Well. It finally happened. My husband deemed last night to be the night that the two, yes, that’s right, two deer mounts should be hung on my pretty peach walls.
Lest any of you are confused, I dislike the peach. Like a lot.
Now don’t get your panties all in a knot there, you silly readers, you. He did not shoot two deer this season. One of the mounts was from 2007.
Exhibit A:
This classic buck is the fresh and hip 2010 model. He is keeping a watchful eye o’er Sweet Pea as she does her studies.
See?
Deer heads in the house aren’t creepy at all.
Exhibit B:
He’s back. Yes. I named him Frank back in ’07 when he first hung in my house.
My husband finds the naming of his trophy bucks irksome. But it helps me deal with the fact that the buck is now my decor.
Frank now hangs in the staircase of our new home. The stairs lead up to the television. I can be often found sneaking downstairs to pop me some corn and eat all sorts of glorious snacks at all hours of the night. Perhaps Frank will creep me out, so much so that the snacks will lose their appeal.
One can only hope.
***
I am pretty sure I am the only person who struggles with this, but goodness, I am having a rough time with my kids over here.
I mean, seriously.
How many times must I repeat the same thing?
No. You cannot take gum out of mommy’s purse.
Girls, get dressed. It’s time for school.
Do not hit your brother with the truck.
Girls! Time for school! Get ready.
Where did you get that gum?
Do not play in my room.
Do not hit your brother with the train.
Girls! School!
No Gum! No!
Do not splash in the bath.
Where are the girls?
Lucy! Do not eat my red sprinkles!
LucyFur.
No splashing!
Do not hit your brother with your shoe.
Girls! School!
Do not chase.
Do not hit.
Do not run.
Do not yell.
Do not splash.
Do not steal gum.
Do not be late for school.
*sigh*
Iamexhausted.
The last two days have been a constant struggle with these creatures. And I must remind myself that they are a blessing. And I do love them. I really do. And I am so thankful for them.
But, come on.
Why can’t my day go the way that I hope? Why can’t things run smoothly and the day go pleasantly and the chores get done cheerfully (ha!) and the lessons get done easily?
Days like today make me so sad. I hate feeling this frustrated and I know I have shown my anger and crankiness at my kids today. My attitude does not reflect how I truly feel about them.
I feel blessed to have each one of them. I love their different personalities. I am thankful that God has given them to me to take care of. I love watching them grow and learn and change.
I love that they are mine.
I want to be a good mother. I want to reflect God’s love to them.
But I am imperfect.
Does this surprise you?
This phrase from this song kept popping into my head today:
O to grace how great a debtor
Daily I’m constrained to be!
Let that grace now like a fetter,
Bind my wandering heart to Thee.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love;
Here’s my heart, O take and seal it,
Seal it for Thy courts above.
From “Come Thou Fount of Many Blessings” written by Robert Robinson.
Prone to wander. That’s me.
God shows me grace daily-am I showing grace to my children?
I realized that in all my weariness today, I had forgotten to stop and pray.
This happens to me a lot.
God had to remind me again that when I am not putting him first, the rest is all in vain.
Turns out I don’t listen so well the first 1-492 times either. My kids come by it honestly.
The End.
1.) From where I am sitting on the couch I can see: one antelope mount, one very large fish mold (24 lbs 7 oz according to the Husband… yes, he knew the exact weight), and four different deer racks. I feel your pain, sista.
2.) I’m not a mother, but I’m pretty sure that your feelings are normal. We all struggle with different aspects of our lives, but if you try your hardest it will be okay. And I know you’re doing a great job with your kids. 🙂
Marla @ http://www.blueskiesphotoblog.com
you are not alone in this. I often feel like a broken record. a frustrated, snarky broken record!
Wow- we have a club and I didn’t know it! I think we need a secret handshake.
I know exactly what you mean about the kids! Mine have been CRAZY the last few days! Must be something in the air? a full moon coming up? maybe its good ole cabin fever. And let me tell ya, it doesn’t go away when they get older… nope, then they are just older, bigger kids that have perfected their ways of annoying you! 🙂 hope your weekend is great! Praying mine is! Got woke up an hr ago to, “MOM!! Baby Sister threw up all over our floor!!” yuck. yuck. yuck.
