This past week, we had a rough homeschooling day.
Michael woke up cranky and it continued all morning. He cried and got upset every time his Lego building fell over (which was many times). Holly didn't want to do her homeschooling, and I was really dragging for some reason.
Then we went grocery shopping in the afternoon and Michael and Holly were out of sorts. Prison may not be very sucessful at reforming people, but I'm sure that grocery shopping with two kids would do the trick.
By the end of the day, I wanted to quit homeschooling and send my kids to my sister's house for a month.
Originally, I intended to write a post about something totally different. However, after our terrible, horrible, no good, very bad homeschooling day, I thought it was more important to blog about this.
Here's the reason why. Sometimes when I read blogs, I feel discouraged because it seems like everyone's life is going so well except for mine. Everyone else is taking great vacations, having a grand time with their kids and getting along perfectly with their husband.
I know the real problem is me -- my lack of contentment and my tendency to compare my life with others'. But I also think a little bit of it is the fact that many of us tend to blog about the good things. I do. I don't normally write about the big arguments I have with my husband, the days I yell at my kids, or the financial struggles we have living on one income.
I do a disservice to myself and everyone who reads my blog if I'm only willing to write about what goes well. Not only do I present an inaccurate view of our family life, but I rob others of the chance to be encouraged by the fact that they are not the only ones who don't have it all together. This doesn't mean I inappropriately reveal everything about life in our family, but rather that I am not too proud to admit that sometimes I have rotten days.
My friend Stephanie recently wrote a post that I really appreciated. It addressed this very thing. It's called My Real Life and it talks about the parts of her life that she doesn't usually reveal on her blog.
By the time my husband came home from work, little Michael had apparently worked out a plan to help Mom get back on track. "Me, Holly, Daddy go Inner Harbor [a place the kids love in downtown Baltimore]. Mommy not go!"
When I heard that, I burst out laughing. "Michael," I said, "you don't want me to come?!" He replied, "No, you go sleep in bedroom!" I guess he already knows that a little more sleep solves many of Mom's attitude problems.
That night during our prayer when I put him to bed, I asked God to help us all have a better day the next day. Little Michael smiled up at me and said repentantly, "I sorry, Mommy. I sorry." My heart melted.
Maybe it wasn't such a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day after all.
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More photos of our little cousins who came to visit us this summer. This is Piper riding a tractor at a produce farm we visited.
Little Orly wasn't feeling well that day.
Mike and Michael, enjoying ice cream (yes, Fiona, all we did was eat!!).
Piper holding up her bowl for more ice cream. (In my defense, we actually did do other things besides eating, it's just that with 14 people in the house, the only time anyone was actually still enough for photos was while we were eating!)
Our friend Miss Ileen came up to meet my sister and all her kids. A couple of years ago, Ileen very generously knitted blankets for all six of my sister's kids for Christmas, even though she had never met them and they live in another state. So it was really neat for her to finally meet all the little people who love her blankets!
My mom, Ileen, and me!
Miss Ileen with all the kids.
Getting just a little crazy!
My sister!
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