20ish Days of Gratitude

Today I'm thankful for the gorgeous ground I stepped out onto this morning.  Autumn gusts of wind are good for more than just crazy hair!  They also blow in beauty of the maple variety.

By the way, isn't Maple a beautiful name?  I also love Cedar.  You know, because I'm such a tree hugger.  :)


What beautiful sight are you thankful for today?

Forget not the Beauty of the In-Between

One of my favorite songs is Deb Talan's "The Gladdest Thing" (based on Edna St. Vincent Millay's poem, Afternoon on a Hill), and one of the best lines in that song is:

"I want to be champion of evening, to forget not the beauty of the in-between." 

I think of this line a lot when I'm feeling discouraged about my progress toward a goal.  I so often get caught up in my dreams of what the future will bring for us--a tenure-track job for my hubby, a new baby at some point (not anytime soon--don't want to excite the grandparents just yet!), our home decorated just like I want it, a bigger house, a comfortable savings account and no debt, well-trained dogs that don't bark like maniacs every time someone comes to the door, maybe a book I will write one day--that I forget to "enjoy the beauty of the in-between."

Even now, here, in this moment, I should be enjoying the beauty of our "in-between."

As I sit in my quiet, cozy, (messy!) living room in our little rental house, as my daughter sleeps upstairs (after praying so earnestly for a little sister before bed!), as my husband's job applications float out into the world full of hope and potential (and not a little anxiety!), as we live this comfortable life (even though our savings have dwindled to a pittance after the gazillion doctor's visits we've had this month!)--I can either focus on how far we are falling short of our ultimate goals--or I can look for the beauty here in the in-between.

I tried to explain this to Flannery the other day, the idea of the "in-between."  She was saying that she really wanted her bangs to grow out so that she could look just like her cousin.  And I told her that her bangs were growing really quickly, and that I really liked them this length because we could sweep them over to the side, and they looked cute and breezy.  I told her that once they had actually grown all the way out, that would be cute, too, but that the little wisps along the way were just beautiful.

I don't think she believed me.  But really, the in-between is beautiful on her.  Don't you agree?

Forget not the beauty of the in-between.  There really are things to love about the time we spend on the path to our ultimate goals.  Now if I could just remember this great truth more often than twice a year!


How are you enjoying the "in-between" in your life?

Have lots of Picnics

My mom saved a letter that my grandma Norma wrote to me when I was about 4, and in the letter, I remember my grandma said that she hoped I got to "have lots of picnics" that week.  I think of that sometimes when I'm trying to find something to do that Flannery and I will both enjoy.  It seems like good advice, to "have lots of picnics," because every time a  meal is a picnic, it becomes special.

Today, Flannery had a teacher's work day, so I took the day off to be with her.  We had such a calm and peaceful day.  We stayed in our pajamas until probably 11 or so, playing with her train set, painting, and snuggling together watching some cartoons.  Then, we walked down the street to the Methodist children's home and had a picnic.

The Children's Home is great--there is a park, there are gardens, there are ball fields, and there's even a duck pond on the campus.  There's also an old chapel there that is just gorgeous.  And today, one of the master gardeners happened to be working in the garden while we were there for our picnic, and she let us inside the chapel!  I'd been wanting to see the stained glass windows from inside, and they did not disappoint!  The gardener told us that the chapel had been built in 1907 and that it had been the church she had attended as a child.  The Candler family gave the money to have it built, and it's been preserved beautifully.  Flannery loved the organ inside, and the tiny flowers outside that grow between the rocks in the garden.   And I loved the dark wood of the pews and the ceiling--and the interesting window dedicated to Asa Candler.

It was like finding a little treasure to get to see all those beautiful sights today--and none of it would've happened if we hadn't decided to have a picnic.

How can you work a picnic into your schedule?  My coworker, Kristen, and I used to take our lunch outside on nice days back in Chapel Hill, and it was such a mini vacation to be outside in the sunlight now and then.  

Go Forth and Be Silly

Cleopatra, Monarch Butterfly, & Soccer Player

What a fun night!   We walked a few blocks around our house and were very pleasantly surprised by the quality of the trick or treating in our new little neighborhood!  I even saw another Cleopatra!  And Robi met someone dressed up as an equally unknown soccer player!

Flannery wore her sparkly light-up shoes, and it was really cute to see her stomping and skipping around to light our path.  Her favorite part, though, seemed to be passing out candy to the "customers," as she called them.  (I think that was probably because she could eat candy while doing so!)

How have you been silly and had fun lately?

Go the Extra Mile for Family Time

Since we moved closer to family, I often feel like we didn't move close enough.  It takes us about 45 minutes to get to my in-laws' or my sister's house, and although I'm not complaining about that commute compared to the 8 hour drive it used to take before we moved, I do still sometimes get tired of all the driving we have to do to get to hang out with our family.

But even though it can sometimes feel like a hassle, it is always, ALWAYS worth it in the end.

