all before 9:30am

Since this blog is going to become a book for my kids I wanted to give a very real picture of what being a stay at home mom to four young kids looks like. This morning I wrote down everything I did before 9:30am. Some days are busier, some days are a tad bit slower, but this little snippet should give them some idea of what to expect and what is normal so hopefully they will not be surprised when they become parents. I am sure this list will look very familiar to any Mom! ___ 6:15 Had Bible study - 7:00 Took shower - 7:30 got all kids up and made breakfast for myself and the kids - 7:45am story time with the kids - 8:00 stripped beds - put load in wash - carried up dry diapers - turned off all 6 lights downstairs that someone left on over night - 8:10 changed the babies - 8:15 cleaned up kitchen from breakfast - swept floor - emptied trash & took outside - picked up markers that were left on table - Picked up clean laundry from the sunroom floor that was dumped out at some point last night - 8:30 lesson with the kids - made books with the kids - 8:40am calmed Little K, who is very fussy today - 9:00 helped girls clean up their various messes, twice - 9:05 let Little K watch Baby Einstein because she was not calming down - 9:10 made Peppermint tea which I foolishly thought I could sit down to drink - Chugged tea in between calming K and changing N who had pooped...again - washed out poopie diapers in the bathroom - 9:16 ran down stairs to put laundry in the dryer and start another load - 9:20 dealt with E3's second tantrum of the day - 9:30am made snack for kids Typically I would sit down and rest for their snack time but today I was not able to because I need to get the new sheets on the bed and wash out even more poopie diapers. These babies poop a lot. When I first became a Mom days that were this busy really wore on me and made me frustrated. It took a while to mentally change gears and realize this level of activity is normal when you stay at home with young kids. The Bible says, "For we are God's workmanship created in Christ Jesus to do good works which God has prepared in advance for us to do"Eph 2:10 and I count the work I do as a Mother as good works. God also says "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving."Col 3:23-24 We are serving God by serving our family so that can allow us to give and give with a joyful heart knowing that God will see our good works even if no one else notices! Serving my family joyfully and whole-heartedly is also a great testimony to others about the God we serve and love if I live this verse: "let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven."Matt 5:16 This does not mean I am always a joyful servant. Sin always threatens to entangle me but when I fall down I always get back up with Gods help and the help of some close Christian sisters who understand! (Hebrew 12:1) So my greatest advice to my children when they are in this busy stage of life: Read your Bible daily, lock the word of God in your heart and meditate on it throughout the day, especially when your kids are getting on your nerves.("Be completely humble and gentle, be patient, bearing with one another in love."Eph4:2) Get some close friends who are going through the same thing you are...you will need them on your bad days!!!