So here is my rant about non-important things:
1. Granted, I'm a lot like my dad, but he is a sore loser. He will cheat to win, which is why I'm losing in Words with Friends. Really, our Stern philosophy is that it doesn't matter how you get there, but you must be the winner. Sort of.
2. What is the deal with selfies?! yes, I take them, like 98% of the world, but I just feel really vain. And then you post said-selfie on Instagram and get like 20 likes and then you're even more vain cause you think you're pretty popular!
3. I've edited my blog to (hopefully) have a better presentation, what do you think? Nope. I can't keep pretending that you're sitting right there on the edge of your seat, waiting to give your response.
4. There are some people who I work with... who I am positive will give me some rude remark. I might be setting myself up for this one though. Although, they really don't need a reason to criticize me, they will find one no matter what I do. Haters gonna hate.
5. You should go check out my Canary Labs Blog.
6. I just booked my flight to Florida for the end of this month, I'm ready to be out of this 7 degree weather!
7. These are no longer rants, they've become random sentences thrown together.
Okay, so this pretending to be a mother thing- It's hard sometimes. Seriously, all you moms- You don't get a break often enough. I only have to nanny a few days a week, but most times, I'm ready to sleep a few hours after being around the 4 kids that I watch. If I could give you a 90 second clip of my day- actually, I couldn't. There are way too many things that go on, 90 seconds would not be long enough to give you the whole perspective. But here is what a rough estimate of my day looks like:
- 80% checking the children to make sure they are not putting themselves in danger since the last 30 seconds that I checked them.
- 5% breaking up fights
- 2% meal prep
- 3% cleaning up after them
- 6% negotiating with them, because these kids' charm skills are off the charts!
- 4% anything else that comes up through the day
This is representation of a good day. But, lets face it, that's not every day. In fact, that's not most days. But days when I'm feeling burnt out and discouraged, I remind myself why I do this- why I love kids and spending time with them:
It's all worth it when it's for:
- The times that I walk in the door and am quickly greeted with, "Ms Hannah! I missed you!" after having not seen me for 2 days.
- The times when I'm busy doing something else, but the cutest little boy yells "Miss Hannah, I want you!" which probably means that I will spend the next hour playing with cars or airplanes.
- The hugs, the kisses on cheeks, and my personal favorite- the early morning or right after nap time snuggles.
- The pictures and notes that I get- even after mornings of having fought with them to do their homework and receiving much sass. I'd say that's a pretty spot on drawing.
- The times when I see them getting along like angels, even if it won't last for long.
- The hilarity of these kids, I sometimes laugh harder at what they say than any joke I've heard.
So, discouraged mother who needs a vacation from her problems, remind yourself why everything is worth it. It won't last forever- like any low point in life.
Just as I don't only see these children as their ornery, sometimes naughty selves, but yet look at their qualities and the love that they have to give, I'm reminded that that's how Christ looks at us! Oh my lanta, how glad I am that God doesn't look at me as my flaws and yet sees me as His child, forgiven. I'm sure that I can be hard to handle, but through Jesus I'm 100% redeemed- those sin's that I struggle with don't define me anymore!
Matthew 18:1-6 At that time the disciples came to Jesus and said, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” 2 And He called a child to Himself and set him before them, 3 and said, “Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.5 And whoever receives one such child in My name receives Me; 6 but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone hung around his neck, and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.
Faith like a child. Think of the love and trust that a toddler gives to their parent- that's to be our love for God. They hold nothing back. Yet as we grow up and the world inflicts us, we become guarded, instead of fully surrendering and throwing ourselves into the arms of God. What insight a parent has on this subject! It's crazy to me that God allows us to have that same example of a relationship from a parent to a child that He has with us.
Title reference: I do hate mushrooms, but I would never compare them to cat poop. That was a certain little boy's statement while he picked them off of his pizza.
