When Mama Ain't Happy,Ain't Nobody Happy

Today was a grumpy day.
I have no idea why, but most of the day, things just rubbed me wrong.  Kids kept touching me, and everyone wanted something.

Really, no different than any other day.  I was just grumpy.

And as the day went on, I noticed that everyone around me was getting grumpy.

All day I thought, 'my poor kids don't deserve the grumpy mom they got this morning'.  I just could not shake it.

While I was thinking about how to get out of the funk, I was hit with the need to share with all you moms something that has taken me years to figure out.

I've been doing this mom thing for almost 15 years, and it's just now hitting me.

We've all heard it.  We've all said it.  But do we all believe it?

When mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy.  For some reason I have always just assumed that was just a cute little saying.  Then I started to really pay attention.  Literally, within the last few months.
Moms, I challenge you, the next time you are grumpy, look around you.  See what happens.
When we start looking like this

*

Pretty soon everyone is looking like this

WE HAVE POWER!!  These little people react to how we act toward them.  I know, this is a total 'duh' moment, but honestly, think about it.

Nine times out of ten, if your kids are grumpy and fighting, all you have to do is take a hard look at yourself.  Have you been grumpy?
Now, don't get me wrong, I know there are those days when you try your hardest to be happy and your kids are still bickering and whining and just being little grumps.  I get that...believe me, I do.  I still think though, that if you went to the beginning of the moods, you could figure out what happened.
When your darling little child said she didn't want to wear the outfit you had picked out for her, did you react kindly or was there some irritation in your voice?  I know for me, I can answer with a fake smile on my face and some an irritated tone in my voice.  Kids are smart though, they can see right through that.
That one event may set the tone for the rest of the day.  Then she gets more whiny, and you get more grumpy.  It's a vicious cycle!
We must continually remind ourselves that these little people are the biggest blessings we could hope for.  Not a single one of us deserves them, and yet, we are given them. 
So I'm challenging you, and me, to take a step back when kids are getting the grumpies.  How are we acting?  Is it time to take a timeout?  For you, just leaving the room my help.  I know for me, I have to go and pray.  It's the only thing that helps.  Let's remember how quickly this time goes and how happy these little ones make us!
~A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.
~Proverbs 17:22
*Don't ask about this picture.  It's awful, I know.  It was taken on the cruise and we are all being silly and making mean faces.  It's the best I could come up with, because I don't normally take pictures of myself being grumpy.
Emily on the other hand.....

Whew..I am pooped!

Matt has been gone this week.  Partying it up in Chicago.  OK, not really.  He is in Chicago at an audiology convention though.  He left last Sunday, and a little bird (named Matt) told me that he would be home late, late, late tonight, instead of tomorrow.  Hooray!
I tell ya though, we sure do run around a lot.  Everyone is always so concerned about the socialization of homeschooled kids.  It's funny though, because every homeschool family I know will tell you we have the opposite problem.  We have someplace to be, that involves at least 2 kids, every weekday. 
It does make the time go fast when Matt is gone though!
I have to add here, that it amazes me how Matthew steps up and takes the roll of Man of the House, when Matt is gone.  He is growing up way too fast for me.  Yesterday, when I was prepping the kids for what would happen if the government shut down, he said, "how old do you have to be to get a job at McDonald's?  I'll find a job somewhere!" 
Thankfully, as we all know, the government didn't shut down and I don't have to be responsible for selling my kid out for child labor.
So today was particularly exhausting.
I think all the running just caught up with me.
The day started out good, we got up and were on time to church.
In Sabbath school, Emily was a one man show.  Boy that girl likes to be the center of attention.  She was tired though, and by the time church was over she was melting down at regular intervals.
We were in the mother's room during the service, and I hope my kids got something out of it, because I dozed off...shhh, don't tell the pastor!  I couldn't help it, it is just so dim and quiet in there, and the chair was so comfy, and the baby was sleeping in my arms, perfect dozing scenario!
After lunch, Em, Collin, and Zachy went with some friends who took them to Adventurers for me.  Thank you, Tricia! 
The other kids and I came home to discover the dog ate something that didn't agree with his tummy.  Let's just say, a dog with the runs that is not potty trained is NOT fun. 
We put him outside, but it had been pouring earlier and he became a big mud ball. 
Matthew gave him a bath, and we tried to avoid him becoming another mud ball by keeping him in.
Unfortunately, he still needed to use the yard, and used the carpet instead.  As I'm cleaning this all up, Nannie got her brother's toothpaste.  She had been into one thing after another, and for a brief moment I almost let her keep the toothpaste, but came to my senses!  She was a sticky mess and the floor was a poopy mess. 
I did learn today that Rockin Green laundry detergent rocks at getting poop stains out of carpet!!  Good to know! 
Now it's pizza time, and Collin just pulled the pizza out of the oven, only to drop it on the floor!  I guess that's my cue to get back to being a mom!
It's movie not, Voyage of the Dawn Treader is up tonight!  We'll see if I can keep my eyes open.

