celebrate a few minutes of quiet
OK. Seconds of quiet because I hear Princess starting to wake up. I was reading in the MOPS magazine this morning. I always read through it but this past year, they have really stepped up from shallow writing. But I don't normally love so much in the pages. This is piggy-backing on a very emotionally difficult (partially hormone driven) weekend. I was just grumpy (as if I didn't learn a dose of perspective from this blog post).
So, if you are suffering from the grumps, I wanted to share some thoughts that have invaded my thoughts lately. Some are mine, some are from others and I hope it's encouraging.
I've had to adjust to having a child home 24/7. Not that I don't love Princess - seriously, this girl is a charmer! BUT it's an adjustment nonetheless. An epiphany I had late late after a wonderful gathering of my girl friends was this: just accept it. I know this stage doesn't last forever and all too soon, she's going to be RUNNING to preschool. This is a good stage. She wants nothing more than to smile at me and be fed. I am cooler than any toy and any other person. I know exactly what she wants 99% of the time - food, a clean diaper, to kick on the floor, to be snuggled, to be wrapped up to sleep. I have been able to better understand her than my other children at this age. So sometimes we just have to stop whining about our situation and accept it - cheerfully helps!
I read this in the MOPS magazine: "I used to measure my day based on how productive I was. Now I measure it based on how well I love." - Emily Wieranga (who has a wonderful book I can't remember the name of). Right?! I had my own thought to piggy-back this one. God did not make me to do laundry. He made me to love those who wear the laundry. Who cares if it's done in a timely manner or if my kitchen has dusty areas or if my boys' bathroom stinks to high heaven? It all gets done. I hear over and over from empty nesters that too soon, my house will be clean and quiet. And empty. I want to really enjoy my time with my kids - each of them - while they are around so much.
This issue of MOPS magazine seems to be about celebration. "It's so very easy to celebrate when life is abundant, but it's when life is closing in that we need celebration the most. The etymology of the word celebrate is to 'assemble to honor.' The same Latin word, celebrare, also means to 'practice often.' So, then, to celebrate means to assemble or gather and to honor...and to do this often." -Leeana Tankersley
We were talking at this girl friend gather, this if:table that is so necessary to my life, about inviting others in and why we inhibit that. I thought this other quote from Leeana Tankersley fitting: "Time can pass without punctuation, especially in the very early years of mothering. Celebrating the milestones and the moments and the memories can be a way we punctuate our living. Even thought celebrating might cost money. Even though celebrating might mean opening our home and our table and showing off all our own perceived imperfections. Even though celebrating might feel overboard or overdone." Why can't we get over our imperfections (or better yet, embrace them?) and celebrate!?
There was another article by Lisa Butler about the Giggle Cup. Basically she had this cup that she'd put pennies into when she heard her kids being kind to one another or laughing or getting along. I think this is an awesome way to build their relationships. Rewarding what we love. So often we are left criticizing or being annoyed or yelling about those "ugh" things but really, we could probably let most of those things slide (really! Think about the battles you choose - are they THAT important? I know the ones I choose or allow to annoy me to the breaking point don't really mean that much eternally) and just CELEBRATE.
So that's what I want my life to look more like in this adjustment period and from now on. I want to celebrate. Celebrate myself. Celebrate my children. Celebrate big. Celebrate small. Celebrate my husband (a lot). Celebrate my friends. Celebrate mistakes. Celebrate accomplishments. Celebrate. Most of all, celebrate God. If He is not at the forefront, celebration is going to be useless. I am here for His glory and so all I do, celebrating it all, is for His glory.
So, if you are suffering from the grumps, I wanted to share some thoughts that have invaded my thoughts lately. Some are mine, some are from others and I hope it's encouraging.
I've had to adjust to having a child home 24/7. Not that I don't love Princess - seriously, this girl is a charmer! BUT it's an adjustment nonetheless. An epiphany I had late late after a wonderful gathering of my girl friends was this: just accept it. I know this stage doesn't last forever and all too soon, she's going to be RUNNING to preschool. This is a good stage. She wants nothing more than to smile at me and be fed. I am cooler than any toy and any other person. I know exactly what she wants 99% of the time - food, a clean diaper, to kick on the floor, to be snuggled, to be wrapped up to sleep. I have been able to better understand her than my other children at this age. So sometimes we just have to stop whining about our situation and accept it - cheerfully helps!
I read this in the MOPS magazine: "I used to measure my day based on how productive I was. Now I measure it based on how well I love." - Emily Wieranga (who has a wonderful book I can't remember the name of). Right?! I had my own thought to piggy-back this one. God did not make me to do laundry. He made me to love those who wear the laundry. Who cares if it's done in a timely manner or if my kitchen has dusty areas or if my boys' bathroom stinks to high heaven? It all gets done. I hear over and over from empty nesters that too soon, my house will be clean and quiet. And empty. I want to really enjoy my time with my kids - each of them - while they are around so much.
This issue of MOPS magazine seems to be about celebration. "It's so very easy to celebrate when life is abundant, but it's when life is closing in that we need celebration the most. The etymology of the word celebrate is to 'assemble to honor.' The same Latin word, celebrare, also means to 'practice often.' So, then, to celebrate means to assemble or gather and to honor...and to do this often." -Leeana Tankersley
We were talking at this girl friend gather, this if:table that is so necessary to my life, about inviting others in and why we inhibit that. I thought this other quote from Leeana Tankersley fitting: "Time can pass without punctuation, especially in the very early years of mothering. Celebrating the milestones and the moments and the memories can be a way we punctuate our living. Even thought celebrating might cost money. Even though celebrating might mean opening our home and our table and showing off all our own perceived imperfections. Even though celebrating might feel overboard or overdone." Why can't we get over our imperfections (or better yet, embrace them?) and celebrate!?
There was another article by Lisa Butler about the Giggle Cup. Basically she had this cup that she'd put pennies into when she heard her kids being kind to one another or laughing or getting along. I think this is an awesome way to build their relationships. Rewarding what we love. So often we are left criticizing or being annoyed or yelling about those "ugh" things but really, we could probably let most of those things slide (really! Think about the battles you choose - are they THAT important? I know the ones I choose or allow to annoy me to the breaking point don't really mean that much eternally) and just CELEBRATE.
So that's what I want my life to look more like in this adjustment period and from now on. I want to celebrate. Celebrate myself. Celebrate my children. Celebrate big. Celebrate small. Celebrate my husband (a lot). Celebrate my friends. Celebrate mistakes. Celebrate accomplishments. Celebrate. Most of all, celebrate God. If He is not at the forefront, celebration is going to be useless. I am here for His glory and so all I do, celebrating it all, is for His glory.
Comments