Can You Learn To Be a Good Mom?

Photo: R.A. Navarrete

"Have you figured out managing five kids yet?" My co-worker asked me that today, and my response was: "no--I have not figured it out, and I probably never will--I am learning as I go."

On a good mommy day, I am able to sit here and blog about my successes. The fact that I have the time or energy or motivation to write instead of cleaning, cooking, sleeping, or just zoning out is evidence that there are some better days when I am not completely overwhelmed and stressed. Today, for example, has been a relatively uneventful day. Actually, I can't remember yelling at any of the kids today! I even had time to iron, which is always the first chore to get ignored every day among all the other chores that may or may not get done first. After I picked up the kids from school, they played outside, and I spent time by myself making Christmas gifts and cooking supper. Granted, the only way they went outside to play was for me to set a timer for an hour (plus) and say that they had to stay out for that long. It actually worked! And they had fun together!

But more often than not, I feel completely stressed and unable to do it all. The thought of being alone with five kids on those days causes me anxiety because I have no idea what we will do to fill the time and how we all will get along and how I will keep my sanity. The one reason that I can in any way do a decent job at mothering these children is Jesus. Jesus is the One who is the perfect example of self sacrifice and true love for children. It is appropriate to talk about this at Christmas because it is the celebration of when Jesus Christ was born. When Jesus was an adult, he welcomed the little children and said, "let the little children come unto me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these" (Matthew 19:14).

This morning as I was driving my 4-year-old to preschool, we saw a tiny rainbow in a cloud. It reminded me that Jesus gives us hope. He is our hope. But we have to look up in order to see the rainbow and receive the ray of hope to help us through whatever circumstances we are facing. Think about how Noah must have felt during and after the flood. But then God placed a rainbow in the sky as a promise to Noah that He would never destroy the earth by flood again. Are you in the middle of a flood in your current life? Look up to Jesus and receive the hope and peace that only He provides.

Mom Says "I Need A Break!"

Photo: Liz Navarrete

As a mom, you may have thought this, but have you ever said it out loud? And who did you say it to?--your best friend or your co-worker or your parents or your spouse? If God needed a day of rest after six days of work, and He tells us to take a day of rest every week, then clearly He knows that you need a break at times from everything, including a few moments away from the kids.

Thanksgiving may not be the easiest time to get your break because your work load at home has increased significantly this week. Your kids are off school, so you have to figure out how to keep them entertained. You have people coming over for Thanksgiving dinner, so you have to clean, cook, and then clean some more. You have to do some shopping on black Friday in order to save a couple of bucks. You have a whirlwind of activities planned the next month until Christmas. So, no--it may not be the best time to get a little break.

But at least think about what type of break you need and plan it for...maybe January? Is it selfish to get away for an hour or an evening? No! It it loving because it should refresh you. And if you are refreshed, then you will be better equipped to continue loving and serving your family (and hopefully be less grumpy)!

Most importantly, what do you need during your time away? Sleep? Social time? Pampering? A meal you did not have to cook? A favorite book? A blank canvas? A long run? Whatever you need during this time, I encourage you to spend some time with Jesus. "Be still and know that I am God" (Psalm 46:10). "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? (Matthew 6:25). "Cast your cares on the LORD and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous be shaken" (Psalm 55:22). "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up" (Galatians 6:9). "Those who wait for the LORD will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles. They will run and not get tired. They will walk and not become weary" (Isaiah 40:31).

Is It Possible To Wait Patiently?

Photo: R.A. Navarrete

Are you good at waiting--especially waiting for big things in life like finishing a degree, getting married, having a baby, meeting a grandchild, finding a new job, a special event, overcoming an illness? The uncertainty of waiting has always been a struggle for me, whether it was not knowing when I was going to be engaged or not knowing if/when I would be able to get pregnant or not knowing when the babies would be born or not knowing if/when this house will sell.

Right now, my home situation is uncertain because it is for sale. It could possibly sell this week or a year from now. We are simply waiting. Everything is in limbo, such as where the kids will go to school, who our neighbors will be, how long our commutes to work will be. Understandably, this is a cause of some anxiety, whether or not it is displayed outwardly. I am too busy to think about it all the time, but it is definitely in the back of my mind. What are you currently waiting for? And what should we do while we are waiting?

"Be still and wait on the Lord." -Psalm 37:7

"Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink, or about your body, what you will wear. The Lord knows you need these things...If He knows how to clothe the lilies of the field and feeds the birds of the air, how much more will He take care of you? Are you not more valuable than flowers and birds?" -Matthew 6

"But those who wait on the Lord will rise up on wings like eagles. They will walk and not be weary. They will not grow faint." -Isaiah 40:31

Trust God. God is good. God loves you. He is trustworthy. He is working during this time! "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths." -Proverbs 3:5-6

"Cast all your anxieties on the LORD, for He cares for you" (1 Peter 5:7).  Pray and talk to Him as often as needed about what you are waiting and hoping for.

"Godliness with contentment is great gain" (1 Timothy 6:6). Be content with whatever situation you are in. God does not put you in a situation of waiting in order to waste that time. There is a purpose in that time, so work for the Lord! Serve Him. Live like today is your last. Enjoy today. Enjoy all the wonderful things you have currently. Learn to be happy with what you have now. If you are not happy now, you will not be happy even when you get what you are waiting for. Contentment is a godly character trait. Work to develop that trait now because waiting is a big part of this life.

Wait on God more than waiting on things or people. God is the only one that will truly satisfy all your needs, wants and longings. He knows what you need. He loves you. He created you with those desires and hopes. You are made in His image. Spend time talking to Him about the things/people/experiences you are waiting for. Draw near to Him during this time. The times of waiting have been the hardest times for me emotionally in my life. I even got depressed during some of these times. But in those low moments, God carried me. He got me out of bed when I wanted to sleep all day. He hugged me when I was sad and lonely. He carried me out of the house in order to "move--keep walking" (Toby Mac).

So let's learn how to wait better! I always tell my kids: "life will be better for you if you learn to cooperate." Maybe God is telling us: "life will be better for you if you learn to cooperate with Me during the times of waiting."

How Do You Handle So Many Kids?

