Happy Mother's Books

In honor of Mother's Day I'd like to share a few books from our library.

They have mothers in them.  They are favorites around here.

There is nothing better about being a mom than sitting your child in your lap and reading a book to them.  Please, I beg you, (you being the collective society) turn off your electronic device and read to your child!

This book is obviously well worn.  Everyone loves it.  Ju Ju recites it.

I had to include this because of my love of birds.  There is a reunion at the end.

Coming home when your child has been waiting is joyful for all.

This book is so precious and again, involves birds!  Owl babies whose mother goes to get them food and they get a little afraid she won't come back.  My children sometimes seem to think they are not going to get the next meal, acting desperate for food.  Only not in a cute illustrated fuzzy bird type of way.  In a different way.  A way that requires a lot of patience.  Anyway...

She comes back!!  And they are so happy.

This book is about a mommy elephant who tries to achieve five minutes peace away from her children.

This is the first scene in the book, the thing she is trying to escape.  It's just a teeny tiny bit familiar to me.

Here she is packing up her breakfast into a tray to carry upstairs and eat while enjoying a bath.  This mommy is one after my own heart.  She likes toast!

And this is what happens eventually.  Her children end up in the tub with her.  In the end she does manage to achieve "three minutes and forty-five seconds" of peace.  Hey, it's better than nothing.

 

This is a board book I discovered at the library, well, first we checked out "Dad Mine" and then this, and then I bought both for Juliet for Christmas.  It's super cute.

 

Someone discovered me taking photos of books.

The last line is "Mom mine.  Loves me."  Yes I do!

Yesterday I smelled like baby powder because Juliet dumped some all over her baby dolls bottom.  And kind of got it all over the place.

That is unrelated.  But it made me feel like a mother.  Smelling like powder.  It made me feel like I'm one of the elite.  I'm not anybody special.  But my children make me special.  I am favored.

Happy Mother's Day!

Raindrops keep falling on my head

When I was six years old I was playing human cannon ball in my front yard with my next door neighbors.  A girl my age, and her eighth grade brother.  He was launching us across the St. Augustine grass by lying down, putting his feet in the air, letting us sit on them, and then sending us through the air.

It was great fun.

Until I broke my arm.

But this is not about the experience of the injury.  This is about afterward.

Being six, I strongly remember lying on the couch and missing a week of school, and most of all, being brought gifts.  Coloring books, stuffed animals, and such.  I felt supported and loved and remembered very specifically which animals were given to me when I broke my arm...keeping them into high school.

My pastors wife brought me something different.  A music box.  It opened to reveal the inner workings, covered by a piece of plexi glass.

It played "Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head."

I have kept this in my personal things since age six and just recently had to throw it away.  I found it on the floor while sweeping.  The handle used to wind it had broken off.  So since it no longer could make music, I decided to toss it.

But as I continued to sweep the floor I felt a little sad to see it go so I went over to the trash can and took a quick photo of it.  I was going to miss it.

Why?  Because it served as a reminder that bad things happen.  Raindrops keep falling on my head.  But it's not about the fact that they do, it's about what you do when they do.

With the innocence of a child, I didn't lie around depressed when I broke my arm, I had fun watching cartoons and coloring and getting presents.

I'm not going to let the rain get me down.  It can be beautiful.

Just this morning I have looked at two friends blogs...dealing with cancer, dealing with a child's medical procedure/results...their outlook is inspiring.  They have learned how to let the rain fall.  No griping about the rain, about the effects of the rain, just looking toward the sun, which faithfully breaks through.  We are free from worry and anxiety in Christ.

I looked up the lyrics to the song.  I like these three lines:

I'm never gonna stop the rain by complainin'
Because I'm free
Nothing's worrying me.

If we're lucky, we get to see the inner workings.  The hard work that's going on during the rainfall.  And hear the beautiful music that comes after.  The catchy tunes you want to hear again and again.

Inspired by http://erin-fightingbreastcancer.blogspot.com/ and http://jennbatey.blogspot.com/