Bedtime

Our kids have always been good about going to bed. From the time they were tiny the routine has been: lay them in bed; walk away; they fall asleep. Until recently...

For some reason Katey and Seth seem to be bucking bedtime lately. We say good night, give hugs, send them on their way and within a few minutes one of them (Katey usually) is back downstairs needing a drink of water...and to chomp some ice...and then giving more hugs... And we can usually count on hearing a small, quiet voice at the top of the stairs (Seth), "Mommy, Daddy? I, um, want to turn on my fan, is that okay?" Or he wants a cup of water in his room or his blanket isn't quite perfect on his bed...

Now, I love my kids and I love spending time with them but when evening comes around I am ready for some quiet time with my husband. Bedtime has always been my favorite time of the day...but it seems to be more and more frustrating lately. When I hear or see the kids my heart beats faster and I feel my anger rising. IT IS BEDTIME...GET IN BED!!

Last night it was the same story. I had laid down the law with Katey before bed so I didn't hear or see her. But, just as I was beginning to drink in the quiet of the evening I hear, "Um, Mommy, Daddy?" WHAT, SETH?!? "Can I have my pillow case? Is it done in the wash?"

So I grudgingly head up to give Seth his favorite pillow case (because there was already one on his pillow...just not the one he loves. *sigh*). As I entered his room I noticed there were wet spots on his pillow. When I asked about them he got teary-eyed and told me that he was remembering how 2 of his classmates had called him a liar during the day and he got sad.

Now my heart is breaking in a million pieces and I hear that still, small voice in my head - life is not about Jen and what I want. There are more important things than a quiet evening and bedtime is not sacred.

If I had been really grumpy Mommy (like I wanted to be) I would have yelled up the stairs that he could sleep without his favorite pillow case and that would have been the end of it. I would not have had the opportunity to share in my son's heartbreak and spend time talking and praying with him. We both would have missed out on an important growth moment.

So, tonight when I send the kids to bed I hope to remember this lesson and be a little less grumpy about out-of-bed children and a little more compassionate towards them...even if it means my quiet is interrupted for awhile.

A Decade!

Katey is 10. I have been mulling this realization over in my head for over a week now. How can our precious daughter be TEN already?!

This was a year of no birthday party, but something fun instead. Katey has always wanted to go camping so Mike took her on a special Daddy-Daughter camping trip. They went with some good friends, Erik, Abby and Tori. (Coincidentally, Erik camps often so the fact that we had basically no camping gear was okay!) They headed out to Morrow Mountain for one night and had a great time roasting hot dogs, making s'mores and sleeping in tents. They also saw many deer near the campsite and spent time hiking, fishing and playing in the dirt. It was Katey's dream vacation!

I sent the camera with Mike to get some good camping shots and these are the two he came back with!

After they arrived home we had a family celebration with Grammy (who decorated the house and helped make Katey feel extra special on her big day). There were lots of presents and, at Katey's request, frosted brownies as her cake.

She might be 10 but she is not too old to get a horsey ride from Daddy...just like old times!!

It is hard to believe that our spunky, energetic, think-ouside-of-the-box little girl isn't so little anymore. What a joy and a blessing the last 10 years have been with her. Happy birthday, Katey Beth! We love you more than we can even express!!!

Back to School

It is that time of year again. Back to school!! After a fun summer we were all looking forward to getting school supplies, meeting teachers, seeing friends and heading back into a normal routine everyday. (Okay, I admit that I was more excited about all of this than the kids were. But, they were looking forward to it, too!)

So, true to form, both kids were up nice and early and ready for the day in plenty of time. Both had picked out new school clothes at least a week in advance.
Katey choose her dress because, "It looks like an old-time school girl dress." Awesome. Both were super excited to wear their new tennis shoes. We did have to spend a few days re-teaching Seth to tie shoes, but he is now a pro...again!

The kids headed to the bus stop. In the fog. At 6:40 AM. Seth was sad to say good-bye to Belle for the day, but I think Belle was pretty glad to spend 7 hours without the fear of being...um...too loved upon. Yeah.


I enjoyed a quiet day of cleaning out Katey's closet and the kids came home all smiles. The first day back to school was a success!