Catching Up

So what are we up to lately? Well, first off I'm ready for some FALL weather! I broke down and turned on my A/C today. It was 90 yesterday, and today seems to be headed the same direction (although the weather forecast last night promised that a cold front would be moving in this afternoon). It's actually been hotter here than in AZ! I was talking to my parents this past weekend. I was wearing shorts, and quite sweaty from carrying groceries into the house; meanwhile, they were watching snowflakes fall in MT. Man, I am ready for fuzzy sweaters, jeans, and hot chocolate! (Doncha just love that pic? I snagged it from Kitschy Stitches - a thoroughly entertaining site that is guaranteed to suck you in for hours!)

In other happenings, I'm still plugging away at getting the house somewhat "together." I've been throwing out a lot of junk (I currently have two FULL trash cans awaiting pick-up tomorrow), which feels good but there's still a lot more I need to get through. The progress on my craft space has sort of stalled as I concentrate on other things, but I'm hoping to get back to it on Friday. The kiddos are definitely picking up on my mood, too, as they're being whinier than normal.

Sunday evening was the third installment of the Essentials of Discipline class at our church, and the subject was "Anger and Discipline." I'll take an extra order of conviction to go along with that, please! :) I'm feeling pulled in so many different directions, and I know that my fuse has been shorter than usual lately, so this whole series is really helping me to regain some perspective; we're only 1/4 of the way into it, but I would definitely recommend it - godly advice presented in an entertaining fashion that encourages you to do better (not belittling you for your shortcomings). Anyway, I wanted to share one comment: "Removing anger from the discipline process gives you the freedom to discipline out of love." Isn't that what all parents want? I know my kids need discipline, but I certainly don't enjoy administering it. It's best to handle situations before I turn into the "The Incredibly Angry Mommy" (visualize a hulk-like transformation!). And if it has already progressed to that point, then I need to take a parental time-out before handing down consequences. This will not only make the process less painful (at least in the long-run emotionally), but also more effective. I was also reminded of how important it is to follow through on instructions. When I tell my kids to pick up, I need to mean it - not "I'm telling you to pick up now, but you and I both know that nothing will happen for at least ten minutes, and then I'll start yelling because you haven't moved." Now thankfully I can say that scenario is not the norm at our house, but I have found myself letting things slide sometimes, which leads to yelling mommy syndrome.

Whew! So that pretty much sums up the past few days. Things may be kinda quiet for a week or two, but I promise to drop in occasionally!!