Mom to mom

I have had something on my mind to blog about lately and just haven't really known how to word it or make it flow.  It is easier to blog about day to day activities or events and not the things we struggle with or think about (don't want people to get concerned about me).   I heard a mom some time ago mentioning "respond don't react" when referring to her kids.  This is a very hard concept for me to master.  I tell myself this daily sometimes and still at the end of the day can think of numerous occassions where I have reacted.  Then just recently the pastor at the church we are now attending actually preached on this.  His way of putting it was "Act, don't react!".  He said that when we act on our emotion we tend to be more effective and that reacting could actually cause us to lose a relationship we have worked years to establish.  This is really something I want to get better at.  I don't remember much from my younger years but I do have specific memories of my teenage years when my mom responded to a situation and didn't react.  Because of this I felt I could continue going to her.  So, my question is how do you other moms handle this?  What tactics do you use to keep yourself in check at those moments and quickly remind yourself to respond?  Most times I realize exactly what I have done within seconds but it is too late to withdraw it.  I can sometimes see it in their faces. I pray that God helps me with this one so that I can hopefully keep an open door between me and the boys (and even other people I come in contact with....this can relate to many relationships).  Just something to ponder. 

Just a cute picture of the boys....we were going to let them go out in their rain coats and play in the rain (it had only been raining for DAYS!).  This is how they ended up getting dressed!