This Too Shall Pass

I am ashamed to say this, but I am so glad that Jacob's parents live in Ohio and only come for a visit once per year. I have been so stressed and busy preparing for their arrival that I fear I haven't had much time to journal on the blog.

Don't get me wrong, I do love Jacob's parents. It's just that I never have his mother's approval. I admit, I am not the best housekeeper. Most Amish women pride themselves on their housekeeping skills. But, I would rather spend my time with the children. We still have a lot of chores, and I do straighten the rooms on a daily basis. But after the afternoon naps, I spend time reading to them and we usually play a game or two in the evenings after supper. My mother-in-law does not approve of my "style" of housekeeping. She doesn't tell me so, but let's just say I wouldn't have been surprised if she had done a white glove test on every surface while I wasn't looking.

While Jacob's mother gives a lot of head-shakings and "tsk-tsks" over the way I cut my onions, discipline the children, or the order in which I wash my dishes, Jacob's father is a bit more outspoken. "Jacob, do you really think it necessary for children to have something as outlandish as a trampoline? How do you expect to teach them the value of work if they are too busy jumping around on that thing?" and so on and so forth.

Bunny stopped by the other night to return some of my pie tins as I took her some shoe-fly last week. Boy, you should have seen the look on Jacob's mother's face when she came to the door. Bunny's bosom has a way of peeking out some days, and his mother's eyes were so bulging so big, I thought for certain they'd bust out of her head. Aye-O, it was so funny. Then after Bunny left, my mother-in-law just shook her head in disgust and repeated several times, "I can't believe it. Oh my word, I just can't believe it."

A few times, I could tell Jacob was looking at my direction and it was all I could do not to catch his eye. For I knew as soon as I did we'd both have busted up laughing. I'm not sure, but I think Bunny's appearance was more than a coincidence. The look in her eye told me she was after ruffling some feathers that night; 'specially after I done told her all about the in-laws the week fore they arrived.

I don't think I have muttered the phrase "this too shall pass" under my breath as near many times as I did whilst they were here. But now they're gone, and we can breathe a little easier...till this time next year, anyway.

God Bless,
Rebekah