7 Quick Takes. Too many words, too little pictures.

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So, my good buddy Michael VW suggested that maybe my number 1 on LAST WEEK’S SEVEN QUICK TAKES was lame.  But here’s the thing. I meant the takes to be a lot sassier than they ended up being BECAUSE Pope Francis told me that I have to be charitable when posting, so I am working on it.  Anyway, Michael, I hope this take is better.

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My friend SHAUNA posted an article this week about things you swore you wouldn’t do as a parent, that you now do (or something like that) or things you said pre-kids that are now ridiculous.  Well, I could do my own post on that.   I used to get so mad when I would watch little kids give their parents sass, and the parents would laugh. I thought it was just the most inconsistent thing in the world, and really bad for raising well-behaved children.  Now, here’s the thing.  I still think it is a really bad thing to do, and toddler sass should be met with sternness and re-direction.  BUT, I am now realizing how freaking hard it is not to bust up laughing on the spot.  When lil’ A get’s mad, he will do the craziest things. He will say, ‘I’m MAD OKAY? OKAAAY?’ really loud.  It’s HIGH-larious.  Then, he will sometimes  roll his eyes, but he doesn’t know how to roll his eyes, so he just kind of squints.  It is so hard not to bust up laughing on the spot.

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I haven’t written about my fancy gym in awhile, so I am going to.  It has been SO cold and SO snowy, it’s been really hard to get to the gym. If it’s under 10 degrees, I feel weird about taking the kids out, so I was just going to the gym myself a few weeks back.  But, the gym is really expensive, so I felt weird about spending that kind of money and not even using the daycare.  Then, the last couple of weeks, it's been a fiasco it is to leave the house. It takes so long by the time the kids get in their winter gear, three trips to the car (big boys, baby, stuff) all while fitting in this trip between naps and feedings. I was quite discouraged.  BUT, this week I was determined to go each day I was able!  And, this week, you guys, was awesome. As per usual, it was a total fiasco to get there. TOTAL FIASCO.  But, when I dropped off the boys, I decided to switch it up and swim instead of hitting up the cardio machines.  I swam.  But then after, I went and sat in the hot tub- I actually took the time to pray in total silence! It was fantastic.  Wait! It gets better- then I went into the steam room and relaxed for a few minutes and then ladies and gentleman…I got to take a shower, complete with blow drying my hair.  And there was no rush to quickly shower so the kids won’t kill each other.  And there was no having to be super quiet so as to not wake the kids up from nap. Nope, a nice long shower and blow dry after.  Turns out, it’s totally worth the fiasco to get there.

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Yesterday morning, I heard a thud. I knew just what it was.  Joey climbed right out of the crib and tumbled to the floor.  It’s funny, lil’ A never even attempted to get out of his crib.  I’m trying to decide how this is going to affect our breakdown of bedrooms. Think we might be switching things up this weekend (did you hear that dear?).

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Let me tell you about my Monday.  The afternoon was CRAZINESS.  I had a meeting set up with an auxiliary Bishop here in the AoD with my ministry partner Mike (we are trying to discern which way God might be calling us).  Anyway- so afternoon hits and I am changing dirty diaper after dirty diaper.  The sitter came, I ran out of the house (already running a bit late).  Of course, there was an accident on one of the expressways.  THEN, to make matter worse, the location I chose for the meeting didn't exist (true story)- and I was 12 minutes late.   Thankfully, he is a pretty gracious Bishop, but my goodness- sometimes my life is surreal.

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Life news has been bumming me out lately.  In Belgium, kids can now decide legally that life isn't worth it (as long as they are suffering and death seems inevitable). In Texas a man sued for the right to kill his unborn child growing within the womb of his brain dead wife.  I try not to get all, ‘holy geez, things are terrible in the world’…but this week, it all just seems so bleak.  It seems like we are living in the 'Twilight Zone' or a science fiction movie, but we are not. It’s our reality.  Thank God we are called to be people of joy and people of hope, otherwise I might just choose to be the opposite.

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Happy St. Valentine's Day!  What are you doing with your beloved tonight?  I am working tonight, presenting very far away at a 'couples dinner'. In theory, our spouses were suppose to come with us, but theory failed- so Mike and I are heading out solo.  I'll celebrate with Aaron tomorrow. I have a really neat surprise for him, cause I rock.  But I can't tell you about it, or it won't be a surprise.  

Don't get scared accountability partners!  This week, I actually turned down a talk because it would break my quota of five talks a month :)   SO, balance is slowly being achieved.  

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