Your kids are awesome possum and so are you! I look forward to chatting with them and coloring their noses every week! I truly do…’specially the coloring their noses part
Keep your chin up, you’re a great mom! I missed your blogging skillz while you were in TN. 🙂 Blessings!
Great post! Thanks for sharing your heart. Home schooling can be a rough go of it every now and then, praying for you and your sweet children!
Part of our mommy-neuroses stems from us wanting to do the best we can for our children at any given moment and then getting frustrated cause these little people do everything they can (in their innocence) to get in the way of that! Hang in there, dear Taylor. One thing that has gotten me through many a’pickle is remembering “This too shall pass”. This moment, this hour, this day; except when it passes, it tends to pass too quickly, and that’s no fun either ’cause then they grow up. Lots of x’s and o’s for you!!
Taylor, thanks for sharing your frustrations. I really needed this lesson too this week. It seems that I forget that kids are kids and need to be allowed to make mistakes. I wish they didn’t make so many of them, but then again, look how many mistakes I make in a day. They say you aren’t supposed to pray for patience but I seriously need a good dose of it.
In my family room I have two deer mounts and a barracuda. I decorated them at Christmas time, much to my husband’s disgust. Hey, we have to strike back passive/aggressively where we can. : )
My kids are older (ages 10-21) and I’m still constantly getting after them. Some stuff sounds the same: “Don’t eat that. Clean up that mess. Stop that.” Some stuff is different: “What’s that smell?” Oh, wait. Maybe it is the same. The only difference with the smell is, they can clean it up on their own. The similarity is, they don’t. And the smells tend to be more pungent. : )
Maybe if you start decorating the heads in seasonal costumes he’ll take them down?
I think a cupid’s bow and pink hearts would look just precious on Frank for Valentine’s Day. Have the girls do it. He won’t yell at them.
Every frustrated emotion you’re feeling is normal and expected but I like that you’re not willing to settle for that and are striving for calm and grace. You’re a good mommy Taylor. 🙂
You are a great mom but I don’t think those mounted heads are helping! 😉
My sister once said – “this is why God made our babies so darn cute. so we can remember how much we really do love them at times when they make us crazy, like when they’re 2-20 yrs old.”
Hang in there sister – you are not alone – for real 🙂 I’m pretty sure that God heard you today 😉
Wow…I needed to hear that message today! It is so easy to get so frustrated with the kids on a very daily basis when I repeat myself a hundred times and when they absolutely refuse to go to bed at night! But I do love my kids so so much and they are a blessing from God. Thank you for my 673 reminder that if I put God first, things might just get a little easier to handle!
Oh…and I have a deer head mounted in my house too…only it is in the garage, where it belongs! That one going down the stairs would absolutely creep me out!
Mindee has a point. cupid Deer? Leprechan deer? Easter Bunny deer? HA!
As for the kids thing… You know I am there and struggle with it often as well. I think I need to go back and re-do my quiet mom study from Those With Young. I was doing so much better when I was daily learning and writing. Now, I’m back to the hollering. I think I am just as bad as those Israelites, wandering around the desert wondering and whining, “Why God?!”.
I needed to hear this today Taylor, thanks so much. The buck heads made me laugh and the frustration made me feel like I am not alone. I have been found many nights lately in tears after my dear children go to bed because I feel like and cranky, mean, and impatient mommy. I too have not listened to God as closely as I should, thank you, thank you, thank you!
Taylor, hang in there. You are the mother of FOUR children. Life will never run completely smoothly with that many personalities occupying the same space.
I remember being completely exhausted by noon every day, and I only had two children! I used to lay in the middle of the floor while they watched Little Bear and ate their lunches, praying for naptime and a respite.
And just to burst your bubble a bit, but some things will not change. My kids STILL complain about “having” to do chores. Hello, but you live in my home. I pay for your education, clothes, and food. You WILL do the chores because you are a member of the family. The end of discussion.
