesn’t it.  This sadly enough is something I struggle with daily.  Today has been no different.  I have a very grumpy little one who just is being difficult.  I have a kindergartner who just cannot seem to remember that the number ten is written with a one and a zero.  I have an older child who is questioning everything I say.  I want to scream at the top of my lungs, “Don’t question–just do!”,  “Quit grumping!”, and “One and zero, One and zero, how many times do we have to go over this!”.

I had a moment in the midst of this today where I paused, took a deep breath, and heard the Lord whisper, “Self-Control.”

I did not yell at my children.  I dealt with them calmly and kindly.  I once again nicely said, “Remember one and zero side by side make 10.”, “Please don’t argue, I really just need you to help me out with this.”, “Come here, I think you need a hug and a cuddle.”.  Chaos was once again averted!  Peace dwells in the house.

If you had seen this scene you might say I was a patient person.  I was indeed exercising patience however it was more than that.  Remember what I said the Lord taught me today?  Patience does not happen alone.  Self-control plays a bit part.  I had to conscienceless make the decision to be patient.  I had to control my urge to be impatient and too loose my temper.  Thankfully, today, I exercised self-control.  That unfortunately is not always the case.  Exercise is not always easy, it is hard work.  It can be tiring!  However, the more we exercise the easier things become.  The more I choose to exercise self-control in  this area of patience the easier it is to do it again.

Then it occurred to me.   How many times does God exercise self-control and patience toward me?  How many times has the Lord had to say to me, “Remember………”, “Please don’t argue I need you to obey.”,”Come unto me.”?  More times than again I would like to admit!  I am so thankful that I did not receive the angry, “Don’t argue, quit grumping, how  many times do I have to go over this!!” from my Lord.

God truly is a loving Father who shows us how to deal with our own children.  He teaches me to love, to be kind, to be patient, and to exercise self-control.  I need only to be obedient and turn to him when I am weak!

Thank you Lord for using the struggles of my day to grow me more into your likeness.  Help me each day to exercise self-control to be patient.

Our Daily Devotional

I have mentioned on several occasions that we begin our school days with a daily devotional.  This has changed forms over the years.  One year we went through the Proverbs cycling through one a day each day of the month.  One year we went through the Psalms.  One year we went straight through memorizing the catechism.  We would alternate year after year.  This past year I found something new and am loving it!   Rather than just memorizing the catechism (as important as that is) and just reading through the scriptures (as primary in importance as that is) we are now doing both at the same time.

Training Hearts, Teaching Minds by Starr Meade is an excellent resource that I would recommend to any and every family.  Catechism is one of the best methods of teaching what we believe our children. The devotions are based on the Westminster Catechism and provides a great way of studying sound Christian doctrine.  This book provides approximately two years worth of daily study.  It covers each of the 107 catechism questions.  A new question is covered each week which provides plenty of time for memorization and plenty of time for study.  There are six daily devotions per question, all with Scripture readings pertinent to the question so you can explore how God’s Word answers that question.  This tool can be used for all ages.  The devotionals only take minutes if you have very young children or you can dig deeper and expound upon them. There is great opportunity for discussion.

This is a very practical tool which will guide you through the scriptures to answer, teach, and explain the doctrines of the Christian faith to your children using the form and questions of the catechism.