When the roles reverse...

On this lazy Summer morning, I awoke with a start noticing that the sun was streaming just a little too brightly through the windows.  Yup, we had all overslept.  Wait, didn't I just say lazy Summer morning?  You can't oversleep on a lazy summer morning!  Actually you can, when two have to get to the barn before one gets to the church to work Vacation Bible School.  The lazy part is me once they all get out of the house .   So once all animals had been fed and the youngest had been delivered to her destination I hopped in the shower.  Y'all!  As I started to wash my hair I saw something out of the corner of my eye, a ROACH had decided to hop in there with me!  Of all the insects, rodents, reptiles I'm not fond of to be honest roaches don't completely bother me 'cause I know they can't hurt me but they gross me out and lets just say when your standing naked in the shower it's a little unnerving.  Thank goodness that neither of my boys had left for work yet so I hop out and start yelling for them as I wrap a towel around myself.  Now, let's just say when mom announces that she's gonna hop in the shower and then approximately five minutes later she starts yelling, I would expect my boys to come running, not moseying in asking if something is wrong.  In their defense, I AM their mother and they WERE fearful I was naked so I guess they are forgiven for their lack of speed.  Long story short they dispensed of said roach and I regaled them as my heroes, and as they are walking out of my bathroom they were discussing arguing who was ACTUALLY the hero and who ACTUALLY dispensed of the roach.T  As I think about the fact that one of those tall beautiful men is about to head off to college I couldn't help but relish in the moment and it reminded me of a time so very long ago, when I was THEIR hero.  Y'all, I can't decide which moments I love the most, when I used to save them or the fact that they now save me.  

Here's a blast from my past, when I got to be the hero.  Enjoy!  

Wonder Mom

I have a confession. I want to be Wonder Woman! It’s true, I had the costume growing up, complete with head and wrist bands. I was so cool, I would spin around in circles until I got completely dizzy and then run off to conquer the World with my cape flying in the wind!

Now I am just a mom. I no longer have the cape or the headband, and spinning around in circles is something I do daily while trying to dress my children and get them off to school. As for conquering the world, I would be more than happy just to conquer having the whole house cleaned in the same day.

So that brings me to the question; what makes someone a hero? Is it Spiderman, Superman and Wonder Woman, fictional characters who take on a whole new look before they conquer evil? Is it Bible Man who uses the sword of truth to fight sin? Is it the real life firefighters and policeman risking their lives to keep us safe? Is it the child growing up in a violent home and deciding that as a parent they will break that cycle of abuse? Is it the single mom, raising three children and wondering if she will ever have a man to share her life with again?

My youngest son loves the Rescue Hero line of toys, and I am excited about this. I love that these toys are based on real life people who live their lives to do good every day! I love that this is who my children believe in as heroes. However, I must admit, I am a little sad also, because as mom, I want to be the hero in my children’s eyes.

But I am just a mom, a mom of two little boys and one little girl. And, although I do put out fires every day by deciding who gets to pick the movie, and I keep the peace by not letting sister put makeup on her brothers’ dinosaurs. I must wonder if they see me as a hero. Do they look at me and see the cape tucked under my stained sweatshirt and worn out jeans? Is the jeweled headband peeking out from under the hair I haven’t even had the chance to brush yet? Probably not, but I remember the one day I was a hero. One day the crowd roared and yelled my name so loudly the windows shook, the animals hid and I stood with my hands on my hips and my cape flying proudly behind me!

You see I don’t like bugs, but with children you must pretend and so I point out long squiggly worms on the driveway and call their attention to the tree frogs stuck on our back windows, the geckos hanging by our front porch and the armadillos that run by our back patio every morning. But even a superhero loses their cool every once in a while I am sure, so when it comes to snakes and roaches, I am anything but super.

But this one day while getting my children quickly dressed to run out the door, my oldest comes in whining that there is a roach in his bedroom. As I go in to bravely conquer this creature, I see my daughter crawling quickly behind me. I know that she would probably be able to catch it quicker than I could, and with the lack of fear that babies have it would be the baby edition of Fear Factor. Not that I was worried about her eating the roach but we couldn’t have HER being the hero, now could we? So, I block the entrance of the room with the baby gate and grab the first aerosol can I find in the cupboard. As I spray this very determined bug, I realize that Lysol is not going to kill him, although he does now smell good and is slightly less germy. Not wanting to crush him on our brand new carpet, I go back to the cabinet and grab the only other aerosol can in there. I climb up on the bed and bravely aim the can toward the roach and wish the spray would go farther. In the background I hear chanting. They are saying something, something I recognize, “Mommy, Mommy, Mommy!” It’s my name! The crowd is chanting my name! All of a sudden I am in a coliseum full of people with my red cape held out before me battling a huge snarling bull. I see the bull scratch his foot back sending the dust flying making me cough (or was that the smell of the Off?). I hear the stomping of the crowd. I raise my hand and roar, “We will, we will rock you!”

