Deep thoughts from a Walmart shopper...

I went to Walmart today with my daughters. Avery had some birthday money to spend and I needed some paint for my dining room (yes, I buy my paint at Walmart!). We wandered the whole store looking for the perfect $10 item for Avery's birthday (she ended up with a metallic-blue wig. I was hesitant, but it's absolutely adorable on her!). As we walked by the giant ball basket-thingy, Allie had to test just how bouncy the balls really were. So she and Avery each took a turn with a ball and then, as I was putting it away, several more balls came tumbling out and I made a move that looked something like a very ungraceful jumping jack, trying to stop every ball that was escaping. About ten minutes later, I was standing at the paint counter and noticed another young mom turn the corner in front of the giant ball basket-thingy. I watched as her two young daughters, who appeared to be near the ages of my own, each took a turn with a ball. Then the mom pulled the same move I did as she tried to capture the runaway balls that were evidently just begging for a new home. It was so funny to observe another mom in the exact scenario I had been a pawn in just moments before. Later, I took the girls to the bathroom and met this mom and found out her daughters are 6 and almost 4. I told her I watched her at the balls and we had a little laugh together.

I was already planning on sharing that little story, but was planning on ending it with the bathroom scene. It struck me, as I was talking with my girls at bedtime, that it's the perfect example of just how much we moms share in common. Since I'm sure of this fact, I'll share another more serious struggle in the Rowzee household. We are having a very real struggle with anger, heated words, and fighting. I'm pretty sure I'm not alone! The sibling fighting is enough to make any mom want to jump straight out the window and end her misery. My children have entered into a new era of fighting. A couple of years ago, it was simply taking a toy and giving a little swat at sister and it was pretty much over. Now it's joined with a quick temper, name-calling, and really angry voices. Thankfully my children haven't been exposed to names too terrible yet, but they are said with such angry tones!!

Anyway, that's just part of the problem. My newly six year-old has always been really passionate and verbal and is now struggling with the desire to be disrespectful and dishonoring to her mom. It's pretty hard to hear. I've prayed aloud with her a hundred times and a thousand on my own. God is still teaching me and growing her in His timing, because it hasn't changed a whole lot. ANYWAYS, all of that to say, life as a mom can be pretty tough.

God gave me a window of hope today. I bought two jars and filled one with marbles. I drew a smiley face on the full jar and a sad face on the empty one. Avery will begin each day with a full "happy jar" and be asked to move a marble to the sad jar every time she is rude to her sister or disrespectful to mom or dad. Daddy will deal with discipline according to the number of marbles in the sad jar. Today, on her first day, she ended the day with 3 marbles in the sad jar. I definitely saw resignation and remorse in her eyes when she had to move a marble. Score one for mom!!!

As I put the girls to bed, I read from Galatians 5 about the fruit of the Spirit. Avery can tell you all 9 of them and Allie knows quite a few. I explained that just like an apple tree should produce apples, a follower of Christ should produce evidence of God's Spirit being in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control. Before I ended it, though, I explained a few of the examples given in Galatians 5:19-21, the works of sin in our lives. These include idolatry, hatred, fighting, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfishness, and stirring up trouble. They had fun giving examples of both fruit of God's Spirit and of works of sin. I'm encouraged by their hearts as we discussed this pretty profound truth: each one of us is producing either fruit of the Spirit or works of sin at any given time. Wow, I'm once again blown away by God's amazing Word!!!

OK, I know you've all fallen asleep by now, but I had to share one more Walmart observation. A few minutes after I observed the other young mom who was attacked by the killer balls, a dad rounded the corner with his two young boys both in the back of the cart. The boys were around 2 years old and standing up, but dad didn't seemed concerned (like us moms who are constantly bugging our kids to SIT DOWN if you're going to ride in the back of the cart!). He walked by the giant ball basket-thingy, picked two balls out, handed one to each boy, and walked on, never to be invaded upon by the runaway balls. How do they do it?!?!?!?!?

New project: what do you think?

So, I've had an empty wall above my bed since we've moved into this house over three years ago. I don't put pressure on myself to have everything decorated perfectly because I just don't care that much. I like pretty things on my wall and I appreciate beautiful decor, but I don't have the money or motivation to have a perfectly decorated home. However, I want to continue looking for ways to beautify my home.

I had some canvases sitting around and had been planning on painting something to put above my bed. I noticed some cute artsy pieces at the craft store that were covered with fabric instead of painted. So I set out to find some fabric that I could afford to cover three 16x20 canvases with. I finally found some at Walmart. That's right. Walmart. Want to know what I paid for it? $1.50. Yep! I already had the canvases, so my cool new wall art only cost me a buck-fifty! I'm kind of proud of it!

What do you think?
(positive feedback only, please :)