Mom power

4 kids + 1 double BOB = 1 mom getting it done!

  The past few mornings I have felt like a mom superstar.  Yesterday, from the time I got out of bed at 7:15 til the time we left to take Hannah to school at 8:20 I got a lot done.  I fed 4 kids and myself breakfast, nursed Ava, gave Ava a bath!, dressed the two littlest kids, packed Hannah's snack, and curled Hannah's hair for picture day.  AND there were NO tears!!  As I was taking a shower this morning, hoping that I would continue to have my superstar mojo, I knew I was due for something to go wrong.  It was only a matter of time.

 

  Well, the morning went off without a hitch.  We dropped Hannah off and then went over to our friend's for a morning playdate.  We left the playdate with plenty of time to pick up Hannah and I thought to myself, everything is smooth sailing.

 

  That is until we were on the freeway and I had to hit the brakes kind of hard.  As soon as I did that Calvin started crying.  I looked back to see that his car seat was no longer buckled to the seat and it had flown forward and tipped when I hit the brakes.  Yeah...  I tried to be calm, but I started freaking out a bit!  As he cried, I asked him if he unbuckled it and it turns out he did.  Fortunately, he was not hurt, just REALLY scared.  So, as soon as I could get off the freeway to buckle him back in I would.  I figured it would be a quick off and on, and we would be back on the road to get Hannah.  Well, I figured wrong, after buckling him back in there was no clear on ramp back onto the freeway and I got lost!  Here I was, driving around Sunnyvale, trying to find the freeway with 8 minutes before I was supposed to be picking Hannah up.  Good thing I have a smartphone and it got me back to the freeway, unfortunately, I was late picking up Hannah.  When I got to her school, she was waiting for me by herself in the office.  Oh, I felt sooo bad!!!!

 

  I have finally calmed down enough so that I can laugh about it.  I have also forgiven myself for being late in picking her up.  If this had happened a couple of years ago, it would have eaten me alive.  I would constantly be thinking about being late, wondering how Hannah felt when I wasn't there, wondering what her teacher thought of me not picking her up on time, the list could go on and on.  Some of you would have never gone down that road, and fortunately I (mostly) no longer do.  Just over a year ago, I read this this book and it changed my life.  A major theme for me was not finding my identity in being perfect or doing the right thing, but knowing my identity is in Christ who gives me grace for my imperfection (so I should too!).  And currently, I feel truly free of the burden of having to be perfect all the time.  The best thing is, Jesus gives us grace for all identities that we try to take on that are not of him.  If you are feeling the burden of anxiety, perfection, loneliness, stress, being unloved or anything else, Jesus can give you freedom from it!  And that is my wise word for this Wednesday, have a great one!!  :)