What Works for Me and Priorites

Rod is in Indiana. I already miss him so much. Don't know how I'm gonna make it!

We had my sister's baby shower Saturday. It was fun. She got lots of cute stuff. She' so excited, and so am I! There is something precious about a baby. They are so innocent and gorgeous and smell so good, most of the time!

I was talking to my sister in law to be last night about babies and kids, and how much you learn with each child! It's so funny...with your first one, you really don't know anything. You just kind of wing it, learn by trial and error, do the best you know how to do. Your second one, you think you know it all. Then they come along, and are so different from your first one, and you still have no idea what you're doing! And the third one, you know alot more, but not everything by a long shot, even though some days you think you do! And that's as far as I've gotten...but I think I'm doing good. I've learned alot of what works for ME.

The things that work for me are:
1. Bedtimes. My kids go to bed around 7-8 each night. No later than that, unless it's a special night.
2. They put theirselves to sleep, as soon as I bring them home from the hospital. I love to rock babies, but not when I have to rock them for them to go to sleep. I rock them during the day as much as they'll let me, but when it's bedtime, I hug them and lay them down and they go to sleep.
3. They stay in bed until 7 am. This gives me 1 hour in the morning to do whatever I need to or want to. (I get up at 6)
4. Naptime and quiet time. Mikaela has quiet time, she never goes to sleep during the day, but she has to play quietly while Eli naps.
5. They help me do chores. I've learned that it's okay if the towels aren't folded exactly so, they'll be in the cabinet anyway. It's okay if their beds aren't military style made up in the morning, they try their best. It's okay if their drawers are a little messy, because they put away their own pj's, underwear and socks. It's okay if they missed a spot dusting, because that's the only way they'll learn! BTW...I've jus recently come to this conclusion, and it's saved me alot of sanity.

There's more things than that I've learned...the first 4 have to do with sleep! Ha, ha. But sleep is important for children, and mothers, in my opinion. I'm learning each day, and God is helping me put my priorites where they need to be. It's easy for the order to get mixed up, especially living in the world we live in. But it's always God first. And a clean house has to go behind teaching children; Bible study; and playing with children. Organization is important to me, but I can't let it sneak up to the 3rd or 4th slot on my priorites list. We're supposed to be on guard and alert at all times, and I have to be concerning my priorites! I can't compare myself to other people. I can't compare myself with I think I should be. I can only compare myself with what God wants and desires me to be as a Christian, wife and mother.

And He's still workin' on me, to make me what I ought to be!