In honor of tomorrow being Mother's Day I though why not write a momma blog today, so I started thinking of all the things that make me a mom & what mom's do on a daily basis so,here is a condensed version of our "job description"(or at least mine).
First thing in the morning I would love to wake up, brush my teeth, take a shower, put something fashionable on, drink my coffee and read my bible in a nice peaceful setting. However, I am usually awakened around 5 or 6 am by the sound of a little Haitian sweetie two rooms over who has decided something is hysterical and can't stop from laughing at the top of his lungs. He will then continue to talk and laugh until we finally give up on the idea that he might just fall back asleep and just go get him out of bed. I usually have at least one kid in my bed who has been kicking me for the last couple hours anyway so why not just get up?
Once I'm up I do get a cup of coffee, I hate to say it but my coffee even comes before brushing my teeth, yuck I know but for a mom of 3 coffee is a necessity not a pleasure. I then wake up Blake and spend the next 30 min or so arguing with him to get ready for school, brush his teeth, eat his breakfast, stop picking on Carter and so on. Once he is out the door I feed the other two, try to pick up the house a bit, do the dishes (no dishwasher in this house). I usually put clean clothes on the boys but fresh out of the dryer and my clean are two different things, so if there aren't any spots and the clothes don't stink they are clean and just may last two days! I hate laundry, which I do a lot of. Also Carter frequently has mini meltdowns and clean or matching clothing is a fight i choose to pass on. I also get ready myself, put my wet hair in a pony tail, slip into my lovely yoga pants and we are out the door to Pierre's therapy 3 days a week. The rest of my morning tasks are pretty repetitive and normal household chores, I pick the dirty clothes from all 4 males living in my house off the floor every morning, wash dishes at least 3 times a day, sweep about every other day, clean the pee off my floor & walls daily (I have all boys!), do laundry, pick up toys over & over & over, break up fights, argue with the boys, feed the family, change diapers, help with homework, force the boys to do chores, pay bills, play games, read books with the boys, fight about bedtime, and so on. Seems pretty overwhelming when you write it all down doesn't it.
But, when I lay down late at night and all my boys are quiet I smile, for I am SO BLESSED!
You see, I love waking up to the sound of Pierre laughing even if it is 5 am, for I have waited so long to be able to see that smiling face in our home every morning and hear him yell with joy when I pick him up.
And, when I hear Blake argue it may frustrate me now but I will be glad when he chooses not to conform to everybody else's way of thinking, and when with his stubbornness he stands for Christ
when so many others will follow the crowd.
And, when Carter has a melt down I may want to yell and tell him to knock it off but I know that this is his way of wanting to make his own choices and be independent. Usually a hug will make it all better, and I love my Carter hugs! Plus who cares if he wears sweats with cowboy boots, or shin guards over his jeans, or pajamas! (This all all real life examples by the way!)
And all those dirty clothes, well that means I am blessed with clothing for my family when so many have none. All those dishes mean we are blessed with food when many go to sleep hungry. My boys may argue now but someday they will be best of friends. And yes it is a lot to take Pierre to all his therapy but how lucky are we to live in the States and have it available to him when just 8 weeks ago he was in Haiti where the consistent therapy he needs was not an option for him.
And that husband who I seem to be constantly picking up after or calling and reminding about everything he forgot to do. Well, that husband loves me with every ounce of himself, he tells me I'm beautiful first thing in the morning with messy hair, smeared makeup, and morning breath. He teaches my boys that "your mom is the most special woman in the world", he supports me in all that I do. He is the perfect father and I love to watch the way he fathers our children. I am so blessed to spend my life with such an amazing, Godly man.
And those bills, well I'm blessed to have an income to pay them. Blessed for electricity, for a home, for heat, for medical and dental care, a college degree, a vehicle and gas to run it.
You see we can have a life of frustrations or a life of blessings, it is our choice. And I, as a daughter of the one true King, choose a life of blessings. For I know how good my God is to his children ,all I have to do is open my eyes and see it.
And I would much rather wear yoga pants and a pony tail than something fashionable anyway!
