Write down who you are...

This may just look like our cozy little coffee station. A home for our electric Hario pot, cone coffee dripper, hand thrown mugs and Old Factory Coffee Beans. And it is, it does a fine job, but if you look closer, you'll see something that is much more important.

The chalkboard above tells more of our story than this little nook of heaven ever could. When we started our Family Meetings last year, it was out of near desperation to draw the four of us back together. We put out a big piece of poster board and we wrote down things we needed to remember on a daily basis-- we wrote down our rituals for living.

We chose things we wanted to be about. We chose guiding themes for what was important. We talked about or values. Then we wrote them down and put them up so we would be held accountable, by each other and by every person who steps foot in our house.

I encourage you to take time to find out who your family is and write down your values. It guides us toward who we should be every day.

Quiet Things: Filled with Light

I have really enjoyed daylight savings. I got up early and took time to knit and read. This song came floating in on my Pandora station. It sounds like waking up to me, like rebirth. And falling back, the gift of an extra hour feels like rebirth too. Like, resetting the clock.

It was brisk, clear and sunny today by 7:15. Oh joy for autumn light, shining through the window as I filled thermoses with warm soup and I cut up oranges for lunch. I said a little prayer of gratitude as the kids ate breakfast and waited for the bus. That fall sunlight never ceases to amaze me.

And now, the house is really quiet. Our black lab's deep breathing is the only sound I'm hearing. And I am really grateful for this time in life, time to take a step back and enjoy the things that Christ has for us: love and family, good food, beautiful friends, amazing coffee... we are filled with light.

Be a JOYfilled Mom!

This summer, I decided… my word would be participation. I would no longer be the mom on the sidelines.

There is so much JOY in participating! Pave your life in stones of DOING!

Throw being ‘cool’ or ‘refined’ out of your vocabulary.

Jump in pools with your kids.
Wear an Ironman mask and play light sabers in the front yard.
Throw water balloons and get really wet!
Go on a walk to pick up discarded sticks, bark and recycling for a fairy house.
Skip.
Jump.
Love.
Dance in the kitchen.
Stay up late and watch movies on the couch with your kids.

And go kiss your husband. IN PUBLIC!

I promise you.

Your life will feel a bit lighter, a bit brighter and you’ll be JOYful too!

In Defense of Solitude

I sat in the grass, under the shade of a tree and breathed in and out. I tried to drop my stubborn shoulders, they have hovered near my earlobes for quite a while.

And I contemplated how I had ended up in this grass. On a beautiful day. With about 20 people I did not really know.

My spiritual director administrated a retreat for those who needed a day of solitude, prayer and direction. And I paid a small fee, hopped in a minivan with two friends from church and traveled one town over for the day. And I have a really hard time taking time to myself these days. But, divinely, I took the plunge and made time for the retreat.

In the morning, we had prayer time, a guided reading and then we were set loose on the retreat grounds to find a quiet spot for a few hours.


I was a bit apprehensive, I had no idea if I could sit in silence for 2 plus hours at a time, but here I was.

After a bit of silence, I felt myself drift away to this quiet, spellbound place--  as if the solitude itself was feeding my soul. Gently handing bits of bread and sips of wine.  It reminded me of the line in a Eucharistic prayer, "Deliver us from the presumption of coming to this Table for solace only, and not for strength; for pardon only, and not for renewal."

The quiet was as satisfying as a cool drink after a hot day. A part of me that was bound up-- tied in knots slowly faded away as my pen struck the paper of my journal. And it was not all comfortable, but it was stretching and growing.

After a few sessions of solitude that day, I felt refreshed, whole and hungry for more time, more bits of bread, wine.

I am wondering how to get this type of solitude in my life without a formal retreat, without an entry fee and without driving to a venue a town or tow over for a lake view. How can I take this time in daily life?

So I started bit by bit. When I walk at night, I turn off my ipod and run towards the sunset.
I find a quiet spot with my journal on the front steps of my home. Even if it is just for a few minutes.

"Glaciers move in tides. So do mountains. So do all things." John Muir

Do you take time for solitude? Do you set aside time to be alone? What feeds your soul?

