Welcome back to bloggerville

I'm not good at journaling. I'm good at talking...texting...connecting...conversing - however writing thoughts and feelings can be therapeutic. I feel like I should apologize to myself for not being better at documenting daily life on a more consistent basis, but I have a lot of things on my plate and writing about them all is a luxury I don't always make time for and I wish I would. So I won't apologize. Instead I will try to make this summer even more memorable by blogging about it when I can. Reminders that I have a blog (and have for 2 years or so would be helpful occasionally).

So welcome to the summer of blogging, my name is Amy and I will be your entertainment and hopefully here and there a little inspiration along the journey.

Today I am an emotional bundle of tears and hormones. Lets just get that out of the way right now.

Our children are moving on to another grade and will "enjoy" their last year of school together next year in the same building...riding the same bus...looking out for one another and being "together". The next time they will be in the same school our older one will be a freshman in high school...and our younger a 7th grader. The bus ride will be different...all big kids...young adults... . The topics of discussion will no longer be Disney shows like iCarly or who will play football at recess - because there isn't recess after 7th grade. They will likely be in on discussions about the opposite sex, have to admit they didn't see the R-rated movie their friends just saw, and aren't allowed to watch the new popular show that everyone is talking about. Come to think of it...driving them to school might be something to think about...

I hope and I pray that their conversations will be God honoring. I hope and pray that as siblings they will band together as friends (Please Lord...let them be friends) and lean on one another, hold each other up, defend one another, and inspire one another to be a light in this world.

I soaked up advice as a new mom quicker than any bounty paper towel or "sham-wow". Everyone said - it goes by too fast and so I readied myself as best I could to live in light of that truth. I then passed it along at every baby shower and to every pregnant mom who would listen. It does go by too fast and the reality is this: we only have 18 years to prepare our kids for life as adults (God willing) equalling 60 years after that 18th birthday. So, every moment has to count. Sometimes the moments that are the most teachable are the ones where no words are spoken. Preach often and if necessary use words.

I used to be relieved that as younger children they wouldn't remember certain things like how stressed out Mommy would get if the house wasn't clean "enough" for company. They now remember things like when Mom jumped in the pool and soaked them with a water gun (and mom usually just sticks her feet in). Or when Mom said "It's ok" (and didn't panic at the thought of ants marching 2 by 2) when the soda spilled all over the floor. They also remember things like Mom being impatient with other drivers or losing it over something so not worth losing it over...

Preach often and if necessary use words comes to mind.

So for my children who in so many ways have taught me more than I have taught them - I hope this summer is the best ever for all of us. I hope that I will care less about how often the floor gets cleaned and more about making memories with you. I hope that the minutes of laughter and silliness will far exceed the minutes of arguing with one another, rolling eyes, and loss of privileges. However, those too are opportunities to be shaped and readied for your years as adults and God willing - future parents. Some day you will thank me I hope for those shaping moments.