All posts by Janna

Truth AND Grace

Parenting

I need to confess a short-coming.  Well, let me go back a bit.

The other night I woke up at 2am and could NOT get back to sleep.  So after a bit I prayed, “Lord, who do I need to pray for?”  Then I waited.  Rather than getting any names, I started to think about my kids and how I’ve been frustrated with them and running in the yellow a bit (really the majority of the time) on my patience meter.  Then I got John 1:17.  Grace and truth came through Jesus.  Grace and truth need to come through me … Read the rest

Best Therapy Appointment Ever

Kids, Parenting

Diving right in…

After thirty minutes of talking in the therapist’s office, we moved to the “play therapy” room per Grace’s request.  Grace gets to play in the sand table and I get to talk to the therapist. Win-win.  I told the therapist that in my weak moments I am in a place where I’m ready for Grace to be on medication because I want her to be happy.  I want her to be able to handle life.  I want her to be a care-free nine-year-old girl!  In my heart I know we aren’t ready for this, but sometimes I’m … Read the rest

Wednesday Wit: September 26, 2012

Wednesday Wit

We went to a Fall Festival, and were watching a Blacksmith demonstration.
Me: OK kids, let’s go.
Ada: No, we want to watch!  This is AMAZING!
One minute later, Ada gets up and walks out, eyes on the door.
Ada: I’m not amazed anymore.

At Chick-Fil-A…
Me: You can get just ice cream, ice cream with a brownie mixed in, or ice cream with a cookie mixed in.
Ada: Which would you choose?
Me: The one with the cookie mixed in.
Ada: I’ll choose the one with the brownie mixed in.
I’m choosing … Read the rest

Can This Wait?

Just My Thoughts

Now that school has started, so has my new schedule.  I work on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday while the kids are at school and I’m off on Monday and Friday.  Well, off from my paying job 🙂  I chose Friday this year instead of Wednesday because I’m trying to plan on things that I know will happen anyway – like children who need to be home sick and snow days.  If those happen midweek I can just go to work on Friday instead, and hopefully I’ll be less likely to stress out.

Back the point of my post.  I’m learning the … Read the rest

Ada’s Homework

Kids

Ada brought home this worksheet yesterday of sentences that she wrote:

1. I love my famlie becuse thar nics to me and that they are silly and I am to.

2. I like to go swimming becuse I git to go swimming with my Grandma and Grandpa.

3. I love to show evrebody that I love Jesus becuse I got babtisd.

4. I like to go to the bech it is fun that I go swimming thar.

There was then a note from her teacher: Good sentences!  be sure to use the words on the other side!  So I looked … Read the rest

Wednesday Wit: September 12, 2012

Wednesday Wit

Grace: Daddy, I’m medicating!
Chad: It’s meditating.

Ada: (arms folded and quite angry) Eli is trying to make me help him and I do NOT want to help him and I do NOT like it when he tries to make me do things.
Me: Did you try using nice words?
Arms go down straight, lips go straight and stern, eyes get little, she turns and walks away to use nice words.  Her body language could use some work.

[subscribe2]… Read the rest

Repackaging Spontaneity

Parenting

I miss being spontaneous.  During my time in counseling after Ada was born, I learned it’s ok to grieve that loss.  We used to go where we wanted, when we wanted, as the idea popped into our naive little minds.

Then we had children.

As I prepared to write this post, I looked up the word “spontaneity” in the dictionary thinking I would be clever and include the definition.  Sadly, it included this example of the word in a sentence: The couple sacrificed some of the spontaneity in their lives when they had a baby.  Ouch.  Merriam and Webster know.  … Read the rest

Wednesday Wit: September 5, 2012

Wednesday Wit

At a friend’s house for dinner, from the kids’ table we hear a loud burp followed by lots of laughter.
Friend: That’s not how we behave at the table.
Eli:  Crazy loud hand fart.
Right on cue, boy.

Ada comes to the car after school with what looks like a big bun in her hair.
Ada: Mom, look at my hair!
Me: Is that a knot, or a bun?
Ada: It’s not a knot.  Haha, get it?  It’s NOT a KNOT??
Me: Yes.  Where did you get the rubberband?
Ada: I made it out of my hair!
Me: Right, so … Read the rest

Pass the Fruit

Fruits of the Spirit

I’ve been working with my kids on the Fruits of the Spirit, using them as a teaching tool.  I want my children to be followers of Christ who regularly display these fruits.  Then I remembered that kids learn best by seeing it modeled.  Right.

I’ve been working in myself on the Fruits of the Spirit, and it turns out these are nine attributes I need a LOT of as a mom.  When I find myself tired, frustrated, at a loss, running on empty, or plain old not feeling it, I remember the Fruits of the Spirit.  I close my … Read the rest

Fear of the unknown

Kids, Parenting

I had an “a-ha” moment at Grace’s counseling session the other night.  Well, more accurately, it was an, “A-ha!  Oh wait, duh” moment.

Grace doesn’t like unknowns.  I took her into school the week before it started so she could meet her teacher (cross off fears Is my teacher nice? and Will my teacher like me?).  She got to explore the classroom and take a look at the class roster (cross off fear Will I have any friends in my class?).  By the end of our time there, her mood had changed from dread to anticipation.  She can’t handle blanks.… Read the rest