Day 440 -- Kathy Sharp
I think my mother-in-law is just plain awesome. There are many reasons why, not all of which I could possibly list here. But, I was especially thankful for her awesomeness today.
She is almost always up for watching the kids. She is our most often emergency childcare contact. There have been so many times when Colby and I have both had to be in different places at the same time, and she never hesitates or complains to have kids dumped at her house until one of us is done. That was the case tonight when I had parent-teacher conferences and Colby couldn't pick up the kids from daycare by our established time. My kids LOVE their grandma and are so comfortable at her house, you'd think it was their own. I think that's pretty cool.
She always has great food, and plenty of it. I eat to my heart's content when I'm over there, and I never have trouble finding something I like. Today, I was starving because instead of eating lunch, I tried to get in a long run instead. So, after 10.6 miles and no lunch, I was ravenous. When I brought the kids over, she had three Hot-N-Ready Pizzas all ready to go. I went from the bleak prospect of conferences on an empty stomach to a belly full of hot, cheesy pizza. I can't begin to tell you what a difference that made in my whole outlook on life at that point.
She likes to be outside. When my kids go over to grandma's, they go outside if it is possible. She doesn't mind traipsing over to the Parma Elementary playground to let them run around like crazy, even for hours at a time. Tonight she spent three hours with them outside, to be exact. I am amazed and grateful at her willingness to let my kids play like real kids, even if it means being outside, away from home, after a long day of work.
She is funny. Tonight when I stopped by after conferences, she was cracking us up with her stories from the lunchroom at Warner Elementary. This is not a rarity. Quite often I find myself chuckling about her take on something or her response to one situation or another.
She is a bargain hunter/garage saler/recycler. Sometimes I can't believe the deals she gets on things. I love that she Christmas shops throughout the year, like it's a personal challenge to emerge victorious come December 25th. And in her bargain hunting agenda, she almost always manages to find cute toys and gifts for the kids throughout the remainder of the year. Rarely do they go home empty handed; each child usually gets buckled in with a toy in one hand and a snack in the other.
She is low key. She doesn't judge my parenting style or make comments about my ability (or lack thereof) to be a wife to her oldest son. She doesn't expect me to make exceptional meals, sew, or invite her over x times a week. Nor does she expect me to clean the house before she does come over. She asks for my advice, and really listens when I ask for hers. With all of the horror stories I have heard about mother-in-laws, I feel blessed and fortunate every day to have Kathy as mine. And, more than that, I feel proud to be a part of her amazing family. I have to believe that as acting matriarch, she has more than a little to do with the high quality men and women she has produced so far.
So, there are plenty more reasons I am thankful for Kathy, but these are just the ones relevant to today. Can you tell I think she's pretty great?
Thank God for Kathy Sharp!
Lord, thank you for my mother-in-law. I feel so blessed that she is a part of my life. Please help me to be a blessing to her as well and to show her my appreciation more often. In your name I pray, Amen.
She is almost always up for watching the kids. She is our most often emergency childcare contact. There have been so many times when Colby and I have both had to be in different places at the same time, and she never hesitates or complains to have kids dumped at her house until one of us is done. That was the case tonight when I had parent-teacher conferences and Colby couldn't pick up the kids from daycare by our established time. My kids LOVE their grandma and are so comfortable at her house, you'd think it was their own. I think that's pretty cool.
She always has great food, and plenty of it. I eat to my heart's content when I'm over there, and I never have trouble finding something I like. Today, I was starving because instead of eating lunch, I tried to get in a long run instead. So, after 10.6 miles and no lunch, I was ravenous. When I brought the kids over, she had three Hot-N-Ready Pizzas all ready to go. I went from the bleak prospect of conferences on an empty stomach to a belly full of hot, cheesy pizza. I can't begin to tell you what a difference that made in my whole outlook on life at that point.
She likes to be outside. When my kids go over to grandma's, they go outside if it is possible. She doesn't mind traipsing over to the Parma Elementary playground to let them run around like crazy, even for hours at a time. Tonight she spent three hours with them outside, to be exact. I am amazed and grateful at her willingness to let my kids play like real kids, even if it means being outside, away from home, after a long day of work.
She is funny. Tonight when I stopped by after conferences, she was cracking us up with her stories from the lunchroom at Warner Elementary. This is not a rarity. Quite often I find myself chuckling about her take on something or her response to one situation or another.
She is a bargain hunter/garage saler/recycler. Sometimes I can't believe the deals she gets on things. I love that she Christmas shops throughout the year, like it's a personal challenge to emerge victorious come December 25th. And in her bargain hunting agenda, she almost always manages to find cute toys and gifts for the kids throughout the remainder of the year. Rarely do they go home empty handed; each child usually gets buckled in with a toy in one hand and a snack in the other.
She is low key. She doesn't judge my parenting style or make comments about my ability (or lack thereof) to be a wife to her oldest son. She doesn't expect me to make exceptional meals, sew, or invite her over x times a week. Nor does she expect me to clean the house before she does come over. She asks for my advice, and really listens when I ask for hers. With all of the horror stories I have heard about mother-in-laws, I feel blessed and fortunate every day to have Kathy as mine. And, more than that, I feel proud to be a part of her amazing family. I have to believe that as acting matriarch, she has more than a little to do with the high quality men and women she has produced so far.
So, there are plenty more reasons I am thankful for Kathy, but these are just the ones relevant to today. Can you tell I think she's pretty great?
Thank God for Kathy Sharp!
Lord, thank you for my mother-in-law. I feel so blessed that she is a part of my life. Please help me to be a blessing to her as well and to show her my appreciation more often. In your name I pray, Amen.
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