This post is for the same day but has two different parts, the first part is merely a reflection of our day yesterday. The second part is my own reflection on a personal epiphany I had yesterday!

Part One...

We had a very busy day yesterday, we got a lot accomplished! Emi had gymnastics, which she is doing great at! We did laundry, cleaned, vacuumed etc. which just has to be done! We also ordered Matt's cake for his birthday, it is a pirate ship and it is adorable. Although I don't guess a boy turning 8 wants an adorable cake- so lets call it "perfectly piratey"? We went to the park, I kept reading stuff about the No Child Left Inside Contest. This was a contest in Connecticut that got family's outside and in the state parks! I decided I would do my own no child left inside contest for myself and for two days now- yes that doesn't sound like much, but it is for me-we have gone outdoors for something. We rode bikes and played outside on Tuesday and on Thursday we went to a nearby park and fed the ducks, and played! It has been wonderful!


Part Two...

Okay so here is the lightbulb moment, the background is this...I decided to take the kids to the Pompeii exhibit at the MFAH, which by the way is ending on Sunday so if you want to see it..GO.
Anyway, we were going and on the drive there the kids were terrible. I gave them warnings, I explained that they HAD to settle down and than I was silent and let them dig their own hole! And let me tell you it was a very deep hole. So I couldn't at this point take them into the museum...I wouldn't have taken them into a Chuck E Cheese at this point! I was very upset because number 1 I really wanted to see the exhibit and 2 I was feeling sick from the way the kids were behaving. I physically felt ill. It is the point where you have told your kids what to do and you honestly expect them to obey, when they don't and just will not listen I often feel panicked, sick, like a failure and of course angry. I took them home, gave them a very basic meal of bread and water -just kidding. I than sent them to their rooms.

So to my great big lightbublb moment... it was important in my opinion for them to see the Pompeii exhibit. I feel to go to things like this exhibit enhances their education and widens their life experience. Anyway, I felt it was important. IT was more IMPORTANT for me to deal with their disobedience. Big flashing bulbs here... I know that training up a child is important but I have had in the past trouble following through on the training part apparently. I don't think I am a horrible mom and I know that I have particularly more spirited kids than perhaps others do. I don't care. I officially do not care what another human being on this planet thinks about me and my disciplining methods. I am often concerned if someone will think I am to harsh or not harsh enough. I am often concerned when I tell people something I did that they will not agree with it. I am often concerned that my kids will not like me. I am often concerned that I am doing the wrong things. Done... I am done with being concerned! If I tell my kids to not do something, if they do it there is a consequence. Period. Now I do for the most part stay on top of my kids.. but I let the world influence how I do it. There is nothing on this earth that is important enough for them to experience or will have as much affect on their life as learning obedience. If they obey me, most probably they will obey God. Isn't that the purpose? Isn't that my goal. Not Pompeii or seeing Kung Fu Panda or attending a birthday party... my goal is my children learning the WAY and not departing from it.


Let me know when it is in your parenting life that you got this lightbulb moment or if in fact you never did!

Carrie in Texas