Sanctification is Sometimes Sweet

We went "out" today, me an' the bitty Bugs.
As you know, that can be either good OR... challenging. Today it was good. Very good!

I have written on this subject before, but I feel it needs revisiting and a "good" day out is a good time to revisit it. Don't you agree?

Picture this:
Momma.
A cart with two little girls and baby in basket.
Two boys and a big girl following behind.












Rather a bit of a parade as we all troop into Costco, and only a portion of the crew some of you take with you on grocery excursions!

This is the time when you get "THE looks", "THE comments", occasionally "THE questions" and almost always the raised eyebrows.
On a "good" day we mommas-of-many like to don our most winsome smiles and uncan our favorite "replies" to dish out.
On a "not-so-good" outing we prefer to keep our heads down and move through the store as fast as five hands on the shopping cart and distracted little feet will allow.

I want to tell you the secret to my successful days. It's a fact that I don't implement my secret formula every time I go out, but when I DO remember, it works like a charm!

Momma Bug's
Successful Shopping Secret
for
Sanctified Supermoms

so they Survive Still Standing:

You must decide to enjoy your children before you set foot out of the house.
That's step one.
Step two is to TELL them you are going to enjoy them,

and TELL them how much you are enjoying them
(even when it's stretching the truth just a teeny bit),
and TELL them how wonderful they are; how great they are behaving; and how they are the best children in the whole world - and definitely the best children in the store!!

It's a tried and true formula folks.
If you TELL your children these things and purpose
and behave as though you mean it (because you DO)...
Your children will stand taller, walk straighter, pull on the cart less, help more,
and BE those wonderful children you told them they ARE!

Most the time I am guilty of attempting to shop with well behaved children under my own measly powers of persuasion. Sometimes it's a bearable excursion, but usually I forget to smile and have to iron creases out of my brow afterward. Not a pretty picture, but true.

Today though... smiles and giggles of the genuine sort. Even in the fray of mustard-covered faces and sticky hands. I enjoyed them.
They enjoyed me.

I guess it showed because even though I was completely preoccupied with my own little circus to notice anyone else, there were those who watched us.

One older gentleman came up to me and somehow managed to capture my distracted attention:

"Thanks..." he said with a grin
"Thanks for just being you."

And while that man "put the cherry on top", he also caused me to remember that my Lord is watching too.
And in that moment I knew my Heavenly Father was smiling with us :-)

Brilliant Art by Beaming Bugs; and One Beautiful Baby!

I can't remember what Sue told me this picture was about, but I was enthralled by all the beautiful color and knew I had to have it on the wall by my desk!














After several years of requiring that someone more experienced than himself draw his pictures for him (after which he'd trace over the pre-drawn lines...)
Zachary is finally branching out and attempting to draw what he sees, and I am totally impressed! This Grizzly is from a photo in one of Zack's favorite books called "North American Animals".

As for this guy, look at his HAIR! Had to try to capture a photo of this hair for posterity's sake.







































Yep.
He's pretty darn hard to take!

Glorying in Humility

I used to wonder why some gals (no one in particular ;-)) pile their clean laundry on their bed or in a corner of their room.
What is so much more convenient about having a pile of unfolded laundry you have to dig through to find two matching socks?
Why not just have a laundry day (like me); wash and fold it straight from the dryer (like me); fold, and put it away all on the same day (like me)? Then you could have a matching pair of socks at a moments notice (like me, of course).

"It's not so hard really (I thought) - just takes a little discipline.
You can do it... (like me)!"

I had a system.

I had it figured out!

I had one child.

I had two, then three children.

My "laundry day" turned into "laundry twice a week", but still it worked.

I MUST be good if I can keep up such discipline even with five children!

Then there were six.
Children that is.

I am now reminding myself that I prayed for humility (I really did) and you know what happens when you ask God for something He already wants to give you?

He answers your prayer with a "Yes. O.K., You bet! " and "Thanks for askin'!"

That's what He said to me when I asked Him to make me humble - "and please not in public if You could possibly swing it Lord?"
He said "It's about time you want that virtue Analene - it would become you; so I accept the challenge!"

And He has began to chip away at my pride.
Gently, tenderly, and even privately he has been holding a mirror where I am forced to look at myself from an outside perspective, and I'm not so impressed with what Jesus sees at times.

He has been so kind not to expose me to others (or at least they are kind enough to overlook my idiocies), and because of that I want to honor Him publicly. This chipping process is just that - a process. I have no notion of being through yet.
I hope you will praise Him with me for illuminating a few things about myself through something so mundane as laundry!

