purposeful mayhem

Lots of free play and mayhem going on around here these days. Cold weather equals limited bursts of outdoor play spread throughout the day. Cold weather plus sleet, freezing rain and drizzle equals an indoors-only sentence for the day for both mother and children alike.

If I were to choose the highest compliment to pay my children and was forced to only choose one very important quality about the three of them as a whole, it would be that they rarely ever (I daresay never, because I'm sure there's been one time) tell me that they are bored. I just don't hear the word spoken in this house. Really.

Of course there is a trade-off that goes with this reality and it is something having to do with them making their own kind of fun, entertainment, games and activities in my/our living space (which is quite small).

But after all the fun is had, there is so, so much clean-up at the end of a day of free-play. It's kind of the buy now, pay later philosophy that so many adults struggle with accepting. And often my children are a bit less enthusiastic about the pay later or rather you-must-clean-up-after-you-play part of the equation than they are about the initial purchase.

It is all so wonderful and I love seeing them

build pillow forts, draw up plans for yet another theatrical performance, plan a marionette puppet presentation ("Mom, can we use your sewing machine to make some marionettes?"), dress each other up, trade outfits just for fun, move furniture, plan pillowcase sack races, paint pictures, design obstacle courses, set up store-fronts and choreograph dance routines.

Lots of activity.

In the end, everything is put back where it belongs. The chairs are pushed neatly back into their spots at the table, the sofa slipcover is pinched, pulled and straightened into place, the blankets are folded and stacked and the paint smears are cleaned off of their little foreheads.

Is it worth it? Absolutely. It is literally one of my favorite parts of motherhood and I wouldn't trade any of these days where our house is bursting at the seams with excitement, creativity and mayhem for anything.

An afternoon fort-buiding activity with my three and my darling neice Olivia

blog games

My friend Jackie tagged me, so I thought I'd play along this time (I'm usually the lame blogger whoe doesn't participate in these bloggy-sort of games!).

Here are the rules:
1. go to your documents/pictures
2. go to your 6th file.
3. go to your 6th picture.
4. blog about it.
5. tag six people to do the same

This is what I found...


This is a photo of Mike and I at my friend Faith's wedding in New Jersey from June 2003. Obviously I was very, very pregnant. I remember that we had a splendid time at this wedding celebration and specifically remember Sophia (who was about 21 months) eating nothing but pixie stix at this event. It was a recipe for disaster and we ended up with a strung-out-on-sugar toddler who was entertaining everyone on the dance floor.

Here is the evidence...

Can you tell that she has had too much sugar? And yes, she is actually on the dance floor!

Take special notice of the pixie stix dust around her mouth... very scary, I know. How and why did I ever let this happen????

Nicolas was born 13 days after this photo was taken!

I'm not going to ask six people to play along, but instead will open the game to anyone who wishes to participate. Let me know if you decide to play along by leaving me a comment and link to your blog below!

Our Master Seamstress

Often times some of the best conversations of the day between parent and child happen as they are being tucked snugly into their beds. I don't know these exchanges come from a genuine desire to reflect upon the day's happenings or if they are merely attempts to prolong bedtime just a few minutes more.

Whatever the case, I don't mind. I live for these moments with my kids and would stay up until midnight if I had to just in order to quench their thirst for knowledge and satisfy their little curiosities about the universe.

Tonight as I was tucking the boys in, Nicolas started to ask me about why it was dark out and where the sun went. We had been talking a bit this week about the earth and it's shape and gravity and such. Well as we all know, these little nuggets of information get stored in some little corner of a child's brain and are mulled over and over until of course they are ready to formulate a question on their own to obtain more information about the subject.

We started talking about God's power and creativity and how he created the universe. Nicolas just couldn't believe how amazing it was that God created the earth and the people on it. He asked me if God created outer space as well and I told him that He did. He asked on and on about what God made and remained in a perpetual state of awe at the wonders of God's handiwork. He asked me who the first person was, which surprised me because we've read and discussed Genesis a few times now, but I obliged his request and told him that Adam was the first human and then Eve.

I could see the wheels turning and he just couldn't believe that God created humans, and buffalo and trees and moose and the list when on and on.

I told Nicolas that God chose to create him too. I shared some of my favorite Scripture with him-

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made... -Psalm 139: 13, 14a

His eyes widened and he took a deep breath and said,

"Mom, you mean that God actually sewed me together?"

"Basically yes", I replied

And then he said,

"I can't believe that God is that good at sewing"!

I agree Nicolas! I can't believe how good God is at sewing...

luxuries of home education

This was our first week "back to school" after a long, luxurious and lazy winter break! I had forgotten how much mental energy, patience, organization, multi-tasking ability and in-the-momentness it takes for me to be all that my kids need for me to be as we homeschool. Three sets of needs, questions, requests, conversations, ideas and sometimes meltdowns. That's right three... and just one of me.

Life at home with three children in differing stages and phases of childhood is anything but dull and always lends itself to the unexpected. No two days are ever alike. There are certain rythyms that may start and then change as quickly as they were begun. And for me, it takes a lot of flexibility and patience to give up on a plan or idea that I had my heart set on and change the course as needed.

Whether it's postponing a planned activity in order to allow some room for some spontaneous art time (this is precisely what happened today, and as a result I have one lovely sketch of a beaver's lodge, a page full of scribbles and shapes and one cheerful drawing of Mother Ginger on my fridge!) or allowing Nicolas to read only two sentences in his story rather than finish the entire saga because afterall, it was 3pm and what five-year old can focus on phonics at that hour, I have learned to embrace the freedom that we have as a result of choosing the less-traveled path of homeschooling.

Afterall, this freedom to alter plans, linger through lessons, start late, end early or read "just one more page" is one of the lovliest benefits of homeschooling. The ability

to start our mornings out slowly, make pancakes if we like, play "just a little longer", actually have time to teach how a chore is done, write a letter to a friend, watch birds feed in the backyard, take breaks in between lessons for building, drawing or game playing, choose the books we read together, choose how they learn to add and subtract, play math "games" when they need extra help with a concept and the the opportunity for me to choose and prepare the foods that my kids are eating each day, every day for breakfast, lunch and dinner

are really many of the reasons that we choose to homeschool.

For now, this is my life as I know it. Oblivious of the school delays due to ice storms. Free from the nightly homework rituals. Exempt from early morning alarm clocks. And full of the awareness that I am so, so lucky to be able to be free.

loving life: my boys with their "warrior cloaks" on

happiness... in the new year

Wishing you all a happy and healthy New Year filled with lots of family time, laughter, learning, creativity, peaceful moments and an opportunity to be all that God has created you to be.


Our Christmas celebration was exciting and peaceful and filled with

excitement and joy as new toys were unveiled,
silly moments created for the camera's-sake,
time spent playing in the snow
and cozy time by the fire.

I am blessed to have such a wonderful family and children who are content and creative; children who are never bored because of the never-ending supply of wild imaginings and new ideas for play. Thank you for making me a mother and for giving me endless joy as we spend our days together!

I hope that your new year is spent purposefully pursuing all that you believe in and enjoyment as you journey toward that vision!

Happy 2009 from all of us!