Mothers...across centuries, across cultures, across religions, we are all the same. Mary the mother of Jesus had Luke to record her treasures. Some of us ponder and then pen them in a baby/remembrance book or a blog like this ... but all of us have those moments, big and small that we treasure.
I have had lots of those treasurey kinds of pondering moments with my kids over the last week or so. So many that I've lost several of them. They weren't the BIG kind of pondering moments...you know, like Shepherds coming after angels told them your Son was born, or Kings bringing extravagant gifts of worship. But little things, that make my heart swell toward my kids and give me the title "Mommy."
As I'm sitting at the piano and singing "Jesus, Light of the World Shine Upon Us" JoJo joins me and begins to play a counter melody. Then she adds lyrics "Elmo the potty. Nah, nah, nah, nah, nah, nah"
JuBe whispers in my ear "I don't think you got your money's worth out of the foot rub I gave you the other night. How about another one while you read to us before bed time Mama?"
Peebs..."I like when you lead worship at church Mommy. What do you do again though? I forgot? Do you sing or play piano?" (ahem...4 to 5 out of 7 nights, I tuck them in bed and go downstairs and both play piano and sing as they fall asleep....and last Sunday at the worship service I did both play & sing)
JoJo after tinkling on the floor right before she got to the toilet "I'm sooooooo sorry Mommy. You happy with me?" (Oh, how could I be anything but happy with you, lovely girl?)
Odes: "Mommy, let's do that thing where I hide under the blanket in my room and then you lay on me and ask everyone else if you know where I am and then yell for me to come to bed now. Do I always ask you to do that?"
Peebs: My sweet, talkative, yet quiet-spirited, servant-hearted boy/man...taking care of little siblings, and taking on large tasks without being told. We went into the back yard and saw that our 6 year old son had set up a fire pit we had been wanting to set up...all on his own. It was perfectly done...we wouldn't have changed a stone!
Odes: "Your hair looked creepy and your face looked shiny in college."
JuBe: "Why am I getting a callus on my toe?" Me: (not really sure why I said this) "because you're becoming a young lady now." JuBe: "Oh, you say that because you have them. But, I don't think calluses are lady like. You certainly aren't." Me: (feigning offense) "What do you mean I'm not lady like?" JuBe: "Samantha's lady~like Grandmother (story figure from the late 1700's) would never chase her kids around the house and laugh hysterically and say weird stuff like you...it's not lady~like." Me: "OK...I'm going to take this and say 'thanks.'" JuBe: "I like you mom."
JoJo: Any time we ever ask a question during school, she raises her hand and yells "I know, GOD! No, no Jesus! I got it Woo hoo!"
Odes: "you should really take off that swim mask mama. It doesn't do good things for you."
Peebs: "Mommy, I don't understand why they put words like 'jab' and 'ram' in my readers. These are not words I care to read about."
Peebs: (yelling into the next room) "JuBe! I can read 'yak' now!"
JoJo: "let's race mommy!" (in the pool) "I get the gold, you get the silver!" She is two and can barely dog paddle, but insists on winning every time.
JuBe: A good and loyal friend...always wanting to give in her friendships, but never seeming to be a push over. I love her strong, constant, sweet spirit. Learning to speak her mind, while remaining kind and respectful...a quiet, strength-filled dignity surrounds her as she grows in humor and creativity.
Peebs: upon understanding the reason for an exclamation point at the end of a sentence, yelling every sentence that he reads which ends with one.
Odes: "I'm really not comfortable talking about this with you mommy. I mean, it's just uncomfortable to say how I feel about you singing in front of the whole church."
JoJo: "Call me Catty now. Cuz I want a Ruffy/Catty birthday party. But, then, call me Bongo, cuz I like my monkey."
Odes: "Is that your breath or your feet mommy? Just sayin'"
JuBe: "If I won the American Girl contest for a trip to D.C., I'd take YOU Mommy!"
Oh, so so so so many things just fill up my heart as the days fly past. It's so easy to get caught up in all of the "stuff:" driving to appointments and striving for timeliness, getting through curriculum and assignments, breaking up fights, meeting needs, shaping character, mopping up "accidents," getting beds made, toilet reminders, teeth brushing reminders, putting stuff away---endlessly, making meals, cleaning up meals, giving medicine, kissing boo-boos, looking for the last band-aid, listening to 15 billion knock-knock jokes (or worse, listening to the 20 minute long joke a cousin shared at camp~for the 15th time)...
but in the midst of it all...there are little things to ponder-to treasure and store away. To remember, because the "days go by slowly and the years slip away quickly" and one day, they will be pondering their own little treasures in their hearts.
So so so thankful for my sweet babies and all the joy and love and lessons we are learning together. Thank you Jesus for my family!
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