The Flames

So once again I have been roped into coaching a U-5 team. It is actually kinda fun. They are all so cute and sweet and hilarious. You have to admit seeing little guys in their uniforms is so cute. We had a game 2 weeks ago and it was a learning experience. They scored goals, but in the wrong one. It didn't matter to them. They had a blast. But because of the rain we haven't had a game or practice since.

One valuable thing that I have learned is that 4 yo simply cannot come up with a name for their team on their own. Have 2 names picked out and let them vote. (of course the u-10 team didn't do much better. the parents suggested and voted on the Green Slimers. Are you SERIOUS?? thankfully they chose something else but it is almost as bad.)

Thankful Thursday

I have missed doing my thankful Thursday posts. I have missed being purposefully thankful!

1. For the cutest U-5 soccer team ever!

2. That Monkey still LOVES soccer and is starting to settle into her new team. She wasn't very happy at first (and I can't say we didn't encourage her in that a little). But we have all seen that griping isn't going to help.

3. We had an entire week at home. Even if people were sick we were still at home. And it was SO nice.

4. We dug up our sweet potatoes. They were thin like carrots, but there were about 100 and I plan on baking them, scraping out the insides, and making some yummy side dishes for Thanksgiving.

5. To see my mom today. It seems like forever since we have seen my parents. With everyone being sick and all.

6. That the Zookeeper is recovering from pneumonia. He is doing so much better.

7. That we haven't had the flu yet. The stomach stuff yet, but not the put-you-in-the-hospital stuff. (unlike Baby J who is in the hospital in Denver with it. kinda ruined their visit.:(

8. That after I sorted out the kids clothes for the fall I had more than we ever needed and was able to share with those in need. The baby just needs a few long-sleeved shirts and I have those covered now with my Super power sewing skills. haha

9. That Christmas presents are falling into place without hardly spending any money.

10. That God is good all the time, All the time God is good!

Happy Thursday everyone. What are you thankful for?

Another Give-Away

I have mentioned that I love Netta-Cow. I have made several of her ideas and found some great blogs from there too.

She is having another give-away. Check it out. I won some baby legs last time and hope I can win something this time.

Becoming

I mentioned in a recent Thankful Thursday post that I became a care-giver for my grandma. I am now her primary care-giver (except for this week because we are passing around the stomach flu). It is one of the hardest thing I have ever done. Let me re-phrase that. It is one of the hardest things I have ever done along with all the things that were already on my plate.

She is depressed most of the time, which makes being over there stressful sometimes just because of that. But when she is having a good day she loves the kids and they really cheer her up. She needs daily showers and someone to watch over her to take her pills (or she will hide them) and someone to make her meals. Some of these things are things that she can do herself, but most of the time she won't.

It has really made me stop and think of where my priorities are. I didn't want to give up any of the things that we were already doing in order to accommodate her better (and really in the end us too.) What does that say about me? I didn't really want to look into that. I knew that I was starting to get really short with the kids and felt like crying all the time. The stress was about to go through the roof.

I am in a Bible Study right now that is all about our thought-closets and what we are telling ourselves. Does it line up with Scripture or not? So I decided to take a look at what I was saying and it wasn't pretty. I wanted to keep the kids in all the activities because people are always complaining about homeschoolers needing all the socialization. I wanted to have people look at us and see that we were giving them "all the opportunities they deserve". Those are definitely not good reasons to continue in them.

One day I will be old (if the Lord doesn't come back first and I am sure hoping for that one) and someone will need to help me. I need to show more compassion for my grandma and let her know that she is important to me. She is my family and family is SO important.

We may not always get all of our school done, although right now we are thanks to work boxes (anyone got some more ideas for me). But what better way to have my kids learn to serve, what better way to let them learn about the mind of Christ and how he showed love?

Right now we are paring our activities down to a minimum. And it feels so freeing. I pray that in doing this for my grandma that I am becoming more like the One who loves me so much and doesn't let me go when I act like a spoiled brat.