"It's Valentime's Day!"

Today Lila noticed that we had turned the page on the calendar that she made for me in preschool. Every month has a picture made with her hand prints, I love it and she is so proud every time she looks at it. This month is a heart and she knows what that means, Valentime's Day! (That's is how both my girls pronounce Valentine's, I can't convince them that it's an N and not an M.) All day long she's been telling me, "Happy Valentime's Day Mommy!" and giving me hugs. I love it. I foresee at least two weeks full of extra love and hugs.

I feel like I've started off this month on a good foot. Life is stressful and not easy, for many reasons, right now. But this morning once Brian and the older kids left for work and school, I climbed back into my bed with Lila and just snuggled her. Instead of tackling one of my many chores that needed doing, I decided to enjoy the peace and silence as I was waiting for the workmen to arrive for the day. I started to pray, but before I could even form the thoughts to ask for help with my worries, I had a story that I'd heard recently in church come to my mind. It was about a family that was going through a painful loss and they were challenged by a visiting church leader to pray, and not ask for anything. Just to offer a prayer of thankfulness and gratitude. I decided to try it, a prayer that simply listed all of my blessings and the people and things that I feel grateful for. It was hard at first, I kept having to stop myself from asking for help and just focus on what blessings I've already been given, but it got easier as I kept going. I think it was the longest prayer I've said in a very long time. I was amazed at the immediate change in my attitude, I feel so much calmer and hopeful about the challenges ahead. I've decided that this is how I will work on being calm this month, by trying to stayed focused on what I have to be grateful for... and there is a whole lot to be grateful for. :)

The tile is finished and grouted now and it looks great!

As we drove home from school and he saw the guy's truck parked in our driveway, Jake asked, "Who's here?"

"The tile guy, he's here grouting." I replied.

"He's pouting? Why is he pouting?" Jake asked.

"No, he's grouting. Putting the grout in between the tiles." Then I laughed, "Yes, he's sitting in the shower, pouting."

We also had a funny experience this afternoon that I feel perfectly highlights each of my children's personalities. One of them used a little too much toilet paper and caused the toilet to overflow. I was upstairs at the time and suddenly heard three panicked voices and running feet up the stairs. Jake dashed in the living room first and said, calmly but quickly, "The toilet is overflowing! I need the plunger and some towels!" He is my man of action.

Evie followed second, all flustered and upset, "...and then it flushed, but there was too much, and now there is water, and I think it's broken, and so we need to clean it up, and get some more toilet paper because we're almost out, so I need some towels... and your help... I think."  She tries so hard to be helpful, but it takes her awhile to get around to explaining what the actual problem is.

Lila, who is nothing if not dramatic, waited patiently for Evie to explain and then exclaimed, "And it's going to flood the whole house!"

Calm down, Chicken Little. Be grateful for running water, even if it makes a mess sometimes.