My sister-in-law sent me an article about why newborns are only satisfied in your arms and how much money will go into doing the exact opposite of that need -- swings, playpens, bouncers, playmats, bassinets, rockers. Did you notice how much space goes into denying that desire of the baby's as well? Now I can't say I spent any money really on Mommy-arm substitutes, because both of my brothers had little girls last year, but I did notice what the demand for space from having almost double of everything meant to my small house. I am not a closet stuffer. I will turn into one of those moms that beligerently (and with much speed I might add) will throw a whole closet outside of the closet if I notice any type of stuffing. I just don't, I can't, allow for stuffing things. Now my daughter has taken up quite a bit of room, her stuff is found in 3 rooms. I understand I had to give up some space for the child, but I am more convinced now having read the article that it is perfectly okay if her stuff isn't found in every room and its closet.
Despite the money that goes into putting the baby down, contrary to what we are fed by consumerism, and the marketers of $20 onsies, babies don't even need all that many clothes. They grow so fast, I've heard of many who didn't have their child wearing the same thing twice the first couple of months. Let me tell you when it came to stuffing things in the 2 closets that she has practically taken over, I was not about to give up my no stuffing rule. My husband was content to throw the box of diapers in the closet and I, on the other hand, will mostly gladly get rid of my own clothes to make room lest I find myself stuffing things. The house just has to be tidy and orderly. I am a big promoter of order and demander of it as well -- it is one of the reasons why I love the Law of the Lord.
I understand that kids are kids and they need to be kids. However, maybe it was just the way I grew up because I just can't have a playhouse of a house, if you know what I'm saying. The house still needs to look like it's my job to take care of it and manage it, and it still needs to look like I am good at my job. It also needs to look like I am active in my job of raising little girls to be ladies, wives, and mothers, and little boys to clean up after themselves for their wife's sake.
The children are taught that their world revolves around the authoritarian in their lives, and that that authoritarian loves them. As of right now, that person is mainly me. Sure, this benefits me greatly -- my house will pretty much stay clean and I am always being thought of and I am known. What I mean is this -- my mind's ability to focus on more than one thing has become a bit rusty. "Whatchamacallits" have not made it into my vocabulary, but "stuff" and "things" have. "Amira can you get me my stuff, it's next to the thing." "Have you seen my thing?" "Where did I put that stuff?" "I need that thing." I have the stuff-and-thing complex, and it happens when my mind is on the thing while the conversation or physical reality is on some other stuff. The amazing part is...my family knows what stuff and thing I am talking about. This is what I mean by I am known. This is what happens when their world has revolved around me.
Now hear me out -- of course no one would argue that my newborn's world revolves around me, but I may be called selfish for allowing such (and even practically promoting it) with the others. The truth is...their lives should always revolve around an authoritarian -- they learn this relationship with me, and one day it should, for their own good, transfer to the ultimate authority: the Lord. I want these children's world to revolve around Him. I want them to serve Him, truly. I want them to keep themselves clean for His sake, thinking it is His house not theirs. Most importantly, I want them to know Him -- like how they know me so well that they know what stuff and thing I am referring to.
I am so encouraged by the way of this relationship with my children. Just this afternoon the girls and I (Elisha strapped to me) were practicing our dances for Saturday, while I was trying to teach Bam how to worship with us by percussion, making him hit a bowl when he sees us step on the right foot and a box when we step on the left. It was so beautiful I almost cried. My children and I just worshipping the Lord -- I want them to know Him and serve Him. Then Amira topped it off with voluntarily going outside afterwards and trimming the bushes without being asked, but because she knows I don't like them to be overgrown.
So, this past week Brant decided that he would wake up and deal with Bam in the middle of the night because it was just too hard on me to wake up to Little's grunts to go potty myself, then wake up Bam to go, spending time to get him out of the sleep walking stage, to change Elisha and then feed her. By the time I got Bam coherently able to sit on the potty, Elisha was already past the 'hey, beloved Mother, wake up' grunts and well into the 'woman, feed me now!' screams. On top of this I captured him in a classic moment yesterday, coming off of work, push-reel mowing the yard with the baby in the carrier. What a guy. Even last night after he got up Bam to go potty in the wee hours, I heard him laboring over splitting wood outside -- yes in the middle of the night! What a good example of a head -- serving his family in keeping us warm. He also knows his wife is very cranky in the cold, so what a good example of Messiah who labors for His Bride. Now my man has walked into the door after his day's labor, so I will be saying toodles for family time. The laborer is worthy of his reward.
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