Small Steps
Don't you love these winter days? I was so down on snow last year, but this year I find myself hoping to see gentle shower of flakes falling in the morning when I open the curtains. When the sky begins to lighten I open the curtains to be able to view out and see what is going on. It's as if I am waking up the house after a deep night of sleep. Sometimes there are animal tracks or birds flitting around the bird feeders or like this morning, the children and I saw that the branches of all the trees and bushes had been coated with snowy ice crystals. The winter wonderland that had been looking wilted was refreshed with a new whiteness. Elijah has been starting off each day stating: "Mama, it's a beautiful day!" I love that, my heart swells each time he says it.
I am spending my new year so far, trying to reorganize myself, the house and how I do things with the children. I had begun to rely on children's television far too much. It was the first thing to go on in the morning and while I knew that it was not what I wanted for them, I would give in because it kept everyone calm and I would have to contribute minimal effort until I felt like it. It crushes me to write that, but that's where I have been.
These days the TV stays off except for certain shows and certain times...my hope is to cut it out for most of the time in the weeks to come. Small steps. Now we go right into the kitchen and have our breakfast. On these cool days I try to make something warm and comforting...pancakes, oatmeal, freshly baked biscuits. They are both fiends for strawberries these days. I splurge once a month or so and buy a box...they eat them up in a matter of days. The Summer growing season is much looked for by me, these prices are not great for a budget. But, I still throw some fresh fruit in there and yogurt is always a hit. Over breakfast we talk about what we want to do with our day, how we slept, any dreams we remember and all kinds of misc. that escapes from the mouth of a nearly 3 year old. Instead of feeling grouchy, I am finding these meals around the table to be precious and invigorating for the day to come.
I have also been doing some reading at night before bed. I am reading up on homeschooling books and (thinking) about our options, My life in France by Julia Child, and the Creative Family by Amanda Soule. I am loving that last book enormously. So much of how she is and how she nourishes her children's imaginations and creativity is exactly what I want for my children, hence the new edict of turning off the TV. Creative play is on the menu and while Elijah still asks for TV it is less and less once we start an art project or building a tower out of blocks he forgets about it entirely.
I am feeling a bit more motivated to sew and knit than I have in months. I am excited about that and hoping that that motivation will transfer to all areas of my life as I try to nourish my children and to get ready for the new little one in the months to come. That includes pulling out the camera...pictures haven't been taken much lately, that needs to change.
I am spending my new year so far, trying to reorganize myself, the house and how I do things with the children. I had begun to rely on children's television far too much. It was the first thing to go on in the morning and while I knew that it was not what I wanted for them, I would give in because it kept everyone calm and I would have to contribute minimal effort until I felt like it. It crushes me to write that, but that's where I have been.
These days the TV stays off except for certain shows and certain times...my hope is to cut it out for most of the time in the weeks to come. Small steps. Now we go right into the kitchen and have our breakfast. On these cool days I try to make something warm and comforting...pancakes, oatmeal, freshly baked biscuits. They are both fiends for strawberries these days. I splurge once a month or so and buy a box...they eat them up in a matter of days. The Summer growing season is much looked for by me, these prices are not great for a budget. But, I still throw some fresh fruit in there and yogurt is always a hit. Over breakfast we talk about what we want to do with our day, how we slept, any dreams we remember and all kinds of misc. that escapes from the mouth of a nearly 3 year old. Instead of feeling grouchy, I am finding these meals around the table to be precious and invigorating for the day to come.
I have also been doing some reading at night before bed. I am reading up on homeschooling books and (thinking) about our options, My life in France by Julia Child, and the Creative Family by Amanda Soule. I am loving that last book enormously. So much of how she is and how she nourishes her children's imaginations and creativity is exactly what I want for my children, hence the new edict of turning off the TV. Creative play is on the menu and while Elijah still asks for TV it is less and less once we start an art project or building a tower out of blocks he forgets about it entirely.
I am feeling a bit more motivated to sew and knit than I have in months. I am excited about that and hoping that that motivation will transfer to all areas of my life as I try to nourish my children and to get ready for the new little one in the months to come. That includes pulling out the camera...pictures haven't been taken much lately, that needs to change.
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