My "laundry day" that turned into "twice a week laundry" is now:

"dirty-laundry-into-the-washer-clean-laundry-out-of-the-dryer-piled-in-buckets-in-the-laundry-room-all-week-until-I-need-clean-underwear... season"

I thought I was good. I thought rather too highly of my abilities, and of myself.
What I discovered (and this is key to a paradigm in my thinking) is that I had not yet met my maximum capacity.

Where one woman is "maxed out" with two children and her laundry gets piled indefinitely,
I am "maxed out" with six and MY laundry is now piled indefinitely.

Now, I'm not either excusing myself (because I believe I can train myself and the children to be efficient with the laundry if I choose to make that important in this season of my life),
nor am I saying I shouldn't have any more children because I have discovered my limitations.
No.
What I am saying, is that I now have proper humility because of my inadequacy, and a rightly placed appreciation for any woman who piles her laundry if it's piled because in her life people are more important.

• In order for me to read a book with my little girls, I must let some other thing go (cleaning my bathroom sink, for instance).
• Or to give the boys my attention when they have a Math question, I've sometimes got to leave other things undone (sweeping and vacuuming the floor).
• If I want to lay down next to my baby so I can win his smiles and wile his coos, I have to be willing to be an imperfect housekeeper.

...But not an imperfect homemaker.

It's the hearts of my children I should be after, right?
Not a drawer full of matching socks.

People are what make a home.
A clean bathroom is simply a part of a house.

I think I might find another groove. One that allows me to play with my children AND put some laundry away.
Maybe.
Someday.

But it is a very very good lesson for me to learn that I was not so amazing when my house was in less chaos. I was simply acting within my realm of comfort. I was doing what came natural.

Today laundry doesn't come so "naturally".
(Nor for that matter, making dinner. Nor wiping down the kitchen counter. Nor putting the book back on the shelf where it belongs.)

Nope. Now I have to work at it; and what do I find?
That even when it's when it's work, I can get it done.
However it is often at the expense of a more precious thing -
the people I am charged with loving.

It is no matter of pride to have a perfectly ordered house with tidy drawers full of folded clothes and matched socks, if I lose valuable and limited time in which to gather my children, win their hearts, and attract them to a real Savior who loves them.

If I can learn to make THAT the priority, I might actually discover some amount of glory in a room full of unfolded laundry.

Keep loving me Lord. Humble away!

Little Bookworm

Replete with crazy morning hair, nighty, and striped socks.
First things first, ya know?

Time Has No Mercy

What a privilege to be able to teach my children at home

Today we read the parable of the wedding feast in Matthew chapter 22, verses 1 through 14.

We talked about who the king represents, who the prince represents, the invited, those by the wayside, the man who wouldn't wear the wedding garment...
It was very edifying to me walking through that story at a slower pace than I normally do.

What a gracious patient king!
What royal robes that foolish man refused to accept.
What a banquet that must have been... WILL be!












I had the little Bugs water color their thoughts on that parable, and the boys were especially enthralled with the decadence and splendor they imagined in the kings palace.












They both really took their time drawing and painting their depictions.
















Carolina gave it a go too (while giving Pippi Longstockings a run for her money).
It's an art getting her hair like this. Fix it just so the day before you want this effect. It's the sleeping on it overnight that achieves such... expression.
















Zack drew the royal prince standing beside his throne behind the banquet table. On the table you will see some kind of soup, a plate of some special kind of fruit, and a loaf of bread.
Oh, and two red candles!












Clayton drew a guest at the feast.
He is behind his very own Peach cake holding a fork.
Life is good for those invited and CHOSEN to attend the wedding banquet of the Lamb!

Why Making Dinner Takes... So Long.

First I :

Get Ground beef started in the frying pan

Take vegetables out of the fridge

Thread a needle

Stir taco meat

Tie a knot

Thread another needle

Cut some tomatoes for salsa

Place onion on cutting board

Tie another knot

Thread another needle

Thread first needle a second time

Help cheese grating helper grate cheese

Stir taco meat again, add cumin, cut up jalapeno pepper

Undo mess of thread, provide assistance to button sewer-on-er

Notice that cheese grating helper "grates" cheese backwards

Add lime and cilantro to salsa

Take scissors away from two-year-old

Stir Salsa, Turn down heat under Taco meat

Check on crying baby

Take needle away from two-year-old

Take over grating cheese for helper who has given up

Send number four to comfort baby so I can cut onion

Get out secret stash of camo fabric for the boys

Get out can of black beans

Open can of black beans

Instruct eldest how to sew and turn his camo "pouch"