Keepin' it Real...my new motto

If you have been with me for awhile, you've seen this blog go through many name changes.
After having Nannie, I needed to change it from Five Little Monkeys to something else. I was really struggling with things, and really needed to just write. No creative juices were flowing, so I just threw "my journey" up in the title bar. Since then, I've been wanting the perfect blog name.
I was leaning towards a name like,"showers of blessings" quoting scripture. Mainly because behind everything I do is a great love and faith in my Heavenly Father. I wanted this to come across the minute you came to my blog. My faith has made me who I am.
There have been times when I thought I'd just do a CHD blog and give it some clever CHD name. However, CHD is only a small part of our lives. Even though it may seem, because of blog posts, that CHD rules our lives, it truly doesn't. What you see here is me dealing with it the best I know how, in hopes that maybe someone else will be able to relate, and know they aren't alone.
Fast forward to last weekend. The Midwest Homeschool Convention. I'd say this convention was life changing for me. Which is odd to me, because really, it was a homsechool convention, right??
God gives us what we need to hear though, when we need to hear it. I went to the convention with plans of sitting through meetings on unit studies, planning for college, and educating the child who may not learn as easily as the rest of them! And I did!! All except the last one.
I also sat through one by Todd Wilson, called Lies homeschooling moms believe. It was all about the perfect homeschool family. You know, the one that does NOT exist! It's a facade! All of it. We all struggle! We all do the best we can. And we all fall short of our own expectations. All the while, we think miss Susie down the street doesn't struggle, that she has hot gourmet meals on the table every night (and afternoon and morning!!), and that her house is immaculate.
There is no such person!
I have spent way too much time envying miss Susie. I have longed to be the person who has it together. I have felt like a failure!
That's the thing. Those of us who refuse to let the facade down, are actually a discouragement to others!
I'm not just talking homeschooling here. I'm talking every aspect of life.
I have been told, more times than I can count, what a great mom I am and that so and so has no idea how I deal with all I deal with. Let's be real....I have never, not one day, felt like a great mom. I know my shortcomings. And while we're talking about this, let me assure you, I am not the strong person you think I am. I am weak. I deal with what I deal with because I have no choice. Given the choice though, I would never choose to deal with what I have. And I praise God for holding us up through the rough times. It's only through Him that we have survived!
As I was vacuuming my stairs today (something I only do when they get very, very nasty) it hit me...I don't want to be a discouragement to anyone. I want to be an encourager.
And so, I need to KEEP IT REAL! I hope to turn this blog in a different direction...one in which you can find encouragement at.
For some reason, people tend to think that those of us with larger than normal size families have it all together. I plan to debunk that.
I don't want you to waste any of your time envious of some facade.
I hope you'll enjoy this new turn, and that you'll stick around with me as we take this journey together!!
As a side note, I'd LOVE to do a revamp of my blog to reflect the new Keepin' it Real blog. If you know a great blog designer, who designs cheaply, please let me know!
Keep it Real everyone!