Photo: Ruben A. Navarrete

I get that question a lot because it is pretty unusual these days for families to have five kids. Recently, at a school event, I talked to a mom who has one child, and she said she is unsure if she should have any more. She was concerned that she is in her late twenties, so maybe it is too late or it would be too hard. The next day, I talked to a nurse who has a two-year-old, and she said once he is potty trained, she might be ready to think about having another child. Then today I met someone who is pregnant with her second child, and she asked if I have any advice. I remember asking the same question to moms with lots of kids back when I was a newlywed because the thought of four or five kids in a family sounded crazy to me at the time; actually, it still does! But it does not always feel as crazy as you might think.

Before I give any unsolicited advice, please be assured that I do not have this mom thing figured out. I learn as I go. I make a lot of mistakes, and hopefully I learn from all of them so as not to keep making them in the same way each day or with each child. So here is my list of how we (try to) make it work with so many kids.

1. Pray...a lot. Pray for yourself as a mom. Pray for your kids. Pray for your husband. It can be a simple prayer like "Jesus, help me." Or it can be long and drawn out. I pray in the car a lot. I love to pray with my 4-year-old on the way to her school in the mornings. Ask God for wisdom or strength or encouragement or healing.

2. Read the Bible when possible. The most convenient way for me is to use my Bible app. That way I can always pick up where I left off. And I can read it for a minute or two throughout the day if I have a free moment. I rarely have thirty straight minutes to read or study the Bible, but I can read a chapter here and there. Then I have fresh insight from Jesus to share with my kids and to pray about.

3. Play outside often! Morning, afternoon, evening, anytime! Backyard, front yard, at the park, down the street, at another local park, at a pool. Kids love being outdoors and thrive when they get the opportunity! Just do fun little things that kids like: eat popsicles, jump on trampolines, swing, slide, run, ride bikes and scooters, pick out a bag of candy, play in the dirt, throw a ball. Kids are actually easy to entertain as long as there are enough kids in one place.

4. Teach them obedience. This is one life lesson that needs to be taught at home and needs to start when kids are one and two years old. My kids probably get tired of me saying: "kids who don't learn obedience from their parents become criminals." Obeying your parents is the basis of learning to respect and obey authority, including the authority of God and every lesser authority in our lives, from the police to state laws to teachers to crossing guards, etc. Don't tell your kids to do something that you do not intend for them to do immediately. And follow through on it. Obedience is for their safety and protection. As their authority, you are an umbrella of protection for them, so teach them to come under your umbrella to stay out of danger.

5. Have play dates often. These are just as much for mom's sanity as it is for the kids' entertainment. With a large family, we tend to play more at home than anywhere else, so we invite people over often so the kids can play together. Moms really need social time with other moms, especially if you are extroverted like me, but you will have to be intentional to make this happen because our society has become very private.

6. Limit extracurricular activities. With five kids, it will be impossible for each child to be in a different after school activity in a different place multiple days weekly. So our current rule is: one activity per child per year. There are so many great activities, but how can we parents teach our own kids if they are always on someone else's watch? Your kids are your God-given responsibility. I once heard a babysitter tell me that one mom was constantly calling her to babysit. The babysitter said: "I wonder if she ever even spends time with her own kids!" Prioritize and guard time with your own family, and don't give it all away.

7. Mom needs an outlet. It may be working or jogging or grocery shopping alone or coffee with friends or weekly date nights or doing artwork or a home-based business. Realistically, if you work full-time, you will not have much more time for an outlet, so hopefully your work is an enjoyable outlet for you. If you are home full-time, you will need to plan more time to get out of the house or into your own space for an hour here and there.

Overwhelmed, Overbooked, and Stressed Out

Photo: Liz Navarrete

Do you ever feel overwhelmed? Do you ever feel desperate? Do you ever wonder how in the world you will be everything you need to be for everyone in your life?

I have recently been learning that sometimes I need to say no. This goes against my natural personality of wanting to please people, wanting to serve God, wanting to help others, and wanting to stay busy. But every time I say yes, I am likely sacrificing something. That's fine if it means sacrificing something insignificant in order to do great work for God's Kingdom. But often, I sacrifice truly important Kingdom work within my own marriage and family in order to do tasks that I often say yes to.

Moms tend to overbook and neglect themselves. We don't give ourselves a Sabbath day of rest every week or even every month. So it is no wonder that we snap at the kids or our husbands...again. We are constantly stressed out, but do we have to be? We are in charge of the social calendar, so why did we book ourselves to go to three different birthday parties on the same day? Or why can't we just stay home on Friday or Saturday night instead of going here and there and all over the city?!! Or why did we sign each of our kids up for so many extracurricular activities?

My husband wisely advises me to keep it simple. Don't overcommit. If you volunteer to do something, make sure it will not stress you out. What benefit is it to do fun activities if you are screaming at your kids to "hurry up and get in the car! We're going to be late!" Similarly, does "serving God" come at the price of compromising your own testimony in front of your children?
What happened to the "gentle and quiet spirit" the Bible talks about in 1 Peter 3:4?

If you are like me and have found yourself overwhelmed again with the weight of the tears of your little world in your ears, join me in claiming this theme verse today: "Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me" (2 Corinthians 12:8-9).

I'm no Joanna Gaines, and that's ok!

Are you able to decorate like Joanna Gaines? Are you able to sew your own curtains? Are you able to look at an empty room and within thirty seconds know exactly what it would take to coordinate it perfectly from floor to ceiling? Some of you are because I have seen your amazing talent that comes very naturally. And some of you can research enough on Pinterest that you can make anything you see there.

But I learned today that I am not like that, which is ok! I volunteered to decorate a table for the women's dinner at church tonight. Each table had a month theme, so mine was the month of May. I mainly volunteered to do it because it sounded like a perfectly simple and easy thing to do, and I could do it on my way home from work before picking up the kids from school. I spent several days thinking about what my centerpiece would look like, and I figured it would include pastel flowers. My understanding of the table decor was that it needed a centerpiece and some napkins only. White tablecloths were already provided.  Cups, plates, and silverware were not needed because the church ladies would get those in the buffet line. So how hard can it be to buy or create a centerpiece and find matching napkins for a round table set for seven?

I went to the craft store and looked at the flowers. Hmm...Yellow? Pink? Roses? Carnations? There are only thousands of flowers and colors to choose from. What would represent May the best and coordinate together well? Periwinkle Hydrangeas!!! (I had to look up the name of that flower because I know zero about any sort of plant). Plus some white and light pink ones. And a white LED candle!

