Welcome to my crazy life!

I have avoided joining the "blogging" world for years.. did I really think anyone would take any interest in the craziness I call life? Probably not... But here we are =).  For the sake of retaining my sanity, I decided to "get it out" by blogging.

Today was a defining moment for me, being a mom of five. I am full of self-doubt when it comes to my parenting skills. My kids know I love them with all my heart, and would do anything for them (within reason, my kids are not coddled or spoiled). But I've never claimed to be a good mom, and they know this.

I was laying in bed this morning trying to get that last fifteen minutes of sleep before my alarm went off, and my bed is suddenly taken over by two of my kids. I finally get them out, and then another comes in.  I decided sleep was not going to happen, and sit up to listen to what this child is telling me. Apparently the day before, one of my kids took a bottle of pills from a friend who was distraught over a break-up and threatening to take the whole bottle and "end it". So I call my child up to discuss it, and have them bring me the pills.  While I'm listening to the story, I suddenly realized in that moment that maybe I AM doing an "ok" job. I'm teaching my kids to do the right thing, even if it hurts. When I told them that after I called the parents of this distraught child, they were probably going to be upset that my child "told" on them. The response? "That's ok, I just don't want them to die!"  The pride and the tears that came after.. indescribable.

I know I'm being "evasive" with her/him, etc, but I believe in privacy when the situation calls for it, and this one does. I contacted the parents, gave them the pills, and now it's up to the family and God. I'm not an incredibly religious person, which you know well if you know me at all, but I am a believer and I believe in the power of prayer. So while you're reading this, please lift them up in prayer today. I've traveled this road, and it's scary and confusing and down-right miserable.

Days like today find me hugging my kids a little tighter. I'm grateful for today.