Monday

 

Whew… it’s been one of those days when I think I must be crazy for doing this and, by golly, these boys better appreciate all I’ve done when they grow up!!!  A week off school is nice, until the first day back!

We got a late start this morning… usual Monday morning stuff, then Brian was letting Travis use the cutting torch to cut up his scrap metal to sell… can’t interrupt that for a silly thing like school! ;-p

I had the bright idea that Cade and I would go ahead and start and then we would do our bible and prayer when the other two joined us.  BAD IDEA.  I don’t know why I think that will ever work, it’s always a bad idea. 

Things just went downhill.

Bad attitudes, defiance, picking, arguing, cutting up, stalling, you name it. 

But, by the grace of God, I didn’t lose it!  Jacob asked me once “Mama, why are you just sitting and not talking?”  “Because, baby, I’m praying so that I won’t say something I shouldn’t!”

Lot’s of redirection, lot’s of heart to heart talks, a little sentence writing, a little spanking… and a little voice raising.  Honestly though, I think Jesus probably raised his voice when He threw the money changers out of the temple… sometimes people need a little volume to get it through their skulls!

We finally finished school at 5:00, then there’s animals to feed (real ones, not the kids), supper to fix (kids this time!), kitchen to clean, and baths to take.

The point of all this is you can turn that bad day around… after baths we read a chapter from Anne of Green Gables and then watched the Cowboys. 

Everyone calmed down.

I spent some extra cuddle time with the one who gave me the most grief today… he snuggled up for the longest time, I could feel him soaking up the extra attention.  By bedtime he was a changed boy, much more mellow and fun to be around.

“Thank you Lord for getting us through this day… and, please Lord, let tomorrow go better!”  Amen.