Put on the big girl underpants and get on with it!

Day 1 Reading assignment:
Gen:1-2:25
Matt:1-2:12
Psalms: 1:1-6
Proverbs:1:1-6
This is hard.  This showing up to the daily blog page is really hard.  Day 2 and I am having some serious doubts.  I got the reading done, where is my spiritual inspiration?  My days were already full and now I think I can just be clever on a daily basis?  What on earth was I thinking?  I am a gadillion pages from the lessons on perseverance (and complaining).  I started to read ahead but I am doing everything in my power to avoid "the squirrels" and they are everywhere!
Today's squirrels, however, are much cuter and actually have names; Sawyer, Thatcher and Crew.  They are 3 of our 9 fabulous grandkids. Crew is 8 months old and master of the G.I Joe crawl that allows him access to EVERYWHERE.  Thatcher is 21 months, dangerously close to that terrible 2 thing and lets just say it's a good thing he is so stinkin' cute because he's a pistol.  Sawyer is 4, and milk out the nose funny (just like his grampa) and incredibly smart.  He also has autism.  I don't say he's autistic because that wording makes it sound like autism is what defines who he is rather than a condition he is learning to live with.  Thatcher also was beginning to exhibit red flag behaviors that are associated with the creepy "A" word.  24 hours after his 18 month immunization Thatcher stopped talking.  He started flapping his hands, walking on tippy toes and banging his head on the walls and floors.  He would cry for prolonged periods, had chronic diarrhea, stopped eating and was losing weight.  It was at this time that the family moved home to be at Grampa and Gramma's.  Since their arrival in early July, our Thatcher can now call the kitties, mimic Spike the horse and is attempting sounds for words he once had.  We count these as huge successes.
These guys are busy, messy and loud. This afternoon they were hanging with grams while mommy made a quick trip to the store-all by herself.  No biggy, I thought, I could still get a few words together for the blog.  But first I had to sit Crew on the lawn for a quick minute while I untangled a crying Thatcher from the horsey swing that the bull dog was also trying to swing on.  I turned to see Sawyer had stripped naked as a week of successful potty training was taking a turn for the worse.  Crew started to cry as he toppled face first in the dirt, Thatcher's wail was escalating to hysterics and Sawyer was off on a dead run, naked, chasing Pedderkitty, the family cat. I managed to herd Sawyer inside and toward the bathtub while carrying 2 crying babies.  Safely in the house I sat them down. Thatcher tripped, sending a lamp sailing, landing in pieces when... THE PHONE RINGS!!!
 It was mommy,"how are the boys?"
"Fine!" I lied, in my high pitched liars voice.....

 Earlier today Sawyer was heard saying, Speed Racer racing through the ketchup!'  That pretty much sums up the state of this household and also why this day's post didn't happen until 12 ish a.m. I came to the conclusion years ago when I was raising my own kids that there will always be ketchup to be mopped up, laundry to fold and over all clutter to sort through. But the babies grow up quickly.  A year ago Sawyer had only a few words. Today he said "Gramma I'm so happy."   God is so good.  These little boys battle far bigger foes on a daily basis than I.  I can do this.  2 days down, 363 to go.

Do What You Dread

If procrastination were a profession I would be the CEO.  I put off doing even non-dreadful things so if it is dreadful it isn't going to happen until I am forced.  I remember a day many years ago when my refrigerator went on the blink.  I answered a knock at the door to find a man in a suit with a face that looked as if all personality had been surgically removed.  I was thinking, 'he probably seems so unfriendly because he hates his job, poor thing.'  So I greeted him with a warm smile and said, "Wow you really dressed up just to fix my fridge!"
  At that and without as much as a twinkle in his eye, he flashed a badge at me.  "Joe Blow, Department of Revenue."  My knees went weak several seconds before my brain could completely process what was happening. I flashed on the files of quarterly taxes that I had shoved to the bottom desk drawer.  We didn't have the money to pay them and I did not want to bother my hubby with it-he was stressed out enough.
I was picturing in my mind how it would look when my 5 little kids watched the bad man cuff mommy and haul her off to unpaid quarterly prison when I became hysterical.  I'm sure the poor man was wishing he could call for "back-up" to get someone to calm this crazy loon down.
"I'm not a tax evader, I promise!"  I wailed.  "I'm just an idiot!"
The man must have believed that I was indeed just an idiot and guided me through the process of getting caught up. From this experience I learned the important lesson of: "Don't mess with the tax man." Did I learn to not procrastinate?  Not so much.

I'm not sure if procrastination and seeing squirrels are the same... but when that wiley squirrel shows up, I drop what I'm doing  and move to the next distraction (aka:squirrel) until I realize now, at the age of 54, I've never finished ANYTHING!

Yesterday was September 1st. A good day to start something, I decided.   I was hit with a jolt while brushing my teeth.  I went to the kitchen with a foamy mouth and slurred speech to announce to my family this epiphany.
"Ah gah it!"
"What?" They ask in unison.
"Ah gah it!" Holding my index finger in the air summoning them to wait, I walked to the kitchen sink and spit."I've got it!" I repeat.  "I'm going to read the bible in one year and blog it.  I've attempted to do this for about 5 years now so a blog will hold me accountable."
My family is unwavering in their support and encouragement of each and every (unfinished) wild hair I embark on.  They cheered me on,  my biggest fans,  never revealing the slightest hint of the major doubts I am sure were rolling around in their minds.
What happened next?  I saw squirrels all day.  One distraction after another.  I kept telling myself I would get to it.  Later.  Instead I fell exhausted in to bed, discouraged and full of self-loathing at my immediate failure.  Honestly I thought I would get to at least day 3 or 4 before I quit.

But today is a new day!  So what if it's Day 2 of September, it's Day 1 of my quest.  Squirrels be damned!  I've got some reading to do................