Prayer Request

Please pray for Ethan, the familiar anxiety and stomach aches have returned! Today Ethan was only at School half an hour before I received a call to come and get him. He was not sick, but had literally made himself feel that way with worry. I know what this feels like and I am so sad that my son is going through this. He is so fearful of getting sick and relapsing. Today it was brought on by the fact that the boy sitting next to him had the flu yesterday. That was all Ethan needed to hear, he just wanted out of there!!!! I didn't realize the extent of his fears as he often doesn't talk about his Kidney disease. Please pray for wisdom for us as we figure out how to best handle this. As well as for Ethan as he goes about life, may he not be filled with fear but with Peace.

Mommy Tasking

I found this article by Carol Barnier, called "Mommy Tasking"

A talk-show guest confidently claimed to have the solution to my problems. "Mothers just need to borrow from the business world. They need to organize, economize and develop simultaneous activity channels. In short, they need to strengthen their multitasking skills."

Was he kidding?

At that moment, I was wiping smeared jelly from a kitchen stool with one hand and zipping the back of my daughter's dress with the other, while reviewing spelling words with a fifth-grader who possessed an infinite number of alternative spellings for hygiene.

Multitasking is not something mothers need to learn. We clean the house and whip up dinner and taxi the kids and trim their hair while we extract a splinter, explain a metaphor, sew a costume, teach kids to chew with mouths closed, remove lipstick from the couch cushion and use a toilet plunger.
No, Mr. Television Guest, you missed the mark completely.

What we moms need, what our minds miss most and what our hearts intensely seek is the seemingly lost ability to monotask. We long for a quiet moment on a porch swing to laugh with a child, a chance to linger over dinner with our husband and the satisfaction of allowing a burgeoning idea to playfully work its way through our brain. Ah ... to feel the linear path.

But just as soon as my thoughts "burgeon," the phone rings or the UPS man pulls up or an 8-year-old runs breathlessly into my sanctuary (read that: bathroom, bedroom, little closet in the basement where I try to hide) and demands to know if the 5-year-old is really allowed to use her toothbrush to clean the hermit crabs.

The world of motherhood is one of perpetual motion. Calendars with no blanks days. "To do" lists that do not end. Spring cleaning that runs deep into August. But multitasking isn't just a solution for improved productivity; it's a value statement that says more is always better and quiet times are unproductive times. I suspect that God couldn't agree less.

The Bible does not say, "He leadeth me in the path of astounding productivity and dizzying accomplishment whereby He is exceedingly impressed." No, God wants us to lie down in green pastures, and He wants to lead us beside still waters to restore our souls.

I know raising children is a season, and a short-lived season at that. One day my kids will be grown. The quiet will be mine to fill and enjoy. I will probably miss the noise and disorder that many little feet used to bring to my world. But when that happens, I intend to read my favorite magazine, from cover to cover, all in one sitting.

Back To School

The boys started School last week, and I have to admit that I do miss them, even their noise! We had a great summer together and I wasn't quite ready for it to end. Adam has started Middle School, Gr.6, and is loving it. I can already see him maturing and trying out his wings. Ethan started the Fourth grade and is again having a rough time of School. This year Ethan is not with any of his close friends, and he is feeling very lonely. On a positive note, I think Ethan has a very kind and compassionate teacher, she seems like a perfect fit for him. So for now, we will continue to pray for both of our boys, that this year would be a great year and one of continued health for Ethan.