Escaped Goats and The New Year

It’s well into the New Year and the old year did not feel like it had enough time in it!  These days seem to go by quickly for the most part.  Here we are and it is March.  Some moments seem to linger- like when you have a list of things or appointments and you seem to forget something.  Those are moments that force us to say things like, “I’m going to change this!” or “I stink at this!” or “Where are my keys?”  Oh well, maybe the ‘keys’ part is for a discussion on another day.

With the New Year comes Resolutions for many.  I personally don’t care for resolutions.  It is not that I am not driven to make small changes to improve myself or how I do things.  I DO want those things. Making New Year Resolutions and keeping them is not my gift.  I prefer to write out a few goals.  Those goals are a small challenge but attainable.  I also give myself about six months and then reevaluate.  Instead of “Keep the house spotless!” as a New Year Resolution, I like “Get back on a good cleaning routine” as a goal.  I did not say it would be perfect or spotless.  I mean, who do you think I am?  I have 3 kids and two large pets.  There are days I count dust/fur bunnies as small pets!  I am talking about progress, people.  Attainable progress.

One of my goals for 2015 is to get a good schedule and routine for the kids’ study habits and activities (and not miss some of those said activities).  I started a project in the fall and finished it around November to help with this goal.  It is a giant chalkboard calendar in my laundry room near the hub of the house, the kitchen.  The Laundry Room wall once had a regular-sized dry erase calendar in that room.  I finally realized it did not work well, as there just was not enough room for appointments and important dates.  There was also a need to have these all displayed so anyone in the family could walk in there and see what was coming up.  When do I have a game?  When is my project due?  When do I go for the flu shot?  Actually, I don’t put that scary stuff on there.  Don’t need freak-outs for a week.

One of the collected hooks for the Laundry Room

After being inspired by a few posts on Pinterest, I calculated how large I needed each date square and then went from there.  The whole Laundry Room was painted a fresh coat of the current paint.  I used Frog Tape and taped off the entire section for the calendar.  Then a few coats of dark gray chalk paint were painted over the area.  I had four plates I received as a gift from my mom and they were just waiting to brighten up my serious space of important dates.  Those were hung above the calendar.  I also decided a few hooks were in order for jackets and lunchboxes (and hats and gloves).  I purchased a 6-foot board and painted it an accent color of a pale turquoise, a light version of the blue in the plates.  The board was distressed and waxed.  After collecting a few different hooks, they were installed on the board and all mounted on the wall below the calendar.  There is a plan for making the window look nicer and finished, but that is on hold for the moment.  I love how the calendar turned out and it seems to work well for us…for now. 

The finished wall...finally!

My other goals for the New Year include carving out more one-on-one time for each child, having game nights, and reaching out to others.  That brings me to a bizarre thing that happened to me a few weeks ago.  I say it “happened” to me but I chose to plug in and see if I could help.  After an orthodontist appointment, I was leaving my son’s school after dropping him for the remainder of the day.  Across the street from the school entrance, is a home with a sweet little pasture and a small herd of goats.  We talk about the goats at random and the German Shepherds that seem to enjoy the herding. 

On this day, I noticed the goats were in a neighbor’s driveway searching frantically for a way back in their pasture.  I am an animal person and immediately felt bad for the goats but I was also concerned for their safety by the semi-busy road.  Then I feared for the safety of drivers and avoiding a random goat that could perhaps run into the street.  I decided to make a quick turn into the driveway of the farm owner.  I did not see any of the German Shepherds nor did I see a car.  My plan was to ring the doorbell and see if they realized the goats had escaped so they could get them back safely in the pasture.  After I rang the doorbell and stood back, the goats seemed to see ME.  They started making their way around the pasture, and down the edge of the road.  Oh boy.  The goats came swiftly, in a herd!  I was thinking that I did not want to be a witness of the hitting of a goat by a car.  I could not take it.  I promise I would be a mess.  The goats were in a sprint now, yelling their goat language toward me.  I ran to the street and just waved down oncoming traffic.  Let’s get these goats home safe.  No hitting of the goats, please.  The goats were coming straight for me and I was briefly curious what they would do.  Would I be ushered around by the goats? Then the herd of sprinting, yelling goats turned into the driveway and ran straight to the back yard.  

Whew.  I was relieved as the owner never answered the door and I assumed no one was home.  The goats seemed to settle and gather more quietly there in that back yard.  I decided it was time to go.  Goats are in yard of owner of goats.  Goats are calmer and not yelling goat language.  Yup.

