Things did not go as I had planned today.
It’s not really like I had some great master plan for the day. That’s the weirdest thing about it. It’s just as the day unfolded, the details became surprisingly out of my control, and I let that get to me.
Here’s how some of it went:
- I didn’t get a shower this morning. I wanted one. It somehow didn’t happen.
- My kids didn’t like the library books I had picked for us to read to learn about history. They were “boring, Mom.”
- Luther cried through three attempts at shooting a video with my kids. Ugh.
- My kids’ bathroom smelled like pee even after I cleaned it, and I can’t for the life of me figure out why.
- Nehemiah jumped on me and knocked the wind out of me. I got angry.
- Nehemiah jumped on me (a separate occurrence) and it hurt my shoulder. I threw a book. Who does that? Man.
- I sent the kids outside to play in the sprinkler (at Zoe’s suggestion). Exactly 4 minutes later, and sopping wet, they were done. What?!
- Zoe kicked Charis in the face. It was an “accident.” I’m still not sure.
- I drew pictures for the girls – their request. Zoe bumped me on numerous occasions. “I just can’t sit still.”
- I sent them all to rest an hour earlier than planned. Again, not how I saw today playing out. I tried to rest myself, but was too agitated. Still am.
The more I write this list though, and vent through the written (or in this case typed) word, I see the pettiness that has played out in our day. I see that one very small thing, built on another very small thing, until we were being crushed under a snowball of petty arguments and frustrations. I see that really, Satan only needed to set the first thing in motion, and how fantastically (i say tongue in cheek) we were able to take it from there, turning our morning and early afternoon into a disastrous minefield.
It doesn’t help that this day followed a beautiful day with my kids yesterday – as near perfect as they probably will come. A bad day following a good day always feels even more wretched than it is. Why can’t they all be glorious?
Here’s the magic though. The magic isn’t making every day perfect. That is, quite honestly, impossible, much to my disappointment. The magic is in taking a train wreck of a day and analyzing it, chewing on it, accepting it and then asking God to come and totally redeem it.
I can hardly wait for the moment my kids awake from their rests. We will take a dreadfully imperfect day (a poopy day, as I may or may not have described it to my kids) and turn it around. With Christ, imperfection can not defeat us, it can only distract us.
I’m getting us back on track. My tool of choice? Laughter. Lots and lots of laughter. If it can be done, I am determined to achieve it.
{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
Oh I can so relate right now! We hare having the same kind of day. Packing and trying to get ready for a trip, and see little things escalating until we are one big unhappy family. Need to go and redeem mine too. Great post!
As always, I am inspired to reconsider my own reactions when I read what God is doing in your family. Motherhood — and life — rarely go as planned. At least like we planned.
However, there is always a silver lining of God doin’ His Romans 8:28 thang. He is just so faithful and creative in the way He demonstrates His love for us.
P.S. That smell around the toilet (at least in my house) is generated in that space between the toilet tank and the seat. ~A mom of two boys who finally figured that out about the same time the most frequent “contributor” moved out.
I was laughing before I even read the story. Your picture was just priceless! You are a gem Mandy.
Do you have a squishy toilet seat?? One time ours had a very small tear in it and once the undesirables get in there it cannot be made to smell pretty. lol
I’ve found the Yankee Candle tart warmers to be my best defense in the bathroom.
A day without a shower is generally a day with struggle. Ugh! I’ve thrown things before, too. You are not alone. And I completely relate to the pee smelling bathroom. I was blaming the boys in the house, but recently realized a little girl also contributes. Anyway, THANK YOU LORD for redeeming our poopy days! And Thank You Mandy for reminding us!
Love you girl. I had a day too and I’ll take your inspiration and have a better one tomorrow. Thanks.
Oh, and my vote is that someone got pee on the baseboard and it soaked in. This ain’t my first rodeo, sister.
Great post, Mandy! I have four kids, too, though one is in his twenties now, and the other three are teenagers. When they were small, we had lots of wonderful days filled with stories and songs, learning and laughing, popsicles and sprinklers. But there were poopy ones, too: naps skipped, nerves frazzled, and tempers lost. But doing what you did-deciding to turn your day around-is the secret! At any point in the day, you can ask God to redeem the day, and He does! And the amazing thing is that my kids remember the water balloon wars and chocolate chip cookies more than the squabbles and tears. I know you’ve heard this before, but they really do grow up so quickly. In the blink of an eye, matchbox cars become real ones, and they are ready to leave the nest. Enjoy every moment, even the poopy ones! Thanks again for a great post.
sometimes when you smell a lot of pee in a bathroom, even when it is actually gone you still smell it for a while! It might just fade away. Glad your next day was better!!