The Real Me

In the 90s there was a popular song by a band with an unfortunate name that had the lyric, "you never know just how you look through other people's eyes." Apparently that songwriter did not have young children. Frank, honest children.

In the past few days my kids have told me I look manly. I've been told I should grow my hair because "then I might look pretty." And then, last night, after a whirlwind week - I'm talking a Bible school, play dates, swimming, new toys, liberal video game playing, late nights, early mornings, Lucky Charms for dinner kind of week - I let the kids stay up late to watch the latest Oz movie. I was hustling them off to bed when Abby said, "you know, you're acting like the wicked witch."

Away We Go

I've spent the last six weeks in sort of a hazy, blurry funk. While the kids plowed through end-of-year parties, field days, STAAR testing, teacher appreciation gifts, yearbooks and recitals, I've been staring out the car window watching it all race by, bemoaning how quickly the time passes instead of enjoying the view. You get the metaphor.

I was particularly testy last week because the kids, newly hatched from school, didn't seem to have the same agenda as me. My agenda was to sleep in, keep the house clean, enjoy each other's company. They, however, preferred to get up earlier, stay up later, and when they weren't throwing beach balls or breaking vases, they liked to pass the time fighting and tattling on each other.

But today is another day. And since the kids had Vacation Bible School I was hoping the messages of peace and love would come home with them. But right now Sam's sick in bed, Jake has a friend over who likes to throw things and tease our kittens, and Abby feels the need to report their behavior to me every ... single ... minute.

I was just about to lose it - again - when Abby came to me upset. She lifted up the back of her shirt to reveal a pink cross sticker halfway up her back. "I put this here because of Jesus," she said. "But Jake told me 'trary to the song, Jesus does NOT love me."