Child-ling Rivalry and Inspiration

I can't call it "sibling" rivalry because my boys are not my siblings... I don't want to call it "jealousy" because that seems like such a negative term.  So I've made up my own term...

Child-ling rivalry - defined: a term that describes the actions  of your children (tugging on your arm, singing "Moooom" repeatedly, unrolling toilet paper, etc) while you're busy.  Busy = on the phone/computer/mobile device, using the bathroom, or any other activity not directly focusing on your child.

Make sense?  I'm sure most mom's can relate. (We're working on the whole "be-good-while-Mom's-on-the-phone" thing).  I have found my kids are not the only ones who suffer from this rivalry... Little Lady (who is two and belongs to a whole 'nother family) does the same thing while she is here...  I'm not the only one who suffers from child-ling rivalry, right?

Yesterday, I sat down at the computer to blog and within 30 seconds, E was at my shoulder "needing" me for something.  Turns out, he was wanting to wrestle.  So, I took 15 minutes or more to wrestle with my boys.  E, being the normal healthy four year old that he is, can actually (unintentionally) hurt a person while wrestling.  There's no such thing as "being gentle" while you're wrestling.  Still, I know I need to take advantage of the days when I can still "whip" him at wrestling.  Which, by the way, actually means I leave him breathless after tickling the livin' daylights outta him!  G wants to be involved in the chaos, but involving him means he's crying after 10 seconds... or the first "gentle move" E made on him.  But before you get the wrong idea, I love the good ol' fashioned fun of playing with my boys.  There's nothing like it - even if it means we're a lil rough with each other.... or tickling E until he's screaming "I. can't. breathe!!!!"

Trust me, there's nothing like it!!

So the other day I did a search on Pinterest: successful blogging.  Or something like that.  Trust me when I say: there is plenty of advice on blogging out there.  Everything from selecting your niche (I don't have one) to how and what to write.  Honestly? When I write, it must be inspired.  I simply cannot write until something hits my heart... then it just flows.  When I try to write un-inspired? You'll see blogs like I wrote last night.  There was no point in last night's post - except to inform the reader why I hadn't blogged for several days.  Boring.  So, if you see me missing a day or two, it could be because there's been no inspiration.  (Or it could be because I'm out of town at my parents house in No-Man's Land of no Internet and barely cell phone signal.) I want this blog to be successful but more importantly, I want to encourage my readers.  So I've set myself a goal:

To inspire and encourage; to bring a smile or other positive emotion to the reader. 

I'm ready to blog!!

... But alas... I have been deep in the midst of garage sale prep!! I've cleaned out our shed and garage. Of course those items needed 5-6 years worth of dirt scrubbed off too! I don't think I'd have sold a thing in the shape they were in. I am so sore!! All those trips up and down the attic access ladder... Bending and moving like this bod' ain't used to!! It's good for me, I know! But! Trust me, sitting down at the computer and blogging never sounded as fun as it does right now!!

A big "congratulations!" to the LMS graduates... Jordan, Reneigh, Emily, and all the rest of you... High school is gonna be so fun!!

My Mother's Day gift

Last night, as we were eating dinner, the topic of Mother's Day came up.  E mentioned that he wanted to get me something.  I, being the nosy Mommy that I am, asked in pretend shock "Did you get me a gift?"

To be honest, I was expecting the reaction to come from Daddy.  I was expecting him to "shush" E and remind him that presents are a surprise.  Instead, Daddy remained silent and E became rather subdued.  He had the most serious look, almost distracted look, on his face. He replied "I want to get you a gift, but I can't. I don't know what to get you."

The sincerity in his words, the sweet expression of his heart, absolutely melted mine.  With tears close to the surface, I explained that he did not need to get me anything at all.  He paused for a minute, took another bite of his bread with Strawberry Creme jam and replied, "Well, I was just thinking about giving you my horn."

Me: "Horn? What are you talking about?" What horn could he mean? That plastic trumpet all the kids who've ever visited have blown aka slobbered in? Surely not! He loves that thing!

E: "The horn that's on the desk behind you."

I turn to look at the computer desk, still confused.  Then I saw it... the bicycle horn we had put on the upper shelf of our desk.  It was a birthday gift... given to E by an aunt or uncle who were trying to get revenge on Chris and I for gifting a noisy toy to their kid.  It is very loud, and if in E's reach, he will repeatedly honk it.  You know how it is... it's not honked just once, but over and over again.  Still, it is one of his prize possessions.

Me: "Oh Buddy... your bicycle horn?"

E: "Yep."  He was so pleased with himself.

Me: feigning surprise and excitement "Oh wow! Thank you! Now I can have a horn on my bike!"

The point is people... when I give a gift, too often it is chose in haste and without much thought. I'm only giving the gift to fulfill a 'duty'.  E showed me what it meant to gift from the heart.

And with that, I am, from the depths of my heart, re-gifting the bicycle horn back to him.