Monday oh my Monday

I thought I would give a day in the life of a home with four teens (almost).

6:45AM my eyes open. Alarm is scheduled for 7AM at least this morning I am not awoke with a nightmare that has me running to my phone to text my sister to make sure she is OK! I slept a solid 6 1/2 hrs! best sleep in awhile! Exhaustion must have caught up to me!!

I come downstairs and read my daily reading I am in Ester today! Love this story more every time, Ester's fierce yet gentleness spirit!

7:30 my oldest comes down and makes his lunch, off to his summer job! So proud of him for working so hard! His first taste of being a real grown-up! He has worked hard and has realized there are only so many hours in a day!

8 AM comes I go for a walk/run (that is run the first maybe half a mile to meet my friend walk for 3.5 miles and run the, not even, a mile home!) Day sounds pretty good so far!

I get home my son is washing my car. He is such a hard worker! So proud of him! Dad has left him a list to do today before heading into work. I feel so loved! My older daughter is up and getting ready for work. She has to be there at 9:30. Way to go, Allee! No one has to wake her up, she is on time 95% of the time. So proud of her!! That leaves only my youngest home. I will get a shower and wake her up as I head into the the office this morning! pretty picture perfect day! 

The dog is up begging for food. I feed him and head upstairs. Wait! what in the world is this? Pee? Really the dog peed in the house? What in the world? I go to Carmen's room, she is fast asleep. I wake her and ask - :Who took Cosmo out? She answers "I don't know. He was irritating me so I let him out?" I promptly ask "Who was suppose to take care of him when you let him out?" Carmen-"You were up?" At that point I explained to her you can't just let the dog out of his create and not see who is home and expect others to care for him. I let her know she could take responsibility for her  choice and clean the pee up from outside her brothers door. So why can't dogs do this on the tile or laminate floor.  Carmen does get up and clean it up. Way to go! One proud momma!!

I proceed to work. I am pulling numbers - something I do not do normally and something that, when I do it once a year scares me,  I am going to mess up! Last time I pulled numbers I had a break down literally! Big oh tears!! The printer does not want to work so I can print out my directions. Not looking good. Breath! Deep breath!! Inhale, exhale!! OK moving on, I can do this. The Lord will help me, see  I can handle this! This is minor. The rest of pulling numbers went ok! Thank the Lord!!

Finish work at noon. Head home to have lunch with Carmen and take her so she can entertain a 4 yr old while I meet with 2 godly women. Carmen had breakfast at 11, so lunch alone while she gets ready! Carmen has set up plans to pick up her friend after my meeting so they can hang out until she has to go to volleyball (the friend) and then the friend will stay the night and hang with us all day tomorrow!! 

Meet with my two friends, asked lots of questions about a decision I need to make. I am sure they thought "another question?" I love having ladies who help me navigate through life. My hubby is a blessed man to have these ladies in his life! My decision or really straightening thoughts out that are not complete but I do have more information. Lord please give me the wisdom to know if I am fearing man or if this feeling in the pit of my stomach is for a reason! 2 1/2 hours later we head out. Carmen did such a great job with this little one. So proud of her!

We go pick Carmen's friend up and stop for yogurt on the way home. A sweet treat for a sweet time!! We get home and shortly the phone rings, Kyle is pretty irritated, his school schedule has been changed for next year. We talk for awhile about how to try to fix it. He can work through this, his plan has just been messed with. He agrees to wait til tomorrow to deal with it! Thank you Lord, thank you for keeping me calm to talk to him. Thank you for allowing me to see how this is a big deal to him. 

5:15 PM time to take Carmen's friend to practice. Carmen is so happy, a night and all day tomorrow with her friend! Getting ready to leave and phone rings, its a co-worker. Another co-worker is locked out of the office and is hanging out in the HOT warehouse. OK how do I go let her in and get another child to practice on time? Going to the office will make her at least 10 mins late and coaches hate for players to be late!! ugh! Oh Allee just got home! Send her. Allee goes to the office and unlocks. By the time I get home from taking friend to practice Allee is home. 

Allee seems irritated. Ask how her day was and she spills a rough stressful day. Oh! I am so sorry! Rude customers, impatient customers, extremely busy and under staffed! Who would think they would be this busy, it's Monday!!! Allee grabs a sandwich and is off to see friends.

I take advantage of the quiet and pull out my Hebrews study!! I need some wisdom here Lord!

It's now 6:30 and no Tyler, humm!! 6:45 Tyler comes in the door. It is obvious he has had a rough day. He had to work really late tonight. Messed up his plan for the night! Tyler gave me the low down on his frustration in the work place. We all have those don't we! Whether that is paid work places or volunteer work places! Lord, I hate seeing my kids hurting, being brought to the end of themselves. I know this is good for them, teaches them to grow, but honestly Lord this stinks to watch and not be able to jump in. I know my job is to listen and encourage!

Allee calls from leaving time with her friends. I can tell she is not ok. She is struggling and cannot fathom why!

I have just a few minutes before I pick Carmen's friend up and we start the fun. So glad one child is having a positive day! The phone rings, it's friends dad. Seems friend did not do all chores and now cannot come over. Not wanting to watch another child to be upset I let him know he can bring her over until 11 pm tonight. Yes, I am a little desperate for Carmen not to be too disappointed.

Allee comes sits at the table with me and we talk, yes a conversation! She goes into more detail of her day and night and I see the distress on her face. Comes down to it, today was too much for her. She did not need to go tonight, she needed to hang out at home and breath. She is an introvert and needs her time to process. Today was just too much!!

About 8pm friends dad calls and the whole plan is off. I go and let Carmen know and the sadness starts. Her plan has been side railed! Things did not go the way she wanted them to! 

Carmen and I snuggle down about 9:30pm to read. Something we have been doing lately, reading His Revolutionary Love if you have a teenage daughter 7th grade and up, this book is fabulous and not long!  While reading my phone goes off and friend has finished all chores, worked hard and can come over in the morning! Thank you Lord!! 

11pm I snuggle into bed. All kids home and in bed. I read for awhile and then close to 1 AM I turn the light off to wake up the next morning and do it all over again!! I love being a mom, but it is so much easier when both parents are around!! I pray for safety and health for my hubby! I thank the Lord for some time to hang out with my kids and be home where my personal time gets interrupted with their daily issues. I thank the Lord that I am able to live a life that is flexible and I am not stressed (not today anyway) to the max with the burdens of life. I thank the Lord for relationships inside and outside my home. I love being a mom! The only things I love more than that is being a wife! and being a follower of  Christ!!

John 16:33New American Standard Bible (NASB)

33 These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”