React vs. Respond

This afternoon, our family took a tour of our local granite quarry.  This is the second time we've taken the tour and this time, my hubby was able to accompany us.   It was quite chilly standing in line waiting for the bus drivers to arrive (chilly is a relative term.  I'm a Minnesotan.  What I mean is that it was roughly 50° cooler today that it was two days ago).  Thankfully I had Ian in the sling so he stayed nice and cozy.

What we learned today (or what I can remember, anyhow):

• This Martin Marietta quarry produces roughly 1.5 MILLION tons of product a year.
• The quarry has been mined to 500 feet in depth.  They estimate the depth of the granite to run roughly 15 miles.  
• Primary uses of the product from this quarry are for asphalt roads, commercial and residential construction, railways (used to line the tracks) and along shore lines for erosion control
• The electric bill for the quarry for May alone was $52,000.  I didn't ask what their water bill was.  ;)
• The cost to replace a tire on a dump truck runs between $10-20,000 depending on the size of the truck.

This is the view of the quarry from the observation deck

 The minerals in the water give it the greenish color

 If you look closely, you can see the dump truck hauling.  At the top of the photo is someone drilling for the next explosive blast (explosives - WOOT!).  

After we got out of the bus, I had to snap a shot of one the stockpiles.  I chose a random setting on the camera (SO not a photographer) and this is what I got.  

We made our way to the tents they had set up to get our bellies filled with hotdogs and chips.  As we were making our way to the line, an employee with a camera looked at me rather puzzled.  She asked, "WOW! Are they ALL yours"?

**pause for a moment**  I had a choice.  A very BIG choice of what to do in this moment.  Do I react or respond?  I'm so incredibly used to questions like this.  Especially when the average family has only two children and ours is more than twice that.

Let me give definitions real quick.  From Merriam-Webster:

Definition of REACT

intransitive verb

1

: to exert a reciprocal or counteracting force or influence —often used with on or upon

2

: to change in response to a stimulus

3

: to act in opposition to a force or influence —usually used with against

4

: to move or tend in a reverse direction 

Definition of RESPOND

intransitive verb

1

: to say something in return : make an answer

2

a : to react in response b : to show favorable reaction

3

: to be answerable

I'm a reactor.  Very rarely do I stay calm and collected and respond appropriately in such situations.  It makes me quite sad to say that, but it's true. Think of it in terms of medications.  If you REACT to a medication, that's usually a BAD thing.  Responding to a medication means the medication is doing what it is supposed to do to your body. 

I guess I took a neutral stance to the WOW comment.  I said, "They're all mine".  It was followed by, "You must have your hands full" - she says to the woman with a baby in sling (ha! - actually, both my hands are free thank-you-very-much).   I simply said "I sure do" and left it at that.  

Thinking back on it, I could have said many things.  For example, I could have said my hands were full of blessings, or mentioned that I wouldn't change it for the world (and I mean it!).  I can usually think of a million wonderful things to say in response to such comments.  That's usually AFTER my foot has been firmly planted in my mouth.  

So, my goal for the month of June is to RESPOND appropriately and respectfully.  Not only to strangers, but to the blessings that fill up my cozy home. It certainly won't be easy, but I have time to work on it.  

It's been a long time

My last blog post (and only my third, sadly) was almost two years ago.  I had told myself I needed to write things down and share.   Yeah, didn't go so well.

Some of my close friends and family know that we are dealing with some difficult behaviors with our boys.  These behaviors lead us to believe that it's more than them being difficult and are indicative of an ASD or Autism Spectrum Disorder. 

We've come to a fork in the road when it comes to our psychologist.  She has given ONE of the boys a diagnosis of Asperger's (although we haven't received it in writing as of yet) and has stated she can't tell us what we SHOULD do for them, only what we SHOULDN'T do.  Does this seem odd to anyone else? 

At this point we're not quite sure what to do or where to go or who to see.  Both boys see an occupational therapist once a week and that helps to a point.  But we need more tools in our tool box.  We need to learn how to work cohesively as a family.  Every little issue seems to trickle through the ranks, affecting the family as a whole. 

I guess it doesn't help matters being an instant gratification kind of person.  Perhaps it's God's way of telling me to be patient. 

So for now we're just going to keep on doing what we've been doing and pray for guidance.  Hoping for some turn-by-turn directions from God. 

Thankfulness

In the midst of uncertainty, it's best if SOMEONE keeps calm; if SOMEONE has patience and self-control. If not, life can be sheer chaos.

Having to be that someone is not easy. Especially when you have little children. I am constantly trying to reassure myself that God gave me the ability to parent these children calmly and quietly. I *know* He did! It may not always show, but it's there.

The past week and a half has been interesting. My husband herniated three discs in his back leaving him out of work and on disability for a bit. After many days at home in pain and physically incapable of being himself he's feeling a little down as is the rest of the family. It's less pay and a different schedule than we're all used to which puts a LOT of stress on us as a family.

However, I have found MANY reasons to be thankful and I know I am TRULY blessed. God has opened up something in me and it feels so good. I have such a positive outlook and I know that He. will. provide! I know that my family will be taken care of. I know that God has His hand on us and is guiding us through a difficult time.

I'm singing praise songs as I'm doing my daily chores. I'm going over uplifting verses in my head to keep me going.

As I drive down the road, I have my windows open and the radio off and listening to the wonderful sounds of the summer and soaking it all in. The warm breeze through the windows, the rustling of the trees. So peaceful. All provided by Our Father!

Two years ago, I would have been a complete wreck in this situation. I'm not sure what it is but I'm different. I feel more . . . whole. Like I know who I am now. And I'm thankful for that. Thankful for patience and self-control.

A Mother's Job Is Never Done

One day, before I die, I hope that I can have just a SINGLE evening where I can say I really have NOTHING else to do! Not a dish that needs to be washed or load of laundry that needs to be folded and put away. The trash will be taken out and all the counters will be washed. The floors will be spotless and I can sit down and do absolutely nothing.

However, that day is nowhere NEAR! Heck, I even dream the next day's projects. I review the grocery list as I'm nodding off. My husband has asked me why I can't just "stop thinking and go to sleep". It's impossible to do. I wonder how common this really is and if any man has the same issue.

It's 10:43 at night and I'm just now making some white bread for tomorrow. I also have the floor picked up so I can steam clean the carpeting and go over the couch once with the cleaner. Sleep? I don't need to sleep . . . . I need to clean the house. It needs to be done when the kids are asleep or they'll run amuck, trashing the house right behind me.

But I know there will be a day where I can plop down on my chair, with the house being clean, and finally be able to relax.

This should be fun!

I'm hoping a blog will allow me to write what's on my mind. To write what won't fit in my Facebook status.

Throughout the course of my day, odd things happen. I then think about the best way to sum it up in my FB status and it is never really done justice to the oddity.

So, without further ado, here's Me!