Sunday, June 30, 2013
Friday, June 28, 2013
Thursday, June 27, 2013
Friday, June 21, 2013
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
Kindness Candles
A few months ago, when our home seemed a little contentious, I knew something had to be done.
So I walked into my bedroom closet and spied a mason jar full of tea candles, and the Spirit whispered to me that this was exactly what I was looking for.
The boys and I had an impromptu lesson about how the presence or lack of kindness brings more light into our home or causes it to diminish. I told them every time they spoke kindly or did something kind, they would get to take a light out of the jar. Every time a harsh word was spoken or an unkind deed, they had to put a light back into the jar. Patrick and I were not exempt and agreed to the terms as well.
Then I asked them what thing they wanted more than anything else right now (under $10). We wrote the dreams on a paper and taped it to the jar to remind us of what we were working towards. We decided that if we could get all of the candles out of the jar, we would have a celebration and then buy the things we wanted.
It took weeks to accomplish our goal, but even within the first week, I noticed a significant increase in the harmony of our home. The spirit of contention was replaced with a spirit of love. And we each worked hard.
The day all the candles finally were out, the boys and I had a celebration. We lit them and talked again about the increase of love we had felt. And then they each made a wish and blew out the candles.
Then we shopped online to find the treasure they wanted and to compare prices, and a few days later, Patrick took the boys to the store. It was a happy day....
Sunday, June 16, 2013
New Hairstyle
A few days ago Maylie decided she wanted a headband instead of pigtails.
So I had to take a million pictures of course.
Talking on the phone. (Fan remote)
Oh, and she wanted the hot pink band for a bracelet. Melt my heart you do dear Maylie.
So I had to take a million pictures of course.
Friday, June 14, 2013
Chapter One: Life Musing
Sometimes I just need to write. To make sense of everything that swirls and sits and mixes and stirs within. It seems that after the thoughts become little black letters and words and paragraphs, I'm able to see how it all fits together. Writing makes order out of chaos--at least it does for me.
But so many times I sit down to write a post and find that I don't have a picture to go with it. So I abandon the post thinking that a post without pictures is like porridge without sugar--bland and unsavory. But on the other hand, chapter books don't have pictures and they're just as lovely to me.
So for today my post diverges from a picture book into the chapter book realm. These thoughts are really written for me so don't feel bad if you skip my picture less posts.
And with that said, so I begin.
Once upon a time, which is really now at this epoch in my life, I began embracing simplicity. The details of how this came to be reside in my journal.
A phrase resonates through my mind frequently: "Do less and enjoy more." Lately we've been embracing simplicity and hours of play both outside and inside. I have diverged from my comfort zone of perfectly planned schedules and routines, adopting instead, a loose and flexible day.
Early Mornings consist of studying my scriptures and getting ready. Then when the boys awake we snuggle upstairs with a 20 minute show. Breakfast comes after and then morning chores of laundry, dishes, making beds, brushing teeth and getting dressed. Then comes the best part--play time. It happens naturally and without prompting. The littles wander to their rooms or sometimes upstairs and sometimes outside. I follow. We play together or they play on their own. The beauty is, I take my cues from them. Sometimes they want me to play, other times they are engulfed in an imaginary world of their own. And I sit by and watch or read.
Lunchtime creeps up on us before we know it and afterwards we cuddle on our great room sofa to read our newest pile of library books. We have quiet rest time after this and I retreat to my beckoning cloud bed to read or write and ponder. And after that, once again I follow as they head for the great outdoors, the coloring supplies, or their toy box. Dinner prep time comes next and I employ my hungry comrades to help with dinner or play in the kitchen. Daddy comes home, he's greeted with hugs, and instantly I feel like a whole person again.
After a noisy and chaotic dinner we clean up and the boys have their play time with Daddy (and Maylie too). Then we get them ready for bed and gather for scriptures. Easton reads his verse all by himself now and loves to help Tate with his. We only read a few verses a night, but I know that line upon line, teaching upon teaching, their testimonies will grow. We have family prayer for the second time of the day (the first happens before Patrick leaves for work), and then tuck them into bed with a hug, a kiss, and a song. Then Patrick and I literally crash on the couch and share the toils of the day before sharing a treat and watching a movie.
