I am finding out that this parenting thing is alot like a roller-coaster ride-- at first glance it looks like fun, but then when you experience a bit more-- you develop a healthy respect for the emotions of fear/joy/ and thrills.
Because both of my kids have had challenges (Jessica medically-- and Shane sensory&behaviors)
insert thought bubble here: I aways thought end thought bubble.
that I should get a special pass-- either to the front of the line, or at least my own personal assistant.
Good thing reality knows how to pop these bubbles of mine!
If you click on the link at the top of the page and read though the instructions you might be surprised how much of the advise could be about parenting.
1. Remember the Physics-- (It took quite a while for you to "bake that baby"-- or even adopt and then you had to go through labor and also paperwork)
e=mc2 One of Einstein's great insights was to realize that matter and energy are really different forms of the same thing. Matter can be turned into energy, and energy into matter.
The energy we use as parents---
shows up as the energy that
creates our children into (children that...) matter.!
2. Keep your Eyes open-- Pay attention to the little things, because all too soon those sweet things-- may change.3. Pretend you are driving the roller-coaster! Ha... ha ... we may be the parent but realizing that parenting isn't about us as an individual is a key thing-- me thinks....:)
4. Start with the smaller coasters. Uh, yeah.... I recommend prayer for this one-- pray that God, knows you well and that his sense of humor is not on overdrive.--- He won't give you more than you can handle, but he sometimes likes to fill your arms with WORK!
5. Just Do it... yup-- there aren't any short cuts to this parenting thing that I have found-- I have searched high and low, I have begged,pleaded -- I have read books, taken classes and even...spent much time in prayer. We may not always get this parenting thing right-- but we have the ability to try again tomorrow.
So, anyway I had some challenges with my parenting attitude this weekend--
My kids were fighting -- which is not very normal for them--I asked them to STOP, I even used a loud voice and still they were fighting with each other-- finally in an act of desperation I got a small cup of cold water and --- I flung it on them. Jessica stopped the yelling/screeching that she was doing and began to cry the ugly cry with her eyes getting larger with every tear. Shane stopped pummeling his sister and looked at me like ~ how dare you interrupt me?-- I was ahead of her-- in the game of ouch--. I think they were both stunned to their cores-- I had never done something so shocking to them before.
But... it worked it got them to stop what they were doing and hear what I had to say. They both got time-outs and both had to apologize-- heck they even both grumbled that I was being mean and unfair-- I figured that there discontent with me .... was proof that I had done something right!.
Shane didn't do well at church-- our new curriculum has a ton of transitions and Shane went into overload mode -- he wouldn't listen-- focus or anything and the staff didn't call me to help -- so Shane was VERY distracting for the whole group of kids. I didn't find this out until after church was over and I was picking him up. I can and I want to be: able to deal with my son-- but after the FACT... is not the best plan. So, we came home from church and since Shane confessed in the car that he had made some bad choices with his body-- I had him write an apology letter.
A friend of mine that I have known since I was a teen passed away-- I am very sad-- we had re-connected on Face book-- but I had yet to really talk with her about how her life was-- and share with her how my life is.-- The only thing that about this that helps me manage my emotions-- is that she was a faithful follower of the Mormon religion. So, I know that she is in HIS arms.
There was also a death on my father's side of the family-- This Saturday I am going to that funeral at a Catholic church and although I want to go and share in the event-- I get so un-comfortable at catholic events-- I know I don't fit in and it makes me nervous.
Tomorrow we are going to celebrate Jerry and Shane's birthday's --
at the park with a pinata, a silly string fight and cupcakes.-- I can't wait to see the pictures I will be taking!
And Life...goes on--- up and down and all around. Ya Got yer seat belt on? , ! Buckle UP!
By the way... God does have a sense of humor-- if you check out the video in my next post, that is one of the worship songs that we sang while at church-- go ahead... call me Undignified!