But, my son still complains, as did my daughter when she spent the month home during Christmas break.
My son is 16, and I still have to remind him to take a shower, brush his teeth, and clean his room. Sometimes I even have to remind him to use soap and shampoo when he showers. He once went nearly a year without using either, and I know this because his 3-in-1 bottle NEVER WENT DOWN AN INCH! (BTW, boys are gross.)
So, steel yourself every day.
Gird yourself with God’s promises and His word.
You will survive motherhood. They will be better because you repeated yourself one million, three hundred sixty nine thousand times.
Here’s a little story…my daughter2 and I were down at my mom’s for a few days and my mom was giving me instructions as to how to drive (you’re too close to the car in front of you, back up a little…I like to park over on that side of the building…take this road so you can avoid the intersection without a light, etc etc etc). Keep in mind she lives in the town I grew up in, learned to drive in, and that I visit on a regular basis. I found myself getting annoyed and I muttered something to my daughter to which my daughter replied, ‘You know, sometimes you just need to do what your mom says.’ Then she added, ‘Isn’t that what you say to us?” Then she laughed.
I guess we never completely get away from the kid inside of us : ) Your kids are adorable and I’m sure you are doing a wonderful job. I think kids remember all the love they feel growing up much more so than isolated instances of impatience which all parents experience. Don’t be too hard on yourself!
On a completely separate topic…I’m thinking you should have negotiated on that deer head…you know, LJ paints your walls un-peach and then you’ll be happy to hang the deer head. It might have worked.
1. I like Mindee’s idea of seasonal decor for the animals on the wall, though I have a feeling that the Lumberjack may not find it as funny.
2. Come Thou Fount is one of my favorite hymns. Sufjan Stevens does a really nice version of it.
3. I don’t have kids, but I do have students. And if I have to say “Stop talking during study hall” one more time, my head is going to explode.
I think every honest mom will admit to feeling the exact same way some days. Yesterday I poured out my tiredness and frustration on my kids. My youngest wet the bed at 3 am, but didn’t want the new sheets, but then refused to sleep anywhere else, wanted his bed, but wouldn’t sleep on the new sheets and around and around we went. By the next evening I was tired and short tempered. At bedtime my oldest asked in a quiet voice if maybe we could all stop yelling at each other. Ouch! Shot through the heart! Not always pretty to see our bad behavior through our kids eyes. We aren’t perfect, but that’s okay. We pick ourselves up and try again. And the best part is our kids love us anyway.
As for the deer heads. You need to give Lumberjack a Man Cave. Seriously, find some place in your house, preferably with a door so you can close it, and make it all his and convince him the Man Cave needs deer heads.
Ah, Taylor. What to say? When I was younger I SWORE I would never be a mom who yelled at her kids. How annoying! HA ha ha ha ha ha ha. Ah, the ignorance. So when I catch myself doing it, a lot, it’s very embarassing and sad. All I have to say is “Mothers, Unite!”. Everybody needs encouragement, especially when it comes to child-rearing. But know you are on the right path; seeking the Lord is proof that you are a good mommy. So there.
Also, I grew up in a house that had mounted animal heads and “rugs” of different animals and stuff, so it doesn’t really bother me. I even kinda like it. Your children will grow up thinking it’s totally normal, and when your girls marry a man just like their father(you know that’s what girls do) they will be all ready for it and it won’t phase them at all. So you are preparing your children for the future! See? Aren’t I helpful?? Hello?
Ummm, not every girl marries a man just like their father. Thank goodness!
1. I second the idea of dressing up the deer. If your husband doesn’t end up taking it down, at least you could get a good laugh out of it!
2. Love that hymn too =) My favorite rendition is by Matt Boswell.
3. My husband and I were watching a sermon the other day and he was talking about that verse. He made a good point, this verse isn’t just to remind us that our children are blessings, it’s a picture of battle. We are raising little arrows to help fight for God’s kingdom. Kinda fun to think about!
