There’s been a whole lot of snuggles around here lately, and mama is staying true to her resolution to take better care of herself (one word: BATH!). I sincerely hope that winter is treating you well. Well, that is, if you are actually having winter; there’s also green grass in our yard, and it feels decidedly like fall, or is it spring?, out there.
Hubby got brave with the boys. He painted with them. He painted with ALL of them, including the (then) 11 month old, AT THE SAME TIME. My amazing and inspired hubby had the boys paint together on a piece of glass; he then frosted the other side and turned said piece of glass into a lamp:
I. Am. Spoiled.
We made so very many things for Christmas (and BIRTHDAY!) gifts this year that I’ve decided to do a series of posts instead of trying to tell it all in just one. The big boys made each other boats as Christmas gifts. Each of them made all the design decisions, but mama worked the saw. They also each did at least a bit of sanding.
The sail boat the middle brother (and I) made for the biggest brother.
The tug boat that the biggest brother helped make for the middle one.
These have been a huge hit around here. The only trouble is they didn’t make one for their baby brother. I think we are going to have to change that…
I had grand plans to come up with a master list of stuff to do this year; I was hoping to find 100 things to put on it. I was going to call it 100 wishes. It was hope against hope; the year opened for me with elation that things would be better this year. I had grand plans. Part of me wants to scream “WHAT WAS I THINKING?” right now. Most of me knows that life for us right now is bound to contain too many demands and transitions for me to focus on a huge list like that. In the end, I wasn’t even able to finish making the list in a timely fashion. Ultimately, the reminder came through loud and clear: keep it simple.
This should not be earth shattering to me. This should not be eye opening. We strive to live a simple, close to the earth, faith driven life around here; food is natural, books prevail over screen time, learning occurs throughout our days, life is built on a rhythm that connects to the seasons and responds to each of our needs, and we humbly follow a God we know. Why on earth did I think I should make such a huge list? I think I felt that having every little thing I wanted to accomplish nailed down would make it easier, and I think I was grasping at trying to make things different. Last year was HARD for us; I did not want more of the same.
Right here, right now, it feels like more of the same. The boys all have a touch of something; I have changed more diapers and wiped more bottoms in the last 48 hours than I ever dreamed I would. I am living on an average of 4 hours of sleep per night. The fridge and pantry are empty, and I haven’t a clue when I will find the time to go to the store. I thought I had the laundry all caught up (Finally!), but the extra diapers and wipes had to hit the wash tonight or we wouldn’t have what we needed tomorrow. Life happened. It has a way of doing that, you know.
This is not more of the same, though. This is different. Last year is gone, and this year we start with all that we learned to build on. We head out on new adventures, and even when things are tough, we have the experience to grow through our trials. This is different. I have not been here before, and I will not come this exact way again. I should make the most of it while I am here, gleaning everything I can from even the challenges and looking in every nook and cranny for the positives, the divine.
The boiled down reality is that all those wishes naturally fell into a few simple categories. The big list of things I want to accomplish will just have to wait; instead I have a short list of goals for this year:
That’s it, in a nut shell. All of it falls into the realm of living a natural, authentic, connected, compassionate life, and while it might be simple, I am fully aware that it is tall marching orders. Stay tuned; I will continue to write about our adventures.
The biggest boy appropriated party of our front yard within the last few weeks as his garden. (I confess that I am hoping to talk him into a sunnier location in the backyard when planting season arrives.) He has spent a great deal of time out there grooming the ground and literally arranging the mulch. He even hauled one of the chairs from the kids’ table in the basement, which is an antique!, up to provide him with seating and rearranged the potted “plants” from near the front door. I love what he’s done with the place, and he has drawn everyone out the door in a season in which we normally only pop out occasionally for quick trips. The baby has even gotten in on the action.