Okay, so maybe it didn’t happen like that, but the roach rolled belly up and my three little fans screamed and cheered and jumped up and down because their hero battled a beast that day. As I shook hands and signed autographs, I kissed the baby and finished getting my kids ready for school. I beamed all day. The laundry folded itself, and the dishes reflected my smiling face. Then I picked them up from school, and they recounted the cool new things they learned that day. I tried to recall the goodness of the morning by reminding them of their fearless mother but to my sadness I was met with, “Mom, it was just a roach!”

My fifteen minutes of fame were up. So after dinner and baths, I went to my closet and hung up my cape and donned my warm robe. As my freckled face babies laid their weary heads against the worn out fabric that had been through pregnancies, all-night nursing and various illnesses, they looked up at me with sleepy eyes and said, “Thanks for getting the roach out of our room mom.”

So maybe I am not Wonder Woman but for a brief shining moment, I was a hero in the eyes of my children!

“Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.” Romans 8:37 (NKJV)


© Kimberly www.coffeeandfaith.blogspot.com 2010

This ones for the guys....

Y'all!  My husband just gave me THE most romantic  gift ever!  And guys I wanna share with you so that you understand JUST how romantic this gift is.

Not flowers (they'll just die).  Potted plants (one of my favorite gifts) but sadly because I'm me and have a black thumb...will most likely also just die.  Diamonds are gorgeous but let's face it...I'm not a jewelry girl. Food, always the way to my heart...especially if it's Chocolate.  Lingerie...let's be honest guys that's really ONLY for you!

But y'all, today my husband (without words) said to me.  'Your stressed, your working hard, you have a lot on your plate and I think you deserve to rest.'   Yes guys you can say ALL of that with one gift!  A hammock.  A hammock says kick your shoes off, grab an iced tea, close your eyes and listen to the trees.  It begs you to stop and take a minute.  To ignore the to do lists, the chores, the chaos.  It begs you to only BE.  And what kind of wife would I be if I didn't use this gift?

So go y'all!  Do this for your wife!  I promise you!  She'll be thankful!

Just some graduation tears...

In less than a month our oldest son will graduate from high school (the same high school his father and I did just a few - ha - years ago).  I've always thought it was kind of silly, the big deal being made about graduating from high school.  I mean I've always known he would graduate from high school, it's just what we do.  I know that in some communities and some families it is a huge accomplishment but I never thought anything about it.  UNTIL NOW!  And y'all I realized this year and maybe even just now (seriously!) just now that it actually is not about walking across a stage and shaking hands and being handed a diploma that I never doubted he would earn.  But about the fact that his and our lives are forever changed. 

He is 18 years old, he can vote, he can fight for his country, he is a full grown adult.  In a few precious months he will reside in a new location.  He won't have to call when he's on his way home or let me know he's going somewhere.  I won't know what his room looks like (or his shower, much scarier).  I won't know what he's eating, I will probably go weeks without seeing his face.  I won't know his friends (really odd feeling since I've worked at his schools since he was in 5th grade)! 

Y'all, I have this man in my life that is so tall that I have to stand on tiptoes to kiss his two day stubbly cheek.  And let me tell y'all something...when I look up in those deep brown eyes I promise you I do NOT see a man.  I see a little boy in the second grade with huge tears in his eyes because kids were making fun of his big ears.  This boy who made me a momma first can NOT be a man that is about to venture off into the big bad world on his own.  This boy who knows what my heart sounds like from the inside can NOT be the same person that in a few months I will leave in a new town, in a new room.

On my wall in my office I have a frame for each of my kiddoes that has a picture from each of their school years and it wasn't until today and I placed the final picture of that frame.  The cap and gown graduation picture that I realized...he's isn't just graduating from high school, he is graduating INTO LIFE!  A life that he will do just fine in, I know this with every ounce of my being.  And on the days that he struggles or stumbles his dad and I will be there, to talk him through it, to listen, to drive up for a quick meal and big hug. 

