Tuesday, July 26, 2011

a nap


For a girl who isn't interested in naps anymore, she sure needs them!  LOTS of whining & moaning going on, so today, Beks took a swimming-induced nap.  Have I mentioned the glorious bit that swimming and the delightfully high temperatures cause my girls to sleep quite well?

Ballerina princesses {in full tutu ensemble!} DO nap.
I should write a book.
After this wonderful nap, I even took the girls to the pool before bed!
It's all part of my evil sleep plan.
And it is working.  :)


I was reading here today...and the topic of patience (or lack thereof) always resonates with me!  It's something that as a mom, I feel like is my biggest hinderance.  Truly, some days, I can't believe how much I am like a child--how I let myself become frustrated & irritated by a 6-year-old and 3-year-old.  I can feel it when it's happening, but it's something I have to work on every day.

This is just a piece of what Ann Voskamp wrote on her blog today:
And he who does not take up his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me…” ~Mt. 10:38
Take up a cross… Be willing to suffer… this — these are the marks of a follower of Christ.
Perhaps our greatest daily temptation is to be impatient — to refuse to suffer.
Perhaps my greatest daily sin is to refuse to suffer — to refuse to take up the cross of Christ.
Perhaps my greatest sin is refusing to wait on God’s ways — but to want my own will done — now.
Patience is a surrendering to suffering — a willingness to wait — a carrying of the Cross.

I whisper the heart-known words, what the heart now beats out because now the Words are in the veins and the genes: “And he who does not take up his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me.”

Today — there is always that possibility — to carry the cross, surrender to suffering, be willing to wait…
I’m hushed and gently turned around, the soul creases smoothed out, the heart dust brushed off.

Monday, July 25, 2011

A Long Time Coming...

Can I get a HALLELUJAH?!
Finally.

It's still supposed to be a secret...she wants to tell everyone herself.
So, this is for Daddy.  She has already broken the news to him...

Abby is swimming.
If I could tell you the excitement that brings me...
I even got a little teary today. 
{Shocking, I know!  HA!)

We had been doing lessons from January until we left for our 49-day road trip.
Which is an entirely different story, but the important part is that we had FIVE MONTHS {5!!!!} of lessons.  Abby had done pretty well at the beginning.  Then, one of her little friends in class threw up in the pool.  Let's just call that the beginning of the end.  Can you say anxiety?  And Mommy stress?  So, we changed locations & teachers.  The new teacher let her play with toys in water so shallow she could sit down in it.  This is when I began to call these the "happy feel good swim lessons."  I explained to Abby that she could play in the bath tub with toys, and we wouldn't be spending $75 on swim lessons anymore.  Fast forward...about 2 weeks ago, we started back up.  My friend Robin had 3 semi-private lessons left with a teacher she wanted me to meet.  New pool...new teacher.  Round 3.  First lesson: Abby left telling me that she didn't know about Coach Mary.  She said, "Coach makes me do everything.  I'm not supposed to tell her no."  Goodness, Mommy likes Coach Mary already!  :)  Buh-bye happy feel good lessons.  Hello actual teacher.  She has 30 years experience, and 6 kids.  I'm sold.  SO, I signed my girls up for semi-private lessons with her.
And Abby is swimming.
Because Mary won't let her tell her no.  She is the teacher...Abby can tell her why she doesn't want to do something, but she can't say no.  :)  Someone is a little stubborn, so she just does what Mary says so she doesn't have to tell her why she doesn't want to do it!


I'll get some cute pictures tomorrow morning!  Aren't you proud of your big girl, Daddy?  :)