I could cut off the stems, and put the flowers around the candle in a big, clear bowl. That way it would not be too tall to block ladies from seeing and talking to each other across the table. I found some light pink paper napkins to match and a small, matching chocolate candy for each lady at the table. That wasn't so bad. 

At church, I asked the secretary for scissors, so I could cut the stems off the flowers. But they have a hard metal wire in them, so they don't cut very easily. Then I realized I could just pull the flowers out of the top of each stem. I put the centerpiece together and proudly showed it to the secretary. Then I went to find my table in the Fellowship Hall. That is when it struck me that I was under-prepared. Under-prepared is an understatement. Several tables were already decorated for their theme, and they all included big, multi-level and multi-object centerpieces, plates, silverware, cloth napkins with napkin rings, and colorful tablecloths. Did I get the wrong message about decor or am I just not naturally inclined to decorate? My centerpiece looked nice, and the napkins matched, but clearly the table needed more. I opened up each napkin as a placemat and took a small flower out of the centerpiece to decorate each "placemat." Then I put down the pastel candy on each one. It was simple and pretty but in my mind, perfectly insufficient for the night's decor.

After finishing work activities and taking two of my kids to the dentist, we looked at home for what we had that would make the May table look better. Pastel tablecloth? No. Cloth napkins? Nope. Napkin rings? Yes!! Chargers or pastel plates? Not a chance. Teacups? YES!!! And they were flowery, pastel, and very May-ish. Hershey's Kisses? Yes--to fill the teacups of course! So off we went, with all five kids, back to church. And we finished the May table! It's amazing what a bit of fine china does to dress up a plain table.

All this to say: do what you're good at. Don't try to be something that you are not. Don't volunteer to do something that you don't have a knack for. Know yourself and accept yourself! It's ok if you are not good at decorating, or singing, or teaching, or hosting, or public speaking, or administrating, or entertaining 3-year-olds. Don't worry about what you are not good at. And please, please DON'T COMPARE YOURSELF TO OTHER WOMEN!!!!!!! God made you to be you. He made you to be like Christ (not like Martha Stewart). If you spend time trying to be someone else, you will only frustrate yourself and miss out on your own personal calling. So go out there and fulfill YOUR calling--whatever that looks like for you. God will reveal it if you ask Him.

"There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work. Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good" (1 Corinthians 12:4-7).

Photo: Liz Navarrete

God is With You, Courageous One!

The story of Gideon in the Old Testament is very applicable to you who feel overwhelmed. Gideon was hiding from his enemies the Midianites. He was threshing wheat in a winepress--the only place he could do so safely. Judges 6:12 says, "And the Angel of the LORD appeared to him, and said to him, 'The LORD is with you, you mighty man of valor!'" He had not been acting mighty or courageous, but God knew Gideon was about to do something great, with God's supernatural power. God saw Gideon for his future potential instead of his past failures or even his present fears.

In addition to calling Gideon a courageous man, the Angel told him "The LORD is with you." This is even more important than Gideon being called a man of valor. We are nothing without the LORD. You and I both know how limited our potential is without the grace of God through the presence of Jesus. Without God, we are going about our lives just trying to survive and not doing so very effectively. Just like Gideon was ineffectively threshing wheat in a winepress, you and I try to complete our never-ending to-do list in our own human capability. But God had great work for Gideon to do, and He has great plans for you as well! Spend a moment asking God to give you a vision for what He plans to do in and through your life in the near future! 

Right now, you might feel like all you do is change diapers or clean the house or go to doctor's visits or work long hours at a job you don't like. You might feel overwhelmed by your current circumstances. You might feel like you cannot do everything you have been thrown into. You might feel like this is too much for you, and since you cannot handle it all, you will just do nothing. But let me tell you what Gideon was about to do when God spoke to him. Gideon was about to have victory over all of his enemies with an army of only three hundred men! So be encouraged because right now God is with you, He is helping you, and He has a great and important job for you which He is equipping you for! And He is calling you to a sure and overwhelming victory!

After A Long Day

Photo: R. Navarrete

You woke up this morning with high hopes for a super parenting day! You prayed for your children while you got yourself looking as professional as possible in the five minutes you allotted yourself for grooming. You told yourself that you would be calm all day and keep your cool no matter what would happen in the next sixteen hours. You lovingly (but quickly) toasted their bread for bologna sandwiches in their lunch boxes and even wrapped them in extra paper towels so as not to dry out! You hurried out the door just in time to get the kids to school at 7:39 and to barely make it into the office at 7:59.

By mid-afternoon, things were going smoothly for you as a super parent! Your kids were home safely from school, and you were all laughing together and playing Marco Polo on the trampoline. You had to sneak back inside, which gave you a few moments to read your devotional for the day before naptime for the baby would be over.

But then your strong-willed child starts being disobedient to everything you say, and you realize it is 5:00. And the dark hours have begun (cue the Darth Vader theme song). In reality it's just one or two hours before Daddy comes home and a few hours before your angels in disguise will become sleeping angels. But during this hour, minutes feel like days. Did you text your husband already? Or is it too early to see when he is coming home?

While a few of the kids are in their rooms because they can't seem to get along, you run downstairs to fix a simple supper: home fries, garden salad, and butterfly shrimp (special request from your 7-year-old). You don't really have to cook anything--just prep it and throw it in the oven and wait. Meanwhile, chop your veggies and toss them in the salad bowls. Oh--and grill some more veggies to add to your salad because you only eat salads these days... The home fries look and smell amazing, but once they are done and you start taste testing them, they clearly are way too spicy for any kid to eat. You must have over-poured your Cajun seasoned salt.

For the third time, you try to round up the cattle because it is suppertime! The shrimp and salad go over well, but the potatoes remain untouched. No worries--your kids are full and happy and off to the trampoline again! While you try to clean up the kitchen, your son keeps motioning from outside for you to come and see something. By the time you make it out there, all the kids are off the trampoline and walking around the patio where the light fixture just broke by an accidental flying futbol. There is glass everywhere! The kids cry when you put them inside, but you have to clean up the glass before someone gets cut, right?

