Last night...

I lost it. I completely lost it. Jason was doing devotions with Jonas and reading him a story from the Bible Book, and Jonas was bouncing around in his bed like a kangaroo totally not listening..and Jason finally said, "STOP!" (in his angry-man-domineering-father voice, which I rarely ever hear...keep in mind, my husband is ooodles and ooodles more patient with the kids than I am). And for some reason, that just pushed me over the top---the top of crazy. I started laughing and laughing and laughing so hard that I started crying. I just couldn't stop. I was at the mercy of the incessant laughter intermingled with sobbs. And it finally hit me what was so funny----Jason and I do so much talking and instructing and redirecting of our children, and so often it seems in vain. They just keep jumping or screaming or throwing food, or whatever you ask them not to do, and apparently last night, the ridiculousness of all of that hit me: we are trying to train and teach 2 crazy little rebels. Parenting is not for the faint of heart. It is funny sometimes, funny how unbelievably daunting is the task of rearing a child, teaching them to listen and obey. Yesterday was indeed the type of day when everything you say to your children seems to go in one ear and out the next, or better yet, they seem to interpret what you say as the direct opposite of what you actually said. "Come here" is translated as, "Run really far away from me as fast as you possibly can until I can no longer see you."

These truly are the days when I have to remember that I really do love this stage in life. I really really do. It is never ever boring and certainly never ever quiet. I know these days go fast, so I want to treasure them...even the days that end like yesterday.

And for fun, here are three amusing scenarios I would like to share with you that help paint some true colors to our family as of late:

First, after going for a walk last Thursday, Jonas asked to play with sidewalk chalk on the driveway. Typical. I said, "Sure, go ahead." He proceeds to draw a fairly large circle, stand up, inspect his work, and then say, "Look mom, it's your bum." Thanks Buddy.Second, last Sunday at church, while attempting to lead a group of 8 kids at my table in 1st grade Sunday School, I get paged for Freya from the nurseries....she has melted down, and nothing will calm her except Mommy. So, I decided to take her to class with me and just have her sit on my lap and hang out with the kids while we go through the lesson and color, say verses, etc. All of a sudden, she pukes on my shoulder...all over my sweater, so I stand and tell another teacher that I need to leave and clean myself up. Then, out in the hallway, thankfully, I find a laundry basket full of big while towels from the baptism in the previous service, so I grab one of those (knowing the pitiful paper-towels in the bathroom could never handle a mess like this) and start wiping. Freya starts choking and pukes again, then grabs my necklace (the one with all the little black beads) and yanks, and it breaks. Of course. Beads and puke. Everywhere. Gross. Meanwhile, she is still choking as others in the hallway watch me sympathetically trying to sooth my angry, red-faced, puke-covered, screaming, flailing daughter, until finally she spits out a very small green star sticker. Good grief.Third: Last week after coming home from my Judges Bible study, Jason and I get into a discussion about the topic that night...and Jason decides to demonstrate how left-handed swordsmen really do have an advantage over right-handed swordsmen in battle, so he grabs two wooden spoons from the kitchen and proceeds to "attack" me as I try to defend myself. Jonas then turns the corner (he has been getting out of bed several times before falling asleep lately) and looks up at us with complete confusion: "What are you guys doing?" Good question.

The joys of parenthood are indeed rich. Even if I have lost my mind. Thank goodness His mercies are new every morning.