Love After Love
Derek Walcott

The time will come
when, with elation
you will greet yourself arriving
at your own door, in your own mirror
and each will smile at the other's welcome,

and say, sit here. Eat.
You will love again the stranger who was your self.
Give wine. Give bread. Give back your heart
to itself, to the stranger who has loved you

all your life, whom you ignored
for another, who knows you by heart.
Take down the love letters from the bookshelf,

the photographs, the desperate notes,
peel your own image from the mirror.
Sit. Feast on your life.

All because of Origami: Adversity Breeds Hope

Isabel couldn't fold an origami crane last night and she got frustrated. Tears, big tears. Then she looked up a video on youtube and she couldn't hear what they were saying. More tears. And anger.

"Why don't you just do this for me?" She asked, choking on frustration.

"I don't want to take all the hard things from you, my job is to help you deal with the frustration as you figure out your own problems."

Last weekend, we were learning how to fish and the same type of issue. She is used to things coming easy for her, she's naturally coordinated-- in most things. It took her a long time to understand how to coordinate her hands to cast.

Folding an origami crane or casting out a fishing line are not true hardships like poverty, addiction or any of the world’s problems. But, making small steps in our own personal lives help us learn how to deal with larger issues.  Resolve to finish something you started is important. Knowing the depth of your intellect and the depth of your capabilities is important.

I want my kids to know that they are capable. That they can take care of themselves. And that they can finish a project, even if it is an origami crane.

"If one of my kids is struggling, it feels excruciating to let them go to school and figure it out for themselves. Hope is a function of struggle. People with the highest hopefulness have the knowledge that they can move through adversity. When we take adversity from our children, we diminish their capacity for hope." Brene Brown

Multicultural Children's Book Day: Josephine!

Isabel has been wearing an old hat of mine lately and offering to be my personal detective. She wrote her name on a piece of scratch paper in red crayon. It says, "Isabel- Detective" and every time I turn the corner, she asks me if I have a case for her to solve.

When the box came from Chronicle Books for Multicultural Children's Book Day, I asked her to open it. She promptly took the book, Josephine: The Dazzling Life of Josephine Baker, out of the packaging and set out to read it, instead of eating her gluten free ramen.

The book set her on an investigation of her own. Asking questions like, "What is Segregation?" This book set us on an afternoon of talking about what life was like for Josephine and how it was different from Isabel's life. Josephine didn't have proper clothes to keep her warm, so she danced instead. She didn't have her own bed, she slept in one bed with her whole family. This conversation was priceless.

We love the illustrations by Christian Robinson, each page is a joy.  The whole book is written in a dance of it's own -- it holds a cadence from beginning to end.  Patricia Hruby Powell's retelling of Josephine's life captures a beautiful story of hardship to triumph, struggle, desire and hard work. Josephine reminds you do do what you love with your whole soul.

Thank you to Chronicle Books for sending us this lovely book, we will be donating it to our library so if you are local, you'll be able to read it too!


Do you want to see more Multicultural Children's Book Day reviews? Visit these lovely folks:

2GirlsLostInaBook · 365 Days of Motherhood · A Bilingual Baby · A Simple Life, Really? · Africa to America · After School Smarty Pants · All Done Monkey · Andi’s Kids Books · Anita Brown Bag · Austin Gilkeson · Barbara Ann Mojica · Books My Kids Read · Bottom Shelf Books · Cats Eat Dogs · Chasing The Donkey · Children's Book-a-Day Almanac · Children's Books Heal · Church o Books · CitizenBeta · Crafty Moms Share · Discovering The World Through My Son's Eyes · Early Words · Flowering Minds · Franticmommy · Gathering Books · GEO Librarian · Gladys Barbieri · Going in Circles · Growing Book by Book · iGame Mom · I’m Not The Nanny · InCulture Parent · Itsy Bitsy Mom ·Just Children’s Books- Kid World Citizen · Kristi’s Book Nook · Mama Lady Books · Mama Smiles · Mission Read · Mother Daughter Book Reviews · Mrs AOk · MrsTeeLoveLifeLaughter · Ms. Yingling Reads · Multicultural Kids Blog · One Sweet World · Open Wide The World · P is for Preschooler · Rapenzel Dreams · School4Boys · Sharon the Librarian · Spanish Playground · Sprout's Bookshelf · Squishable Baby · Stanley and Katrina · Teach Mama · The Art of Home Education · The Brain Lair · The Educators' Spin On It · The Family-Ship Experience · The Yellow Door Paperie · This Kid Reviews Books · Trishap’s Books · Unconventional Librarian · Vicki Arnold · We3Three · World for Learning · Wrapped in Foil

Help us celebrate the joy and diversity of multicultural children’s books. Join us for a special day of reading and fun {January 27th} by clicking here!

