Jabberwokkies, Frog Hunting, and Black Widows....

Ok, I just really love this word. My kids love this word. One of our fav parts of the new Alice In Wonderland. The whole theory behind all of it is very metaphorical to me right now. I'm Alice, trying to slay my own Jabberwocky. :) (LMBO!!! Sorry, I do make myself giggle, alot. Totally had a visual of me in Alice's armor. HA HA HA!) To the ladies who commented on yesterday's post, a very very loud "THANK YOU!!!" I really needed to know I am not alone in the this whole process of discovering myself....again. So, being one step closer to slaying the Jabberwokky, I'd like to share how that came to pass yesterday.

Monday's are not my fav day. I try to get everything done the first couple days of the week so I can goof off later in the week. Yesterday, aside from my emotional craziness and the usual Monday Meltdown and trying so hard to find the balance in all of it, I'm pleasantly reminded that God gives me just what I need when I need it. Tools to slay my own personal Jabberwocky. Starting with the amazing women that commented on yesterday's post.

Late afternoon rolls around to the summer tradition our household has found our way into. The charcoal is lit for the BBQ, beers on the front porch while watching the kids entertain themselves, us and the dogs. Good food (D is an amazing cook), good beer, kids, dogs, summer, and I say who could ask for more! But still, stress lingers.

Dinner turns into a frog hunt. All five of us wandering the neighborhood hunting ponds left over from three days of rain, listening for the croaks of our prey and reassuring local law enforcement we are just on a family outing. All at once I have to make a mad dash home to welcome my monthly visitor. Of course my, oh so observant, 12 year old son picks right up on this and I'm caught in a conversation with him and my 9 year old daughter about the curses of womanhood. All D can do is shake his head and laugh. Probably from the kids standing five feet away from me like I have just contracted leporacy. The frog hunt is a bust......well...almost.

Heading back to the house, D is packing Meg on his shoulders and gets this bright idea that "hey, I can do this with mom too!". And before I know it I'm hoisted on the shoulders of my 6 foot tall significant other, riding down the street like I'm a kid again. Only freaking out that I'm going to fall and having strong visuals of my face meeting the pavement. And D would tell you that my balance needs some serious work! LOL!

So back to the front porch, chatting with D and the kids. And our catch from the frog hunt reveals itself in Paige's hair. A black widow just bigger than a quarter. Mom instincts kick right in as I see this amazingly beautiful spider navigate the brown strands of my oldest daughters hair. And in the same moment I'm struck by how gorgeous this spider is, and seeing my sweet girl's life flash before my eyes. I pulled the clippy out of my hair to extract the widow, and Paige, bless her heart, was stoic. She held completly still and let me do my motherly duties before she had a complete freak out.

At this point Meg is on the couch asleep and I'm done for the day. I head for bed while the three left still standing head out for another half hour of frog hunting. Next thing I know the bedroom light comes on, D is heading for the shower, grabs his pillow and a blanket, kisses me goodnight and heads out to sleep on the tramp with the kids. And all I can say is WOW! And I am reminded that even in the face of some really tough decisions and hard times, we still manage to pull it off. And the stress for the day is gone.