PLEASANT SURPRISE EVENTS: What did you do for Mother's Day?

We went to Disneyland!!

Last Sunday was my 14th Mother's Day. It's so cliche but it has gone by too fast and it does seem like only yesterday they were born. I see my kids everyday and it's hard to believe that my son is taller than me by 5 inches and my daughter is well on her way. But when they're not with me and I think of them, they're still my little babies. I still remember when they used to pronounce their words wrong and when they used to want me to hold them, our fun outings that I used to pack the car with extra diapers, extra wipes, extra clothes, extra snacks, extra everything - those were really good times.

People used to say to me, "Enjoy them while they're young because once they hit the teens, they're going to be nothing but headaches." So far, my kids have proven them wrong. If I could hand pick my kids, these would be the kids I would pick. They are well mannered, well behaved, well rounded individuals. My son is the perfect blend of butt-kickin' athlete and bookworm nerd. My daughter is the dancing princess who is at the top of her class at school, can beat anyone in a staring contest and keep up with the boys in a game of Nerf dart wars. I did enjoy my kids when they were young and I'm still enjoying them.

Many people ask us how we got our kids to behave so well. First of all, we believe that God made them really special, especially for us. God also gave us instructions on how to raise them. The more we read the Bible, the more we find practical applications through timeless illustrations. This made it pretty simple for us, we didn't have to figure things out as we went along, we just followed the examples that were set before us. One thing we know to be true is God is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow, so we are as consistent as possible when it comes to rules in our home. The kids know exactly what to expect, good or bad, they know there are rewards or consequences. Another thing we know to be true is that whatever God says will happen-does happen, no empty threats. I've regretted saying "if you do that one more time, we're going home" a few times because I didn't want to go home, but I had to follow through. I've also threatened to throw toys away if they did "it" one more time, and I've thrown away a few good toys. But these things only had to happen a couple of times when they were really little, and after that, a warning did the trick because they knew mom wasn't playin'. One of the most important things is that God is our Father, he is our friend but not so much our buddy, and as our Father, he loves us and wants the best for us. As much as we like our kids and want them to like us, we love them more. We want them to be well equipped, independent, competent, respectful people who know the value of hard work and appreciate everything they have. Sometimes our decisions are not very popular with them, but they know that our love for them is greater than material things or one fun day.

Things aren't always perfect, we fall, we mess up, we get frustrated and even argue, but those experiences helped us be who we are today.

My kids always ask me what I want for Mother's Day (or Christmas or my birthday) and I always say "Kids that listen." Whether they know it or not, I already have the best gift ever!