Today was one of those marathons Sundays. I started at six thirty this morning with the final preparations for the teacher training meeting I have been working on, ran off to ward council while Nat finished baking my goodies, conducted Primary with Isaac asleep on my chest (at least I didn't have sharing time, thank goodness), ran around like a mad woman getting everything and everyone where they needed to be for the training and then taught the teacher improvement meeting with Noah in my arms. He feel asleep halfway through my talk and spilled his glass of water down the backs of my legs. Then I cleaned up the mess we had made and took the kids home by myself so that Nat could go to the stake priesthood meeting. I got the kids in their jammies and went back to pick Nat up. I am speaking at Enrichment this week and in charge of a Primary activity on Saturday. Somehow in the midst of this I hope to make it to the gym, clean my house, do the laundry, and feed my family.
Little Luke got lost in the shuffle today and just starting crying after church when we rushed him off to the provided nursery so that Nat could attend the training and I could teach it. He just sat there and silently sobbed over his cupcake. When I asked him what was wrong he told me, "I am just used to being with you after church. I thought I would get to be with you, this isn't how I pictured it." Oh, my heart just broke for my little boy. He just wanted his parents. And shouldn't a little five year old who attends school for more than six hours a day and then Primary for two hours on Sunday get to be with his parents once in a while? In all the busyness of the day his feelings were looked over. Really, what's more important than his tender little emotions?
After he was put to bed with assurances of our love for him I went down to my balm of Gilead, lds.org. I typed in "children emotions" and this gem popped up. Hopefully, I can slow down and focus on what matters. Maybe there will be popcorn for dinner this week. Maybe we'll just keep fishing for clean clothes in the mountain of unfolded laundry on my bedroom floor. I might not get those pictures hung before Ashley comes to town. A few things are for certain, I will snuggle my big boy, read him Hatchet, and do my best to draw him pictures of dragons.
4 comments:
It's hard in the midst of everything to remember that that is a person who you are trying to get into jammies and feed and cart around. A little bundle of feelings. Thanks for this Carrie. I needed to hear that it's ok to fish semi-clean clothes out of the bottom of the laundry basket so I can read my baby some extra stories.
Also, I won't judge you if those pictures aren't hung.
Carrie - that is such a sweet/sad little story about Luke. There's nothing worse than crying and feeling sad when you have a perfectly good treat in your hand. What a sweet little boy.
I was just thinking about this last night. I had a whole long list of things I could/should do with my time - laundry, picking up the house, cleaning up dinner, etc, etc - but Jonny and Marian were out on the porch swing and I just wanted to be with them. As I opened the front door to go sit with them, I wondered "is this (a dirty house, undone chores) just going to have to be the face of choosing time with my family over the daily tasks?"
Poor Luke! I love that he understood his fairly complex emotions and was able to communicate them! He is such a great kid. Thanks for posting that article, too. It is a great reminder.
Too bad you guys are such great teachers and leaders; it is sort of your own fault for being called away so often!
Thanks for this post! i went to that talk, and was inspired to be a better mother. I appreciate you sharing that!
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