A Wintery Evening

On Thursday the 2nd the kids got home from their first day back at school after the holidays and we were all a bit antsy. I was so glad that I had prepped dinner the night before: quinoa cooked in chicken broth and pan drippings after we baked a chicken.

After work and school, we came home and popped dinner into the oven, rushed into our snow gear and headed out for our favorite trail.

We caught the last few minutes of sunshine, watched the sunset and then fade into a deep winter blue.







Izzo meditatively drew circles like an organic labyrinth into the crunchy snow. As we walked along she asked if we could have our own time on the trail. So the "ladies" are going to take a winter picnic out to the trail sometime this weekend. Even if it just is a thermos of hot chocolate and a quiet walk for the two of us.



We arrived home to the most delicious smell our simple dinner was welcoming to our freezing hands--quinoa with chicken, mushrooms and peas. And we finished our night with a sweet treat, gluten free oven s'mores. A gooey ending to a perfect evening.

Occupied

On Christmas day, I found all of us, busy with something that needed our attention.  I got a glimpse of our future and I think I like it.

Alone and focused, but very together.

November Gratitude

November 1: For parents who come visit. And who are content in the excitement of sewing costumes, Halloween Parties and Trick or Treating. And who are content in the quiet: drinking coffee around our table, reading magazines, helping with homework, walking in the leaves and snuggling while watching movies. We are blessed.

November 2: For a few moments to sit on the porch in an old quilt. For the little pajama clad man who came and sat with me. "Share your warmth, Mama." By all means, Mr.

And for amazing friends, who encourage dress up, family togetherness and laughter!

November 3: For our glorious church and potlucks. Yellow leaves and fall sunsets.

November 4: For God's grace, practiced forgiveness, vulnerability, hard work, long roads and strong friendships.

November 5: For warm clothes, soft places to land, arm chairs, phone calls, letter writing. Things that make this world seem not so harsh.

Weekending: Quiet Spaces

Last night, on a little drive into the country, Truman said, "We need to have our family meeting. Let's have it now!" We have a quick family meeting on Sunday nights, usually around the table after supper. And the kids are quick to remind me if I forget because they love recounting their week together. Having it in the car, sounded just as good as at the table so we went over our basic outline.

We have a quick conversation that starts with the same questions/items:
1. What were the good things that happened this week?
2. What were some challenges this week?
3. What is something we could work on together this week?
4. Calendar time-- we talk through everything coming up on our calendar and try to make a game plan for the week ahead.

As we answered the questions we realized there were so many good things. Not too many challenges. But I paused when Truman answered number three this week.

T: "We could work on quiet."

Me: How? I asked.

T: "Um, you know when we are all together but the house is quiet."

Oh. I love that idea.

So tonight, when we had to read some books for the school's, Fall into Reading Challenge... we took a stack of books and all cuddled in 'the big bed.' It was flurry of quilts, flannel sheets, stuffed animals and different level reading books. But we settled into quiet. And it felt just right. And we stayed there for almost an hour. I read a book too.

They had other ideas for quiet too... Isabel said, "Mom, maybe on Tuesday we can read books, listen to music, drink hot cocoa and light a smelly candle. I love smelly candles." Did this lady plop down from heaven or what?!

I am actively looking, for a few quiet spaces this week. What are ways you infuse your life with a bit of 'pause?'

Finding Fall: Evening

If you live in the Midwest, you know each season has it's own distinct color scheme.

The sky can tell you the story of the passage of time and if you pay careful attention, can alert you to the rhythm of the seasons.  And so can the fields.

In the spring the grass grows in a matter of days, in the end of the summer the fields turn gold and red. And the light, it paints swaths of color.

So go out in the evening, find the color that is around you.

What is waiting to be seen? Chase the light before it disappears for the season.

It will change you.

Finding Fall: Homework Time

We escaped the kitchen table, our normal homework spot for the fresh still-green grass, a few blankets and some sweet autumn air.

Isabel practiced her 1st reading for Mass on Friday. She's so excited to be able to be apart of the service.