As soon as the glass is cleaned up, you go inside and your oldest tells you that the girls are putting stuff down the bathroom sink drain. Didn't you just tell them before supper that they cannot give baths to all their baby dolls in the bathroom sink? You hurry upstairs to find the remains of a toilet paper roll stuffed into the bathroom sink drain. Water is everywhere. Towels are everywhere. Wash cloths are everywhere. Wet unicorns and bears are everywhere. How did the kids even reach the wash cloths in the linen closet? What do you do? Put everyone in a separate room so you can focus on removing the cardboard from the drain and drying out the electronics from your baby's favorite stuffed bear that sings her to sleep at night.

Once your babies are in bed, you sit down for the first time all day and check your Fit Bit: 15,000 steps. The verse that comes to mind is: "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up" (Galatians 6:9). Everything you do for and with your kids may go unnoticed and unappreciated for a time, but God sees all that you do, and He rewards and blesses you for it. Do not give up, but keep planting those seeds in your children. Someday you will reap the harvest!

Filling Up Long Days at Home with Kids

Photo: L. Navarrete

On my occasional weekday off, I have a long day to fill up with hopefully productive activities with my kids. I made my To-Do list last night, including 2 things I could do at home and 4-5 errands I needed to run. Looking back now, I did not run any errands. So what did I do to fill up 11 hours alone with my sweet babies? Here are some of the many activities we enjoyed together.

1. Ate "surreyal" (as my 2-year-old calls it) together.
2. Pushed my 2-year-old on the swing for at least 30 straight minutes. Meanwhile, we talked a lot. She learned the colors brown and tan. And she learned the words tree trunk.
3. Sat outside and watched my kids jump on the trampoline. It is one of the best outdoor play activities for kids, so well worth the investment for your next Christmas gift!
4. Went for a walk, AKA bike ride the older kids and stroller ride for the others.
5. Talked to the neighbor. We were both in the back yard at the same time, so we chatted through the fence, though we could barely see each other.
6. Exercised/watched TV. I exercised, and the kids watched TV in another room. It was 40 minutes of sweaty sweetness! Thanks to my husband, Megadeth makes for great workout music!
7. Ate lunch together. Soup and crackers for the kids. Chicken stir-fry for me. Pineapple for dessert.
8. Played air hockey with my son on the kitchen table.
9. Had the kids clean up...several times. I cleaned up the kitchen...several times.
10. Listened to my son's favorite songs on my phone.
11. Ate Icy Pops...several times.
12. Sat on the front porch, blogging! Sat on the back patio. The weather was nice and cool! Gave the kids space to play on their own and be creative. At one point, the girls made their own lipstick. ??!!
13. Threw the football with my son. Can you tell he and I both are hyperactive?!!
14. Read my Bible. I am in Joshua right now, which is far behind where I was supposed to be when I started to "Read the Bible Through in One Year" back in January.
15. Bathtime before dinner (thanks to my daughter's Caillou book for the idea)!
16. Put on a movie for the kids so I could fix dinner.
17. Cooked ravioli and garden salad for supper.

Moms with young kids have a big job! So I pray you can fill your days with fun and enjoyable experiences for you to bond with them. It does not take money or driving anywhere to have a great day with your kiddos!

A Not-So-Stressful Afternoon With My Kids

Photo: Mary Decrescenzio. 

School started this week, so it has been an adjustment for all: earlier bedtimes, not early enough bedtimes, chaotic mornings, new schedules, tired kids, frantic grownups, cranky kids, and especially irritable moms (to put it lightly). Having experienced a few days of after-school drama, I brainstormed how to make Friday less stressful for all involved. Thankfully, I had plenty of ideas from my husband, who is naturally good with kids and from a friend who is a psychologist!

My husband's suggestion:
Let them watch TV.  Me?--let MY kids watch TV? Does he know who he is talking to? Liz Buerkert--the child who left her entire family watching TV together to go to her bedroom and read? I was the college student who never owned a TV. I am the wife who nags my husband to stop watching TV so we can talk every night! I am the mom who never turns on the TV, and the mom who turns off the TV every time I see the kids watching it. I am the woman who blogs in silence when I have free time and who rides the stationary bike without the TV on. I am honestly just weird like that. I don't know what I have against the big black screen sitting in front of me except that it simply gets on my nerves. Maybe I am too hyperactive to sit and watch it. Or maybe I prefer to focus on relationships or tasks or hobbies or cleaning. But on Friday I listened to my husband's suggestions because he seems to have this parenting thing figured out. By the way, I have a whole blog post coming that I have written about my anti-television opinions...

Psychologist's suggestion:
Spend time doing something active with your son first. Do I have time to spend alone with my son after school? I have five kids! But I do have a few minutes before my mom leaves that I could do something outside.

So on the way home from school, I asked Caleb if he wants to go for a bike ride with me. I waited in the garage for him because if I walk in the house, my sweet 4-year-old would never let me back out without her. I also had called my mom earlier to tell her my plan of riding bikes with Caleb before coming into the house or doing anything else. I was still wearing my work clothes and loafers, but I figured how hard could a bike ride be? Caleb ran inside to get his helmet, and immediately we were off...up the hill. There are a lot of hills in our neighborhood, but I had no idea that Caleb likes to go up and down all of them! They are so steep that you cannot ride straight up the streets but you have to zigzag back and forth from the right side of the street to the left. I kept up with him the best I could with my not-so-comfy shoes and my sore hands from holding the handlebars so tight! It was a great way to connect with my son after a rough few days and had the added benefit of a workout!

Once we got home and greeted everyone, what did we do next? I can't believe I'm saying this, but I actually turned on the television. My mom saw me, so she can attest to it: I sat down and put my arm around Emma and watched some kids' show that I can't even remember. We were squished into the recliner chair together, but she did not mind. We sat there until I had to wake up my 2-year-old and feed my 5-month-old. And when I went to do those things, I left the TV on. My kids must have been wondering what is wrong with mommy that she is letting us (no--telling us to) watch TV?!! After I fed the baby, I stayed and played with him while the others were still tuned into Descendants, I'm sure, or Hannah Montana. They were perfectly quiet, so I was actually able to call a friend and chat for twenty minutes without being interrupted. Normally I only call friends on my way home from work.

As I was sitting on the floor playing Reversi, a new neighbor friend of my son's came over to play. I did not tell them to "go play outside" like usual. Instead, they just did whatever they wanted, which was Legos for a few, then pulling the sofa bed out of the sofa, then downstairs and upstairs again. Before anyone knew it, my husband was home from work. For once, he came home to a relaxed and unstressed wife...and a 2-year-old putting chapstick all over her body.

