Where have I been the last 2 weeks? I have been pulling my hair out trying to figure out what I'm doing and what my 2 year old son is doing. Last Tuesday, I had a complete meltdown. It including me throwing the laundry into the dryer while yelling at my husband about how I just can't do this parenting thing anymore. I was exhausted. Empty. Drained. Totally over taking care of a certain 2 year old little boy.

Robert reassured me that I am a great mom. That I am doing the best I can. That this is just a phase Huck is going through. He will level out. He is just testing his boundaries. And so on. But the thing that really lifted me up and brought me out of that meltdown, was when Robert reminded me that I would wake up the next morning with a brand new day ahead of me.

Ahhh...what would we do without a night to sleep. It's a time to put our troubles and worries aside. A time to just rest and be at peace. Even if I get woken up by a sleepwalking daughter or a son who needs help getting his blanket straight, it is still a time of relaxation and rest.

After sleeping the night of my meltdown, I woke up the next morning with a fresh start. With a new attitude and untried patience. I was ready to face what the day (and Huck) would bring. I read my daily devotional and skimmed through my journal. This particular journal is strictly for inspirational thoughts, encouraging words, and my list of 1,000 gifts.

As I was reading, I was reminded of my biggest parenting inspiration. I was reminded of my Heavenly Father. He is so patient with me. So kind. So gentle. So understanding. When I do wrong, he gently nudges me in the right direction. He's never taken an "I told you so" attitude with me. He's never yelled at me or answered me in a sarcastic or bothered tone. He is always there to help me understand. And even when I don't, he is there to comfort me and reassure me that his way is the right way. I was so thankful for a new day to make sure my attitude towards Huck could be more like the attitude of God.

I also read this blog post by Carrie at The Parenting Passageway. I had a light bulb moment. I have been crafting our daily rhythm towards my oldest child because she is the one homeschooling and needing to get her school work done. While doing great things with SG, I have been leaving Huck to just play on his own. He plays really well by himself, but after a while, he does find himself doing things that are not allowed. And this is when things get crazy. He flies off the handle when I try to redirect him. We end up fighting with each other until one of us gives up (it is usually him...I can be extremely stubborn). But by that point, we are both an exhausted and crying mess. And poor SG just sits off to the side waiting for us to get done. Whew...not a great example of a peaceful home is it?!

So I have decided to completely revamp our rhythm and change things up. It is going to require some extra patience and a fresh attitude on my part, but I am ready for it. This is the perfect week for me to do this because this week is Screen Free Week, which means that my little family will be taking a nice, long break from TV, movies, video games and the computer. I am really excited about this. I was supposed to have started this morning, but I didn't get a chance to blog yesterday. So my screen free time will start after this blog post goes live. This is also, and more importantly, Holy Week, so we will be filling our days with prayers, readings and activities to focus on Christ and his death and resurrection. The kids were so excited to parade around the living room with palm leaves singing "Hosanna, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord" this morning. They both seem willing and ready to give up their TV time and learn about the things Jesus did leading up to his death and resurrection. (If you have never gotten involved in Holy Week activities, you should...I just googled "holy week for kids" to get my most of my ideas.)

My new attitude has already been tried today. We have had a couple of episodes where Huck has crossed over into aggressive-hostile-you're-mean-and-you-can't-make-me-do-that land, but I am glad to say that I have remained calm and gently helped him back to a more peaceful frame of mind. I think I will have to add this to my list of 1,000 gifts...that I can learn to have patience and show grace and mercy from my Heavenly Father! This list keeping is definitely helping me on this journey.

Here are some more of my gifts...

41. gloomy days...perfect for cuddling and reading
42. living room tent making
43. downsizing
44. Huck eating his veggies
45. house plants
46. garden planning
47. sleeping kids at 7:30 pm
48. origami animals
49. squeeze hugs from my kids
50. "I lub you, mom"
51. giddy girls sharing a bed
52. kids trading toys to remember each other
53. patience
54. self-discovery
55. blog comments that affirm and encourage
56. productive days
57. kids cooking
58. granola from the oven
59. dish gloves
60. shutting down the computer for quiet time
61. tutus for little girls
62. homemade birthday cards
63. finishing school work early
64. buzz cuts on little boys
65. summer days in spring time
66. listening the wind howl through open windows
67. evening walks
68. sticky kids after eating ice cream
69. cutting wood to make homemade toys
70. cleaning up the yard after a long winter
71. holes in fences so neighbor kids can squeeze through
72. sharing kids
73. a supporting and encouraging husband
74. Robert praying for me
75. screen free week
76. that I can learn to have patience and show grace and mercy from my Heavenly Father!