Real Life | A Thing of Beauty
I so dearly wish I could remember all the cute things my kids say during the day. I'm lucky if I can remember my own name by 8 o'clock in the evening. But Buzz was telling me about his dreams for the future at bedtime tonight and I wanted to jot them down.
He started by saying that he really wants a remote controlled car, like John's. Then he explained how he plans to save up all his money until he has 200 or 300,000 {!} -- enough to buy a farm and a house out in the country. He wants to have sheep and goats. "Will you have a wife?" I asked. No. But I will live with you, mommy. And daddy is my wife.
Life lately has been a teaspoon of coughing with a thick slab of fever and a sprinkle of napping on top. Add in legos and technology and you've got the complete package. Not a whole lot to photograph. And not until today did we see the sun. You better believe we exposed some skin to the glowing giver of vitamin D. The freckles rejoiced!
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I don't know if I was born pessimistic, or if it's something I learned along the way {or perhaps simply seasonal}, but I do have a really hard time counting my blessings sometimes. I mean, I can DO it...but it doesn't come easily. Or quickly. I have to sit down and ponder how much better my life is than it could be. I have to really squeeze out the good. Because it just doesn't feel good all the time. It feels tiresome. And annoying. Which seems so ridiculous because I have sweet little children who love me so much! And need me so much! And talk to me so much! And beg for food every two hours! Aaaaah. But they are sweet. And they are learning to do things for themselves and to give mommy the quiet and space she deserves after almost seven solid years of crazy. Some moms put in many more years. But I'm completely ready to graduate to the next level.
I digress. The point I'm trying to make, the point I'm trying to drive into my own little brain, is that sometimes we really need to intentionally focus on beauty. Why is it so hard to tidy up the house, put on some lovely music, bake a loaf of bread, buy fresh flowers, and cuddle up together on the couch to read when we're so overwhelmingly tired?
You know it's the right thing to do {doesn't it all sound so good?} but you just can't seem to pull your bootstraps up high enough to do it.
[enjoy -- a few more photos from our recent road trip to CA/AZ]
Today we got Taco Bell and went to the park. #lazymom But in a way, that's focusing on beauty too. We spent more time outside together and had a very enjoyable middle-of-the-day because I chose fast food.
I really just like how Hannah Vanderpool writes about emphasizing beauty, especially when we're home all day with our children. We set the tone -- the sound, the smells, the comfort of home.
Engaging our Five Senses at Home:
sight -- taking pretty pictures, making or watching fun videos, growing or buying flowers
sound -- playing music in the house, making music of our own, singing together {not necessarily well}
smell -- bake homemade bread or cookies or other great smelling food, simmer cinnamon sticks on the stove
taste -- make yummy food, get treats together
touch -- soft, warm blankets, warm hugs, cuddling together, tickles
It's really the small things, the simple pleasures, that bring the most joy, I think. At least the most cumulative joy, over the course of one's life. But these pleasures don't always fall in our laps, we have to seek them. We might have to travel a couple hundred miles and set up the tent in a remote area to sleep together under the stars. We might have to plan ahead so we have the ingredients for their favorite muffins. We might need to drop the to-do list for a sweet snuggle time on the couch.
How can you make some of these things happen this month?
He started by saying that he really wants a remote controlled car, like John's. Then he explained how he plans to save up all his money until he has 200 or 300,000 {!} -- enough to buy a farm and a house out in the country. He wants to have sheep and goats. "Will you have a wife?" I asked. No. But I will live with you, mommy. And daddy is my wife.
Life lately has been a teaspoon of coughing with a thick slab of fever and a sprinkle of napping on top. Add in legos and technology and you've got the complete package. Not a whole lot to photograph. And not until today did we see the sun. You better believe we exposed some skin to the glowing giver of vitamin D. The freckles rejoiced!
---
I don't know if I was born pessimistic, or if it's something I learned along the way {or perhaps simply seasonal}, but I do have a really hard time counting my blessings sometimes. I mean, I can DO it...but it doesn't come easily. Or quickly. I have to sit down and ponder how much better my life is than it could be. I have to really squeeze out the good. Because it just doesn't feel good all the time. It feels tiresome. And annoying. Which seems so ridiculous because I have sweet little children who love me so much! And need me so much! And talk to me so much! And beg for food every two hours! Aaaaah. But they are sweet. And they are learning to do things for themselves and to give mommy the quiet and space she deserves after almost seven solid years of crazy. Some moms put in many more years. But I'm completely ready to graduate to the next level.
I digress. The point I'm trying to make, the point I'm trying to drive into my own little brain, is that sometimes we really need to intentionally focus on beauty. Why is it so hard to tidy up the house, put on some lovely music, bake a loaf of bread, buy fresh flowers, and cuddle up together on the couch to read when we're so overwhelmingly tired?
You know it's the right thing to do {doesn't it all sound so good?} but you just can't seem to pull your bootstraps up high enough to do it.
[enjoy -- a few more photos from our recent road trip to CA/AZ]
Today we got Taco Bell and went to the park. #lazymom But in a way, that's focusing on beauty too. We spent more time outside together and had a very enjoyable middle-of-the-day because I chose fast food.
I really just like how Hannah Vanderpool writes about emphasizing beauty, especially when we're home all day with our children. We set the tone -- the sound, the smells, the comfort of home.
Engaging our Five Senses at Home:
sight -- taking pretty pictures, making or watching fun videos, growing or buying flowers
sound -- playing music in the house, making music of our own, singing together {not necessarily well}
smell -- bake homemade bread or cookies or other great smelling food, simmer cinnamon sticks on the stove
taste -- make yummy food, get treats together
touch -- soft, warm blankets, warm hugs, cuddling together, tickles
It's really the small things, the simple pleasures, that bring the most joy, I think. At least the most cumulative joy, over the course of one's life. But these pleasures don't always fall in our laps, we have to seek them. We might have to travel a couple hundred miles and set up the tent in a remote area to sleep together under the stars. We might have to plan ahead so we have the ingredients for their favorite muffins. We might need to drop the to-do list for a sweet snuggle time on the couch.
How can you make some of these things happen this month?