Memoirs of a Moorings

Three Spectacular Years

Our baby turned three on December 12...looking back over his little life..and smiling.

 

Three Years With Shayne from AntraciaLMoorings on Vimeo.

Happy Birthday to My Big Boy

Celebrating my first-born in video and pictures on his 7th birthday. Such an honor to be his mommy.

 

Taming the Paper Tiger

I like a teacher who gives you something to take home to think about besides homework.  ~Lily Tomlin as "Edith Ann"

Second week of school...and the paper tiger is roaring loudly. Every day my little first-grader comes home with a bunch of papers, fliers, homework, announcement, sign-up notices, etc.

Last school year, this is what the bulletin board in the kitchen looked like. A hodge podge that worked....but not really.

So I can up with a new plan. Two clear plastic hanging files clipped to the bulletin board. One for each kid with folders inside for their various needs. It's all working out much better.

In the future, when the little guy starts school, I think I'm going to adopt this idea though.

What's your organizational system for staying on top of papers?

Back To School Teacher Goodies

Making crafts makes me happy! So I'll find just about any reason to create something. School starts tomorrow. Been brainstorming for weeks what to do for a first day of school teacher gift for my little first-grader. I was going to do a survival kit with Airborne, hand sanitizer, aspirin, mints, etc..until I ran across this idea. The cutest thing ever. So I swapped my idea for this. The originals were clear boxes, but I opted for the kraft box instead (didn't want the kids to get distracted by seeing the goodies) and added a label on the back with my son's name. I created one for my little guy too to take to his daycare teacher/"mommy" so he won't feel left out.

Inside are individually wrapped fortune cookies I picked up at Ralph's (our local grocery store) along with some Hershey's kisses. You can't go wrong with chocolate right?

Last week, my son's new 1st grade teacher sent him a postcard saying: welcome to first grade and see you soon. So very thoughtful! I'm sure she'll appreciate this sweet gesture.

Busy Hands, Prayerful Heart

“Every mother is like Moses. She does not enter the promised land. She prepares a world she will not see.”- Pope Paul VI

This little two year old has busy hands. While his big brother has a busy mouth. Makes for one busy household. There's always something to do. Always something to tend to. Fix. Pick up. Clean up. Mothering is a tiresome job--physically, spiritually, mentally, emotionally. Even with all the busyness, I've been making myself carve out time for prayer for these boys. Not on-my-knees-quiet-time prayer only. I'm talking about out-loud, laying-on-of-hands praying. And a lot of times, I'm exhausted and just want to crawl into bed myself, but I do it because I know it will reap great rewards. Something about motherhood gives me supernatural strength. There's a quote that says, "The woman is weak, but the mother is strong." Absolutely true!

I've written out a series of prayers that I speak over them at various points throughout the day. There's so much to pray for that I don't want to forget. My big boy likes to look at the prayers and read them over. I really love that.

At night before they are tucked into bed, I gather them like little baby birds under my wings and I touch them and speak prayers and blessings over them. My 6-year-old especially likes it when I pray for warrior angels to stand watch over them as they sleep. I pray that they will hunger and thirst after the things of God. I pray that generational curses will not rest on their shoulders. I pray that they will be shining lights. I pray that God uses them as He sees fit. I pray that they will not conform to the pattern of this world. And then I take prayer requests (for sweet dreams or sometimes no dreams or for little boy fears to be soothed.) When I say amen and am told that my prayers work and see smiles on their little faces as they lay their heads down to sleep, it makes all the busyness and tiredness worth it. And I trust that I'm preparing them for their individual promised lands.

Do you have a prayer routine for your kids? I'd love to hear about it.

Oh The Faces...

By the look of this face, the fireworks were a hit. Hope you're enjoying your long holiday weekend!

Just A Lil' Warning/Reminder

Don't walk away from your 2-year-old who is on the potty...nope, not even for a second.

Touching the Heart of God (And Mommy's Too)

"Children are the keys of Paradise. They alone are good and wise because their thoughts, their very lives are prayer." ~R. H. Stoddard

 

Found this note yesterday in my 6 year old's folder along with his school work. His little brother had been sick that morning--suffering with a fever. He took it upon himself to request prayer for his brother during the morning time devotion/prayer in his class.

To say this touched my heart is an understatement.

I'm sure it's prayers like this that reach the throne of God and touch His heart as well.

Like Brother, Like Brother.....

"It snowed last year too:  I made a snowman and my brother knocked it down and I knocked my brother down and then we had tea."  ~Dylan Thomas

This little guy is definitely his own person. But at two years old, there's just some things that big brother does that he thinks are way cool. And he wants to do them too. Reminds me of my own sibling years as a child. Nobody wants a tag-along. But I adore my tag-along sister now. And I know in some ways big brother adores his as well.

A few weeks ago, he said he wished he was an only child and that his little brother didn't exist anymore. A few hours later he turned around and said, "I repent. I don't want my baby brother to leave. I love him."

And I love them. They are the yin to each other's yang. And I pray it never changes.

I'm the Apple Of His Eye

"Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings" Psalm 17:8

 

This little dude here never ceases to amaze me. He's so multi-faceted. He's a boy's boy. A man's man. I don't think I've ever seen him with a doll. But here he is displaying his nurturing side in a picture snapped at daycare. He's all about quick left punches, dinosaurs and playing with cars. But when I think about it, I shouldn't be surprised at this photo. Littlest has a soft touch and is known for being a bit of a momma's boy. In fact, being gentle (at the right moment) is something that comes quite naturally to both of our boys. So really..it's only fitting that he would take the time to gaze into this baby's eyes.

Reminds me of how God is with us. He is in one instance, like a mother eagle, protecting her young under her wings. And in another moment, He is fighting on our behalf like the powerful warrior that He is.

That's what I love about God. So much rolled into One. Limitless.

Yet through it all, He holds us up and He keeps His eye on us. I'm in awe of His love.