Paul Revere AKA Cameron Staley

Today I had the opportunity to play mom instead of employee for a small window of time this morning.  I forgot how much  enjoyed walking my kids to school and listening to the conversations they hold with one another.  It usually consists of one telling the other that they are going to fast, to turn into a foot race to see who can get there first.

Today though, I got to watch our Cameron-Man perform his best Paul Revere (in costume) for a history lesson in class today.  Having that small opportunity, and watching him grin knowing that I sacrificed some pay and time from work to see him, made all the difference in the world.

My perspective needs a little kick sometimes.  And sometimes I need to stop and smell the roses and just let things be.  So what if my house isn't spotless, it just shows that our house is lived in and love resides here.

Enjoy the pictures of our own little Paul Revere!

Wrong Side of the Bed...Maybe

Every now and again I wake up on the wrong side of the bed.  Sometimes it can last all week.  My husband says its PMS, I just say I'm not happy and can't find my happy place.  Today was one of those days, and nothing seemed to get me out of my funk.  I have a feeling it is probably going to be one of those weeks.  No amount of scripture reading, meditation, and deep breathing helped me out of it today.

On a good note, and I would like to end on a good note, I did get 6 chapters in the Book of Mormon read.  At least I know where to go for help so that I do not blow my top, but I did with a certain little man, when I saw his missing assignment sheet with his grades.  Makes mommy rethink some choices she has made in the last year.

Back I go to scripture reading and heartfelt prayers to make it through the week in one piece, and so that my kids can make it through the week in one piece also.

A Handbook Would Be Nice

Sometimes I wish that kids would come with a handbook.  One that would explain the actions of a usually very obedient and sweet little boy, who loses all aspects of right and wrong and what he has been taught.  

Recently it has come to light that our very sweet (emotional at times) young man has been the target of a bully.  For weeks we could not figure out what was going on with our little guy, until he came down stairs to have us ground him because he was not doing his homework.  Not normal for the boy who wants to have strait  A's.

Today we caught this usually obedient kiddo in a lie that will have some serious consequences.  Consequences that will make it hard for him to be trusted.  Consequences very similar to the boy crying wolf.

A handbook would make this situation easier for his parents to understand and easier to make him understand how much more difficult he has made this particular situation.

My hope is that he will step up, manage to get enough courage to do the right thing and finally put all of this behind him, so that we can get our sweet, obedient little guy back.

Sacrifices

I have made a large number of sacrifices in my life.  None have seemed to a take as large a toll on my spirit as working full time out of the home has.  It was a difficult decision to come to.  It is still difficult to leave home every morning and not be able to walk my kids to school.  I don't think it will ever not be difficult to leave.  I just have to remind myself that the sacrifices that have to be made are for blessings in the future.

I have had yet another schedule change at work that now cuts my lunch hour to a half hour.  I was already working an hour of overtime due to our therapists different schedules and now we are adding another half hour to my already long day.  The extra money really is nice when it comes to working out our debt situation, but it is difficult to spend even more time away from my family.

The one miracle that keeps me going, is knowing that anything my kids want to do, we have the means to allow that to happen.  I have the greatest husband in the world, who has taken on even more responsibility around the house to take some of the load off of me.  That is on top of his already difficult job.  The two of us really know how to work as a team.  What time we get together as a couple and as a family is time well spent and memories that will last a life time.  And that makes the sacrifices seem small in the grand scheme of things.

Perspective

It is funny how something small and insignificant can change ones perspective.  Life is never easy.  Never has been, never will be.  That much I know, but life and its events can change ones perspective.  I have always been somewhat of a pessimist.  Just my nature.  I was always quick to judge instead of seeing what I need to see first and then making the judgement.  Or hearing what I needed to hear and than making a judgement.  Life and its imperfections have made me change my perspective.  Take what I have and make it what I can, good or bad.

Instead of feeling anxious and nervous, I have a calm that I have never experienced.  I can only hope that this change of heart and spirit might continue.  I'm not perfect by any means, don't think I will be ever, but I can strive to make myself perfect enough that someone will see me in a different light and question my change, that I might be able to change their life and perspective as well.

I live for the gospel of Jesus Christ, I live for my family, and I live to spend eternity with them.  Nothing is more important than this.