I hope that one day, Flannery and her cousins will look back on fun times they spent together as kids and feel a part of something big and strong and loving.  More than just family--a family that really appreciates one another and realizes the strong effect we have on one another's lives.  On both sides, I tell you, we are so lucky to have just that.

monarch butterfly & little red riding hood are ready!

These were the scariest faces they could muster.  :)

hay ride fun

Stair-step cousins all dressed up for the fall festival

If you could, how close would you choose to live to all your family?  I think men and women might differ on this one.  I think I'd be happiest living 15 to 30 minutes away from family.  Mostly because I'd love to have a weekly dinner all together with the extended family.  And because any commute over 30 minutes long overwhelms me.  

My Life in Pictures

Halloween celebrations were in full swing this weekend.  Flannery had such a fun time!  Here are some of the highlights:

Flannery designed the face on paper first, then drew it on the pumpkin, and I carved her design.
She called her design, "A sad one-tooth-pumpkin."

The original design is in front.  I think it's pretty close.

Old one-tooth lives!

I just had to take a photo of this cute Halloween card Flanna made for our dog, Padme.
She drew a scary house on the left and Padme dressed up as a monster on the right.  She loves the dogs so much!

How do you foster creativity in your kids?

5 Reasons Halloween is the Best Holiday Ever

Halloween is really the best holiday ever.  I remember my friend Nikki telling me when Flanna was a baby, that after her kids got a little older, she loved Halloween even better than Christmas.  I couldn't believe it at the time, but now I'm beginning to see why Halloween really could trump Christmas as the best holiday ever.  Here are five reasons why:

1.   There are tons of fun traditions to share.   At my house, we've participated in the following super-fun traditions (which have all brought me big happiness boosts, by the way!):  decorating our front bushes with "spider-webs," creating ghosts from dum-dum pops and tissues, picking out a pumpkin, carving said pumpkin, baking pumpkin bread, finding the perfect costume, going to fall festivals, and of course, trunk-or-treating!

2.  We have an excuse to buy candy and keep it in the house for a week or two.  Not the healthiest reason, but, hey, candy is fun now and then!  Especially Twizzlers.  Yum.

3.  We get to dress up and be silly.  I love love love that my whole family dresses up to trick or treat together.  This year, we won't have a theme for our costumes.  (We would've never been able to top last year's costume, anyway!)  But we're really excited about our outfits!

4.  There's no pressure to buy gifts or cook anything fancy.  No wondering whether the turkey is really cooked all the way through; no stressing over the perfect gift for anyone; no intricate recipes to follow, no hoping you didn't burn the rolls this year.  Heck, you don't even have to buy candy if you don't want to.  Just turn your porch light off and go trick or treating!  (Although I highly recommend passing out candy if you get the chance--it's probably more fun than trick-or-treating, I think!)

5.  Much of the fun happens outside during a time of wonderful weather.  And you know how experiencing nature makes me happy!  I mean, really--who can be sad when you're tromping through pumpkin fields on a breezy day, or riding on a hay ride bundled up beside friends, or walking down streets lined with gorgeous orange and yellow trees to trick-or-treat?  

So, what do you think?  Is Halloween the new Christmas?  All the magic but none of the headache?  All of the fun and none of the expense?   Or do you think it's too dark and spooky to claim rank among the top holidays?  I have to say, it really is one of my favorite times of year.  So there you go, Nikki, you were right!

What do you love about Halloween?

   

Do Not Eat the Bread of Idleness

"She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness." - Proverbs 31:27 (regarding a "virtuous wife")

If you haven't noticed, I've been remarkably absent from the blogging world this past week.  I've so missed it, and hope to have more time to reflect on life soon, but for now, I'm just chugging along getting my work and housework done and trying to spend some quality time with my kiddo.  Tonight, I had lesson plans to check and e-mails to respond to and phone calls to make and dishes to do and birthday invitations to mail and laundry to fold, and then, don't you know, Flanna ended up not feeling well.  So all that went out the window while I snuggled and took her temperature and gave her snacks and medicine.  And then, after she finally fell asleep, I was able to steal away to check lesson plans and e-mail and get to the dishes and the laundry. 

You know, in the middle of the night.  Like a crazy person. 

But I need to be at work super early tomorrow, and Robi is going to be amazingly wonderful and stay at home with her tomorrow, and I just didn't want to leave him with a sick kiddo and dishes and laundry to top it all off. 

So, the verse in my head tonight is, "She does not eat the bread of idleness."  Other verses from Proverbs 31 apply tonight, too, like:

"She experiences work as a good thing, and her lamp is not quenched all night."  (Prov. 31:17)

I do typically experience work as a good thing, but I have to say that this lamp is about to be quenched for a bit.  Goodnight, all!


What little quotes or mottos keep you motivated when you have a lot of tasks on your plate?
 

Live Your Priorities: Push away the Fog of a Hectic Life

This week has been a good one so far.  I've started volunteering at Flannery's school on Monday mornings, and it's amazing how much happiness that one change has brought me.   It's such a blessing to see her in action in her classroom, and to get to meet all of her sweet little classmates, and to see how affectionate they are with one another.  When Flannery walks into her classroom in the mornings, there are two little girls who run to her and give her hugs, calling out, "Flannery!!"  It's just adorable.

