The hardest job in the world

I was home early after a trip to the dentist today (a filling! The shame!). I decided to be the good husband and let Britt get a rare afternoon nap while I watched the kids and made dinner. It was only for a few hours and I was reminded of the how hard my wife's job is. A co-worker recently proclaimed that if she was a stay-at-home mom than she would get so much done around the house. I was offended for my wife at such an ignorant comment but I was still surprised at the craziness that she has to juggle on a daily basis.
I think part of the challenge for us is that our kids are so far apart in age. They just all have different needs to balance. On this day after school, there's Hannah working on a ton of long division and multiplication with decimals.

Honestly, I felt bad for her. Those are tedious long problems, and she had 60 problems on that worksheet. It's brutal for the 5th day of school. Might be a long year for her.
Then there's Sara, entering the 2nd grade, but sometimes I think she's ready for junior high herself. No homework yet for her so she's reading.

Obviously Hannah isn't  a fan of watching her younger sister having a good time with no homework. They are mostly good with each other but tempers are often short.
And then there's the baby. Who is warming up nicely for her terrible 2's. She is a terror around the house, and a loud one. I tried to get a picture of her messing the house up, and when she saw me coming she decided to give a pose instead...

Oh that Audrey, she is going to be a handful...
So yeah, a lot going on at home on any given afternoon. I'll be happily going back to work tomorrow. Thanks Britt for keeping the fort safe at home...

An Introspective Moment

I was talking to a friend recently about friendship. This person was recently told by another friend that he wasn't being a good enough friend to him right now. This started a conversation about what it means to be a good friend, and what sort of expectations you should have from your friends. I came to the conclusion that you should never ever tell someone that they aren't being a good enough friend. We can all probably be a better friend to someone we know (I know I certainly fit in that category), but that is an introspective analysis that only you can conclude after an honest look at what's on your plate. Life goes at a hectic speed nowadays with work, family, friends, hobbies, church, etc. that needs to be re-prioritized constantly. To just throw the burden of your personal needs onto someone else and expect them to carry the load is both unfair, and not being a very good friend yourself.

If you think that I am not being a good enough friend to you right now, I am very sorry. I promise that I am doing the best that I can for you right now. I honestly think that you deserve to have someone in your life who will meet all your needs. If it turns out that I am not that person, that is OK with me and I hope you find that right person. I hope that you can still find some value in what I can offer you at this point in my life, for I still value our friendship very much. It may not be as much as you wanted, but it's still an important part of me.

- Signed, A Friend.