Out of the Mouths of Babes

Today started out as a "Jonah Day." Those familiar with Anne of Green Gables will know that means a day when everything goes wrong and you do not handle it well.

I began the day sleep deprived again as Joseph continued his getting-up-many-times-a-night routine that he has been doing for months now. He does have a bad cold right now so it was hard to get mad at him. Poor little guy! And even though he ended up in our bed, that meant Mommy still got the short end of the whole sleep thing.

I stumbled around for a while, trying to get breakfast together, while the kids were already going a hundred miles an hour. (How do they do that?) There were mountains of laundry waiting for me in our bedroom. Need coffee now. I never used to drink coffee, not even through medical school. Now sometimes it is a necessity. (Okay, often.) I tried to read my Bible for a while, but I couldn't concentrate and it just wasn't sinking in.

Then the electrician returned my call and said he could come by late morning or early afternoon, so there went the intended trip to the grocery store. Okay. I tried to move into high gear, but it was difficult. The older kids got cranky; Joseph had been cranky all along, and I needed to get our bedroom at least somewhat straightened out, so I could move the bed to get to a phone jack that wasn't working.

So, quick, change diapers, get the kids dressed, get them to pick up their toys, hurry, hurry, snap, snap. Ooh, Mommy needs to take a shower, but when does "late morning" start. Finally got Joseph down for a nap. Twins are both getting into trouble. Put them in their rooms. Cry, cry (Them, not me, not yet anyway). Keep laundry going. Move our bed. Joseph is awake. Wants to be held constantly. Electrician calls, he's on his way. Hurry, hurry. Make lunch. Push kids along. Move, move. Let's go. I feel like I am running in circles.

The electrician came and I found out that the light fixture we thought wasn't working again was actually fine. It was the new lightbulb that was the problem. It was no good. Oops. How embarrassing! At least the phone jack was a problem, so there was something. It took a while, but he found the problem and fixed it.

Meanwhile, the kids were making a mess at the lunch table and I was still carrying Joseph, who was fussing off and on. Then, finally I got them all down for a nap and I just sat down to breathe and defuse. I finished reading my chapter in the Bible, and also read a little in a book about Divine Providence (which has been very helpful in seeing the purpose in everything, even the days like today).

Then I went down to the computer and found this, at Kate's blog, which spoke to my heart and reminded me that these kind of days are meant to bring us closer to God. It is an opportunity to join in Christ's suffering on the cross and be joyful at the same time.

Then, to top it all off, profound words from a child. The kids were up and I was in the kitchen stirring my pasta sauce, and I heard Catherine say, "You have to offer it up to Jesus." I stopped and looked at them as they were pretending to be a train on the hearth in the living room. I said, what do you mean, Catherine. And she said, "We have to remember to be good."

Wow.