Saturday, May 11, 2013
Monday, April 8, 2013
Nite, nite
So Pierre's new thing is to actually ask to go to bed. Crazy right? What kid actually wants to go to bed? Not that he goes to sleep though- here is how the new "normal" scnerio plays out.
1) he will say " nite,nite" in a pathetic little voice, like it takes every ounce of energy he has left just get it out; 2) he will also at this point will start not wanting to hold his head up, so of course I will hold him (I'm such a sucker!); 3) next we will get his pjs on (nothing exciting here); 4) then I lay him down and start his music. Here is where the act ends and the fun begins. You would think that a child who could barely muster up the energy to say "nite, nite" or hold his head up would fall quickly asleep but no way, it's party time!
Once he is in bed he will turn his head side to side over and over again so that he makes sure to get at least 10 kisses to each cheek, then we move on to his forehead which he lifts up and gets about 5 more kisses. This usually ends when mommy has had all of the freshly applied lotion from Pierre's face on her lips that she can take and we start the "I love you's". This goes back and forth between the two of us for awhile before he breaks into "Jesus Loves Me". We usually sing two rounds of this and then he points to me and says " Jesus loves YOU!", which of course I reply, "Jesus loves YOU" while I point at him. This of course goes back and forth a few times, just like everything else and then we finally say "nite, nite" and I leave the room.
From this point on for the next 45 min or so Pierre lays in his bed wide awake while he sings, laughs, and chatters happily away. Rocky and I think he is partying with Angels, and why not, if I were an angel I would want to hang out with Pierre- he is tons of fun! This last part also happens off and on thru out the night and we are awakened quite often by Pierre's adorable laughs and singing. What a blessing he is! As much as I don't care to be woke up several times thru the night, it is near impossible to get upset when Pierre is in the next room over laughing like crazy. Those angels must be a lot funnier that what I thought they would be. All this being said I believe I need to have a little discussion with God about keeping my four year old up to all hours of the night partying ( I think he needs a little better control over those angels!). Or maybe I'm just a little jealous of all the fun they are having without me. Oh the joys of children!
1) he will say " nite,nite" in a pathetic little voice, like it takes every ounce of energy he has left just get it out; 2) he will also at this point will start not wanting to hold his head up, so of course I will hold him (I'm such a sucker!); 3) next we will get his pjs on (nothing exciting here); 4) then I lay him down and start his music. Here is where the act ends and the fun begins. You would think that a child who could barely muster up the energy to say "nite, nite" or hold his head up would fall quickly asleep but no way, it's party time!
Once he is in bed he will turn his head side to side over and over again so that he makes sure to get at least 10 kisses to each cheek, then we move on to his forehead which he lifts up and gets about 5 more kisses. This usually ends when mommy has had all of the freshly applied lotion from Pierre's face on her lips that she can take and we start the "I love you's". This goes back and forth between the two of us for awhile before he breaks into "Jesus Loves Me". We usually sing two rounds of this and then he points to me and says " Jesus loves YOU!", which of course I reply, "Jesus loves YOU" while I point at him. This of course goes back and forth a few times, just like everything else and then we finally say "nite, nite" and I leave the room.
From this point on for the next 45 min or so Pierre lays in his bed wide awake while he sings, laughs, and chatters happily away. Rocky and I think he is partying with Angels, and why not, if I were an angel I would want to hang out with Pierre- he is tons of fun! This last part also happens off and on thru out the night and we are awakened quite often by Pierre's adorable laughs and singing. What a blessing he is! As much as I don't care to be woke up several times thru the night, it is near impossible to get upset when Pierre is in the next room over laughing like crazy. Those angels must be a lot funnier that what I thought they would be. All this being said I believe I need to have a little discussion with God about keeping my four year old up to all hours of the night partying ( I think he needs a little better control over those angels!). Or maybe I'm just a little jealous of all the fun they are having without me. Oh the joys of children!
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
Jesus love me and dirt
In the last few days I have decided to award myself " mother of the year " twice, one in the good/bragging sense, and one in the " I hope CPS wasn't around sense.
