Imagine.
Imagine a home filled with three rowdy, laughing boys and one daughter with a giggle high and light.
In that home you might hear such phrases as:
“Don’t lick your brother’s face” and
“You can’t beat up your sister’s special doll.”
You might also find messes like this on your nine-foot ceilings,
evidence of a seven-year-old boy left too long in the bath. 🙂
Now imagine a young, often tired mama, who tends to be on the serious side.
She dislikes messes,
and rowdiness,
and chaos.
She appreciates controlled fun, if there is such a thing.
I never imagined myself to be the mama of so many boys, but I certainly am thankful for God’s wisdom in placing them in my care. By the grace of God, I’m learning to embrace
noise,
chaos,
wrestling, and even….
….fart jokes. 🙂
Imagine that tired, young mama opening her mind and heart to a world of fun and let’s pretend. Those rowdy boys and silly daughter teach her to play. They teach her to take life less seriously.
Imagine life without my children? Impossible!
Jen 🙂
What do your children teach you? Share with us in the comments.
Parenting my girl has taught me to pick my. battles, don’t sweat the small stuff, and sometimes she needs to make her own mistakes and clean up her own mess no matter how badly I want to step in and do it for her. Most of all that she is unique, her own person with her own mind. It’s hard because she is close to being a adult and eager to step out on her own. Knowing where to loosen up and where to tighten the reigns is sometimes a gray area.
I’ve been blessed with an amazing kid who is so much smarter and more responsible than I was at her age.
Wow, I rambled a lot. Not sure if I even answered the question 🙂
Thanks for sharing, Ren. 🙂 We are just entering the teen years with our oldest and I know that letting go is going to be a struggle for me. I’m so thankful for my husband, who tends to balance me out in that area.
Jen 🙂
I found myself smiling when I read this post Jen. Thanks!
I was smiling, too, until I was suddenly teary – overwhelmed by a good God who has blessed me so much. Thanks for visiting!
Jen 🙂
I came over from 5 Minute Friday. I’m an MK too, now living in the States, with a family of 2 boys and a baby girl. You’re right, the moments when I let go, and just enjoy the crazy and the loud are the moments that grow unity and love in our family. They remind that there is so much fun to be had in learning and enjoying this world God made for us!
Oh, always nice to meet a fellow MK! I’ll have to check out your post, too. Thanks for visiting!
Jen 🙂
controlled chaos? let me know if you ever find it!!!
great description of life at home with many!
I’m learning more and more to let go of the control and embrace the chaos. It’s much less stressful and much more fun. However, I admit that some days it’s still a struggle. Thanks for visiting!
Jen 🙂
Oh, I love this! Our guys are grown, but they taught me to not drive myself crazy over the dirty kitchen floor, (I’m a neat freak!), to allow them to continue drawing breath when I’d catch them drinking out of the milk carton (Gasp!!!), and not to buy a one-way ticket to the beach-any beach- when I found live gifts in their pockets! (Really… Two snakes, several slugs, worms and fish hooks… Ouch!)
Believe it or not, I miss those days!
I’m glad you included the pictures of your precious little ones!
Blessings to you ~ Mary
Thank you, Mary. I’m sure I’ll miss these days, too. On rare occasions when I happen to be home without the kids, our house seems eerily quiet! I haven’t found any live surprises yet, but I wouldn’t put it past my seven-year-old son… or even my four-year-old daughter. She has a strange fascination with bugs. 🙂
Loved this one Jen, great pictures too! You are doing a great job!
Thanks for the encouragement! 🙂 I’m really enjoying it so far.
Jen 🙂
Kids have taught me to see the unseen. I get so preoccupied with the messes in my house I sometimes miss the messes in their hearts or minds from the day. I get so consumed as a mom with fixing everything I can. God has brought me low and taught me that He is working in my kids too and I need to trust Him to fix their problems sometimes and not interfere with His plan in the situation. Thanks for asking and thanks for visiting Inking the Heart this week! Blessings to you! Love, Rachael
Rachael,
Thank you for sharing. Parenting is most definitely full of lessons in trusting God. I’m glad you visited!
Jen 🙂
Great post, Jen! I love your heart for people and for your family!
Thank you, Kerry! I’m glad you visited today.
Jen 🙂
Boys can sure be “busy,” can’t they? Lol! I grew up with several brothers and then had two boys of my own, lol! They ke’t me hopping, haha. Thanks for linking up to the “Making Your Home Sing Monday” linky party! 🙂