This paradigm shift goes against my "teacher mode" that I came into motherhood with. Relinquishing my tendency to micro manage every moment of every day is not easy one bit. But the overall sense of peace I have felt as we've engaged in this schedule less way has been remarkable. This new way of thinking provides a framework for my life that can easily be adapted to fit the changing ages and needs of my children. But I was so scared that I would tire of it and go back to my old ways of letting the children watch 2 hours of movies or computer or iPod games. I feared my sanity would take a hit and I would lose the desire. So I prayed that the sparkle of letting my children just be children and play to their heart's content just like I did as a little girl would not dim. And it hasn't. There is such peace in watching them play and invent and imagine. I have no guilt wondering if I'm doing the "right activity" for them. I'm not following a curriculum. We're just doing less and enjoying more. I'm relishing the role I have as the mother of three terrific children and I feel so incredibly blessed.
And this begins the first chapter. Of what? I don't know for sure. Maybe the first chapter of finally knowing how to mother the right way. Or how to live a peaceful, simple life. Or how to enjoy my children more than I ever have before.
Or maybe just how to really live.
The First Toe-Nail Painting.
I continue to be amazed at the wonder and sparkle that a little girl can bring to my life.
Nana painted Maylie's toes yesterday. It was the very first time, and we all loved every minute of it. {It was especially sweet how both brothers were hovering around wanting in on the action.}
Maylie just kept smiling and giggling.
I think she felt like a princess.
Thursday, June 13, 2013
Last Night's Agenda.
It was a long, hard day, and remembering my manifesto of earlier this year, I decided that a warm soak in the tub with sugar scrub and calming music was in order.
Afterwards, I snuggled in my bed reading and pondering the questions I had asked the Lord earlier. He gave me answers to both....
And this was one of them...my new quest to bring good cheer to the world around me.
First, through sincere and heartfelt compliments--to those I love the most as well as to those the Lord places in my path...those in the grocery line, at the park, or anywhere else I am.
And second, by leaving little sticky notes in random places--especially to those in my family {like lunch boxes, pillows, and laundry} and also to those around me whom I'll never meet {like on public restroom mirrors}.
It's not much, but these 2 little ways to serve will hopefully bring me out of my comfort zone and closer to the peace of my Father and Savior.
Wednesday, June 12, 2013
Thursday, June 6, 2013
Monday, June 3, 2013
T-Ball.
I just can't believe my little Easton is so big. Wasn't it just yesterday that we were playing with his little Tonka trains and he was wearing a mis-matched crocheted hat he'd found in a drawer somewhere.
And now he's on his first baseball team--and the tallest one on the team, I might add. I was grateful when the coach finally raised the tee to his level on his second hit since he was practically golfing on his first.
 |
| [Easton with his coach right before his first hit] |
He was all bright-eyed and beamy for most of the day and he had the time of his life running around those bases and standing in the outfield wearing his mitt all proud. On the way home, with his blue powerade and snack cookies in hand, he told me he had been nervous, but not anymore and he couldn't wait for Wednesday to come.
And I'm just so glad.
It's been awhile...
...since I posted anything more than a sentence long. And it's time. Having my new phone has been so very convenient...snapping pictures and instantly seeing them appear on the blog without much effort on my part. However, I've been missing the feel of the keys on my fingers and the creative juices running from mind to screen. So I will still be penning my thoughts because writing is as much a part of me as breathing. At least it always has been.
I have snapped pictures of my little boys wearing their daddy's shoes on occasion and the other day I snapped one of Maylie in my slippers. I couldn't get one of her from the front, but maybe next time. There's just something special about these "growing into your shoes" pictures. It's like seeing the future but being in the present all at the same time. And it's interesting to me that Maylie always picks my shoes and sandals and slippers and heels...just like the boys always picked Patrick's.
And then for two days last week the brothers went visiting Nana and Papa with a surprise tramp waiting for them there. In theory Nana and Papa's idea was probably to sit outside and watch with wonder as the boys jumped to their heart's content. But in all actuality, they were cajoled into the throes of the jumping and the hot-potatoing and the flipping. I don't think any of them got much sleep with all the early mornings and late nights, but I know the boys had the time of their lives.
And me and Maylie had just a lovely time playing together. I loved spoiling her with all of my attention.
But I'm sure glad they're back. :)
We took a walk today--the boys on their bikes and me with Pola. And I loved it. I love where we live. It's paradise to me.
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