We will start with the good since it happened first. I had just put Pierre to bed over the weekend and he was yelling out a few protest (as always) when all the sudden he got quiet. This was very odd to me because even when he does stop yelling at me for putting him to bed when he clearly was not done partying he is rarely ever completely quiet. He is either talking and singing into a mirror or snoring so loud you would think a bear was in the next room. So, my curiosity got the best of me and I peeked around the corner, praying he wouldn't see me. Much to my surprise my sweet little Carter Bug was standing at Pierre's bedside, holding his hand and singing Jesus Loves Me very quietly. What a sweetie! I actually had to pick him up and carry him out of the room about 10 min later, he would not leave Pierre's side because he was so worried he would be upset. He takes this whole new big brother thing VERY seriously!
Now, on to the not so pleasant parenting moment which now that I think about it should be blamed on my husband. Here goes: I was finishing up peeling potatoes for supper tonight while Pierre was sitting in his high chair eating a couple snacks. My back was to Pierre while Rocky was sitting at the table facing Pierre ( obviously responsible for the child's actions). All the sudden I hear Rocky yell out " NO Pierre don't eat that" and I turn to see my innocent little guy who has probably never been around house plants eat a handful of dirt from the pot next to him. Poor thing, he probably just thought it was another weird tasting American food and of course he was not about to spit something out that he thought was food, so I did what any " mother of the year" would do and just gave him a bunch of juice to wash it down. Oh well, could have been worse.
We will start with the good since it happened first. I had just put Pierre to bed over the weekend and he was yelling out a few protest (as always) when all the sudden he got quiet. This was very odd to me because even when he does stop yelling at me for putting him to bed when he clearly was not done partying he is rarely ever completely quiet. He is either talking and singing into a mirror or snoring so loud you would think a bear was in the next room. So, my curiosity got the best of me and I peeked around the corner, praying he wouldn't see me. Much to my surprise my sweet little Carter Bug was standing at Pierre's bedside, holding his hand and singing Jesus Loves Me very quietly. What a sweetie! I actually had to pick him up and carry him out of the room about 10 min later, he would not leave Pierre's side because he was so worried he would be upset. He takes this whole new big brother thing VERY seriously!
Now, on to the not so pleasant parenting moment which now that I think about it should be blamed on my husband. Here goes: I was finishing up peeling potatoes for supper tonight while Pierre was sitting in his high chair eating a couple snacks. My back was to Pierre while Rocky was sitting at the table facing Pierre ( obviously responsible for the child's actions). All the sudden I hear Rocky yell out " NO Pierre don't eat that" and I turn to see my innocent little guy who has probably never been around house plants eat a handful of dirt from the pot next to him. Poor thing, he probably just thought it was another weird tasting American food and of course he was not about to spit something out that he thought was food, so I did what any " mother of the year" would do and just gave him a bunch of juice to wash it down. Oh well, could have been worse.
Thursday, March 28, 2013
Bye Bye
So I took Pierre to his first Neurologist appointment yesterday. Everything went well and we are anxiously awaiting test results to see if he needs anti seizure meds, hopeful not. However, while the doctor was examining him pinched Pierre's toes to make sure he has feeling in them. When he did Pierre pulled his leg away, yelled at him, waved and said "bye, bye" . Needless to say, we all got a good laugh. Such a big personality in such a little body!
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Meet the Evans
Well, I am brand spanking new to the world of bloggers but after the recent addition of a sweet little 4 yr. old Haitian boy to our family have had several request to start a blog. So, here we go!
I feel that our family is no different than the typical "American Christian" family, we go to church, say our prayers, read our bible, and try to raise ourselves and kids to bring glory to God. We try and fail daily while God's mercy continues to forgive us and pull us back to his loving arms. We live a comfortable lifestyle and have never had to go without a meal, or drink dirty water. We live in the states where medicine is always available, and we take for granted how truly blessed we are. We simply don't see the parts of the world that struggle to live on a daily basis. We turn away from the photos because they make us feel guilty. Photos of people who are lucky to eat one meal a day, who walk miles for clean water, are up working way before sunrise, who stand in line for hours without complaining for medicine, and who praise God with all they have because they truly NEED him to survive. You see, we rarely are to the point in America where we actually NEED God to provide our next meal, or clean water; we just do it ourself. Up until October 2010 this lifestyle was normal to me,
then I went to Haiti for a week long mission trip which turned my world upside down.
