Queenies Little Kingdom

I know what it’s like to “know it all”! I was a teenager too. Way back when. I thought for sure my parents were stupid. Afterall, they tried every way possible to sabotage all my teenage happiness. I remember saying……”One of these days……I’m outta here!”. I thought I knew everything I needed and what it would take to get it. I also thought I knew what mattered to me most. Mostly, myself!

Lately, I’ve thought aliens had come to visit and taken over my Ally’s body. She’s not the same. She seems miserable to be my child and acts like I’m stupid or something. Some days I think….she doesn’t even like me. Everything I do embarrasses her…she even told me to get a new hair-do. I haven’t seen too many smiles in the last few months. It makes me sad, because I know something she doesn’t know. Time flies by and you can’t get it back.

I just want her to know how much I love her. I only want the best for her in everyway. I would do anything for her (within boundaries….no compromising with my obedience to Christ) and I pray that she understands that someday soon. If we could see ahead……I think we would do things much differently. But that’s not possible! My prayer for Ally is that she would know her worth and value in Christ and live her life with joy and satisfaction. Maybe even once in a while…throw her mama a bone and smile at her. I hope you like your new hair color Ally…..I love you! Mama! 😉

~~~~~~~WARNING~~~~~~~WARNING~~~~~~~WARNING~~~~~~~~
(possible whining ahead…..don’t want to do it, but….)

Today has been a fairly nice day. I didn’t have to hustle all over the building at work chasing myself around. I actually only taught one period the whole day (so, much of my time was spent waiting to go there). I took it easy….that’s not how it’s been lately. I’ve had to cover everywhere and most days there wasn’t even time for the restroom. Whew! That’s a little crazy! So….today was sort of a make-up day.

Only, I’ve spent it hurting. I noticed after I sat down to check email this morning at school that my leg was hurting. For me, that meant it was only going to get worse. When I’m having a flare up with my Fibromyalgia there’s no stopping it. Usually I have it managed pretty well….but I guess the go-go-going has caught up with my body. This is a sure sign of needing to S T O P !!

By the time I went to lunch I was in full-blown pain. I could barely sit still at the lunch table…..it makes me want to wiggle around (maybe it’s a coping mechanism, I don’t know). Then I noticed my skin felt feverish. I don’t usually check my temperature….but I felt like I had one. More signs of needing to just chill-out! Hard to do when you are only on Tuesday of a work week. Plus, the weather has changed drastically….it’s 30 degrees outside. Brrrrr! All of this makes me want to be home and relax.

I deal with this little pest (fibromyalgia) fairly aggressively most of the time. I practice mind over matter…mainly because….I HAVE TO FUNCTION! I really don’t have time to be sick or puny. My family is thriving and jiving…and I don’t want to miss out on anything. So, I push on! Lately though, I’ve noticed some little things are getting worse. The use of my hands and fingers. Grasping is not so easy. I drop things and cannot keep ahold of them. Or my hand cramps up so badly that I cannot straighten it out. Really weird, I know. Is it related? I don’t know. I can’t help but think….am I having a stroke? Again, I just keep moving forward. What else can I do?

Tonight I plan to get in my hot-tub and take a break. The heat seems to relax my body and allow me to sleep which is what I need so badly right now. Lots of sleep! If I could figure this crazy thing out I would. This blablamyalgia thing! It’s a real party crasher. It hurts!

Lord, thank you that I can function most of the time. Help me have a positive attitude when I’m too tired and the pain sets in. I know that my health is very important to you and to those who love me. Show me how to take the best care of me….so that I can best serve you, God. I know that I could be so much worse…thank you for the way you protect me from more than I can handle. Amen.

Psalm 69:29-30 “I am in pain and distress; may your salvation, O God, protect me. I will praise God’s name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving”. (OH YES, I WILL!)

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Yes…..I really am! I love these people! They mean the world to me. I can’t wait to celebrate another year of Thanksgiving with them next week. It’s one of our favorite holidays. We sort of revolve around food in our family. Thank you God for my sweet peeps.

I remember not too long ago the media frenzy about Britney Spears’ mother writing a parenting book. At the time, Britney was experiencing her own personal meltdown in front of the world. In my own mother-heart, I flushed with embarrassment for her. I knew that a parenting book would never fly. People are looking to see anyone this successful fail, especially in such a contradictory way. I said a little prayer….and hoped it wasn’t true. I finished Lynne Spears book this week, her story….Through the Storm.

In the beginning she makes it clear that this is not a tell-all about her famous children. But much of what you read farther into the book is about her children and how they have faced painful scrutiny from the media and paparazzi. Something I found difficult to read was the helplessness she felt as Britney’s mother during the “Sam” era. While you and I were watching Britney break down and get hauled off in ambulance’s to hospitals on tv…weird and dishonest people were in charge of her life and there was nothing the family (the people who loved and cared for her most) could do about it. It was heartwrenching!

I admit that I have a different opinion of this family now that I have read her story. I am still very concerned as a christian mother for the salvation of the Spears’ children. Much of the fame seems to have jaded the foundation of whatever faith they may have had (the family lived with alcoholism and chaos). I’m not sure if the children were ever truly exposed to the gospel….it seems that their lives were filled with the next best thing instead. As a mom, I can see how easy it would be to miss this opportunity (always thinking….we can come back to this). Lynne does admit that in hindsight she would have invested more time into their faith walk. Painfully looking back one can see this should have been higher on the list.

Would I suggest this book? Yes. Lynne Spears is a child of God just like you and me. She has sprinkled a bit of her own faith throughout the book and it reminded me that she has a need for encouragement just like I do. She struggles just like me (even though she has financial success and fame). I admire her for being bold enough to share her personal struggles…. both her children’s and her own. She is a lady that deserves our prayer. I see her through new eyes (not that I thought badly of her before) and I see a person that wants the same things all mother’s want. The best for her children!

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Bright and early…….ok….dark and early, Ally has to be at school packed and ready to go on a Student Council field trip.  She along with five or so fellow classmates and one brave sponsor/teacher will pull out at 5:30am (that is so against Jesus) and travel on down the highway to Richmond Indiana for a weekend of activities.  Each student will be staying with host families that have graciously offered their home to the visiting guests.  So, I guess you could say….my kid is going to be an exchange student this weekend.

They will be pretty busy from what I can tell from their itinerary.  The activities will range from team building to plain old fun stuff.  Luckily for Ally, she has a thing for fun stuff.  She is Miss Prankster!  She gets it honest, her dad likes to play tricks too.  Once when we were preparing for an open house Christmas event at our house….she booby-trapped a cabinet in our bathroom with golf balls.  I’ll never forget how she giggled and prayed that “someone” would take a little sneakypoo in that cabinet and boom…..have noisy golf balls fallout everywhere for the whole party to hear.  What a plan!  She was so excited!  She waited nearby in her room (across from that bathroom) hoping some sucker would fall in her trap.

I’ll miss her!  Our house will be a bit lonely without her or her friends hanging out.  But she will be off seeing the world and loving every minute of it.  Well, maybe not that 4:30am wake-up call….she’s not a morning person (DUH! we’re a pathetic bunch at my house!).  Say a little prayer for her and her group.  Mrs. McGuire is going to be driving in some pretty crummy weather…it’s raining and yucky here this weekend.  It’s never easy driving someplace that you are not familiar with, not to mention with a group of other people’s kids along.  She’ll need those prayers, ya’ll.

Stay tuned….some time during this weekend I hope to post about the Lynne Spears book I just finished reading.  Until then, enjoy this November weekend….they are flying by.