One Day At A Time

The Freeman house has been a very busy one the last few weeks. We seem to be spending a lot of time out of the house for various reasons which really messes with the ol' nap schedule. Mine and the children's. I find that I need a nap to make up for the decreased amount of sleep I am getting at night. Anyway, those days spent out of town and running errands and missing naps have really taken a toll on us. The kids are crankier, the Mom is crankier, and, despite the fact that the sun is going down earlier, the days seem longer.

By the time Joshua gets home in the afternoon, I am at my wits end. The kids are whiny and hungry and sleepy and I am short tempered. On good days, I hear the exasperation in my voice and cringe. On bad days, I hear myself snap and yell at the kids and want to crawl into a hole. A quiet one. These trusting little people who have been entrusted to my care catch the brunt of my frustration and tiredness, and deserve none of it.

Story time comes, and they all curl up next to me or Joshua, content to be read to, looking angelic. Bed time comes, and they offer up their sweet prayers. And later at night, after the little ones are all asleep, I creep into their rooms and listen to the sound of their deep, steady breathing. They are each sprawled out in their own bed with their own special 'lovey', looking serene and beautiful. And as I stand there listening to their sweet symphony of sleep, punctuated with the occasional sleep sigh, all of the irritation of the day seeps out of me and I can do nothing except praise the Lord for these wonderful little people in my life.

It is in those precious moments that I find myself so completely in awe of what little miracles each of them are. And I go to bed with a peace in my heart and pray that tomorrow I will be the Mommy they deserve. That tomorrow the Lord will help me to maintain my sweet spirit. That tomorrow will come and I will have another day with each of these special children. Because what I have learned, regardless of how a particular day goes with my attitude and the children's attitudes, that day is an incredible gift. It is the opportunity to watch with wonder their little personalities, to guide and to instruct, and to grow, laugh, and love.