God is in the Grace and the Mistakes

The Lord gives me so much grace!  ...more than I ever deserve!  EVER.EVER.EVER!

Yesterday morning I remembered that I needed to pick up a gift for a teacher at my son's preschool to take to their November meeting.  I opened my email to find the date I committed to only to learn that it was November 6th and this date was November 12th.  If you know me well then you know my feeling guilty skyrocketed immediately and the tears were being forced to stay back.

As I tried to round Jacob up to head to the school for drop off he tested me on every level.  I begged him to just give me a break this once (knowing I couldn't take much more before cracking).  With the tv remote in his hand, shoes off, and tears in his eyes I carried him to the car and strapped him in.  Ah, both kids strapped in place now I can breath for a minute before I venture out.  (You know that moment!)  I jump in and send a quick note to the parent committee leader confessing my lack or responsibility, apologizing, and assuring her I would have a gift this afternoon to the teacher and tell her of my mistake all the while wanting to add that my husband had been traveling like crazy for work, that my son is at the peak of his terrible threes (hopefully), that my daughter didn't sleep last night, and my coffee cup was still half full on my bathroom sink!  To my better judgement I left out all excuses and merely left it at that.

All the way to school I wondered if I would have to carry two babies to the door to get Jake in today or if he would fly in like a superhero.  I am never sure which personality I will get.  Once he was settled in Emma and I ran straight out to get a gift.  At a red light I pulled out my phone to see if the committee leader had responded.  She had with none other than grace and kindness.  Oh how that kindness took a load off my shoulders.

I took the gift to the teacher this morning and near tears apologized for having missed the date only to learn that she had not made the meeting due to another obligation.  (Now, if you have a once a month meeting, tell me, wouldn't you try your hardest to make it to the one celebrating you?  You know you would!)  This means that she wasn't there, didn't miss the gift, and the other teachers didn't look at each other like "who was supposed to bring the present?"  I blurted out, "Oh my goodness God is so amazing how He works."  I think she knew I was guilt ridden in that moment.  I smiled and left.

The grace of God is on me!  I get to my car and the tears well up as I think about how difficult it has been to show Jacob grace over the last several days.  How the first difficult action he throws at me in the day is still lingering with me at the end.  Yet, God had given me grace for my lack of responsibility before I even knew it!

I went home and picked up my Bible.  I looked in the back for the word grace.  I wanted to find something to hold onto while I continue these days in the midst of terrible threes.  Here is what happened...

At the back of my Bible beside "grace" are four page numbers listed.  I randomly chose one...page 706.  My Bible has little helpful side stories in them with suggested verses to read after the story.  On page 706 there was one about a grandma.  I thought that was weird so I chose a suggested verse under that story instead of reading it.  I chose Psalm 127:3.  Psalm 127:3 reads this...

"Sons are a heritage from the Lord,
Children a reward from him."

I went back to look at grace again and noticed that the page 706 that I went to wasn't under grace.  It was under the next word, "grandparents".  No wonder it took me to a story about grandparents.  Isn't it funny how that MISTAKE led me to an answer that I needed?  Without my birthday present mistake I wouldn't have received that grace from the committee leader, without that grace I wouldn't have opened my Bible today, without the mistake of looking under grandparents I wouldn't have read this psalm and without that psalm I may have just continued my day easily button pushed by that little reward of mine called Jacob!

Jacob O'Neal Humphrey...My More Than a Handful

JACOB O'NEAL HUMPHREY... I had no idea that I'd be using Jake's full name in demand of attention at such a young age.  I mean, I thought that was reserved for the teenage years!  It's a regular around here.

Picture it...a beautiful fall day in South Carolina, I'm excited to scoop Jake up from school, hear about his day, and take him to a playdate.  I have Emma Claire on my hip and rush to his classroom door at noon.

"He had a great day" the teacher announces.  Just that morning she told me "he is always so sweet, I mean always".  We head out of the school and the children are running around the large tree in front of the school as they often do.  Jake wants to join them and a few minutes won't make us too late.

When it is time to round him up he refuses.  I grab him and tell him 5 more minutes.  I know he is not happy at the hand of five fingers I flashed at him and I realize this probably isn't going to go well.  I usually rack my brain quickly, shuffle through the tricks I have and pull the best for the situation, BUT I have none today.  None???  I haven't been in this situation before, one child on my hip and one who is gaining length and strength all too quickly.  I go for it!

"It's time to go Jake.  We are going to Chic-Fil-A to meet up with your buddy!"  He refuses.  He not only refuses, he throws himself in the grass like a first time tantrum.  I can handle this...ignore...  He runs off.  I finally catch him and scoop him up onto my other hip and head to the car.  (Yah, it's called mama adrenaline.)  One step, two, three, four, PLOP out of my arms by his will and onto the parking lot ground.  I am boiling mad.  "Get out of the road," I demand.  Nothing.  Again and again I demand and nothing so, I scoop him up by his arm and set him on the sidewalk where he is safe.  He lies there.  I look at him and I look up at the 20 + moms and who knows how many children still enjoying their afternoon right in front of us.  I am now boiling mad and boiling embarrassed.  I knelt there with Emma for what felt like ten hours. :)

Finally, a kind mother asked how she could help.  Thank you Lord - You almost gave me more than I could handle!