My Dakota, you are smart, you are funny (yes you are), you are talented, you are handsome, you have a huge heart that holds so much love!  I will miss the fact that you stop me in the middle of doing something just to give me a hug but will so look forward to your DAILY (ha) phone calls and hearing about your days!  I can NOT wait to see what the world holds for you!  It's yours for the taking!  Go get 'em Bub!  I love you MORE!

Breaking Fancy...

When we picked her up she was a wild eyed red haired crazy heifer.  She literally tried  to climb out of the closed trailer.  I asked him, 'You sure Bub?'  "Yes ma'am!"  His Ag teacher asked him, 'You sure about this Ty?'  No hesitation as he responded "Yes sir!"  That trailer rocked the whole way home she was some upset.  

We got her home and in her stall, her wild eyes stared out while he leaned on the bars watching her.  Next morning he took a lawn chair and his music and he sat in the corner of her stall...for hours.  He came home for lunch and that evening he was up there again, same thing.  Day after day he did this on his summer break, while his friends were at the beach, hanging out or just sleeping late.  He was up early, sitting with her, playing his music (old country) and talking to her.  One day she walked up and sniffed his knee he reached his hand out and she backed away.  Next day same thing, then the next she didn't back away.  She let him scratch her nose, he didn't make a big deal of it.  He let her know that he was there for her, she learned to trust him.  It was amazing to watch, truly.  

First time in the ring she was such a spooked little girl but as we watched we noticed him leaning just a bit towards her and he seemed to be talking to her, her ears cocked towards him, her body starting to relax.  When they left the ring we asked him what he was doing.  'Singing to her.' Her answered like it was the most common thing ever.  

She still has crazy eyes.  She still gets spooked and she hates HATES everyone else (I have the bruises to prove it) but she sure does love him.  He did what I (and a few others) doubted could be done.  He did it.  He did it alone.  He did it in his own way (like he always does)!  

Tybo...I can NOT wait to watch you show this week for the first time at the worlds largest rodeo.  It doesn't matter where you place, it's walking away with green shavings in your boots knowing that YOU got Fancy there!  

Standing naked, putting on armor...

This morning while sitting and reading my bible study (and enjoying the peace of the morning with my steaming mug of Heaven) I read something that spoke to my heart. You see I'm struggling right now. I have a senior in HS (many of us do), I have three busy kids (many of us do), I have work piled up to my ears ("same", I can hear you saying), my house is a DISASTER, we have no milk in the fridge for breakfast, the laundry is piled so high we should just go buy new clothes but budgets are tight, we have deadlines that have to be made, we have too much to do and not enough hours in the day or enough of us to do it.  We are living in a continually state of hurry up and go and if we dare to sit and take a break our minds don't stop, we feel guilty, we are ALL running in some crazy rat race that quite frankly 1.  I don't remember signing up for and B. I wish we could figure out a way to stop.  But y'all, there isn't, I mean yes there is BUT the changes that would need to be made in our lives to jump off of the crazy train would take soooo incredibly much faith and trust in the Lord, not to mention some major guts!  I keep saying I'm ready to do these things to JUMP, but I have other people to consider before I can't go all crazy mid life crisis on my family!  

So here HERE are the words from Ephesians that spoke to my heart today dear friends.  

'Put on the whole armor of God...' That is a beautiful image in my mind, of the paper thin pages of His word wrapped completely around my whole entire body.  Literally COVERING me in His word...especially when I stand 'naked', baring my soul to y'all, admitting that I am failing, that I screw up A LOT, that as hard as I try to be all things to those I love I sometimes push them away with my harsh words or frustrations.  (Sorry babe). 

'And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayer and requests.'  Y'all!  That is an AWEsome image!  To pray for literally EVERYTHING, even the small 'insignificant' things!  God does not get tired of hearing our prayers.  He does not say "Would you listen to that whiny baby Kimberly asking for stupid things again, SMH!"  Can you imagine?  He is so excited to hear us speak to him!  Y'all,  we can quote scripture all day long, but BUT if we are not praying than we aren't really doing anything.  (Let me clarify though that sometimes when prayers won't come, when you are in such a dark place or you are simply at a loss repeating scripture TO Him IS praying!). He may not give us the answers we want, or in the timing we desire but we are called to believe in Him and His word with the innocent faith of a child, not asking why just believing in Him. 

Y'all just pray today with perseverance (easy) and patience (mind numbingly difficult) for everything!  For yourselves! For me!  I'm praying for you too!  

We WILL make it...I think...I hope...

