That's funny...

Where has my sense of humor gone? My poor children. They must be wondering where their mother has disappeared to...
Wesley was asked to say family prayers this morning..."Dear Heavenly Father....and please help us to get all of our work done without having to be yelled at or asked more than once!"
Poor kid. Do I yell that much? Apparently that is the case lately. Mom has a short fuse and very little patience to deal with much of anything.
I have many excuses to explain my lack of patience, but none that excuse the yelling! Worst part is that I know how much they hate hearing the repeated..."GET YOUR CHORE CHART DONE!...DID YOU FEED THE HORSES?...FEED THE DOGS!...IS YOUR ROOM CLEAN?...ARE YOU KIDDING ME?...IS IT 'MOMMY CLEAN'?..." in my high pitched squeal! They hate it as much as I do!

So where does that leave me? On my knees asking Heavenly Father to lengthen my fuse a few more inches, and give me a case of laryngitis! Kidding...about the Laryngitis part! I know that I can succeed with the help of my Father in Heaven,...it's finding the strength and desire to try harder...not accepting the easier way out, which in my case is yelling at them!

Wesley...I'm sorry! I know in the years to come, you will recognize the stress that parenthood (and other things) can sometimes place on a mother/father...as you someday will be a father too. It is not however, an excuse to ever raise your voice in anger at your family members or others. It is a lesson that we all learn at one point or another...some of us just learn later than others. My mother and father seldom ever raised their voice at each other or us, their children. What an example my parents are to me of what a 'home of love' should be like and a home that we all want to have. Hopefully, I haven't missed that same opportunity to teach you that 'our home of love' isn't one that should consist of yelling because your mother is tired, not feeling well, or just plain old having a rotten day! Your mother will try harder!!!

I read, when Wesley was just a tiny boy, that President Hinckley's parents never raised their voice or hand at their children, nor did he and his wife at theirs. At that point in time I remember thinking...WOW...what inspiring parents they were to me...I had then, 3 small boys, all under the age of 4 with very energetic personalities! How did they do it without raising their voices in anger over all of the messes, potty training, "sibling battles", etc.? 'It was impossible' I thought...however, I did try it and for a while, as I carefully kept myself and fuse in check, I began to see a change in all of us and our home. Home was a little more "Heavenly". Oh...I long for that Heaven again...funny thing is I know that it rests on my shoulders, as it does most mothers, to have it in my home. It begins with ME! What a concept! ME! It all rests on "ME"! Can I, WILL I change it? I can't imagine a life in the eternities with a "yelling" mother! I imagine that the eternities will only include sweet, kind mothers...ones that don't yell to get their point across! That is the mother I want to be...

Bare with me children...the day will come when you have a mother that doesn't "YELL" to get her point across, because I love you all way more than words will ever express!!!!