One for the swear jar…

It’s ironic how the tiniest things can drive you right over the edge.  And looking back, you think of how crazy you were over what?!  This has been quite a year for us, and for the most part, I think I’ve held it together pretty well.  I try to laugh in the face of turmoil most times, but this weekend, I’m not going to lie, my Christmas tree just about sent me jumping into Black Creek head first.

We had a fantastic Thanksgiving.  I, of course, forgot my camera but we had so much fun at my mom and dad’s house this year.  It’s been a couple of years since we Woodhams had everyone together for Thanksgiving and as always, we revert back to the days when we all lived under one roof.  It’s pure chaos.  Loud, obnoxious, wonderful chaos.  We laugh, sing and dance and make fun of each other.  My cheeks hurt on Thursday night as I lie in bed thinking of all the fun we had and laughs we shared.  And of course, they made fun of MC’s Rudolph nose.

Let me back up…On Wednesday as I was busy in my kitchen baking, I realized MC had dirt on her legs and feet from playing in the yard that morning and her face was quite dirty.  She was using her stool to wash her hands at the sink.  (MC is the human tornado destroying everything in her path most days, if you didn’t already know that and I was desperate to try to finish my Thanksgiving baking.)  I had a brilliant idea.  I scrubbed down my kitchen sink and filled it to the brim with bubbles and tea cups and plopped her right in.  Just like old times.  She still fit!!  I could still do my baking, keep my eyes on her and she would be contained occupied.

Today, three days later she still has a huge deep red scab on her entire nose.  Rudolph.  We ended up at the pediatrician’s office about 30 minutes after that sink bath.  Apparently, she used a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser pad (which I thought was way out of her reach) to “wash” her nose and ended up nearly scrubbing her skin off.

So today, my Christmas tree has been decorated, undecorated (realizing a bit too late that we have 100 sets of faulty lights) and my house looks like the day AFTER Christmas from a certain little tornado and I’m feeling like Mother of the Year.

I’m sure if you are reading my blog, you have seen other mom blogs.  I have.  Some have homeschooling moms with five kids all of which, are living and working on farms.  Other blogs are written by moms,  again with a slew of kids, who volunteer all over the country speaking to teens about Christianity, all the while having craft hour daily with their beautifully dressed, all-A children and photography businesses on the side. You know the ones.  Perfection at it’s peak.

I get it.  They would rather showcase the happy times.  Me too.  But sometimes life just sucks.  (That’s one for the swear jar, mom. Sorry.)

And as I sit here this morning with scattered ornaments, beads and lights all over the den floor contemplating throwing my Christmas tree out onto the street and into the leaf pile pick up and staring all over, I just realized that this is what life is about.  It’s truly what makes us appreciate those times that do go smoothly.  Those big ceramic lights of mine have worked for years and years and although they are now considered a “fire hazard” and can no longer be found anywhere, we enjoyed them tremendously while they lasted.

Funny how madly passionate you can be about something once you realize it’s gone.

Today, I’m thankful for non-working Christmas tree lights, crazy mishaps that only seem to happen to my girls, trips and falls and bumps in the road.  I’m thankful for those times that don’t go according to my plan because those are the moments when I stop and think of all of those wonderful moments that do.

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