More rules...but these are for Mama

Earlier this month I wrote about "House Rules" for the children that we have collected through out the years.   Here is a new list.  This list is for Mama...

1.        Remember that this season of life is only a season.  It is over too quickly and before you know it this beautiful bundle you hold in your arms will make you a grandma.  This is true.  Just ask your mother. 

2.       The goal in the middle of the night is not “get the baby back to sleep”.   The goal is to comfort and love and enjoy this moment.  Fulfilling this high calling of motherhood.  For these moments of a wee one at the breast will be the moments you cherish when you think back on the early years.  I have often asked God to help me remember specific moments of nursing, a toddler hand in mine, He has gifted these memories to me.

3.       Littles climbing into your lap while having morning Bible study is not an interruption.  It is a divine appointment.  Welcome them in.  Read Deuteronomy 6.

4.       Smile.  A lot.  There is so much that can weigh on a mama’s mind.  Don’t let their memory of you be a furrowed brow but rather smile and have a sparkle in your eye.  Do this with Daddy too.  There is so much that can weigh on a daddy’s mind.  This sparkle only comes from Jesus.

5.       Littles want to help with everything.  Dishes, laundry, cleaning, cooking…  If you are faithful and patient to teach them while they are little you will not sigh a big sigh of distress when baby is a teen wondering why YOU have to do everything. 

6.       Daddy’s play differently than mamas.  This is a huge gift.  Don’t correct daddy with everything he should or shouldn’t do with baby (at any age).  This is a sure way for discouragement.

7.       Dishes, laundry, cleaning, “stuff” will wait.  It will be glad to wait for you.  Littles don’t wait.  If love tanks aren’t filled they will find something else to do.  Be flexible. 

8.       Love Daddy.  One of the greatest gifts you can give your little one is love and respect their Daddy.  He is a hero to his little one.  As mama we can encourage this or break it.

(see rule 6) Ephesians 4:29   Proverbs 14:1

9.       The world, and even the church sometimes, does not always see the job as “mother” as one of a high calling.  It is.  Be cautious of the thinking or even joking talk that says children are a burden, so much work, too expensive.  Psalm 127:3-5  “Sons are a heritage from the Lord, children a reward from him.  Like arrows in the hand of a warrior (Pastor Wiemann says “launch them in the correct direction”) are sons born in one’s youth.  Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them.  They will not be put to shame when they contend with their enemies in the gate.”  (emphasis mine)

10.   Share your secret chocolate stash with your littles.  Doing this will make them feel so special and they will definitely remember how it is you made them feel.  When they are big they will bring you more chocolate or if you’re lucky a grande nonfat latte!

Rules Conclusion

What could be better than happy, creative children who want to learn, love and play?  The list of rules is long, but in all it’s just for play.  We don’t live by tight rules. An occasional bouncy time on the bed or the couch happens, but not everyday.  I want to remember that my children are children.  They don’t need to act like little adults.  Polite yes, prim and proper always? No.  We encourage lots of play in the mud, bouncing on the trampoline while holding a hose, back yard adventures that include tipis, worms, and archery.  That reminds me of another rule, you must wear underpants under your Indian costume that you have made with paper, yarn and scotch tape.

                 

We learned back when we only had two children, when our third went straight to heaven and not into our arms, that children are truly a gift from God.  They are not ours.  Even though we name them, care for them, play with them, teach them and all of those different things, they are not ours.  Each and every child belongs to God.  Each and every child has been put here, in our care, ultimately to be trained to serve Him, love Him and to point others to Him.  I don’t want to mold my little ones into what I want them to be, but rather what the Father wants them to be.  I want to teach them to yield their will to mine when they are young, so that when they are older they will yield their will to Gods.  Yielding of themselves won’t be a brand new idea.  

As with all rules...

             As with all rules, even silly rules, they are usually put in place because the event it is referring to has happened.  Yes.  All of these rules have been put in place because of previous incidents or because of great planning.  My children tease me that I have to many rules, but as you can see with the list below, some of them are just necessary.  With seven children almost anything can happen.  Trust me.  ANYTHING can happen.  Praise the Lord for that.  What an incredible blessing of adventure they bring to our home!

I know some of them would fall under the category of "Oh gross!", but Hey!  It's real life!  And it's mine...

House Rules

1.    No tinkling into the coop for the baby chickens, especially when the coop is in the house.

2.    Do not vacuum up the chicken poop.  It makes the vacuum and the hall closet smell really bad.

3.    Do not hit chickens with sticks when you are chasing them.

4.    Do not eat chicken poop.  Don’t even try it.  It is not good for you.  Icky. Icky.

5.    Do not chase your brother with the mop.

6.    Do not chew gum that you find already chewed at the park.

7.    Do not pour the honey onto the table, or onto the chair your bare feet are standing on.

8.    Do not tape your brother to a tree even if he asks you to.  This is especially important if mommy is not home.

9.    Do not fasten your stuffed animals in anyway to the ceiling fan.  They can go for a ride on the swing set instead.

10. Do not keep your snail collection behind the couch in the house.

11. Do not turn the refrigerator or freezer knobs to the “off” position.  This is especially bad right before mommy is planning to entertain for dinner.

12. Do not chase each other with butter knives.

13. No you may not kill a bear with a butter knife.

14. Do not drink ketchup out of a sippy cup.

15. Do not open three boxes of almond milk at the same time.

16. Do not mix a container of almond milk with popcorn and water.

17. Do not serve this “drink” to your brothers or yourself.

18. Do not drink out of the fishbowl.

19. Do not try to hunt the fish with a butter knife.

20. Do not mix syrup and baking soda on the pantry floor.

21. Do not climb on the counter to unlock the high lock daddy put on the pantry.

22. Do not empty mommy's hair products out.

23. Do not kiss anybody’s eyeball.

24. Do not take a bite out of anyone’s deodorant.

25. Do not pour the container of laundry soap on the laundry room floor.  This isn’t really how the clothes get clean.

26. Do not chase your brother with a PVC pipe.

27. Do not put rose petals in the VCR.

28. Don’t encourage the dog to walk on the table.

29. Don’t put the dog in the baby’s crib.

30. Do not put extra covers on the baby with out asking.

31. Stop telling your brother that FedEx is coming to pick him up.

32. Take your muddy boots off before you come in the house.

    Do not put gravel in the hubcaps of the car.  This makes daddy think that the           breaks are having a really bad problem.

33. Do not look up in the bottom of the vacuum while it is running.  This is really bad when your sister is the one looking and she has really long hair.  This can cause her hair to get sucked up really fast.  If this does happen, pull the vacuum off of the child’s head quickly in one smooth motion.  Kind of like a big heave. 

34. Do not pour milk on your sister.  This is not considered “water” in a water fight.

35. Do not tie your grandparents to the sofa bed at three in the morning with yarn.

36. Do not paint the dog.

37. Do not paint the house without Daddy or Mama’s permission.

38. Do not glue anything to the carpet.

39. Do not put the baby on the treadmill to see how fast he can crawl.

40. You must keep your clothes on in Sunday School.

41. Do not paint the chickens.

42. No chickens allowed to free range walk in the house.  I know this is ok at your Aunt’s house but not here!

43. Do not run thru the house with a pail of water.

44. DO NOT take Mama’s dark chocolate with out asking.