Why Sunday with Summer?

Summer is my last child in a line of many.  She is beautiful, bubbly, and full of life.  Since I have been down this parenting path a couple of times, I can really appreciate how short and precious each phase is.

  

Every phase has had it's beautiful moments - birth, the newborn sighs of contentment, the first smile, tooth, steps....These moments happen and then are gone, only remembered in a little compartment in my brain.

There are also the hard lessons learned.  The million books I have read and continue to read to try to parent my children in the manner that will help them thrive and become all they can be. 

Summer reminds me to get down on the floor and just be with her.  I am delighted by all her babyness.  I am delighted by her-all of her.  I am reminded that though my laundry might have become mammoth in size, that my kitchen counter can not be seen due to the volume of dishes that cover it, that this is so much more important.  

I will never get to recapture these years in my children's life.  Their job is change, grow, move forward down their own paths. 

My job is to relax.  Relish these moments.  Just be there.  Treat each day like a Sunday.  A day that is a bit slower then the rest of the week.   Time for a drive down country lanes just to look at the flowers.  A perfect summer day filled with sun, sand and the sounds of children playing in the ocean waves. A season of light and laughter.  A summer Sunday.

Have a great day.

Where does the time go?

I can't believe it has been so long since I've written.  My life often feels like a blur.  We have just celebrated three family birthdays, spent time at the beach, planned a family camping trip and made another enjoyable trek to the snow country.

Now I am settling back into our homeschool routine with a gardening block.   Tomorrow I will head to the nursery to pick up some seeds to plant and a few other flowers which catch my eye.  We will also feed our herb garden and our lemon tree this week.

We will are making these lovely tutus for a local dance recital.  It took some thought and a couple of prototypes which were not quite up to my standards.  But I think it is perfect.  The girls will look adorable in it.

Tomorrow will be the day where I won't work and will just spend time playing with my family.  Hope you can carve out some space to do something you love.

Enjoy the lovely spring sunshine!

Did I check the disclosure box for this?????!!!!

I am reading a book called Simplicity Parenting by Kim John Payne. Excellent book so far (I am only in the first chapter).  I am having aha moments frequently.  A particular paragraph really struck home.  Mr. Payne discusses many of his parents coming to him saying they didn't expect all the work, the chaos, the frustration that came with having children.  They didn't sign up for this.  

Parenting should be about the joy of being with your children.  The hugs, giggles and learning moments.  Some how this gets lost in the "I'm hungry", "Tommy hit me", and mountains of laundry, sleepless nights, having a million interrupted conversations with your romantic (what is that!) partner and I haven't even hit the teen years!  The stress level is high for me right now.  I am struggling to think straight, to plan for meals, schedules, etc.  Household responsibilities are overwhelming.  I clean the floor and two little munchkins come charging in with mud on their feet to find more cars and boats for the puddle outside.  It is enough to send me over the edge. 

I did NOT sign up for this.

We have many days and weeks where I am totally content to be in the thick of things.  I manage very well.  Our house is organized, relatively clean (we homeschool with 4 kids so the house is really LIVED in) and we are all happy.  But when I am not on my game, it all goes to hell in a handbasket.

What do I do?  Well, the first thing I do is start reading.  Inspiration is a wonderful motivator.  Blogs, books like the one mentioned above, anything that reminds you to dream.  Then I step back to see where I can simplify and streamline our life.  What can I do to take better care of me.  I am the captain of this life, I need to remain steady and strong so all these shipmates can do their work knowing their boat isn't going to sink.   (Even if the captain really really wants to jump ship at the next port) - what's with the boat analogy? hmmm...


Anyway, remember the dreams you had before you became a parent.  Figure out a way to reclaim those.  Find the love that you have for your children and your spouse.  Let if fill you.  Find the love you have for yourself.  Hold it close and breathe.


Have a peaceful day.

 

The Man of Many Questions???

photo courtesy of dullhunk @ flikr.com

My youngest son is the master of "Why?".  Every thing you say to him brings on this question.  It is very difficult to redirect him so he doesn't get too focused on having an answer.  But he is tenacious.  It will serve him well as he grows into adulthood.  Right now it only serves to drive me nuts!  Really, how does one find a suitable answer to a conversation like this? -

"Get your shoes, it's time to go to the park."

"Why?"  


"Hmmm, I wonder...."

I love this quote.  It is so appropriate.