Truman had to read and digest his Social Studies lesson for homework tonight. Social Studies is Dad's territory. Eric loved reading and reviewing for tests with Isabel, so we're continuing the tradition this year too.

We are so blessed with some quiet nights and evenings outside.


*If you care to, join me for two weeks of Finding Fall.  

Creating Memories: Late Summer

 

Yesterday, I surprised the kids and took off the afternoon. We've been having early-outs from school due to high heat. They got off the bus, cheeks flushed and a little lethargic. Until they realized that I had icy lemonade, chocolate cupcakes and a cool house for them to come home to!

We pretended we had a summer day off and we packed our day with tons of fun things. The afternoon felt lazy and productive, all in the same breath.

And when I looked back on everything we did yesterday, I am amazed. It was a really great day at home.

-We read a few chapters of James and the Giant Peach while we ate our cupcakes and drank lemonade.

-Truman did his homework while Isabel played with dolls.

-Truman made an awesome Lego, car/airplane as a surprise for Eric.

-We set up a waterless swimming pool for the sheep and Molly. (So our stuffed friends would not 'feel left out' when we played outside.)

-We sat in the kiddie pool and washed all the outdoor furniture, the front door, the side of the house. I drank lemonade, dunked my feet in the pool and I read a few pages of this book.

-We picked up Dad early so he could join our summer fun!

-We played water balloons.

-Eric and I snuck off to the coffee shop for a few minutes while our neighbor watched the kids play outside.

-I made tacos for dinner while the boys made more Lego sculptures. And Izzo took a bath.

-Dinner together was fun and relaxing, we love spending time together!

-Truman took a bath and Izzo did homework.

-We had silent reading time.

-The kids did a few Cosmic Kids Yoga videos.

-They played spies and 'helped' while I finished some 'pick up, put away' in the playroom.

-Dad got home from a meeting and we made paper monsters.

-They got to bed early and read James and the Giant Peach with Eric. 

It was such a glorious day, I wanted a little record to keep in my mind forever.

What did you do yesterday?

Daily Seeing: July

Outside: It's been a bit cooler. Tonight it's raining, I'm sitting near an open window listening to the wind and the raindrops. We've been setting up our water color painting outside lately in the afternoons. Isabel gave the sheep an art lesson.

Inside: We had a completely lazy Saturday morning, watching movies, playing legos, setting up doll houses and making/fixing things with the glue gun.

Listening: We all love different pandora stations, but we stop and dance for this song:



Learning: To practice happiness, joyful togetherness and deep listening. Everyday.

Wearing: This dress, on repeat all summer. I got it quite a few years ago and it is still a weekly wear. So comfy too!

Thinking: How quickly this summer is moving along.

Reading: Truman, Toy Story 2. Isabel, The Velveteen Rabbit (again). Me, Discernment: Reading the Signs of Daily Life. Eric, Young Men and Fire.

Praying:

Suscipe St. Ignatius of Loyola
Take, Lord, and receive all my liberty,
my memory, my understanding
and my entire will,
All I have and call my own.
You have given all to me.
To you, Lord, I return it.
Everything is yours; do with it what you will.
Give me only your love and your grace.
That is enough for me.

What have you been up to? What beauty are you seeing in your daily life?

Weekending: Instagram Style

This weekend started early in the week. We've been soaking up the summer and visiting all of our favorite places. You can follow our summer adventures here.

Summery smile!

Front yard baseball season.

Quiet morning painting, reading, crafting, pbs watching.

Eric's breakfast creation.

Kite flying.

Kitchen table studio.

Sketchbook Saturday Morning

Dock jumping.

Sunset swimming.

After church brunch.

Visiting Bob's Drive Inn, playing old maid.

Summering: At Home

We had a glorious vacation. But we've been home for a month now and we are reveling in summer on the plains. It's taken a bit of time to settle into summer-- but we have. Here is a little visual list of what we've been up to!

This little man turned 6. "Mom, take a picture of my eyeball!"
He loves wearing my glasses.

His presents all wrapped and ready for him.

Bike riding in the evenings.

Playing in the sprinklers.

Fourth of July face painting.

Truman watching fireworks.

Visiting the Farmers' Market.

Swimming Lessons

Sparklers! Truman's first time!

Jumping off the dock.

Weeeee!

Riding their bikes to John and Bonnie's House!

Truman took all his cowboy gear with him!

Birthday baseball game.

Eric's birthday.