Moms, Give Yourselves Grace

If you are like me, you may look back on one of your not-so-perfect mommy days and be tempted to feel discouraged. You may think about the times you yelled at your kids or the patience you failed to show or the time you spent cleaning instead of playing with them, etc. But instead of being discouraged, which the enemy wants, be encouraged in your spirit by the Holy Spirit of God! Don't focus only on what you did wrong. God forgives you, so forgive yourself! God constantly shows you grace, so who are you to withhold grace from yourself as a mom? No mom is perfect--no matter what her social media displays.

Tomorrow is a new day, and God's mercy is new every morning! So look back on today and see what you can learn from your mistakes. Pray over those things and ask God to help you to improve tomorrow. God loves to answer prayers according to His will, and it is His will for you to be an awesome mother to the children He has entrusted to you. He did not give you this family so that you would just keep messing up the same way every day. He is using this time and season in your life to make you more like Jesus. Jesus was always perfectly patient. He always welcomed the little children. 

You may be trying to do too much, even within your household. For example, don't ask me why, but I decided to make pizza from scratch today. It was fast-rising yeast, so it was not supposed to take long... but several hours later, the pizza looked and smelled divine. It tasted good, but did my kids care that it was homemade? NOPE! Would they have been just as happy with Little Caesar's? YEP! Would they have preferred me to spend the afternoon playing hide-and-seek with them instead of cooking and cleaning and hollering? NO BRAINER!

Give yourself grace! You had good intentions. Everything you do (or 99% of what you do) is for your family. They are why you try to look good, cook well, maintain order in your home, stay organized, etc.  Because of your good intentions and your perfectionism, you try to be Martha Stewart and Jillian Michaels and Rachel Ray all at the same time. Your family may not tell you that they appreciate your dinners and how you ensure they never run out of clean socks and how you drive them all over town for soccer/ballet/piano/Boy Scouts/birthday parties and how you save enough money to take them on vacation and how you lose sleep to keep your home running smoothly. But you still do it every day, hoping for but not expecting a "thank you." Look at everything you do for everyone in your life except yourself, and give yourself a pat on the back and a big dose of GRACE when you mess up. God sees all that you do, and if you are doing it for Him, He will bless and reward you.

Social Media and Discontentment

Why does God want us to be content with what we have and with where we are? "I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through Him who gives me strength." (Philippians 4:12-13). God wants us to be content because it honors Him. We easily forget that our lives are not about us! How egocentric are we?!! We act like 2-year-olds by screaming and crying and pouting and whining every time we do not get our way. Why can't I get that job? Why can't I make that amount of money? Why can't I go on a trip to...? Why can't I do what my friends are doing? Why does she have...? I wish we had... It's not fair that everyone has... We can spend whole days, years and even a lifetime wishing for what we don't have. But then we are never truly enjoying what God has given us.

"Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have because God has said, 'Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you' " (Hebrews 13:5). All of these contentment verses talk about the most important part of our lives being the presence of God. God gives us strength. God is always with us. In this world of social media, it is easy to look at what everyone else has, where everyone else goes, what everyone else is doing and be terribly discontent with what we have, where we are, and what we are doing. Maybe tonight instead of scrolling your acquaintances' posts and photos, look back on your own camera roll to see all the great things you did recently. Or write them down. Be thankful to God for each of His gifts and blessings, no matter how small or inexpensive they were. Don't wish for what you don't have; be grateful for what you do have! Isn't this something we learned as kids?!!

"But godliness with contentment is great gain" (1 Timothy 6:6). Contentment is a byproduct of godliness and it leads to great gain. That does not mean we gain more material things or more vacations, etc. It means we gain more character and more fullness of the Spirit of God. We gain more heart knowledge of the God who gave us life!

"Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Take delight in the LORD, and He will give you the desires of your heart" (Psalm 37:3-4). First, we should trust God. As we do so, we will do good because He will show us what He wants us to do. Being discontent is not showing trust in God. It is questioning God and grumbling against Him. But trusting Him gives us peace because we trust that He loves us, that He is with us, that He is good, that He has great plans for us, that He has a good reason for whatever we are facing. As we trust Him and do good, that leads us to dwelling in a good land with plenty of what we need. God does not promise that He will give us all that we want, especially if what we want is simply material or superficial things. He does promise that if we delight in Him, He will give us the desires of our heart. Remember this comes after trusting in Him, doing good, dwelling close to Him, and delighting in Him. Only after all these acts of faithfulness on our part does God give us the desires of our heart. By the time we have done all the prerequisites, God will have changed the desires of our hearts. So we will no longer be desiring a car or a trip or a spouse, etc. Instead we will be desiring what God desires such as opportunities to share the love of Jesus.

God will change our perspective if we will get in tune with Him. If we have an eternal perspective, the momentary cares of our world will fade as the important, spiritual cares become our focus. Instead of wishing for..., pray about what God wants you to do or who He wants you to become. Out of my own experience, I can tell you that wishing for what you don't have is a miserable place to remain for long. Join me in leaving that unfruitful place of discontentment!

Time-Saving Tips for Moms

Photo: Ruben A. Navarrete

1. Keep your diaper bag in the car.
2. In the store parking lot, park next to the shopping carts.
3. Do a load of laundry every day. Don't be tempted to do more than one because it has to be folded and put away...
4. Give each child his/her own laundry basket and wash them separately.
5. Keep cleaning spray, toilet bowl cleaner, sponge and washcloths in every bathroom.
6. Keep spray bottles with water and washcloths in every closet, bathroom, and pantry for convenient cleaning/dusting.
7. Use baby wet wipes for dusting or wiping surfaces such as baseboards.
8. Use your crockpot for suppers.
9. If you have lots of kids, buy at least 2 gallons of milk at a time (and 2 loaves of bread).
10. Don't run out of margarine or butter; they bake differently. For rice crispy treats, use margarine.
11. When toasting bread for a crowd, use the oven instead of the toaster.
12. Have a place to store everything: cubbies, baskets, bins, etc.
13. Teach kids to be progressively more self-sufficient (set their own alarm, serve their own breakfast, etc.)
14. Put your older kids to work helping the younger ones!
15. Don't carry a purse and a diaper bag because your hands are too full. I recommend a diaper backpack.
16. Do grocery shopping once per week and take as few of your kids as possible.
17. Keep a running grocery list on your frig.
18. Use an old-fashioned wall calendar and check it daily or several times daily so you won't miss appointments and events.
19. Fill out school forms as soon as you see them and don't remove them from your child's folder.