 "It is not every question that deserves an answer."

 Publilius Syrus, Maxims

Have a great day!

Food for thought

 

"We act as though comfort and luxury were the chief requirements of life, when all we need to make us really happy is something to be enthusiastic about."  Charles Kingsley

 Before kids, I felt as if I were searching for something that inspired and challenged me.  Something I was so enthusiastic about that any fears of looking silly or not succeding became unimportant.   I took different classes in college.  Attempted different career paths.  Pursued hobbies.  

The thing that I have found the most enthusiasm for is being a parent.  I LOVE being a parent.  It is the most satisfying thing I have ever attempted.  Guiding four people into this world has tested me, frustrated me and given me a greater pleasure than anything I could ever anticipated.

This period in my life is fleeting.  My little ones are growing and changing rapidly.  I watch and learn from them.  They follow their instincts.  They are enthusiastic about learning whether it is learning to walk, ride a bike or any of the millions of other things they wish to master.   They fall and get right back up.  They seek answers to their questions. They have given me a gift.  To find a passion and pursue it uninhibited.


Have an inspired day!

Quote of the day

 "If you want your children to be brilliant, tell them fairy tales. If you
want your children to very brilliant, tell them even more fairy tales." -Albert Einstein.

We have been reading lots of fairy tales.  The kids found my childhood Reader's Digest anthology of fairy tales.   How I loved these stories when I was child.  It is fun to revisit them and so nourishing for all of our spirits.

Have a great day.
Laura 

The gift of childhood

Childhood is so short and precious yet it seems like there is such a big push in our society to grow up and become independent - the earlier, the better. There is an underlying fear that a dependent child will become a dependent adult.  A fear that a child which has not been properly enriched with the myriad of classes available will somehow never become a competent, competitive adult in our high tech world.

I think we would be better served if we could respect the gift of childhood.  Respect a child's need to be in nature, have a dependable nourishing home life, and be surrounded by adults who create an environment conducive to mastering the astounding amount of skills needed to function in our society. By respecting a child's needs, we will teach them to be respectful of others and to become responsible adults.  Time and freedom to play, create, dream and imagine with limitedoutside influences (especially media) will give a child a sense of well-being and balance.  A child will carry this sense of self with them throughout their lives.

In our house, we consciously choose to give our children plenty of time.  Some days it is a struggle.  There are so many wonderful opportunities available.  Yet by stepping back and leaving unscheduled time in our week, our children play alone or with each other, read, draw, explore outdoors and many other self guided pursuits.  They easily entertain themselves.  Hopefully as adults, this will allow them to be self-directed in their careers and their personal lives.  I am hoping that by respecting their childhood, we will give them the ability to respect themselves as adults, the ability to pursue paths which will fulfill them and the tools to know that they are responsible for making things happen.

Have a great day.

Happy Valentine's Day

picture courtesy of lake.sider @ flickr.com

They say love makes the world go round.  Well in it certainly turns my world.  I never imagined how much you could love anyone until I had kids.  

Don't get me wrong, I am madly in love with my husband.  He is the light of my life.  He is  my strength and guide on days where I just don't feel up to taking on the huge task of parenting.  He helps me conquer the bumps that life throws into my path.

The love for my kids is different, intangible, unexplainable in its enormity.  As I often tell them - "I just love you".  That simple phrase explains my feelings for them completely.  It is the kind of love that sees them for all they have been, all they are and all they might be.  It is a love that will always be there, no matter what.  

I can't really explain it.  I just love them.  I hope everyone has an opportunity to open their hearts and life to this kind of love.  It really challenges and inspires me to be more than I am today - every single day.


Have a great day.

Old friends

We met up with an old friend last night for dinner. It was so good to see him and it seemed like nothing had changed in the 10 years since we had last seen him. Life is not like that however. How much do we really know about people? Just what is shared. We share different things with different people and in this way we protect ourselves from a whole host of indignities. There are many times when I don't share my parenting views, educational views or my ideas about my lovely little business. I don't want to defend our choices, seem too far to the right or left on the political spectrum or just seem silly. I also don't want to make the other person feel defensive because their path is different from mine. Wouldn't it be lovely to be authentic and accepted for who we are? As I strive to be more true to myself, I open myself up to others criticisms but also new friends and communities. Many inspire me and I carry their spirit into my daily life and activities. Maybe I can find that strength too. The strength and self love to be a little bit more then what people think they see.