Our children have, of course, enjoyed the extra time away from school. They have spent their extra time off time playing games together, using their imagination, watching movies, and pretty much doing what kids do.
And - because worship services, small groups, mid-week prayer services, and Bible studies have all been cancelled due to the storm - I have enjoyed a bit of a break as well; worship, sermon, and other teaching preparation has been minimal and all normal visitation and hospital calls have been limited this week. As a family we have played board games and card games, we have completed puzzles together, played in the snow, baked cookies, and watched a few movies. All-in-all it has been a good time together.
Of course, when you have a house of three small children (and a pregnant wife) with the inability to get out of the house, things get a bit tense at times - especially when you have a three-year-old struggling to overcome pneumonia (sleeping 2 hours at a time). Nerves seem to fray quickly and tempers are easily lost. While my wife and I have enjoyed a little extra family time - a little "together time" - we are looking forward to a bit of "separate time" at this point. A time when peace and quiet fill the home again and a time when we can all choose to stay home and enjoy one another's company.
This evening my wife and I were confronted by the "perfect mom" - cheerful and "blessed" that she had this extra time to stay home with her little ones throughout this break and unsure why other parents were on edge. After all, "aren't children a blessing from God?"
At first we were frustrated by "Super Mom". Was this her true feeling and true personality or was she simply faking it to shame us "bad parents"? And, as soon as this horrible thought came to mind, I was flooded with the comforting reality; "WHO CARES!" What does it matter if she truly is "Super Mom" and if she is cheerfully enjoying this extended break with her children? Why should we look down on her if she cherishes the time she spends with her children and if she feels blessed by every moment that she has to spend with them? Who are we to call her "fake" or "insincere"? After all, we have watched the show "19 Kids and Counting" and asked; "How do Jim and Michelle Dugger manage a home of 19 children without losing their cool or pulling their hair out?" Not only do we watch the Dugger family - especially Jim and Michelle - and ask questions such as "how do they do it", we find inspiration in the peace, joy and love within their family and their home.But, as I considered all of this tonight, one thing occurred to me; we will never be the Dugger family - and I don't want us to be. And, what's more, my wife and I will never be perfect parents (our children will probably never call us super parents). Honestly, we have times of unease, stress, and tension in our home. We have moments when we loose our temper and have to apologize to our children and ask for their forgiveness. But, by the grace of God, we move forward and we improve.
Ha! You're not alone Adam. I thought about shoveling the driveway in -40 temperature just to get a little time to myself the other day. Then I considered throwing the kids out there. I did neither, but going back to regular schedules is a good thing. Our schools just had 2-hour delay today, so normalcy, or what we know as normalcy, is coming.
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