Madelyn discovered the paper shreddings in our office. She loves to play in them and spreads them everywhere. While I love giving them opportunities to make messes, I like controlled messes, messes that are contained to a certain area. When the paper shreddings make their way to every corner of the living room, I often feel out-of-control. It's a little ridiculous when I think that paper getting under the couch makes me feel this way, but it's true. When things are not neat and tidy in my life, I cannot think clearly.
But life with children is messy. My schedule rarely goes as planned. The contained mess always turns into a bigger, more spread-out mess. My nights are usually interrupted, lately by Gracie's night terrors. Those, in and of themselves, are terrifying and messy. They often happen when she doesn't nap, and she hasn't napped in two days, despite my best efforts.
I think God gives me these moments to remind me that I am not in control of most things in life. I need to let go and loosen up. When life gets me down and feels too messy, I hide away in my room on my favorite chair and ask God to fill me back up. I pray for perspective and remind myself of the love Jesus has for me. Once that happens, I am renewed and can handle life better. Because as I get older, I realize more and more that life is not about having all my ducks in a row. It's about living and laughing and praying and crying while my ducks run amok.
Favorite Moments
*the way Gracie put her head in my lap while we were looking at a snowglobe and listening to the music
*Madelyn dancing to the "music" of the fork as I scrambled some eggs and the printer as I printed a document; she literally will dance to anything!
*Madelyn loving on Theo, my Sunday school puppet
*the way Madelyn gives Lily hugs all the time
*Gracie made a birthday card for Madelyn and it is so adorable! She even wrote some of the letters herself.
*the way Madelyn loves to get on our backs and ride on us (or Lily)
Favorite Books
White Rabbit's Color Book by Alan Baker
Not All Animals are Blue by Beatrice Boutignon
No More Bottles for Bunny by Bernadette Ford and Sam Williams