A Much Needed Break

I just came off one of the nicest Spring Break's I can remember.   It wasn't that we did anything spectacular.  On the contrary, I PURPOSELY put no plans in stone.  I learned at Christmas overbooking my family, my child, in particular, is a very bad idea.  Long story short,  I thought since I was off just 2 weeks we would do "12 Days of Christmas."  I made cute envelopes and hung them ever so perfectly in a large frame.  Then I drew pictures in each envelope so that Faith would know what we were doing each night.  It was fun... until about the 6th night when she was crying, begging us to just stay home!
So this break we just relaxed and did things we thought of that day or I prepared things that Faith has been asking me to do, but I never have time for during the work week.  It was glorious!  We had the best time and she was extremely well behaved the entire week!  And the week didn't fly by.  It felt like a regular week with lots of relaxing and fun.
We:
-had lunch with my friend and new mommy to celebrate another friend's birthday.  Faith ate with all of us at the table and did an awesome job.
-went to the Omniplex (or if you're fancy Science Museum Oklahoma)
-painted with watercolors and learned she prefers paint you can "atually dip your little brush in, mom."
-made homemade pretzels and ate them for dinner
-made Thundercake one of the very rainy and thundery days.  Faith has been waiting through the longest drought in her little life to make it after reading Patricia Pollaco's book with the same title.  We learned that tomatoes should NOT be in chocolate cake.  Why would anyone do that?!?!
-went camping one night with our church family and it was fu-reezing cold.
-had 2 soccer games
-finished The Girl Who Played with Fire and started The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets Nest.


My favorite night was when we got to go to the circus.  Faith has been asking for months when the circus was coming and, thankfully, they have several nights when firefighters and their families get in free!  I know I say this at the risk of sounding like an a-hole mom, but sometimes I can get so caught up in training, redirecting, and teaching Faith that I don't enjoy her.  I know. I know.  It sounds horrible.  I feel like my time at home is limited with her since I work and that I can be resentful of the fact that I spend the majority of my time right now "training her up in the way she should go."  I read these blogs where mommies write letters to their babies with these minute details and how they love their little quirks and I feel even more guilty that I don't feel that way most of the time.  I wonder if I'm just honest enough to say how I feel or if I'm the recipient of the Suckiest-Mom-of-the-Year Award.  And I do believe those moms are being real and honest, which makes me even worse than I thought. Most of the time I'm huffing and puffing and asking her over and over to please stop jumping off the couch, please stop splashing your drink, pleast stop blah, blah, blah.
That night at the circus it all melted away.  I was just able to enjoy her- enjoy watching her face light up and cheer for the circus acts and wave her light up wand and just. be. Faith.  It was one of those moments as a parent that you look at that little face and you seriously feel your heart overflowing your body.  I started tearing up, right there in the middle of the monkey act, because 1)I need forgiveness for my bad attitude and 2)God is so good to lavish his love out on us.  She is wonderful and perfect for our family.
So who knew all that could come from the Shiner's Circus?!?!  Maybe IT is the greatest show on Earth?

Now I just have 44 more days of school before I get to spend a summer with my family.  I love my job, but boy, does it make me love my school breaks.  22 5-year-olds can really wear a girl out!