I have some very sweet friends that are in the midst of new parenting or parenting of little's and I know that they are struggling.  Dear ones I NEED you to hear my words.  I know KNOW that you are exhausted from sleepless nights.  You can't remember the last time you actually showered where you did more than jump in and out.  You permanently have some type of bodily fluid on your clothes. You feel as if you never have adult conversations.  You don't remember what your husband actually looks like.  Sickness runs rampant through your home, knowing without a doubt that as soon as one little gets strep, the flu whatever it's only a matter of time before the other one or two get it.  This is what I NEED you to understand...when you've sat and rocked ALL day and dad walks in the door and you finally, excitedly pass that baby off to him so you can breathe, shower, run to the store alone only to have that precious bundle scrunch up his face, reach for you and start to wail again.  Blessed mothers YOU are that babies pacifier, her comfort, her cozy blanket.  You are his HOME!  I know it's hard to do but settle in that moment, relish it, be their everything because I promise you the moment will FLY by.

One day that same child who couldn't/wouldn't let you go will lash out at you.  They will tell you that you are stupid, that they hate you. They will roll their eyes and clench their jaws, slam their doors and proceed to text, Skype, tweet, kik, snapchat (not Facebook ' cause since the old people invaded it, it's so uncool) about what a loser you are.  How not understanding, mean, uncool you are.  Dear ones you will try, when they come to you and you dig so incredibly deep to give them the most amazing words of wisdom ever spoken by any parent in the history of the universe and as the golden words are leaving your mouth you feel as if you are on top of the world...know KNOW that that child/teenager/savage will look at you with mouth agape, tears in their eyes, jaw clenched and proceed to say "Seriously!?  Mother, you are of NO help!  That is just stupid!  It's like you don't even care!"  They will turn and storm out of the room leaving you to wonder just how that had happened. Know KNOW that I believe their is an actual language barrier that turns your incredibly wise words into the sound Charlie Brown's teacher makes.

Dear ones, hang tight.  When they push, push back.  When they pull away, pull them back. Tell them that they can fight you and you will continue to fight for them!  They will come back to you. It will be baby steps.  It will be one step forward two steps back. They will crawl in bed with you, apologize, curl up and tell you they love you and then wake up the next morning to look at you as if you have three heads and not a brain in one.  They will quit kissing your cheek goodbye and instead yell it down the hallway (if they even remember to tell you goodbye at all). But precious, exhausted, beautiful Mama's you WILL make it through. I promise!!!  Through many tears, through days of feeling like a total failure, through doubts of how you could possibly be doing this parenting thing oh so very wrong...you WILL make it.  I say these words not only for my young friends living in the midst of the newness of parenthood, not only for my friends living through teenager schizophrenia land (truly it is) but dear friends I say these words for me also.  For as I raise three of my own teenagers I sometimes wonder just what I'm doing and why I'm doing it so badly.  And then I remember I'm not alone (and possibly that bathtubs and adult beverages were created for mothers of teens!).  Hang in their mama's with tears and prayers we WILL make it through.

Losing it...

I lost it tonight.  LOST IT.  Walked in the house (should be condemned it's such a wreck) hungry, tired and cranky.  Don't think I've been home more than like 5 minutes the past 10 days.  Dance stuff needed to be packed.  Projects were being finished.  Shavings are all over my floor.  The laundry is piled so high I can't see over it and quite frankly something smells.  Like bad.  (Possibly the Stock show laundry that's STILL waiting to be washed.). And so when someone didn't do what I asked I LOST it.  Can I tell you how much I HATED that.  Can I explain the way it completely tears my heart apart.  You know don't you?  Momma's.  You know.  We've all done it (and if you haven't. Please don't tell me!). But sometimes isn't it just all too much.  I wanna bath.  I wanna beverage.  I wanna full nights sleep where I'm not worrying about college scholarships, show cattle escaping the fence, show chickens not being warm enough, laundry that will never be done, packing that needs to be done for yet another trip.  Dishes in the dishwasher that I honestly can't remember if I ran the dadgumn thing so I might as well run it again. The fact that the fridge had nothing nutrious in it. Am I taking too much time off of work for my kids.  Am I giving more attention to one kid and slacking on the other two.  Have I even actually SPOKEN to my husband today?  Y'all.  These are the things that make me/us? lie awake, stress us out and yes sometimes LOSE it!  And truthfully NONE of these things are life threatening important but still.  These are the days when if I was smart (clearly I'm not) I would walk outside and beg like BEG God to do for me....Lord Jesus today I need you to wrap your arm around my shoulder and place your hand over my mouth!  Because sometimes...seriously that's all I've got to give.