bsmiles and sunny days

After more than two decades of parenting, and now having three grown, one busting to get out, and 5 still tucked in the nest, I want to give you my best, absolute, best advice. Keep your anger far, far from your children. It’s not easy, maybe it’s nearly impossible, I mean, let’s be honest, there’s no real perfect, but try, try, and try again. You’re going to get mad a million times, but when you do, try this. 1. Just. Stop. Talking. 2. Go outside. Take a breath. Then take another one. 3. Practice what you’re going to say in another room before the machine gun of words starts mowing kids down. 4. Ask your partner to help you keep the devil away. The anger of man does not, will not, can not produce the righteousness of God. 5. Stop yelling.  A gentle answer turns away wrath. 6. Let your gentleness be evident to all. 7. Identify your triggers so you can more quickly diffuse them.  8. Have a sense of humor. Your position is not compromised by engagement in silli

Never alone Comparison Watching from the outside Never alone Consistently lonely  Smiles and perfection Regrets and self-loathing Comparison, the enemy of contentment Though shall not covet thy neighbors wife?  Though shall not covet thy neighbors life...

Tonight my son let us know in the most severe terms that he wanted to be emancipated. Furniture was thrown, a bag of recycling was dramatically kicked across the room. My husband forced me out of the path of danger that I missed in blind confusion. My little girls hovered together in a back bedroom afraid of the fight.  In the wake of reckless teenaged abandon, the worst of its kind, I can’t seem to dam up the tears.  A few minutes ago I happened to catch a whiff of a wet bed. Automatically I stripped my boy and put him in clean, warm, dry clothes. Now another little boy has wandered onto the couch where he’s snoring away. I can’t help but wonder if they will hurt us too. Will they progressively become more careless with our feelings and consumed with their own? Will they throw things and yell and trample us with their reckless emotions? I have always said having a big family is not for the faint of heart, but mercy... I’m beginning to wonder if we’ll survive five