Grocery Checkout Fiasco

Photo: Ruben A. Navarrete

Since I work part-time, I usually rush home from work to relieve one of my two babysitters. Then I take the older kids out with me to run errands. Today we had one hour to buy groceries for the week before the other babysitter had to leave. I had two of my girls with me, and we rushed through each aisle, selecting every item on my imaginary list. I gave the girls one instruction on the way into the store: "DO NOT ASK ME FOR ANYTHING. Instead, if there is something you like or want, ask me if it is on the grocery list."

We made it through the entire store in good time and without tears or tantrums. And checking out proceeded smoothly, considering the volume of food loaded on the belt. Of course, my 4-year-old was loudly repeating to everyone how much food we had and how we were going to use up all the grocery bags! And at one point, I overheard one of my girls explaining to the cashier where we live. I politely interrupted my sweet daughter and told her to stop telling strangers how to get to her house!

Finally, I handed the cashier my few dollars' worth of diaper coupons and awaited my subtotal. I reached for my debit card to complete the transaction, but it was nowhere to be found! There were many people behind me in line likely already annoyed with my lengthy checkout. But when I realized I had no debit card to pay with, I asked the cashier to put my order on hold. As I kept searching my bag, I saw that I could pay by check! Who does that anymore? But it was my only option. And as I waited for the cashier to finish ringing up everyone else, I even found more coupons for my order. 

Finally, it was my turn again, so I handed her my check. She said: "checks usually get denied here, but let's try it anyway." A few seconds later, she informed me that the check was denied. She gave me the denial code and phone number to call some check verification company. I had no other option, so I called it and the automated system told me that the amount of my purchase appeared that I was fraudulently using a check. I was able to transfer over to customer service and speak with someone about my situation. He kindly verified all my personal information and updated the system. But unfortunately, he could not authorize use of checks at this store because it takes 7 days to process. I explained to him that I had a cart overflowing with groceries for a family of seven, and I had two young children shopping with me; I had no other option but to buy the food immediately. He was sorry for the inconvenience but unable to help me any further! I'm sure he does not know that talking on the phone with young children in the room is nearly impossible, but somehow we finished the conversation with me only asking him to repeat himself about five times.

As I marched over to the store manager with my cart full of unpaid groceries, my 4-year-old was sitting on the floor crying because I was "walking away from her." She had taken her shoes off during this whole ordeal, so she was supposed to put them back on and follow me to see the manager. Both of my daughters were well past the point of being bored and ansy, but somehow, they were quiet enough for me to speak with the manager. "I shop here all the time, but I can't find my debit card, so I am trying to pay with this check, which was denied, and I have to leave here with these groceries--I promise the check won't bounce." She suggested that I call the bank, but I told her I do not have time nor do I have the bank's phone number. Thankfully, she thought of a way to take care of it, which I did not understand. But I agreed thankfully and rushed home with my girls and groceries!

Baby Name Art by Liz

I make custom wall art especially for nurseries and kids' rooms. They are painted with acrylic on canvas. Sizes, shapes, colors, and designs are customized! 

Contact me for pricing or to place an order!

dbuerkert@yahoo.com

Stepping Into Your Calling

Photo: Ruben A. Navarrete

If you have been wandering in the desert, following God but not yet having the opportunity to enter your Promised Land, this passage in Deuteronomy is for you! Deuteronomy 9 is about entering your Promised Land--stepping into your calling. First, remember where you have come from. You have been lost in the desert, wandering around for a long time. You may have been going through a trial or test in your life. You may feel like you have been in a deep, dark tunnel for years. You may have been in a valley and felt alone, hopeless, helpless, discouraged, depressed. But in reality, you were never alone! "When the valley is dark, I will not be afraid. For you, my God, are by my side" (Psalm 23:4).

But now it is time to leave the desert and enter the Promised Land! God has something else in store for you, and it may be sooner than you think! Is there a calling that God has placed on your heart, maybe even long ago? Is there a passion to start or join something bigger than you and your own picket fence? Is there something you are drawn to and excited about that you never had the opportunity to do before? It is a place to use your gifts, to serve, to help, to conquer, and to claim victory!

1. Your Calling is great and may seem impossible.
"Hear, O Israel. You are now about to cross the Jordan to go in and dispossess nations greater and stronger than you, with large cities that have walls up to the sky" (Deut 9:1). God called Israel to enter the Promised Land, which was a land full of giants. It did not make sense in the human mind to enter this land because it was inhabited by large and powerful groups of people who had been established for generations and had large, walled cities. But that is exactly what God called them to! He does not have a small task for you but a great and mighty work that will expand His Kingdom! So do not make excuses or doubt your ability because God has ordained you for this! It is His work that He will do in and through your life, your words, your testimony, your service, your work, your abilities. So at the time God shows you, cross over the Jordan and enter the Land. Do things you never thought you could do and conquer things you think are too hard for you. It will feel like you are fighting giants and beating unbreakable walls, but that is how God works throughout history. God gave David victory over Goliath with a stone and slingshot. God brought down the walls of Jericho simply by His people marching around the city. God gave Gideon victory over thousands with only 300 soldiers.

2. God is calling you to victory over your enemies.
"The people are strong and tall-Anakites! You know about them and have heard it said: 'who can stand up against the Anakites?' " (Deut 9:2) I do not know your battles, but the real battles are spiritual and not physical. You may feel your battle is against something or someone in this world, but the true enemy is Satan (not your boss, your family, your peers, your addiction, your past, your insecurities, etc). And as you step into your calling, God is giving you and will continue to give you victory over your past and present struggles, no matter how big they are.

3. God is going ahead of you.
"But be assured today that the LORD your God is the one who goes across ahead of you like a devouring fire. He will destroy them; he will subdue them before you" (Deut 9:3a). You can have confidence in entering your calling because God is going before you, preparing the way. He will destroy the enemies in your path. Claim that victory over your life and circumstances! Claim that victory over Satan's attacks.

