A Day in My Life...

7:20 - drag myself out of bed since 3 kids are already downstairs with Craig; get dressed in workout clothes and pack bag for the gym

8:20 - make sure that Josh and Annie have had breakfast, brushed their teeth, packed their lunches and have their homework in their backpacks and are out the door in time to catch the school bus

play with Max and Noah and feed them breakfast

9:05 - leave for the gym

9:06 - call Craig to ask a quick question and find out the Josh and Annie's school is in lockdown because of a report of a student carrying a gun

9:07 - drive by the school to ease any fears that my imagination has been conjuring up; see that everything looks normal and head to the gym

9:40 - check kids into childcare and head upstairs to ride a bike; poop out after 5 miles, so some abs, and go take a shower.

11:30 - meet a Mary Kay consultant in the Kohl's parking lot to barter some products (found her on craigslist); leave with a couple lipsticks, a cleansing bar and my moisturizer that I traded for products that cost me nothing!

11:40 - head to Wal-Mart; decide against using the backpack/cart routine and put the boys in the double stroller and carry a hand cart; can't find the snacks I wanted for today's meeting...choose something else and get the rest of the items on the list, which now fill my entire hand cart and the whole bottom compartment of the stroller.

12:30 - get home, unload groceries, chat with neighbor who is gardening, feed kids and eat some leftover pizza

1:00 - put Noah down, play with Max on the computer

1:15 - put Max down, start preparing for this afternoon's meeting

1:40 - realize how tired I am and decide to take a short nap before the sitter comes

1:42 - get call from boss with more things to prep for today's meeting

1:43 - call sitter (good friend) and ask her to please get me a Dr Pepper on her way

2:20 - scramble to get out the door on time with everything I need, wave to neighbor who is still gardening

2:45 - arrive at meeting site to set up and realize I'm missing the papers my boss I asked me to bring

2:52 - locate someone in the building kind enough to receive a fax and call sitter

3:00 - 5:15 - long meeting...

5:15 - 5:30 - finish paperwork so I can finally get paid, head home, chat with neighbor who let Annie help her in her gardening

5:45 - greet kids, chat with sitter, try on shoes she brought me, start dinner; realize that dinner won't be done before Annie needs to leave for Girl Scouts so I make her a turkey sandwich

6:05 - Craig comes home - earlier than expected!

6:25 - take Annie to Girl Scouts (wave to neighbor with the beautiful garden)

6:35 - eat dinner with the boys

6:55 - leave for the park (as previously promised, before I knew Craig would be home early)

7:25 - leave the park to get Annie from Girl Scouts (leave Craig and Josh there because they had wandered off looking for frogs and lost track of time), go back to look for Craig and Josh

7:40 - return to house; get in Craig's car and leave for tutoring job

8:00 - 9:30 - work on a translation assignment for a Spanish 8 student

9:37 - pop into the "other" Wal-Mart to look for a particular article of clothing (mission unsuccessful)

10:01 - arrive home; check e-mail, MOPS website, craigslist job postings and Facebook updates; write this blog

10:45 - heading to bed

(Can't wait for tomorrow - minimum day for Josh and Annie, packing for the weekend, driving to San Jose...)

Copy Cats

I love watching my children play together. It is interesting to see what they do and say and how they interact with each other. I am fascinated as I see my younger kids learning from their older siblings and following their example. Most of them time this is a good thing! It is also eye opening to see my children exhibit traits of mine.

I remember one day when Annie was not even three...She had a purse on her shoulder and a toy phone tucked between her ear and her shoulder. "Bye! I'm going to MOPS!" she called as she marched down the hallway.

Just today I watched as Max (turning 3 in August) climbed up the ladder on the swing set and perched himself proudly at the top of the slide. "Yeah, oh yeah, oh yeah, yeah, yeah!" he sang out as he swayed back and forth before sliding down. I didn't have to wonder where he learned that (Josh - age 8). Later, I picked Noah up (18 months) and put him on the platform at the top of the slide. As I reached for his hand so I could help him slide down he said "Oh yeah!" and grinned proudly.

There are other times when I don't laugh at my little copy cats. Sometimes I see selfishness or rudeness or impatience in my children and I cringe knowing that I don't always model characteristics worthy of being imitated. I am reminded of the quote that says that we are ALL examples; some good examples and some bad examples. As I ponder what characteristics I want to pass on to my children I am reminded of Ephesians 5:1, Be imitators of God.

Yes, of course. All I have to do is copy God so my kids can copy me and then copy each other. Copy God? Where do I even try to start? I guess I can start with reading his word. So, for today, I'll start by looking at Ephesians 5:1 and the verses that come before and after it.

Ephesians 4:29 - 5:4

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God's holy people. Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving.

Lord, please help me each day to choose to copy you in these areas.