No More Strikes

Oh my goodness!!! You know when you are at the breaking point and you are wondering if you can really take anymore? That is me today.

My kids were both sick and the total lasted a week. They got 5 days off of school, including missing their homeschool co-op which I couldn't teach my class there because I had to stay home with them. Strike 1 for mom!

The plan was to go to church this Sunday after I had taken two Sundays off in a row. I felt God had wanted me to take those days off to stay home and be by myself. I was looking forward to going back, but couldn't because the kids were sick and Hubby couldn't stay home to watch them because he had to help run the sound booth at church. Strike 2 for mom!

Yesterday, Cool Dude had a really bad attitude towards everything. It was awful. Strike 3 for mom!

Today, it has been Princess's turn to have a really bad attitude towards everything. It's been worse than yesterday. Strike 4 for mom!

Okay, God...what gives? All of the above, plus this weekend I may find myself dealing with some very unpleasant issues that I can't get into here, and I will be single mom next week while Hubby is gone out of the country for work. Strikes 5 and 6!!

Then, today I was fortunate to read some blogs and talk to some people who understand what I am going through, or were experiencing some of the same issues themselves. You know, the kind who don't condemn you because you yelled or spanked your kids for horrible attitudes, the kind who are having homeschooling issues themselves, or the kind who know what it's like to be single mom while Hubby is away. The kind who don't criticize you on facebook because you mention you can't stand to hear the word "mom" one more time that day, the kind who know what it's like to yell at your child through gritted teeth, "Get it in control," and then all of a sudden you realize you are totally out of control yourself.

Contrary to what I just wrote above, thank you God for my children. Thank you God that my Hubby can work a job that allows me to be able to stay home with them and homeschool. Thank you God that I am living out my dream of this life, something I so wished, prayed, and longed for growing up.

Is there joy to be found during this stressful time? Yes...extra cuddling time with sick kids; having my sissy and her newborn living with us to keep us company while Hubby is away, friends who openly talk or blog about the tough times they have with kids and homeschooling, and God delivering all of that talk and blog posts to me before I completely lost all of my senses; kids who understand when they've done wrong, accept their punishment, repent, and always know that their parents and God still love them.

God I pray for: more patience, ways to effectively discipline my kids, no more sickness so we can get back to our school and church routines, and more time to myself. May these times help us to reflect and draw closer to you.