Live With Kids, Act 1, Scene 2

If today were the scene from a movie the script would read:

 Act 1, Scene 2  (clapping sound as director starts scene)


(Child enters front door, stage center...Mom is hustling around set completing last minute things before chaos of after school running starts, older sister is finishing snack sitting on couch getting backpack out, house is a cool 75 degrees with 90% humidity)

Mom:  "Hi, how was your day?" (moves towards older daughter (child 1) on couch asking child2)
Child 2:  "Good, hot." (child moves to kitchen for snack, showing signs of starvation)
Mom:  "Good..." (now sitting on couch with older child discussing homework and clicking tv channel)
Child 2:  "What are they talking about?"  (motioning to tv where Dr. Phil is playing)
Mom:  "Children who are out of control, doing bad things like sassing, disrespecting, drugs, etc...."
Child 2:  "Wow, that is B-A-D." (moving to couch)
Mom:  "I know, the parents need help and are making it hard" (now watching show with daughters on each    couch) "Do you have homework?"
Child 2:  "Yes."
Mom:  "Ok, get it out and get moving."
Child 2:  "Mom, can I have Mario back?" (child 2 lost game due to improper behavior day before)
Mom:  "Sure."
Child 2:  "Mom, I am gonna play one game."
Mom:  "No, not now, after your homework."
Child 2: "Please...."  (pausing for yes/no from parent.....)
Mom:  (walks off set, ignoring second plea from child...subconsciously assuming she understands first "no" will also carry over to second plea for video game time) (Returns on set, seeing child playing game...not immediately registering situation)
Mom:  "Could you please do your math." (Actor walks off set to complete another task)
Child 2:  "Ok" (while playing video game, actor continues playing immediately forgetting cue)
Mom:  (after returning to set)(realizing child is playing game) " I said no game, please do your math." (walks off set again)
Child 2:  (looks up from game) "Sorry Mom, I am." (moves as to appear to understand cue, once parent is off set, pauses in motion until cue)
Mom:   (returning on set again) "(tension in voice) Would you please, for the love of Pete, do your math!" (this time waiting for eye contact and puts down game, leaving set after confirmation made)
Child 2: (puts down game and moves toward math papers)
Mom: (again, returning to set) "What are you doing (great confusion and frustration in voice, some facial distortion to match) you are supposed to be doing your homework!"
Child 2:  "SORRY, I forgot!" (actor is getting up from floor) "I was saying hi to the puppy(dog is laying on floor with restful look on face)
Mom:  "I NEED YOU TO TRY AND FOCUS, SERIOUSLY!!! YOU HAVE ONE TINY THING TO DO, PLEASE....DO IT!" (facial distortion to show frustration) "I shouldn't have to tell you 10 times in the span of 10 minutes to do your homework!"
Child 2:  "I keep forgetting Mom!" (child rises from floor, pausing in center of room to "pop" joints)
Mom:  "What are you doing?!?"
Child 2:  "I have to pop my shoulders" (slowly making exaggerated shoulder rotations)
Mom:  "WHAT!!!!, get your homework."
Child 2:  "Ok, I am."
Mom:  (now sighing, closing eyes, had a bewildered look on face)
Child 2: "I don't understand it!"
Mom:  "What part?"
Child 2:  "All of it."
Mom:  "Ok, show me."
Child 2:  "Well, not that one, but the rest...not that one either...but the rest...ok, all of it."
Child 1:  "I'll help you sis." (older sister motions to come sit with her)
Child 2:  "Ok" (moves to sit with older sister) "No, I want Mom" (moving again to other couch by parent)
Mom:  "Ok, lets do this problem...."
Child 2:  "I think I'll work with sister" (moves to other couch again)
Mom:  (leaves room exit stage center momentarily...then returns) "Time for dance, lets go"
Child 2:  "Ok, hang on......"
Child 1:  "My clothes are not dry yet and she (pointing to younger sibling) has my tights on still..."

Scene 3, the dinner scene, redemption!...to be continued!

Really...part 2

So this morning as I am running around getting the kids ready for school and such I didn't pay attention Gods little miracles until I was able to get back home, sit down and reflect. The ones we don't give much thought to...a work schedule change, rain stopping for the walk to school, the traffic flowing smoothly to make it on time to another school, remembering to stop for groceries after drop-off rather than getting home and have to back track, etc. Then, as I am feeding the dogs (before my sit down time), I chuckled at their behavior...their desire to please me by sitting or laying and waiting patiently for their food (even posting that on fb). So when I finally sit down and open my devotional to find it starts out talking about a dogs devotion and love for its owner/master...and ends with us loving and being devoted to our Master...I pause and think, "Really?!"  I love the way God can work even in the smallest and most invisible ways! When He lets us know that He is still here...kinda like when we put a note in our kids' lunch pail or even just a piece of paper with a smiley face on it, to let them know we are thinking of them throughout the day! I needed that today...a reminder that He loves us and we are to love Him throughout the day too!

Really?!?

Ok, so is this something I really need to do? Create a blog? Well, apparently I thought so!  I work very part time subbing in our schools as an educational assistant, but for the most part I am a homemaker, wife & mom. I love my family and the job of running it...some days more than others, but that goes with all jobs! There are days when I fly through the day completing task after task, taking my job to the "Masters Degree or PhD" level. Other days, I feel like I am new on the job and stumble through the day, one mishap after another. I have given myself the title of MOTY, which stands for Mother Of The Year! Partly because, like all moms, there are days when I am on the "Gold Medal" podium of parenting.  Standing there holding up my gold medal proving how great I am, hearing my "Mom anthem" being played loud & proud. Then there are the days when I don't make the podium at all. You know, the days when you trip walking up to clean the podium for somebody else to stand on...  The title is for those days, when I fall miserably short of taking the gold!  It is easy to be proud of the times we excel at parenting, bragging about our amazing accomplishments (as if growing a human is not enough). However, it is not so easy to fess up and admit when we bomb in the parenting department! That being said, I completely love my MOTY title and take pride in owning it. Well, the laundry piled on the floors, crumbs on the counters, dishes in the sink and dirty floors are calling... Time to address some demands of the day before the real crazy comes with after school running!