The days are long but the years are short….
Right?
Right?
Anyone?
Hope today is going better!
Amen and Amen…I am exhausted, but who stole my babies and gave me big kids?!
A perfect description if I ever heard one.
I find myself in that situation so often…wondering why my kids aren’t masters already at the Fruit of the Spirit. And then I realize, as I am being momzilla in response to their behavior (or maybe their behavior is in response to mine) that I am still growing fruit. I know that I am imperfect as well, I just hope my kids can see my constant desire and effort to be better than I am.
With two deer heads hanging in the house who wouldn’t be prone to having a bad day now and again?
Obvioulsy, I have no experience with children, and have yet to feel what you are feeling…
BUT – as an outsider looking in, I think you are a fabulous mom. And even the most fabulous of moms have bad days.
I hear ya! I felt that way with my girls and now do some days with the grands.. Being prayed up sure does help. Why can’t we get it through our heads to make him our very first priority and then everything else will fall into place.
One of my girlfriends did dress up the elk that was hung in her living room when she wasn’t looking. One morning he was wearing a boa. The next it was sunglasses and necklaces. She kept this up until the said elk was removed. Win for the wife.
Oh, and the other stuff just means you are a totally normal mom. That is how it goes in every other house in America and if someone says different then they are big fat liars. 🙂
I hear ya on this one, sometimes I feel like I am talking to myself, we all have these days. I acatually lol’d at the snack and being caught by the animal head! I would totally jump too, the little beedy eyes seem to watch even when they arent! yikes! 🙂
You will have to start hiding snacks in the bedroom 😉
I am super impressed that a ‘hip young thang’ like yourself knows an old hymn such as “come thou fount”. One of my favs too. Let it be noted that the author continued to wander, even after writing this heartfelt, transparent work. We are indeed helpless. But you are seeking for help in the right place. 🙂 Raising a family of Lumberjacklings isn’t easy, but it will be worth it!
“Come thou fount” is one of my favorite oldies. Thanks for sharing your heart and your scriptures were spot on encouragement for a bunch of us. God is good and you are His. He loves you no matter what.
Frank and friend are not creepy. at least not as creepy as peach walls! 🙂 I think they will make lovely schooling additions–natural science, counting (how many points does Frank have?) and later, Social Studies for the High school age–Gun control laws, hunting laws, etc…. Have a lovely School day Monday!
I could say a lot…I’ll just say this. That was a great post. The ending was so, so good. I often think,”You know, I, in my relationship with God, am not that different from my kids, and their relationship with me. I’m just taller.
Good reminders here. And that is one of my favorite hymns.
Yesterday my children were pulling out eachother’s hair, and then there was the song, “He pulled out my hair and now I don’t like him anymooooooreeeee”
Sung softly and with great feeling.
I feel you girl.
I think every mother (or at least this one) doubts themselves and prays for wisdom and strength. The mom’s who don’t are the ones who scare me:)
As for the deer heads, I do believe your like my real life girlfriend Judy. Her house is filled with an area of mounted animals complete with a stuffed bear on her landing above her stairs. I always feel like I’ve gone to the taxidermists office when I’m at her house. I think her husband was born 100 too late.
I love it when you post things like the Prone to Wander section of this post. Lovely! Thanks for sharing. I was being prone to wander on this same said day that you posted said prone to wander post, hence my lack of commenting at that time. I was too busy chasing my own tail, and my two childrens tails. And horns. Did that whole bit I just said even make any sense?!
Anyhoo. Also, all I can think of to say is Oh, Deer. 🙂 I believe you should attempt to change your minds about the deer head, and love them. Then it would be like you were getting crazy expensive household decorations every year, and your husband would be thrilled about it! How insanely awesome would that be?!?!?!?! It’s all about your state of mind.
What a wonderful post. Really. As a mother of seven, I can totally relate to every word. Believe it or not, even about the dead deer adornmements. 🙂
You have it right, my dear. As we ask Him to refocus our vision, our view changes for the better. Hang in there. Better days are ahead. I guarantee it.