And now, when I drop her off or come by for lunch at her school, the kids all say, "Hi Flannery's mom!"  It's nice to get to know them, and to get a glimpse into the individual life and community she's creating at school.

I've also tried to focus on being more patient with my family and making time to chat together about more than just the necessities.   It's so easy to get busy and just kind of bark information to one another in the rush of the day.  Does your life get that crazy, too?  Sometimes I think that we are so polite to our coworkers and friends, but then we forget our manners when it comes to our family--the very people we care most about!  I would never speak to a client the way I rush my daughter around in the mornings.  "Get in the car!  Close the door!"  And I should give her the most consideration, as she's my darling girl!   I'm trying to work on that.

Yesterday, we had a special "ice cream date" after I picked her up from school, and I made a point to just soak in the moment and really listen to her as she picked out only the chocolate chip cookie dough from her mini blizzard. :)  I also have been trying to ask more about the specifics of my hubby's day, because I just feel more connected and calm, and it's easier to be patient and easy-going, when I know what was hard and what was easy for him that day at work.  Sometimes I feel like the "fog" of hectic life descends on us as a family, and I have to really step back and take strong action to get us back to living our priorities.

I have a long way to go, I know, but a few little steps toward living my priorities make for a pretty big happiness boost for me.  Which keeps me going toward the next set of baby steps.  




Do you feel sometimes that the fog of a hectic life surrounds you?  What baby steps can you take this week toward living your priorities?  

Make Something with Your Hands: Fine Motor Fun

My niece's heart

Last weekend, I was going through my craft supplies, and I came upon these little heart-shaped needlepoint templates I had bought last Christmas.  A perfect fine motor activity for our princess weekend, I thought!  I threaded some plastic jewelry-making needles with colorful thread for the girls (complete with a bead at the end of the thread so they didn't have to tie anything to get started on their hearts), and then set them free to "sew" however they wanted to.  

I was so impressed with their handiwork.  Flannery is almost five now, and her cousin is 8, and they both used such neat and careful stitches.  Flannery loves patterns, so I think the methodical part of this craft was right up her alley.  She kept saying, "and over, and through" as she worked on the border, and she was determined to get it just right, undoing stitches if they didn't look even.  My niece also undid and re-did some of her needlework so that "the pink is splashed all around."  She has a nice flair for design!

The only help they needed was with tying the string at the end.  And they seemed so pleased with themselves.  I've said it before, but I think it's really true for many of us:   making something with our hands is rewarding.

I think we'll do this craft again during the holidays--I'm picturing a tree filled with cute hand-made hearts and stars.  What fun!

Flannery's heart

Did you learn a neat skill as a child?  (sewing, woodworking?)  I learned to weave in 3rd grade, and to crochet, as well, and I remember really enjoying working so hard on a project and having a beautiful finished project at the end.  

Anticipate Fun

Notice the fun girl pumpkin Flanna
decorated with her Grammie?

Yesterday, we went with my niece's Brownie troop to see Disney on Ice.  Flannery dressed up in her Cinderella dress for the big event, and we had such a nice time. I think part of the fun was just in looking forward to the show--we talked about it for days ahead of time, decided what to wear, tried to guess what the show would be like, and just generally got excited about what was to come.  Anticipating fun can really bring a lot of happiness for me--maybe that's why I like to plan things way in advance!  Anyway, Disney on Ice really lived up to the anticipation.  We all enjoyed it, and I think it was a magical night for Flannery and my niece!  We were so grateful to my sister for inviting us!

What fun time are you anticipating?

My Life in Pictures: Pumpkin Patch Fun

Today, my mom, my mother-in-law, and I took the girls to the pumpkin patch.  It was a gorgeous day, but really windy!  I guess the up-side is that it was nice and cool, but we were all wishing for pony-tail holders the whole day!  There were so many fun fall activities to do at the farm--I was really surprised with the variety, and we weren't even able to do all they had to offer.  (I admit, I was too nervous to take the girls in the corn maze!  I've been known to get lost for hours in those things!)  We even ran into Flannery's teacher there, which was a wonderful surprise.  The girls' favorite part of the day was getting to pick cotton.  Flannery said, "I didn't know that cotton grew like in cottonballs!"  

I'm looking forward to carving our pumpkins and baking some nice pumpkin bread or pies soon!

On the cow train

Riding bouncing horses

We had some wonderful fresh squeezed lemonade

Isn't this cotton beautiful as it begins to open?

Such gorgeous geometry here

The girls found this huge writing spider in the cotton field.  So pretty!

The grandmothers and grandkids in a field of zinnias.

We made thank you notes for the troops overseas.

Flannery with her sweet teacher

The girls being spooky and scary!

Grammie and Grandma got little pumpkins, too!

How are you enjoying the fall season so far?