4. God is working quickly!
"He will subdue them before you. And you will drive them out and annihilate them quickly, as the LORD has promised you" (Deut 9:3b). As you step into your calling and obey God in each step, He will give you rapid victory over problems that you may have struggled with for years in the past. He wants to drive out these things quickly and completely! This is what God has promised, and He cannot break His promises! He plans to get rid of them completely and permanently. If you hold onto these things, they will stop your progress and hinder ultimate victory. So follow God's lead because He is working quickly to accomplish His purpose through you RIGHT NOW!

5. God is not giving you victory because of your righteousness.
"After the LORD your God has driven them out before you, do not say to yourself, "The LORD has brought me here to take possession of this land because of my righteousness...It is not because of your righteousness or your integrity that you are going in to take possession of their land...It is not because of your righteousness that the LORD your God is giving you this good land to possess, for you are a stiff-necked people" (Deut 9:4, 5, 6). It is in our sinful, egotistical nature to take the credit for the good things we do for the Kingdom of God. God knows that, so He repeated the same phrase three different times in this one paragraph. Obviously, He wants us to guard ourselves against pride when God gives us victory. He is the One who does the fighting and conquering, and He is the One who should get the credit. We can be confident because of Him, not because of ourselves. Don't forget that on our own, we caused ourselves to wander in the desert all these years. We have been stubborn and unfaithful and disobedient. When we have victory, it is not because of ourselves; instead, God gives us victory in spite of ourselves.

6. God is calling you to fight with Him against evil.
"It is on account of the wickedness of these nations that the LORD is going to drive them out before you" (Deut 9:4,5). There is great evil occurring all over the world, and God is hard at work against it. So join with Him in this work. One way that Satan works is through complacency and self-absorption. It is time to get off the couch, off your games, off your spending sprees, off your pity parties, off your phone and get to work for the purposes of God in this world! Spend time thinking about what you have been through in your lifetime. How did God carry you through? Be reminded that others are facing similar struggles and need an advocate, a friend, a mentor, a helper. How does God want you to be a channel of His mercy to them?

7. Guard against idols.
"Your people whom you brought out of Egypt have become corrupt. They have turned away quickly from what I commanded them and have made a cast idol for themselves...I took that sinful thing of yours, the calf you had made, and burned it in the fire. Then I crushed it and ground it to powder as fine as dust and threw the dust into a stream that flowed down the mountain" (Deut 9:12, 21). God is serious about dealing with idols, and He does not tolerate idolatry in your land of calling. Sometimes idols can be subtle, and Satan will deceive you in this area. The Israelites formed an idol during the forty days that Moses was up on the mountain talking with God and receiving the tablets of the ten commandments. They made an idol for several reasons. First, they did not trust God fully. Second, they wanted something they could see. Third, they were following worldly examples. When dealing with idols of any sort, God commands us to completely destroy them many times over. Moses destroyed the golden calf by melting it, crushing it, grinding it to powder, then putting it into a stream to carry it away.

Whatever your calling is, I encourage you to step into what God has laid on your heart. It may be as small as spending more quality time with your kids. It may be as big as starting a new ministry. It may be as personal as learning how to love. It may be as life-changing as overcoming a chronic bad habit. Whatever it is, God is on your side, working to bring you out of the desert where you have lived for so long. God's will is for you to overcome and to be victorious just as Jesus Christ overcame death by rising from the dead! "The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you" (Rom 8:11 NLT).

Why Do We Face Difficulties?

Photo: Rev. Ruben E. Navarrete

Deuteronomy 8 is packed full of awesome words from God about why we go through difficulties. I have underlined almost every verse in this chapter because they are all so powerful!

Why Do I Face Difficulties?

1. God is teaching me obedience. 

Deut 8:1 says: "Be careful to follow every command I am giving you today." It is His will for me to learn to obey Him. Whether I learn the easy way or the hard way is up to me. Blessings will come as I obey. Life is not easy, but it will be better for us if we learn to obey God. He gives us every command for a good reason. 

2. God has a plan for my deliverance from the difficulty.

Deut 8:1b says: "so that you may live and increase and may enter and possess the land that the LORD promised on oath to your forefathers." The deliverance comes as a direct result of our obedience. If the people of Israel had obeyed God immediately by believing they could enter the Promised Land and taking it as God had instructed, they would have entered it 40 years sooner. But they were afraid and doubted God's ability to give them victory. So in response to their unbelief, they were not allowed to enter the Promised Land; they had to wander in the desert for 40 years. Yet God was faithful to His Promise, so after the 40 years were complete, He led them into the Promised Land.

3. God wants to humble me and test me.

Deut 8:2 says: "Remember how the LORD your God led you all the way in the desert these forty years, to humble you and to test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands." God wants my willing obedience. His desire is for me to obey--not simply because I have to but because I want to. Just like I want my children to obey me without arguing and with a good attitude, that is what God wants from me. My obedience to God demonstrates that I love Him and I trust that His rules are for my good. In difficulties, we may feel tempted to give up or to disobey what God wants, but if we obey when it is hard, we will pass the test. 

4. God wants to teach me to rely on Him and nothing (no one) else.

Deut 8:3 says: "He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your fathers had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD." During the difficulty, what have I hungered for? If I felt like every desire was fulfilled, then I would not be hungry for anything. God clearly wants to make me hunger so that He can satisfy it. God is the only one that can truly satisfy all that I need in this life. This means whatever I am lacking, He can and will fulfill (The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want. In other words, I shall lack nothing. -Psalm 23). This includes material needs, physical needs, emotional needs, spiritual needs.

5. God wants to show His supernatural power to sustain me.

Deut 8:4 says: "Your clothes did not wear out and your feet did not swell during these forty years." When our circumstances seem impossible, that is when God works. It may be impossible for me, but nothing is impossible with God. He can make clothes last for forty years, which shows supernatural provision. He can prevent feet from swelling, which shows supernatural healing. Think of all the miracles that Jesus did that were impossible in human terms but that He did to provide for and sustain His followers. He turned one plate of food into enough to feed over five thousand people. Remember that if He provides for the sparrows and lilies of the field, how much more will He provide for us. Are we not worth more than birds and flowers (Matthew 6:28)?

