my day

Today the sun is shining and the air is warm. Moist and warm — spring air. We’re enjoying it, and so are the black flies.

I’m behind in laundry, which is nothing new. Every once in awhile, I’m totally and completely on top of it for ONE WHOLE DAY. Ahh. It’s awesome. And then it’s over. Oh well.

I wrestled with a monstrous mint plant that was threatening to overtake our yard. Chopped it up, put it in its own special corner, and am hoping it will be happy in its new home. We love mint iced tea, and water with lemon and mint. Tastes of summer!

I also straightened and enlarged a little patch of earth outside my kitchen window, where I’ll plant lettuce and herbs. I really enjoy working outside and am usually looking for something else I can do (that requires no trips to the store, or any money, for that matter.) Besides the fresh air and exercise, it’s also a good opportunity for me to confront my perfectionist tendencies that threaten to steal the joy in every new endeavor. You know. You don’t know what you’re doing, this probably looks terrible. Just stop wasting time and go do laundry. Yes, it’s a good chance for me to work hard and sing, “Do my best!” with a cheerful heart, no matter how clueless I really and truly am.

I told the kids to hurry through their morning chores and go outside. “All day?!!?” Yes, all day. (They’re having a blast.)

Dinner plans have been elusive this week. What to make, what to make… Yes, it’s 4:14 and I’m still asking that question.

The world outside my window is just beautiful right now. The wind coming smells like life and newness. The little voices I hear are cheerful and full of laughter. Ten thousand blessings for my heart to find.

For the last few weeks, I’ve been reading and thinking about Colossians 3:12-19 — there’s lots to think about:

So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience ; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone ; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body ; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father. –Colossians 3:12-19

life bits

dutch babies; jameson watching siblings and friends; playing with dolls; slipping away for a walk with william; grown boys at play; sharing quiet time finds; extra place settings for company; first ponytails and sweet friends.

cultivate faithfulness

This Mary Engelbreit illustration has been the theme of my day. It could make you cry, but it could make you laugh, too, right? Come on — with crazy red hair like that, at least the rest of the world is laughing!

This morning I made a list of to-do’s. Sometimes I do this, sometimes I don’t. Sometimes it keeps me on track, sometimes it just beats me over the head. It’s a toss up. But this morning I jotted a bunch of seemingly-ambitious tasks down and hoped for the best.

Well, little William took 3.5 hours to eat his granola this morning, and since I pretty much had to stay within line-of-sight, wouldn’t you know I banged out that list of chores in no time. Granola made — check. Easter put away — check. School with Jameson — check. Clean the fridge before the Health Department comes and takes it away — check.

And all well before noon.

(Which is when I finally cleaned up the final breakfast dish — check.)

The funny thing is that even though I got way more done in one morning than I often do, it didn’t feel productive. By the time I rinsed that granola bowl and was at last free to go take a shower and get dressed, I was thinking, “What a waste of a day. (big sigh)” Isn’t that silly?

If you’re like me, you feel much better about yourself and life in general when you feel productive. But the truth is, life is just so daily. The tests aren’t how well we survive mountain tops and valleys as much as they are what we do in the middle.

Feeling abandoned? Feeling like life is just droning on? Feeling like you’re living with a bunch of sheep on the back side of a mountain? Well, God is on His way. And when He comes, let Him find you doing what you’re supposed to be doing: cultivating faithfulness.

All sorts of days come and go — they go, that’s the best of them. Don’t let the dull days pass without giving you what only dullness ever can give. It isn’t the days of high tension that try us most, and so give us most; it’s the days that seem all grey and dull. They test the quality of the gold. –Amy Carmichael, on Grey Days

reading to my kids

One of our very favorite story books is this, Patsy Scarry’s Big Bedtime Storybook. It’s out of print, but the good news is that you can buy it for about a dollar! My dad would read these charming little stories to us at bedtime, and now the boys ask for them all the time. The illustrations are charming, the characters endearing, and the individual stories only a few short minutes long — but each very captivating. I can’t recommend it highly enough!

I really enjoy reading to my kids. Books increase their vocabulary, their listening and comprehension ability, and their attention spans — not to mention their imaginations and their world! It’s so much fun to see the little wheels turning, or watch them burst out laughing at some silly antic.

Having them enjoy being read to has been very important to me, and I’ve done a few things to make reading a highlight of our day:

— When we sit to read a book, only Mama touches the pages. I have an eager beaver who’s always antsy about what’s next, but this rule has helped focus and saved us from torn pages.

— For the most part, we don’t ask questions during stories. Obviously I make exceptions, but questions seem to often derail storytime. Silliness is always there lurking beneath the surface!

— I read books that I think are fun, beautiful, educational, or otherwise endearing. How can I expect them to like reading if I make them sit still only to hear some drivel with awful illustrations? I can’t! Also, I can emote excitement about what we’re reading when I’m actually excited. That matters! I’ve kept a running book list of titles to either purchase or get from the library, and that is very helpful.

— Books are special. They get a book for Easter, books as gifts at birthdays and Christmas, and new books through the year are a big deal. I try to rotate a basket of seasonal or holiday-themed books so that even old titles get a fresh appeal regularly.

— We read chapter books at naptime, and I’m constantly surprised by how much even William learns from just listening quietly, with very little explanation. It’s a great way to unwind, as well as expand their little worlds in a way story books don’t. We’re well on our way through the Little House books, and Jameson just said this morning, “Oh, I thought for a minute we were eating lunch, but it’s breakfast! I wish it was lunch so we could hurry up and read The Long Winter!” And William is in love with Almanzo and his moccasins. Whatever floats your boat, kid!

None of those things are revolutionary, I know, but I thought I’d pass along the basic things that have helped thus far!

wii party!

Jameson is overflowing with ideas. Always. This is simultaneously fun and exhausting. I’d say mostly fun, but at the age of 5, when his ideas include things like carrying full gallons of milk through your carpeted kitchen and washing the cars with old crumpled tin foil, exhausting is right up there. It’s awesome!

Anyway, one of his ideas was to have a Wii party. A big one with lots of friends and food and all that stuff. He was a bit reigned in by his mother, who insisted we keep the party list to a reasonable number (which means we’ll probably have round 2 and 3 and 4…!), but otherwise, I tried very hard to do things the way he imagined it being done. He has many, many good ideas.

So at last, the day arrived. Nine little boys, two Wii stations, pb&j (which they all hurrah-ed and immediately became my favorite kids in the world), and Star Wars sugar cookies. It was so much fun. What great kids.