I started to question everything about my "American" lifestyle. You see, we are blessed to be a blessing, not to acquire more for ourselves.
I could not get the faces of those beautiful Haitian orphans out of my mind. I love being a mother and could not imagine my two boys having to live their lives without a mommy and daddy. I strongly believe that every child should have parents to tuck them in at night, wake them up in the morning, read them books, fix their boo boos, hug them when the are sad, rejoice with them when they are glad and show them Gods unconditional love. While there are many wonderful orphanages some kids just need more, this is where Pierre comes into the story.
Pierre is a 4 yr old Haitian boy with Cerebral Palsy who lived at Mission of Hope orphanage up until last Wednesday when he came home to the states with our family, his family. Oh the joy this little guy brings to our house, his smile will light up the darkest room and his laughter is contagious. Yes, he has a long road ahead of him, but we will joyfully travel that road with him. We will cheer with him as he meets his many milestones, when he finally uses his right hand, or sits up without that big head causing him to tip over:) We will pray for the day he walks but also be content if God does not have walking in His plans for Pierre. For as we unfold this new chapter in our lives we are constantly reminded that we ALL have special needs. We were all fearfully and wonderfully made by our Creators perfect hand. And I know that my God does not make mistakes, we are exactly who and where he intended us to be, all we have to do is say "yes" and then hold on tight for His ride will be marvelous.
Pierre joins his wonderful father, Rocky; his mommy, Lily; his goofy 8 yr old brother Blake; and his sweet pea 5 yr old brother Carter. Welcome home Pierre!
I feel that our family is no different than the typical "American Christian" family, we go to church, say our prayers, read our bible, and try to raise ourselves and kids to bring glory to God. We try and fail daily while God's mercy continues to forgive us and pull us back to his loving arms. We live a comfortable lifestyle and have never had to go without a meal, or drink dirty water. We live in the states where medicine is always available, and we take for granted how truly blessed we are. We simply don't see the parts of the world that struggle to live on a daily basis. We turn away from the photos because they make us feel guilty. Photos of people who are lucky to eat one meal a day, who walk miles for clean water, are up working way before sunrise, who stand in line for hours without complaining for medicine, and who praise God with all they have because they truly NEED him to survive. You see, we rarely are to the point in America where we actually NEED God to provide our next meal, or clean water; we just do it ourself. Up until October 2010 this lifestyle was normal to me,
then I went to Haiti for a week long mission trip which turned my world upside down.
I started to question everything about my "American" lifestyle. You see, we are blessed to be a blessing, not to acquire more for ourselves.
I could not get the faces of those beautiful Haitian orphans out of my mind. I love being a mother and could not imagine my two boys having to live their lives without a mommy and daddy. I strongly believe that every child should have parents to tuck them in at night, wake them up in the morning, read them books, fix their boo boos, hug them when the are sad, rejoice with them when they are glad and show them Gods unconditional love. While there are many wonderful orphanages some kids just need more, this is where Pierre comes into the story.
Pierre is a 4 yr old Haitian boy with Cerebral Palsy who lived at Mission of Hope orphanage up until last Wednesday when he came home to the states with our family, his family. Oh the joy this little guy brings to our house, his smile will light up the darkest room and his laughter is contagious. Yes, he has a long road ahead of him, but we will joyfully travel that road with him. We will cheer with him as he meets his many milestones, when he finally uses his right hand, or sits up without that big head causing him to tip over:) We will pray for the day he walks but also be content if God does not have walking in His plans for Pierre. For as we unfold this new chapter in our lives we are constantly reminded that we ALL have special needs. We were all fearfully and wonderfully made by our Creators perfect hand. And I know that my God does not make mistakes, we are exactly who and where he intended us to be, all we have to do is say "yes" and then hold on tight for His ride will be marvelous.
Pierre joins his wonderful father, Rocky; his mommy, Lily; his goofy 8 yr old brother Blake; and his sweet pea 5 yr old brother Carter. Welcome home Pierre!
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