As I packed the kids into the car and had a chat with Jacob I could hear a few moms on the side saying how they remembered those days and how they had been there oh too many times.  How kind I thought.  How nonjudgemental.  How I wanted to cry at that moment for their sinciere understanding.  I mean, judge me; no problem.  I was doing the best I could after all, but to hear the total opposite was warming.

I guess God almost gave me more than I could handle, but He also gave me the people I needed in that moment, the words I needed to hear in that moment, maybe even a lesson I needed in that moment...

Emma Claire is Six Months

Oh Emma, I cannot believe you are six months old already!  Time has really been flying and I just want you to stay little forever and ever and ever and ever and...well, you get the point.  :)

You weight about 15lbs 1oz.  You have the cutest chunky baby legs!  Don't worry, I won't document those cute things.  Instead, here is a picture of your darling little tootsies!

You are eating 1st foods and love sweet carrots, sweet potatoes, squash, and avacado!  You have no interest in fruit...unless it is Jake's applesauce.

You still adore Jacob and just love for him to be around.  I love it!  You are ticklish under your ribs and in your neck.  I love it!  You won't sit up for long, but you're always doing crunches like you want to get up and go.  I love it!  You put the wubanub paci in your mouth on your own and it is too cute.  I love it!  I guess you can tell that I just love you and everything you do!  ...as does everyone else.  You are just darling!

The Confessions of a Tired Mother

After one night too many of reaching into the fridge for a bottle in the wee hours of the night I put my mama foot down.  I gave Emma Claire the last bottle of the evening, put her in her crib and closed the door.  She must have been tired because she fell asleep - no complaints.  Then, midnight struck and like that she woke.  However, I gave her a paci and she fell back to sleep.  Whoop whoop!  Then, again at three thirty in the morning...wah wah!  I gave in and brought the little pumpkin into our room, we snuggled on the bed while I fed her a bottle.   When she finished I lifted her to a sitting position, leaned her over my arm, and she fell into her usual middle-of-the-night ragdoll position - eyes closed, arms dangling forward over my supporing arm, head drooped.  The only reason I knew in that hour that she wasn't actually a ragdoll...her deep snoring!  REALLY EMMA?  HOW ABOUT A BURP!

I carried that little pink sack to her crib and laid her down ever so gently only to be greeted with big, bright eyes, and a wide smile.  How does one do that?  Nothing was going to put her to sleep.  So, I thought to myself...does this little devil angel not like her crib or is she just wanting her mama.  Knowing if I returned her to my room she'd end up sleeping in there night after night I did what any normal, tired, petite, mother would do...I climbed into her crib, curled her under my arm and waited.  In only a few seconds she looked up at me with a little Emma smile, gave a little Emma giggle, stuck her paci in her own mouth, rolled in toward me and passed out.  YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!

At this point I am thinking how the hell do I get out of this crib without waking her?  Every move I made seemed to create the loudest of sounds.  I put one hand on the side rail one on the front and as gently as I could pulled myself up and out.  I made it!  I made it!  Oh how Jake would have done the "we did it" dance for my huge accomplishment.  THANKS FOR THE STORY, EM!  FEEL FREE TO GIVE ME DAYTIME EVENTS TO BLOG ABOUT!

I went to bed slightly tickled at the ridiculousness I surrendered to, slightly proud of my accomplishment, and very well aware that I need to work out these arms if I plan on doing any more pull ups at the crib!

October 2013

We accomplished our monster door!  Thanks Parent's Magazine for the cute, kid-friendly idea!

DECORATING

EMMA WAS FUSSING SO, JAKE ASSUMED SHE WAS SCARED OF THE MONSTER ON THE DOOR.  HERE HE IS EXPLAINING THAT IT IS A NICE MONSTER.

COMPLETED PROJECT

It's Fall! It's Fall! It's Fall!

When the seasons change it is so motivating to clean up a little, organize a little, and do a little seasonal decorating.  I love putting out some of Jake's artwork to decorate our fireplace.  I pulled out his "memory box" and we looked through it together for something that fit the season.  Here is what we found from last year's MMO program...

And here are a couple of cute finds Emma Claire and I scooped up today!

as we like to say in the south...

Happy Fall Ya'll!

Giggles

I can hardly put into words how watching these two interact makes me feel!  They are too amazing!  At the end of this, Jake laid down in front of Emma, looked up at her and said, "Emma, you are the best baby I ever saw!"  Oh how I love watching them grow!