6. God is disciplining me as His child.

Deut 8:5 says: "know then in your heart that as a man disciplines his son, so the LORD our God disciplines you." I discipline my children because I love them. I want to teach them right from wrong. I want them to grow up to be good and productive members of society. I want them to have good values to pass on to their children. I want them to know Jesus and to show His love to the world. I want their lives to be blessed by God through their own obedience. Think of all the reasons your discipline your children and what you are trying to teach them. These are the same reasons that God disciplines us. He is my loving Father. He knows what is best for me, so He will discipline me until I learn to love Him, to trust Him, to obey Him, to seek Him, and to be like Him.

7. God wants my life to honor Him.

Deut 8:6 says: "observe the commands of the LORD your God, walking in his ways and revering him." It brings God great joy to have His children walking in obedience to Him, in respect for Him, in honor for Him. That is the best way to increase God's Kingdom. My life is not simply about me. Everything I do affects many other people. If I am godly, then those around me will learn to be godly. The Kingdom of God expands when we honor Him. It honors God when we trust Him during difficulties. If we do not trust Him and instead show anger and bitterness, it demonstrates to the world that we do not believe God is good and trustworthy and powerful. Even our attitudes are a testimony about God to the world, so they can be a testimony that will draw others closer to God or a bad testimony that will push people away from God. We have a huge capacity to influence the world for or against God based on our attitudes during difficult times.

8. God has greater things in store for me.

Deut 8:7-9 says: "for the LORD your God is bringing you into a good land--a land with streams and pools of water, with springs flowing in the valleys and hills; a land with wheat and barley, vines and fig trees, pomegranates, olive oil and honey, a land where bread will not be scarce and you will lack nothing; a land where the rocks are iron and you can dig copper out of the hills." We will appreciate all these wonderful things more in contrast to not having them before. If we always have prosperity, we will take it for granted. Read these verses, and believe that God is speaking them directly to you. I don't know where you are coming from, but if you are like me, you have been in a difficult place. You have experienced wandering in the desert for weeks or months or years. You have walked in the depths of a dark valley where you feel alone and helpless. You have lived through times where you could not even hear God's voice. But know that your mountain awaits, and it will far surpass what you even hoped and prayed for. Everything that you have lacked and missed and cried for and longed for will be fulfilled in a way that is far better than you could hope for because the God of the Universe loves you and wants the best for you! Not only does God have wonderful blessings in store for our future, He has a perfect home in heaven waiting for us, so that is our ultimate hope. No blessings in this life compare to how wonderful it will be in heaven. God wants us to understand that nothing on this earth will fully satisfy us because our eternal home is in heaven with Him. 

9. God wants me to praise Him.

Deut 8:10 says: "When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the LORD your God for the good land he has given you." God will be praised, and it is our job to do so. Praising the Lord brings Him great honor and glory and also helps us to have a heart full of joy and thanksgiving. When God has brought you through the trial and you have reached your promised land, you will be able to praise Him so much more because you will have experienced His power, love, and faithfulness firsthand.

10. God wants me to not forget Him.

Deut 8:11-15 says: "Be careful that you do not forget the LORD your God, failing to observe his commands, his laws and his decrees that I am giving you this day. Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses and settle down, and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all you have is multiplied, then your heart will become proud and you will forget the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery." God blesses us in so many ways, but we need to guard against forgetting Him. The more we have, we can easily become proud and give ourselves all the credit for our blessings. Everything we have is a gift from God, so we need to recognize it is God's and not ours. Once you have passed through the desert, do not forget how God brought you through it and all that God has done for you in the past. He not only brought you out of the desert, but prior to that, He brought you out of slavery. He has delivered you many times, and this testimony will encourage you in future trials and can help others that you share your story with.

11. God wants me to tell others about how He helped me through the trial.

Deut 8:15-16 says: "He led you through the vast and dreadful desert, that thirsty and waterless land, with its venomous snakes and scorpions. He brought you water out of hard rock. He gave you manna to eat in the desert, something your fathers had never known." During the trial, God did many good things for you, even though at the time you may not have been able to see it. But take the time to think about what God has done for you even through the desert. God will give you opportunities to tell others about how He brought you through the difficulty and to help others who are facing something similar.

12. God wants the best for me.

Deut 8:16b says: "so that in the end it might go well with you." Only God knows how to take a terrible circumstance and somehow bring good from it. God has promised He will bring beauty from ashes (Isaiah 61:3). Do not give up because God is with you. He loves you much more than you could ever understand. He wants good things for you and is working through every situation in your life. This is true even when you do not feel it. That is the great thing about God's love--it never changes! He has done so much for you even in the trial "so that it may go well with you."

Cleaning and Uncleaning Your House

Photo: L. Navarrete

Lately, my house is cleaner than usual because it is for sale. So it has to be ready to show on short notice. However, I did not get any calls to show the house for several weeks, so I started to slack off with my daily cleaning chores. Then the call came: "Can I show your house today? We can be there in 20 minutes." My response? "Yes, but I have lots of kids including a newborn, and it would be great to have a little more time to prepare." Thankfully, they were viewing houses again a few days later, so we arranged an appointment for noon on Thursday.

I woke up at 7:00 on Thursday morning to my sweet 7-week-old crying for milk, of which he had also woken at 1:00, 3:00, and 4:30 am. But no going back to sleep for this tired supermom because I had a house to clean and five hours to do it! Thankfully, three kids were going to school, and my amazing mom was coming to help out with the babies and with the cleaning.

The second floor was my first task: making beds, putting clothes away, dusting, cleaning the bathrooms, emptying trash cans, putting out the white towels/comforters/soaps, turning on lights, opening the blinds, hiding all the clutter that was on every table and dresser. All this is because, of course, you can't show a house that looks lived in. But this home is more than lived in when we have five kids including a newborn with reflux, a 2-year-old that loves to bring her sippy cup onto the carpet, and three other kids that track in dirt. Plus we have a beagle that runs away every day, jumps on dining room tables, steals our food, and knocks over Caleb's full cups of milk. Despite the reality of our crazy life here at home, it has to look like a model home if we expect to sell it.

The baby was tired from waking up all night, so he slept most of the morning, enabling mom and me to complete the house preparations! And Sadie was entertained by Mickey a little more than I would usually allow. I had not completed all the vacuuming, but it was time, so I loaded the car and set out to pick up Emma. Mom let the prospects in and waited on the porch while they examined the property, hopefully noticing how perfectly clean it looked.

As soon as they left, I spent a few minutes uncleaning the house to make it ready for kids again...