A post about my first

It's no secret- Jones is a handfull. Fromthe moment he wakes up until he goes to bed, he operates at 110%. 

I focus a lot on the "challenge" that he is. Because, well, he is. His teachers know it. I know it. Trey knows it. Our family knows it. He requires a lot. There is no downtime with him. No calm, just storm. 

But he's smart. So smart. And sweet. And he's mine. And I'm feeling emotional that he will be four in just a couple of weeks.  

For whatever reason God thinks that, with His help, I am equipped to be his mother. I doubt myself almost daily, but somehow I'm always brought back to this fact - he is a gift. A precious, priceless gift. I know this to be true all the time, but if I'm honest, I forget sometimes.  He's a handful. Yes! But, everyday he's getting older and everyday is a day closer that he will not want me to read him just one more book and he will stop saying "lay by me for just a minute" as a stalling tactic before bed. He will have friends that he will want to be with more than me. He will go to school. He will need me less and less. A girl will break his heart, and he will break a heart. He keeps growing and growing and one day I'm afraid I'll look back and regret the times I cried out of frustration with him or wished he could just be still for two seconds and not hit, yell, or run everywhere for just a day. 

I'm scared he's growing up right before me while I'm wishing away his childhood. 

So I'm going to try to stop getting angry and easily frustrated and feeling defeated at the end of everyday. He's a challenge, but he's a joy. And I want to choose to focus more on the joy. 

So I won't forget some of those funny and simple joys: 

1) I was in the laundry room recently and he walked up to me and asked why I didn't have a tinkler. (note to self- close my bathroom door) 

I responded that God made boys and girls differently, thinking that would satisfy him. He looked at me like I was an idiot then said "so Anna Joy's fell off too?". 

2) tonight I was laying in bed with him and he looked at me, touched my face and said "you're eyes are beautiful". 

3) he walked up to Anna Joy, gave her a hug, and said "I love her so much. She's my best friend ever." 

4) even if it's rainy and cold, he says almost everyday: "it's a beautiful day, isn't it?" Gotta love the optimism. 

That time I took bikini wax strips to MOPS

I just don't even know.

Let me back up... 

I love staying home with my children, but y'all, let's face it, there are moments when I think to myself if I don't see an adult in the next five minutes, I might lose it. And I don't mean the people that check out my groceries. I mean real, meaningful, human adult interaction that goes beyond polite greetings.  

Other than the gym and church, my adult social interactions have been, well, lacking.  

Also? Somedays I swear I'm in Groundhog Day.  Eat, clean, laundry, clean, play,  eat, naptime. Play.  eat. Bath. Play. Bedtime. Clean. Sleep. Repeat. 

Love it, but dear goodness. 

I can see I'm getting winded. Let's cut to the bikini waxing strips. 

Several weeks ago I was invited to a MOPS group. Women in the same stage of life, plus free food and coffee? Where do I sign up. 

I went to my first meeting a couple of weeks ago. 

Let's stop for a minute and face the facts: I'm a minister's wife. A Jesus loving, wine-drinking ministers wife. I don't sing, sew, bake or cook much. And I love The Bachelor. 

I'm the opposite of my childhood ministers wife who sang solos at church and the strongest thing she drank was coffee. 

This has little to do with the story except to say that between my wine and bikini wax strips, I might be setting the stage for a minister's wife reputation fail. 

Anyway, the MOPS girls were really sweet. From all over the area, yet we meet at our church so I get to bug Trey afterwards. Score one for me. 

We discussed how to lower our monthly grocery bill as well as new, easy on the pocket family recipes. 

Maybe not my normal thing, but whatever. There were adults! And conversations! And coffee! 

Let's fast forward to tomorrow's meeting. I got an email announcing that it is MOPS  favorite things week. We are each to bring two of our favorite products, be it a cosmetic, food, etc... to give away. 

Then, in a somewhat Secret Santa fashion, we are to go up one by one and pick what we want to take home. Then, and only then, the person who brought that item stands up to tell the crowd about their favorite thing. 

It's kinda like Oprahs favorite things. Except instead of all getting new cars, we will take home a new kitchen utensil. Or something. 

Well, since for obvious reasons I don't have a favorite kitchen utensil, nor do I have the budget to buy and giveaway Bobbi Brown makeup, I went to my go-to drugstore find: Veet Waxing Strips.  

Dark hair girls gotta do what dark hair girls gotta do: wax her upper lip. 

This is a great product for in between salon touch-ups OR (in my case) a budget-savy way to be hair free. $7 for 20 waxings. No brainer. I must share with MOPS! They are, seemingly, perfect wives and mothers.  

They need to know. Am I right? I am right. 

Well, all was fine and I was confident in my favorite thing until I was in the kitchen moments ago making my mini-muffins for tomorrow's meeting when I glance over at my buy.  

Veet Bikini Wax strips. 

So now my options are: 

- not go. 

- Go, and pretend I forgot my items. 

- Wake up super early and exchange them at WalMart (death).  

- Or go and promote bikini waxes to a group of women I hardly know in the same church where my husband ministers. 

I think the choice is obvious. Go. Take the Veet. 

This is hilarious. And this is also why I don't have friends.