Add black beans to brown rice in another frying pan

Notice that baby sleeps, and sigh with gratefulness

Stir beans and rice over low heat

Inspect handiwork of daughter, beam and praise

Notice two-year-old with spool of thread

Thread a needle again

Take spool of thread away from two-year-old

Start sewers on clean-up process

Get out plates

Get out napkins

Ogle and exclaim over second sons finished masterpiece

Remind him to keep after clean-up project

Hear baby start to whimper

Remind sister to keep after clean up project

Turn off heat under rice and beans

Remind eldest to keep after clean-up project

Take glass bowl away from two-year-old

Get tortillas and sour cream out of fridge

Get two-year-old down from table (preservation of other breakables)

Have children pick sewing scraps up off floor

Take picture of glowing children and projects they made

















Take another picture

















Take more pictures











Inspect clean-up and table setting

Take inventory of dinner (did we get it all?)

Check that all burners are off

Collect hungry baby

Sit down to feed baby and wait for the men

Wonder why back feels tense

Wonder how dinner wasn't burned

Wonder how glass things weren't broken

Wonder when children got old enough to sew a seam

Wonder when children got old enough to set the table

Wonder why it took so long to make dinner

Review process of dinner making... in wonder

Appreciate mom even more

Enjoy the craziness of this fleeting season

Refuse to start thinking about tomorrow nights dinner.

Holding My Breath...

Yesterday it looked like we were embarking the sick train.
I have been diligently feeding the children GSE and extra vitamin C for the past few weeks, as well as Echinacea on and off.
I've been avoiding public places as much as possible, and making everyone use hand sanitizer like a mad woman! All in the pursuit of building our immune systems and trying to avoid the flu.

Yesterday Susanna was certainly sick, as was dad. I immediately ran out and bought more vit. C, vitamin D, Elderberry, Yarrow, Ecinacea; plus ingredients for chicken soup (lots of garlic), and some fruits and vegetables for eating raw.

After picking up a handful of movies and books at the library to complete my arsenal for quarantine, I arrived home (napless) to fix dinner, make that chicken soup, tuck the little Bugs into bed and brace myself for the onslaught.

I kept up my steam admirably if I do say so myself. The only thing I wanted to get to and didn't, was cleaning the toilets. Having to lean over a dirty toilet is just insulting!
Did I mention that we have an out of town guest who remains with us for a week? Great timing huh.
You are glad you changed your plans Jenny.
And I am glad we didn't come visit on Saturday Mrs. Smith! I know YOU didn't give it to us;-)

---------------------------------------

Would you believe that everyone SLEPT through the night and woke up perky? AND feverless?
No more sick ones today, and the ones who were sick yesterday are looking and feeling great today. (?)
Now, I am not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, but I am treating everyone as though they are still sick today.
I am highly skeptical that it was a passing bug, or that we conquered it so quickly.
If we make it through the night again in good form, I will think about rejoicing!
You know what the Good Book says: Pride comes before a fall...
I'd hate to induce a lesson in humility because of premature gloating!

However, I will say that I am EXTREMELY grateful for the rest I got last night, and for the quiet day today. I really was geared up for the worst, and any one more day of good health we get, I praise the Lord for! He is so very generous to me.

It looks like we might have escaped the big bad bugs this time...

I'll let you know if otherwise.

Thanks for your prayers - Mom especially:-)


~Analene

Lovely, Lovely O

Losing Sleep and Loving It!

My dear sweet baby son...
I can't take the cuteness - he is too much fun!

These days I have more help than I've had in the past,
and as little sleep as usual.

However, I cherish this newborn time
more than ever before.

(and yes he IS still a newborn!!!
Don't argue with me - I'm a sleep deprived fanatical mother!)

I now have experience in how fast the time passes, and you tell me how long a baby boy snuggles into his mother's chest, or turns his adoring eyes in the direction of her voice?

How long does it last, this time where only momma can fix any trouble?

How long will he be wearing 0-3 month jams?

How long will daddy let his hair get before he makes me cut it?
In our family, that might not take long and then I will have to adjust to a totally different baby
- a manly looking little sucker -

So...

Since I know these things,

I now take my time nursing.
I lose my sleep because I can't bear to move my tiny guy away from my body so I can sleep without fear of smothering him.

Instead I lie awake.
Glorying in the moments I have possession of.


If it happens you notice three or more bags under each eye
don't feel badly for me.

I asked for it!


And am getting exactly what I wanted.