Reaching out to others in a different way.  Trying to help.  I was stepping out of my schedule to stop and plug in.  I don’t think anyone really saw me but the puzzled motorists passing by.  Well, the goats saw me.  I think they were grateful.  I felt like I did what needed to be done.  I would do it again. We all need to pay it forward with a moment here and there.  I sure need to do this more.  Sometimes it just takes a note or an email.  Most of the time you have to be deliberate about this.  Reaching out to others (including your family even in the midst of exams, recitals, house guests and whatever else you may want to throw in there) many times can just involve taking a moment to smell the roses and notice those around you.  A smile or even a Good Samaritan effort may only take a moment.  Those are moments that may mean so much to someone….or a few goats!

Image courtesy of www.reusableart.com

With Joy,

Tracey

“If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.” –Romans 12:18

Comment below and tell me your favorite Good Samaritan effort…I may need ideas!

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Thoughts on a Birthday

I realize that one of my last posts was a bulleted list of thoughts.  I have been shameful on here and have not had a post in months.  I promised myself that I will get back to this more frequently.  I said, “Self, it is a good outlet for all of your random thoughts. Get back on it.”  Unlike some people in my house, I did not roll my eyes at what I said. 

I thought this was a brilliant capture of me around age 4.
I am sneaking around in a garage trying to grab an animal and love it and
squeeze it.  Poor kitty. Oh how I loved animals...

There is reflection on some things that have changed or have become more noticeable in the last year or two.  So here are some random thoughts from today, which is actually my birthday.  I was born on Lincoln’s Birthday and two days before Valentine’s Day so that makes it easy for loved ones to remember.  Ha ha.  One would think…

Birthday thoughts and this season of life:

1.      Birthdays keep coming

2.      I guess #1 is a good thing because it means I am still here.

3.      Two out of three kids recommend reminders of a parent’s birthday because they can’t remember it.

4.      My dog and cat may love me the most around here (I live with some middle school kids, people).

5.      The laundry and dust bunnies don’t stop for birthdays.  Bless the laundry and those dust bunnies.  It means I have some people and creatures living here.

6.      In fact, attitude does not stop for birthdays.  See #4.

7.      I realize I need readers, stretching, good shoes (read: great insoles), sleep and patience MORE than I did a year or so ago.

8.      Adolescent hormones can really be a ‘Debbie Downer’ on most days.  Who are these Jekyll-Hyde people anyway?

9.      Friday’s tend to arrive with a big sigh of relief…until you get the social agenda of your Adolescents.  Why am I traded more now as a Chauffeur instead of a movie night buddy?

10. In the past year I have used so many passwords on tablets, computers, accounts, televisions, iPods and other things that plug in or use batteries.  I am seriously depleting ideas.  Please send me some new passwords.

11. I think my doctor roster has expanded. So has my need for vitamins.

12. I view appliances –both large and small—as an army of steel support staff.  This year I have had a hard time keeping my staff.  They have quit on me.  Big ones.  Shhh, don’t tell the refrigerator.

13. My stretch ‘Adolescent Social Hauler’ is known as The Beast.  The Beast is 9 and needs to keep with me just a few years longer.  I love The Beast more now than I did before.  It had a bad run with a giant buck on the interstate last fall. It saved me but needed many repairs.  The Beast is good and accommodates all of those growing long legs, extra friends, carpool and miscellaneous gear that must be carted around for three kids and the family.

14. Living in the ‘selfie generation’, none of my kids will take selfies with me.  I really don’t ask unless I have on makeup.  I am prepared but ultimately shut down. #Ineedpics

15. I crave wisdom more now.  I look to books, wise counsel (including our parents!), prayer and God’s Word.  Oh boy, parenting will really get you into some wisdom-searching, won’t it? While I am definitely flawed, I am certainly gonna work on things.  Like Lysa Terkeurst says in her book, The Best Yes, I am going to “show up to practice.”  Wisdom is hard work.  I need to practice it every single day.

16. I find I need to verbalize why I am grateful all the time.  Early this morning, I wrote in my journal three things of gratitude for today.  Here is what I wrote:

1)     Glad for birthdays so I can be grateful.

2)     Glad for the gift of family and friends who pray for me and love me.

3)     Glad for God’s love and The Word to guide me.

Until we read again, safe travels on your journey today.  May you find a moment to get your readers out, avoid some hormones and reflect on a bit of gratitude.

Me and my pony Duchess.  Circa maybe 5th grade.
Animal lover, horse lover.
Did not always love the brother in the background when he bothered me.
The days of sibling aggravation--you were always  one step away from getting punished.
Love you, Bro!

With Joy,

Tracey

“The Lord makes firm steps of the one who delights in him; though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand.” – Psalm 37:23-24

To learn more about the book I mentioned, go to http://thebestyes.com/

Or check out Lysa TerKeurst’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/OfficialLysa

Stay In It

A Sunflower from my Garden, but I have not done much gardening recently!

