Yet, despite my husband's post operative, medicated state, we still got a few more anniversary surprises. Our son's rose bush put out 14 blooms or buds for our 14th anniversary. What are the odds? It's hard to see them all in these picture, but here's the bush bearing 14 gifts for us and our daughter's bush's bearing beautiful roses which we have placed in vases around the house.
It was a long day of running errands and running kids to all their activities, but when we got to the pool only to see that it was closed for timed trials (Yay! We're not participating on the swim team this year and don't have that exhausting schedule), we brought home two bored and disappointed kids. By this time, I only wanted to be alone with my husband, so we went for a walk outside where the atmosphere was quieter and more tranquil.
We've only been home with the kids for five days since school finished for the summer, but the constant clamor, thunderous torrents of tiny feet traversing the house, loud laughter, repeated refrigerator raids, and multitude of messes they make were driving me bonkers. In the midst of the chaos, I’ve been trying to teach the kids that life on earth would be ever so much more enjoyable and without conflict if each one of us would consider the interests of others before ourselves. “But that’s so hard!” they cried. Indeed it is, and I struggle with it every day.
While we walked around outside, I shared with my husband (who is still fresh out of surgery and in a sling) what I observed while running errands and how that even though the kids can frustrate me to no end and even though the world should never be our standard, those annoying kids sure do seem like sweet angels compared to some of the adults I encounter each day. One lady jumped to the front of a really long line with a haughty attitude that told the rest of us in line who stood by quietly watching her that she thought she was much more important and entitled than we were. An older man shouted expletives in front of my little boy at the stamp machine in the post office. A young guy nearly ran us over while speeding much too fast through the parking lot. But then in contrast, my son held the door open for the lady behind us and spoke kindly with “Yes, Mam” and “Thank you”. I told him that I need to be grateful that our kids are at least trying to be respectful and thoughtful of others, but it sure would help if they would at least remember to clean up after themselves, especially when coming into the kitchen for their 50th snack of the day.
Then we walked back inside about 25 minutes later to find our son in a suit and our daughter in a dress. The table was set for two with a lit candle in the center. They told us they had prepared a three-course meal for us for our anniversary and proceeded to wait on us with utmost formality and dutiful attention. After dessert, they brought us each a red rose to exchange with one another. And then they cleaned the table and washed the dishes.
What a fool I was to ever complain, for these kids are such a precious gift from God. What a blessed two-week anniversary celebration it has been!
We've only been home with the kids for five days since school finished for the summer, but the constant clamor, thunderous torrents of tiny feet traversing the house, loud laughter, repeated refrigerator raids, and multitude of messes they make were driving me bonkers. In the midst of the chaos, I’ve been trying to teach the kids that life on earth would be ever so much more enjoyable and without conflict if each one of us would consider the interests of others before ourselves. “But that’s so hard!” they cried. Indeed it is, and I struggle with it every day.
While we walked around outside, I shared with my husband (who is still fresh out of surgery and in a sling) what I observed while running errands and how that even though the kids can frustrate me to no end and even though the world should never be our standard, those annoying kids sure do seem like sweet angels compared to some of the adults I encounter each day. One lady jumped to the front of a really long line with a haughty attitude that told the rest of us in line who stood by quietly watching her that she thought she was much more important and entitled than we were. An older man shouted expletives in front of my little boy at the stamp machine in the post office. A young guy nearly ran us over while speeding much too fast through the parking lot. But then in contrast, my son held the door open for the lady behind us and spoke kindly with “Yes, Mam” and “Thank you”. I told him that I need to be grateful that our kids are at least trying to be respectful and thoughtful of others, but it sure would help if they would at least remember to clean up after themselves, especially when coming into the kitchen for their 50th snack of the day.
Then we walked back inside about 25 minutes later to find our son in a suit and our daughter in a dress. The table was set for two with a lit candle in the center. They told us they had prepared a three-course meal for us for our anniversary and proceeded to wait on us with utmost formality and dutiful attention. After dessert, they brought us each a red rose to exchange with one another. And then they cleaned the table and washed the dishes.
What a fool I was to ever complain, for these kids are such a precious gift from God. What a blessed two-week anniversary celebration it has been!
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment