So much to say, so little time to type it all out....

Potty training has me stumped...
so I did what every post graduate student would do, I went to the Biola Library last night on our after dinner walk and checked out a few toddler psych books. I'll let you know if I find any good ideas on this ...

The library is one of my favorite places to be. First, the smell of the books takes my breath away. So dorky, I know. Someone reading is thinking, "please, old dusty book smell, g-ross." Second, I really like to go down to the Lower Level and walk along the maze of knowledge. I was standing there looking for my book and got overwhelemed with all the other choices on the shelf. What to pick? It was so quiet down there, I could hear my food digesting in my gut.

Today we went to the dentist- yes, all 4 of us. It was quite fun, actually. After Michael was done, we traded off and I sat down in the back on the chair. Feet up, relaxed. The lady kept apologizing for the wait and I just smiled. I was happy to sit in that chair in the nice quiet room.

I looked down at my old shoes and unshaved legs (so very dry from no lotion) and I thought..."man, I really need to shave". I stared at my broken off big toenail and just laughed. I am such a mom now...

I have been thinking so much lately about how normal I am as a mom. I mean, normal according to all I read and all the friends I talk to. At first, I thought I was the only one who thought my children are the best, or the only one struggling, or the only one who had vowed not to yell, and had broken that vow before my child turned 2. I thought I was the only one who couldn't decide between icecream or smoothies for lunch and picked smoothie because my daughter was watching, and the next day gave into the icecream because she was just so sweet and I wanted to give her a treat. I thought I was the only one that forgot what I was saying halfway through my sentence and can't remember words like "trash can or car". I thought I was the only one who didn't have it together, or the only one full of contradictions. I thought I was the only one who needed to know that I wasn't the only one.

But, I don't think I am the only one anymore. I think many young mothers need to know that this thing called parenting has a lot of highly educated, highly devoted, and loving parents on their knees before the Greatest Father of all, begging for wisdom and strength like never before.

To have someone looking at you every day and re-creating your facial expressions, your laughter and your very words...a blank slate. What a huge responsibility.

A friend asked me the other day what book I have read about parenting, and I said, the bible is the only one I can fully trust.

Lord, help us to get it right.