Have you ever looked up and realized that time has just flown by you like a mosquito swatter on a hot Southern day?  That is how I feel about the past few months. I think it is just the result of having a few kids and hitting the ‘Tween’ and ‘Teen’ stages of their lives.  I swear I was just feeling like I was sequestered from the world in my house with a newborn, 18-month-old and a 3-year-old!  I was just there and those days seemed to really drag out, but seemed to be a blur at the same time.  Now my three kids are 13, 12 and 10.  What?  Slow down. Wait a minute.  Sit for a spell.

Ah housekeeping.  Never done.  Max, don't act like
you have not seen this before--I use it all the time!

Time flies so fast that some things fall by the roadside of life around here.  I have been beating myself up for not being able to complete various projects in my mental ‘To Do’ list since the summer.  Clean out things.  Find things.  File things. Paint things. Re-purpose things. Read things. Curtains.  Well, I need some more curtains. Anyway, here we are in mid-October.  The summer was great but school started way too quickly for my tastes.  The first day of school meant back to homework and activities and pounding an iron fist about studying and getting up earlier.  I think it is an added bonus that I have three kids in three different schools right now.  I have been frustrated.  I have felt hindered (not just with my ‘list’ but in the training of these kids and the preparing them). So with all the changes I have wondered, “What have I learned?”  I have decided to make a list of ‘Things’ I have learned in the past few months.

Here goes.  In the past few months I have learned:

• That I am reaffirmed in the fact that parenting will keep you on your knees…in prayer.
• That adolescent girls (and boys) have somewhat of a Jekyll-Hyde personality – like a viper snake on the turn of a dime.
• That just because at bedtime a kid says he wants a homemade breakfast burrito for breakfast the next day does not mean he wants it 8 hours later.  You gotta think on your feet.
• That sometimes I make my bed on school mornings and want to crawl back in.
• That I appreciate all the Algebra, Trigonometry and Calculus classes…that my husband took.  He helps my teen and is my hero.
• That according to my kids, I am always trying to “hide” their shoes from them.
• That singing Reggae and doing ‘The Running Man’ dance move at 6:30 am does not help my teen get up.
• That I need to cherish my 5^th grader who still wants me to come eat lunch with her everyday…before she turns into a viper snake.
• That I know very little and my teen knows everything else (he forgets I have been there).
• That I really can get up at 5:30 am on school days to have quiet time…before the chaos.
• That juggling multiple kids at this age is like a 3-ring circus.  I have clowns, bears and monkeys. You can think of the pros but I know the cons.
• That kids and electronic devices play out like a saga from Star Wars. The Dark Side can put up a good fight, wielding words or complaints with Light Saber speed and ability.  May The Force be with you.
• That carpools are the true gifts that you would never really know how much you love…til now.
• That I am cool.  I really am.  Someone please let my kids know.
• That the time your child comes back to you and says, “You were right, Mom” about something big… well, that is like getting a pay raise.

I know I have learned more than just this short list.  I am sure it will all come back to me like a boomerang hitting me mid-forehead.  You have to laugh at the things in life that seem to be frustrating or hindrances.  Like bad behavior, for example.  I won’t go on my soap box but I hope I can look back and laugh at some of these.  None of us are perfect and we live in a fallen world.  It is like I told my son, “Look, all of you guys in 8^th grade…you are all doofuses. But I was one too.  We all were.  It is a part of growing and learning.  It is awkward being a kid sometimes.”  What I did not tell him- it is awkward being an adult sometimes!  We never quit learning.

So with all the hindrances we all encounter, we learn.  Some are good or just not necessarily bad.  Trials are trials and everyone goes through a hard time here and there.  Some days I feel like I am treading water and not making a good time on free-style swimming.  Heck, some days I am swimming against the current!  I find comfort in the promise of keeping my faith despite tough times, and this will teach me true patience and the ability to endure (James 1:2-3).  I love this quote from Beth Moore I ran across this week:  “If Jesus gives us a task or assigns us to a difficult season, every ounce of our experience is meant for our instruction and completion if only we will let him finish the work…”  I like to say, “Stay in it!”  That is one of my favorite expressions lately.  Press on.  Meanwhile, I will take any offered cages for my snakes, bears and monkeys.

With Joy,

Tracey

“…As difficult as they are, you will ultimately find joy in them; if you embrace them, your faith will blossom under pressure and teach you true patience as you endure. And true patience brought on by endurance will equip you to complete the long journey and cross the finish line—mature, complete, and wanting nothing.” –James 1:2-4 (VOICE)

 

My sweet dog, Chopper.  Waiting to play.