Stress, Speaking, and Calm.

I have been a bit uptight lately. And when I say uptight, I mean I go between wanting to scream and cry several times daily. We are getting ready to move, the house is far from being ready for our renters, I have two kiddos in the won't-listen-until-you-force-them stage, one newly potty-trained and one who is regressing (probably because I'm stressed out, making this a seriously vicious cycle), both who enjoy pushing the other's buttons. And my husband is studying twelve hours a day for an exam he will take less than 24 hours before we need to vacate our house, so I am mostly on my own with all of this. The main result seems to be that my patience is much thinner than usual (and it really isn't that good in general), and my kiddos only get attention when they demand it. Not good.

I read this blog post today and it is so true! Even though I don't like it, my attitude and my demeanor set the tone for our home. Sure, the kids may throw a tantrum even when I am being perfectly mild, but they won't snap back out of it if I melt down with them. And I have been melting down way too much lately. I needed some guidance and some buoying up for the next two weeks of craziness before *hopefully* things settle down after we move, and going back to General Conference did not disappoint in that regard (it never does!). There are some real gems that were hard truths for me right now when I've got some repenting to do:

Sister Wixom on The Words We Speak
Elder Scott, For Peace at Home

As overwhelming as life can sometimes be with three little dictators making constant demands, it is comforting to be reminded that all those little things I try to do really can add up to make a difference, and that they matter. I need to remember that, say a prayer, invite the Spirit, take a deep breath, and keep it together, because if my children can't confidently lean on me in the meantime, I can't guide them to the Rock where they need to build their foundation.