I love you all, thank you for the awesome words of encouragement on this post!!
Sending big hugs through the computer screen! Shan
After the concert on Saturday, Rich and I took the kids to see the Christmas tree festival at a local museum.
The trees each had a different theme, this one was of the sea:
I thought this wreath was creative, it’s made with curls of white birch bark.
I was aching to see SOMETHING that glorified Christ and this was the only thing we saw;
“The earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD”
Shortly after this picture was taken I finally “snapped” and was completely overwhelmed with the little boys’ busy behavior…I could not keep them from touching everything they saw (notice Caleb in the picture above?)…I heard my voice getting meaner and meaner, “don’t touch!”, “stay close to mommy!”, “don’t drag your coat on the floor!” “Caleb say sorry to that man, you just ran into him!”….Rich made me realize how mean I was sounding and told me to be gentle but that just made things worse because then I felt ashamed and frustrated, “I want my kids to have a good time and I’m ruining it!” Rich, on the other hand, was walking around SILENTLY with Seth in his arms, looking at things with the older children, as I ran after the little boys like a frantic mother hen. I’m sure the hen does much better than I in these instances, however.
Maybe it wasn’t that bad….we did get to see every tree and decoration there, but we left as I was crying, actually CRYING in public, LOL……out of exhaustion and frustration……Grace noticed and asked me if I was stressed out. Yes, dear Grace………very much so!
We went to church the next day but I had a terrible headache and went to bed as soon as we got home, for the rest of the day. I’m feeling much, much better now, thankfully.
Can anyone relate?
Merry Christmas! lol
Good to be Home 
Boy can I relate. But I only have 3 children and I am not pregnant, ha. Bless your heart! And Merry Christmas to a very real, wonderful mother.
I can totally relate. So much that I am absolutely dreading today’s Wal Mart outing.
I am glad you were able to rest Sunday!
NO, I can’t relate (hee hee, just kidding!!!). Sometimes I actually think I get “jealous” of my husband. You know, they just get dressed up and go…while I feel like I am trying to schedule, coordinate, think about what needs to go in the purse, you know… They just go and enjoy the event, and we scramble around trying to keep things from getting torn apart.I am with you sister!! You are human like the rest of us!!
Something that might help – I have foster children and their behaviors can be somewhat strange, to say the least, in public. I have found that “practicing” before we go helps immensely. Kids need to know what is expected of them, but just telling them isn’t always enough for their concrete-thinking minds. If they can experience the outing beforehand, they have a much better grasp of what’s expected. For instance, you could practice walking into the museum quietly, not touching the trees or gifts, using quiet voices, etc. at home with a practice tree.I leaned this technique as an elementary school teacher and it worked great for field trips and assemblies. And the best thing is the kids think that practicing is fun!Hope this helps.Debbie
You’re such a good mom, Shanda. I really admire you. Im glad you got rest on Sunday. 🙂 The rest of the week will be great. 😉
Oh yes I do have stressed times and can relate!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!the trees are beautiful!
Your posts always make me smile and feel happy. Sorry about your stress!!! Glad today is much better 😀
the trees are all beautiful~ and YES! I can relate. 🙂
I hear ya, dear lady ~ and echo you ~ I so wish this season was not so stressful.
I think we can all relate! Don’t be so hard on yourself ~ you’re a great mom! We’re all entitled to an off day! Blessings on this, another day from Him!
I only had two children so it was always easy to keep up with them when we went out. They are both adults now. I will say that amnesia takes over when you’re old like me and you will remember all the good times, not days like this one you write about. THEY will remember them for you though, and you will laugh about it together when they bring it up. You know? Kids touch stuff and life is full of more horrid things than that. Just apologize to them, ask their forgiveness for your fretfullness and move on. Lesson learned, don’t allow yourself to go there again. God bless your day. I bet you’re a great mom and wife!!!
As a mother of five boys, the look on Davy’s face tells me exactly what was happening. I can soooo relate. Boys have so much energy, sometimes it overwhelms us tired mommies. But I guarantee that most people would find your boys very well behaved. So, just enjoy!
Kitty
I wonder where they found those blue boxes with red ribbon they would be so perfect under my tree..I have serious tree envy! LOL!I think any mother with toddlers in a museum would feel that way!I have moments like that ALL the time, it makes the calm peaceful times richer!
I can very much relate. Sometimes when you are trying to do something fun with your kids, the stress starts to outweigh the fun. And I guess that’s when its time to go home! I don’t know what the answer is. I think like someone said, preparing them ahead of time about what to expect is good, but also for me, sometimes if I lower my expectations of them and remember that they are just little kids, that can help. But I am easily stressed out in those situations, so I can def. identify. Glad you’re feeling better today.
Hahahaha!!! I think every mom can relate to you!!! The trees are beautiful!
You ARE a great Mom. You have 6 kids, with one on the way and your hormones are probably going crazy right now. To top it all off, it’s Christmas, which, I’m sad to say is often more stressful than peaceful. 😦
Oh, yes!!! I totally can relate…it seems to be my life lately. That’s probably why I haven’t taken all four boys out to a store by myself yet. I did take them out to the dr’s last week and they did well, but I’m not ready to go shopping with them yet (I’m glad for a 24 hr. grocery store down the road). I find that if I’m already stressed about something it escalates and they pick up on my stressed moments and it tends to make matters worse.I like what your husband said about having a gentle voice. Hope you have a great day!
