Motherhood: Some days those are fighting words

*Knowing grin and harrumph* When we were little girls, we could have never imagined the days where your delicious cheeked baby would ever willing take the diaper off her baby sister (while she is her crib) in hopes that baby sister would mess everywhere. We never would have thought that in the same day that she would paint the wall with latex paint and then dump the roller on the couch when she heard you coming up the stairs. We never fathomed that she would color on her own bedsheets and walls and then dump all the clothes out of her drawers and then pull down the curtains in her room--all in one day. We never pictured taking time out of a time crunched afternoon to make the offending child clean, scrub and make up for her transgressions either.

Today, motherhood is a fighting word. I want to be their mother but I'd just like a day when they don't whine at me because Sesame Street isn't coming on fast enough or complain about cleaning their rooms or scream at their sibling for touching her side of the room. It is a bedlam filled, in the trenches sort of growth phase I am afraid I have entered. I think the time has come for me to take more time playing on the floor and leading that wild horse by walking alongside it more. Time for early morning prayer and scripture for the benefit of us all. Time for Mom to be ready before the kids are awake.

When I think back to better mothering days, I was doing those things. It helped to fortify me. Fortify me against those thoughts that needle you into thinking that perhaps you are failing pitifully at this mommy thing. Here I stand in the kitchen wondering if I can handle the new orange wall, hoping I will have a good hair day and praying that I will not be a casualty to garden variety childhood behavior. I want to just do and leave internal struggles and weariness at the wayside. I know I better get to cleaning up breakfast and get into some day clothes so I can do a bit of homeschool, gardening and assemble that no-bake lasagna so it will be ready for me. I better get at it because my kids have actually left me alone for 15 minutes and I probably only have 5 more minutes before they "daisy." "Daisying" explanation to come later.

I have been feeling an internal shift within myself lately. I think I am in a growing phase. I am hoping for something good to ....oh look, a little daisy just popped up....where was I? No time for that now. It's time to get myself together and fight the good fight. I need to remember that. It is a good fight. The next time I feel aforementioned needles I need to remind myself that I am fighting a good fight. I am apart of a great work and cannot come down. Those needles can have no power over me if I remember that I can avoid them if I focus on this good work of motherhood and chose to not come down. This isn't about ease. There will be opposition. But when I do this work with the Lord and the companionship of this Spirit by my side, I will be able to do His will, His way and will not be brought down.

Onward. Ever onward, Mothers. We can do this. Let us keep an eternal perspective while we weather the crazy and wearying day to day commotions of motherhood. It is so easy to focus on things that seem to matter the most in any given moment but really don't. This makes me want to make a list of the things that matter the most in my mothering so I can keep the proper focus when I am tempted to get caught up the whirlwinds with my girls.

It is a good work we are doing. Let's not let it get us down, at least not for long, 'cause we all know it does sometimes, right? Am I right or am I right or am I right? Right,right, right? Cyber sanity for anyone who can name that movie. Cheers, it is Tuesday! We made it thru Monday. Holla!