Writer's workshop--I am such a good mom, what can I say?

Choose a prompt, post it on your blog, and sign Mr. Linky. Be sure to sign up with the actual post URL and not just your basic blog URL (click on the title of your post for that URL). For good comment karma try to comment on the three blogs above your name!!

(Remember that my prompts have been changed to reflect my Baby Month theme. Please visit Mama's Losin' It for the original prompts.)

The Prompts:

1.) Describe the best/most creative punishment you have ever given your children or received yourself.

2.) Tell a friend or family members birth story, as if it happened to you.

I'm just not creative enough for this one...and frankly I don't remember many birth stories other than my own.

3.) Tell a birth related story about a moment in time when you were so happy you were you and not someone else in the room.

Every time I see a woman get an epidural, I am grateful I'm not them. To me it seems to take more nerve to get a needle stuck in your back than to get in the bathtub and labor. YIKES! Makes my skin crawl just thinking about it. I HATE needles.

4.) When I was pregnant (or post natal) I went to the bathroom and I could not believe...

Oh boy! I could say so many things. I don't want to freak anyone out, so I'll just say, when I lost my mucus plug it was pretty hard to believe. And yet, totally exciting. I KNEW the baby would be coming soon...and I could start getting excited. When I saw bloody show I KNEW the birth was imminent and we could start really getting ready.

I'll leave out descriptions of those things...and many others, for another post. Don't worry, I wont leave you out in the cold on these things. I mean, come on, I shared how I wet my pants.

5.) Show us something from your pregnancy or birth.

This was mere minutes after Asa was born....gag...at the hospital...but we all still loved him anyway. Millicent's comment about her new brother: He's ooey! (He was still covered in blood since we didnt let anyone touch him the entire time we were there.)

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Describe the best/most creative punishment you have ever given your children or received yourself.

I am going to be open and honest and quite frank...mostly.

Do you ever feel like you are constantly on top of some of your kids: your breath stinks, fix your hair, your clothes are dirty, have you cleaned your room, your socks don't match, where is your school work, your chores aren't finished.

I know I have felt like that. A few weeks ago, God began to do a transformation in me. (To find out how bad pregnant brain is, ask me how long it took me to think of the word transformation...it ain't pretty.) He began showing me that my thoughts towards my children were lies from Satan. That he has given me ALL these children to raise up for Him. That yes, there may trials, but that I am suppose to walk through the trials victoriously.

I heard two wonderful sermons and spoke with a wonderful Godly mother that morning. She understood completely what I was feeling. She even offered some advice. When you have to tell that particular child (if you have one, you know what I mean by THAT child) eight times a day to leave something alone, begin to make a joke out it:

You silly girl. You know I wanted you to leave that alone...okay, now take it the kitchen and throw it away before I throw you in the trash.

I told her, yea, right. I will never be able to do that. I just can't. Children have to obey.

She told me she wasn't suggesting I overlook an offense, or ignore it. Just that it doesn't have to be always serious. That sometimes when I am disciplining I can make them laugh and take the pressure off both of us. I told her I would try. But in my heart I just didn't think I could do that. I was too frustrated too often.

Then I got home from church that morning and another Christian mom had sent an email about the very same thing I was struggling with.

She asked the same question I asked of you earlier. Don't you ever feel like some children are always on your radar?

YES I DO.

She said she committed to saying one nice thing for every time she had to get on to someone. This, I thought, I could do.

Even better, as I began praying and asking God to change MY HEART, not my children, he began showing me opportunities to be silly and just ENJOY disciplining my children. It became easier and easier to say....your clothes match so neatly today, but there is a little smutz on your shirt. Do you think you can find a cleaner one? ETC. ETC.

Instead of...OH MY GOODNESS! Can you see that your shirt is covered in spaghetti sauce???? (Can't they, though?)

So yea, there's all that. BUT this post isn't about what a great parent I am...though I AM.

This post is about...oh drats....what is this post about? (Prego brain again.) Oh right. A great punishment.

So the girls come out of the bathroom, having "gotten ready". And by that I mean, they went pee and evidently nothing else.

So as we are walking out the door I say, let me check your teeth. If your teeth are clean you can have dessert tonight. Immediately THAT child starts to run from the room telling me she needs to brush her teeth. Haha! Oh silly girl, you know it's too late now. Come let me check. Smiling and laughing the whole time.

And guess what? No one got dessert that night. And the girls' teeth were gross and stinky.

The next night we go to McDonalds and I check them again before they can have their cookies and soda. Cleaner, but not clean enough. (How does one get black on their teeth???)

But check this out, the next time we go to town, I have girls begging me to check their teeth. BEGGING!

They tell me they've brushed their teeth four times that day. And for many days later they are brushing and brushing.

Every time I check their teeth (well, mostly) they have been brushed and CLEANED.

And now, I don't nag anyone to brush their teeth and their teeth are cleaner than they have ever been.

Now, who has a solution for an open mouthed eater?????