Shanda, there are so many posts I have wanted to comment on (and I did leave a long comment the other day, but Lee pressed a button and lost it right before I finished), but this one was un-negotiable. Forgive me please, when in this post you have described yourself in such misery, but it was one of my most favorite and, I thought, funny posts of the whole year! I LOVED IT!!! And well, I guess the only reason I could love it that much is because I can relate, but more as an older sibling than as a mom. My mom definitely had a few of her own such “tearful departures,” and reading your account, in the words and perspective of a mom, made me suddenly understand and love my mom even more!
had those kinds of days before only not with kids 😛 Love that “woody tree” all of the trees are decorated so pretty!
I think all Mom’s have days like that! Daddy’s do too! Thankfully around here we don’t tend to have those days. . on the same day! lol
Oh yes, all moms must relate. We took David to a museum when he was a toddler,and the boys were about your older boys age. He was being so good, but did talk, we got tired of being glared at. Bob was holding him, but we forgot that all his little babblings and questions would bother people. You are an awesome mom, and because you care about how they behave your kids will have better manners…it is work. Yes, deep breath, sometimes we can correct better than others…sorry to tell you I am still working on that one. I don’t know why God gave Dad’s more ability to not get flustered. I guess so they could handle stressful situations when it is important, you know, life or death. Love that last shot…even though Caleb is AWOL. And the birch wreath is cool. Glad you found the Lion and the Lamb wreath!
Oh, yes. All of us mom’s can relate! Great photos!
Wow, can I ever relate! Sometimes I don’t even want to do anything fun because I feel like I just end up ruining it by being stressed. Your husband sounds so famaliar, but they’re watching one kid or the bigger kids and we’re keeping track of everyone at once and trying to see something interesting at the same time. Who wouldn’t be stressed? I try to relax, but we can’t tear the place apart and someone has to keep the kids from disappearing. Give yourself a break, and know it might get better 😉 though not for awhile, we’ve still got little ones. It’s better when you’re not pregnant too…at least I’m alot more even keel without those crazy hormones.
What an awesome blog! I’m your new reader. 🙂 Thanks for sharing with us all. I’m looking forward to many more new blog entries.
My daughters are in their 20’s, and I can still remember/relate.
can anyone relate? of course!
i have planned all these great things and have had such great expectations of how the day would go. of course, the day was never that “perfect picture” i dreamed of. something would happen, someone would forget something, someone would be crabby, someone would be disobedient, someone would end up yelling (usually me!)……..you get the picture.
we can never live up to anyone’s expectations, and nothing can ever be perfect here on earth. we can just try our hardest, understand where we are in life, and that has to be good enough. you are providing such wonderful memories for your children, shanda, and are not only doing the best you can, but doing a darn good job at it!!
Oh those stinken emotions…every woman on the planet who has them can relate, Shanda! You are not alone! God gave you a steady man. Thankfully, it wasn’t him walking out of there crying! :o) In my overwhelmed state, I’m so thankful that God is my rock, my portion and my high tower. Sometimes my tears flood me right to that high tower. Blogging is great because it allows us moms to stick together. We have the mutual understanding that a clogged toilet, spilled cereal and piles of laundry can throw us into a fit of tears. (hugs and a tissue coming through the computer screen to you. :o) Feel better! I’m praying for you, dear friend!
Well, from the number of comments, I’d say you aren’t alone! I’ve had almost a whole week of not being able to fall asleep. I’m sure I’m trying to do too much (but my body hasn’t gained strength, yet) and feel like my children are making it harder. BUT . . . I’m supposedly doing this for them! The grocery trips, the doctor’s waiting room times . . . Sometimes I’m embarrassed by their behavior! They ARE better than many children, but ALL children have their moments.That said, I want you to know I have prayed for you this week, while lying in bed trying to fall asleep. In fact, I prayed A LOT for you last night – I guess I know why, now!!! Take care!
I know it’s nutty, but you will be happy you made the effort when you get to my age and the memories of all that transpired will be “misty water colored”…as the old song says.It is amazing to me what our children remember and what meant the most.Always a different version from mine.:)Dawn xo
I can totally relate. My favorite Sandra McCracken song says “When I give you all that I have to give, I still have a storehouse full.” I’m always grateful that we have a storehouse of God’s love to love our kids with. Otherwise, we would never make it!
I wish I had been there to make you feel “normal” – cause my little ones would have been running around touching too – or breaking. Can’t tell you many things i’ve paid for I didn’t want to… I was a bit stressed the other day when we took all the children to Bass Pro and there were lots of trees decorated too. ~ Brighton had no concept that the ornaments could break or fall of if she touched. so can relate 🙂 blessings to yoU!
anybody that can’t relate probably doesn’t have kids!! 🙂 So glad to hear that I am not the only one who needs my husband to remind me to let my kids be kids sometimes!! (I get so mad at him because he is right, and mad at myself because he is right!!)Hope that you have a Merry Christmas and some moments of peace!!