I sent out cards to people on my visiting teaching list with cut-out hearts in them. With something quirky about the hearts falling out of the card will be the best heart attack they'll ever have. My mom found that hilarious and called to tell me about it.
I just got told again yesterday how the heart attacks on the doors at school are still making people smile. I had the opportunity to take a meal into a woman who was on bed rest. Just being able to teach the youth and make and prepare things for them.
I did the taxes for our family and got Dakota's FAFSA paperwork done. I took some of workload of a woman at work that needed help.
As I sat down to make a post tonight I was thinking how my evening at home went with irritating my children. Kyle has been waiting for me after work to do tutoring. Four nights a week, I have been working with students and getting home later than normal. Why does 1 more hour make you really tired? Anyhow, I came home and couldn't find a place on the carpet by the door to take off my wet, muddy shoes because the kids (and I) had too many shoes there. Then I walk past 2 baskets of laundry that needed folding to get to the kitchen with a sink full of dirty dishes, only to have to make dinner before everyone went to church tonight. As I'm finding the two things I asked Kayla to do to help me get a jump start on dinner were only half done correctly.
I snapped. So within 15 minutes of being home, I have two angry and crying teens wondering what is up with their crazy mother. Moping around the house to do more chores than what they thought they needed to. We need to find a balance. They feel they do more chores than Kyle and I do. But, factoring in grocery shopping, meal preparation and clean-up, laundry, bill paying, you get the drift. Do they sweep more floors than I do, yes. Do they do more work than I do, no. Oh, then I have to apologize for being frustrated and such is life in a day at the Crawford house. Where is this story leading. It seems that it is easiest to do service and be More Like Him outside of the home. Maybe in March I need to focus inside the home. I am so thankful that Christ makes up the difference in my mistakes. I do know that I do more good than harm....and that half the battle won right there.
They will have a better jump on the reality of adulthood by doing all those chores and when they are on their own they will finally "get it"..My Dad always used to say that we couldn't get robbed because the thief would trip over all the shoes in the entryway first! Sounds like you are really going in the right direction with service. Me...not so much! I didn't even VT you this month. I'm a loser! Hope your are doing OK and can I count this as a visit? Hahah?????Please? Love Ya!
ReplyDeleteAt 8 we had to do the dusting/sweeping, did our own laundry and the dishes at 10, and the lawn work at 12. My parents didn't do chores because they brought home all that we had to enjoy. I remember feeling a lot of frustration growing up, because of how unfair it seemed when I was going to seminary, school, band/choir (which wasn't a choice)and mutual activities and keeping up my grades. Now I am extremely thankful I was raised in a manner that taught me the importance of a good work ethic and how to be thankful for what we have. Hang in there. You are definitely doing more good than harm!
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that it seems easier to serve outside the home. But if you actually counted all of those chores you listed, like meal-prep, laundry, bills, etc., you would see that you are already doing service at home. It's just that when we do things for other people we call it service, and when we do it at home we call it chores. :) Love you, girl. Keep your chin up.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Kathy. They will be ahead of the game for learning how to work. Too many kids aren't getting that, and they are ill-equipped for the real world.
ReplyDelete=)