Katie: motherhood

Today was one of those days.

One of those days where one minute you are ohhing and ahhing over 

how sweet and silly your toddler is being with the newborn. 

Then you are feeling the fit of rage because YES that two year old did say NO to you right in your face AGAIN. 

Then back to a state of disbelief because that same child said please and thank you without being asked. 

One of those days where your child refuses to nap, 

your infant sounds terrible with a cold, 

and you are still in your pajamas at 3 in the afternoon,

 AND you have made coffee twice, poured a cup twice, and not tasted it until it was cold... twice.

One of those days that, at the end,

you just have to sigh and be thankful because

HIS mercies are new every morning.

It was one of those days.

Normally things are much easier, especially in the summer. Will is the one who stays home with the boys during the day, and since I teach I have the summers off, so we are home together. It is an arrangement I like. The tag teaming makes things a whole lot easier! 

But there have been several days that Will has been gone with sports, and those seem to be the days that Alex likes to show out the most (he knows back up is far away!). Its sometimes these days where I feel totally incompetent as a parent, even though we have many great parts of the day and I always survive... and so to my kids. But I think Alex and Liam show me how weak I really am, and that I can't always rely on myself but I need Jesus to walk me through these days because I can't do everything on my own.

Don't get me wrong. My students have a knack for reminding me of my inadequacies as well. And actually thinking that come fall, I will have to spend a day with 16 kids at school and then have to go through these kind of days with my kids at home too... I am already praying for supernatural strength! ;) But my boys really make my inadequacies personal!

For some reason I thought it would be a little different with my kiddos. But its not. And while sometimes I want to cope by hiding by the freezer all day sneaking spoonfuls of ice cream, I remember two things:

1. My mom raised 5 kids, maintained her sanity, and still encourages me through these moments.

2. HIS mercies are new every morning.  Thank you Jesus! 

He has called Will and I to the amazing profession of parenthood, and He will not leave us or forsake us if we continually call on Him. There have been several key moments in our journey as parents that have given me a better understanding of what God has done for us. How difficult and painful parenting can sometimes be. Yet, because of his steadfast love for us, he has endured all that we put him through. And not just with two kids but the whole world. And because he has, he can give me what I need.

Grace has a whole new meaning. {so does justice, but mostly grace! ;)}

And so as I head to bed, I choose to keep the precious moments with my two rascals in my head

(and not think about how much sleep Liam will let me have tonight or all the rascally things Alex did today)

 also a favorite quote from my favorite Anne comes to my mind:

(total side note: I often wonder if I will ever be able to read that wonderful series to a daughter... 

I don't think Will is going to be thrilled if I read it to my boys! haha!)

isn't it nice to think that tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it yet?

I love knowing that after having "one of those days" 

tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes yet, 

 but instead it is already full of grace and mercy. 

{for me and my children}

thank you Jesus, for getting us through yet another day.