Live Out Loud - Adventures of a mom

Dear Mrs. Thumb, The first time I met you I hardly noticed you.  It was 4 years ago when we met our daughter Sarah for the first time.  I suppose I noticed you only when I looked at her hands and fingers and noticed how girly they were compared to my son's at birth.  Back then, you were just a thumb, just another part of my baby daughter's anatomy. But since then we have gotten to know you more than Ms. Hair, Mr. Feet or Mrs. Eyes.  You 'stuck out' from the crowd because Sarah chose to love you and to almost depend on you when she most needed someone. We have had this love-hate relationship, haven't we?  At times I was so grateful you were there for Sarah.  When she couldn't fall asleep or needed some extra comfort.  During those long road trips in the car or in a hotel bed.  Or when we sleep trained her as a baby. But there were so many times also when I wished you were not so closed, like when Sarah had a cold and was all stuffed up....

How many of us have done it?  You sign up your kids to a class and send them with an encouragement: "it will be fun!" I tell my kids to enjoy their school, tennis, swimming, drawing, and piano classes.  I tell them they will love it even when they are hesitant. And yet when I see them learn in those classes a hidden evil in me creeps out and I begin to think "yikes...she has no coordination - why can't she hit the ball like the rest of the class" or "what now...why are you crying?" or "listen to the teacher son.  Listen...like the other boys" or "how did you do in your quiz today? (meaning - "how many did you get right") or "don't just paint everywhere - stay inside the line!" or "read out loud - so everyone can hear it" (maybe he is reading to himself???) The fact of the matter is that for as much as I tell my kids to 'enjoy' their classes, I am also sending them a ...

It is so curious to see how God reminds me with SIMPLE things about life... Last night, we tucked the kids good-night and we proceeded to just rest in our bedroom. About 5 minutes later, my 5 year old son runs out.  Both my husband and I rolled our eyes and looked at each other - our cue to "here we go again - what this time?" Samuel runs ... yes ....runs to the side of the bed where I am.  I am still staring at my laptop.  I look at him and he says: "Mom...we forgot to pray for our missionaries" Gulp. You see....it is missions emphasis month at our church where we are focusing on the needs of people globally...both physical as well as spiritual.  The kids have had their version of it during Sunday School. Their teachers told them to pray for their missionaries every day.  They even came home with a folder on what to pray for. So I put down my laptop.  Quickly looked at my husband -- we both were being given a lesson right ...