Q is for Quiver

Happy is the man that has his quiver full of them... Psalm 127:5 AKJV

My quiver is full, I think. We have four children. I really can't imagine my life without them. When I try, I can only see self-indulgence and boredom. What would I do with myself? I've never been good at keeping myself challenged. I like to take the easy route too many times. That's not to say I don't often get inspired to excel, I do; just not enough.

*However, my kids keep me on my toes. My character is challenged. My resilience is tested. My patience is a well exercised muscle.

Soon, I expect to be more and more cognitively challenged as my children progress in school. I already referred to references to "remember" things I once knew to help my 5th grader with homework. Now he will be in middle school. I'm looking forward to remembering algebra and American History, etc.

When I was little, I knew I wanted to grow up and be a mom. I also knew I wanted 3 children, close in age, which happened to be just the type of family I grew up in; until I was a teen, my little sister arrived. Lo and behold, we had 3 boys right in a row, then we added a fourth child after a several year gap.

My quiver is full. My quiver is fun. My children all have goofiness, like me, which I treasure. They are all creative and smart in very different ways. Being a mom is like digging through a never-ending treasure chest. Each day has new, beautiful things to discover. (Lest it all smell like roses, see above. *)

Life is good.

Above All Else... Love

At home, my boys have wonderful moments when they are well behaved and other moments, when... not so much. We work hard to establish expectations of respect and integrity. Sometimes I think I'm thinking too much about some of the not-so-good moments as failures instead of learning moments in the big picture. I do treat the moments as teachable opportunities, but sometimes fail to see things from a broader perspective.

Yesterday, my husband and I took the kids out to a brunch at a nice restaurant with my Dad and his girlfriend. I think I was taking their good behavior for granted until Dad's girlfriend pointed out how delightful our boys are. I suppose there are kids who would be loud, disrespectful, obscene, irritating... But, our boys were polite, funny, calm and charming.

In response to Dad's girlfriend, I shared how my mom always tells me that I will make a lot of mistakes as a parent, but I will be a successful parent if my kids feel loved. That's the most important thing. Dad's girlfriend went on to say that they seem confident and secure and they are all quite individual.

(I later got a text message from my sister that my Dad was bragging about their behavior as well.)

What we're doing is working, and I don't want to forget it. Our love and consistency is affecting they're behavior, confidence and respect for others. I am so proud. I feel like my children will be happy and successful in life if they never forget they are loved, they are special, no matter what.

Boys... "I always love you., no matter what."