My Day

So, although this post is long overdue, I celebrated my birthday at the end of January...and it was fun. My boys take good care of me - and even though Benjy was in Texas - he pulled off some great surprises from a distance...

My family and friends are good to me too. I shared lunch and good conversation with one, I received phone calls, texts, and many, many facebook messages, I received a pizza delivery from another so I wouldn't have to cook on my birthday. I had several cakes baked for me to celebrate - one the day before...another the day after.

But the one cake that I ate ON my birthday was the sweetest because it was baked and decorated by none other than my own kids (yes, i did supervise the potentially hazardous events in the kitchen...and talked them slowly through a few things...but they really did do all of the work) I tried to empower them to make decisions and before long realized they weren't ready for all of that seeing it was quite a lengthy battle of which pan combination they should use to pour the batter into :) But then they got to work and it was a special cake, generously covered in raspberries - my fave!

I also received a special delivery at the front door - an edible arrangement - a bouquet of fresh fruit and chocolate sauce (mmmmmm) - sent from Benjy. I seriously had to fight off the kids to get any of it - they were wildly excited!

What a fun day....I am so blessed.

Read With Me: An Invitation to Grow Together

Now that I am sort of settling into life with 4 (I said, sort of...not sure if "settling in" will ever truly happen), I am remembering that reading is so good for my heart, soul, and mind. I have several different books on the go, and love the moments of quiet, though they are not often, when I can sneak away on my cozy green chair, with a blanket, and read!

I recently came across a Book Club through a blog I follow. They are about to start reading a new book together. I am going to read along with them...but I would love it even more if YOU would read along with them...and ME! There is something about reading and discussing with friends that is more attractive than doing it with strangers (although, I do intend to follow their comments as well...it just would be more fun to grow with people I love and know)

The book is newly released and has shot up to #7 on Amazon's best sellers list. It is called One Thousand Gifts: A Dare To Live Fully Right Where You Are, by Ann Voskamp. The synopsis says this: Forget the bucket lists that have us escaping our everyday lives for exotic experiences. How do we find joy in the midst of deadlines, debt, drama, and daily duties?

Sounds challenging, and deep, and full of grace and encouragement. Sounds like it is just what I need. You?

If interested, here are a few links to find out about the book...take a sneak peek inside...decide if you would like to read with me.

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/One-Thousand-Gifts/Ann-Voskamp/e/9780310321910/?itm=1&USRI=one+thousand+gifts+a+dare+to+live+fully+right

Here is a link to the Book Club blog that is called Incourage Me (it has other good things to look at as well). Website is www.incourage.me Click on the blue tab along the top right hand side called Book Club, or simply link below. It will tell you details of the reading schedule (1 chapter a week) beginning Sunday, February 6th. They will be posting a video with each chapter, of the author discussing her perspective and thoughts on the book.

http://www.incourage.me/2011/01/one-thousand-gifts-details.html

I look forward to reading and growing. If you care to join me and have some ideas of how we - those of us who know one another - can comment or discuss the book with one another on a smaller scale than this big blog...share away. I'm open to a facebook thread, or using my blog for a weekly conversation, or anything, really.

Check it out and let me know what you think!

Eating Around the Table

I grew up where we ate meals at the table. Not always, but often and most usually. Sure, we would have the tv on in the background sometimes, and the phone would ring and it would get answered. No, it was not always full of meaningful conversation or void of complaining - but we were together, around the table. Many memories formed. Lots of laughter shared. And always good food :)

Then I became a mother. While living in Mexico. A place where the table has great significance to a family. It is the center of a home. It is where life is shared and experienced. Together.

Now if I was being honest, I would have to say that eating around the table at our current stage of life is almost always far from a peaceful and bonding family experience. In fact, my husband sometimes just looks at me with this pleading look of..."really? can't I just sit in the living room???"

If I had thought of it earlier, I should have taken the time to set up a video camera to record our current "family togetherness around the table". But wait. That would simply delay even further any chance for me to sneak in a bite while we are all "together" so...forget that.

Just imagine an ever going onslaught of "stay in your chair", "please don't bang your fork into my table top", "use your napkin", "stop screaming", "this is not the place to talk bathroom talk", "use your manners", "eat three more bites because you are three", oh and again, "stay in your chair", "ask to be excused" and....and...and...yes, you get the picture! This all amidst one child finishing his first serving and asking for more before the second one's meat is even cut, and the third one proclaiming he asked for the blue cup not the yellow one and the fourth one standing in his high chair because he once again, figured out how to outsmart the belt.

Before I sound too down and out on my kids - I think the 3 older ones are coming along in this department right on track with their developmental ages, and yet, without mentioning any names, there is another one who can't talk yet but still likes to be heard (if you know what I mean!) - which, actually is right on track developmentally too - so the long and the short of it is that no one is to blame except the reality that four boys under the age of seven around a table can, and almost always does, make for a lively event.

But I keep being drawn back to the fact that this craziness is happening anyway, so why not have it be happening around the table! Together.

The habits and norms that we are forming in our family structure right now matter. What we emphasize now will determine what things will look like later (hopefully with a few less spills and a few more conversations)

I want the table to be an important place for our family - a place to share life - and laugh - and eat together - and learn about each others' day. I would like to hope that it might become a special part of my boys' childhood...

But that dream is not always so easy to believe in during the ins and outs of everyday life. Sometimes, in this day and age of busy schedules and drive through menus, let alone enforcing manners and screaming little ones, it can be hard to stick to. It can be frustrating. And discouraging.

But...

I was so pleasantly surprised to come across this book in the library that confirmed that what I was raised with and what I experienced in another culture and what I am trying to do right now has value!



This book reassured me of what I already knew. It was based in research so that simply broadened the validation of my personal experience. I didn't read it cover to cover, but I did show it to Benjy so that he too could see that there is value in my insane requests to sit at the table together.

The hope: my family will be smarter, stronger, healthier, and happier because of this old-fashioned tradition....making the big picture very much worth the training it calls me to be doing today.

So, stay in your seat boys until its finished. This Mommy is sticking to her guns!

Pay to Play

We seem to have a lot of "three's a crowd" scenarios happening these days in our family.

Two team up and the other is left out. Unless Hudson is awake...he balances out the playtime pretty well, sometimes.

And then we have this other common scenario: simply stating, "actually, I'd like to play by myself for awhile" (I do think in a large family there is legitimate room for that reasoning, but I can tell when it is being used as an "easy" way to not have to share or take turns)

Anyway...

I overheard this conversation today.

Pierce: "Chase, can I play with you?"

The sound of silence.

Pierce: "Chaser, can I play with you? I will pay you a thousand dollars."

I am smiling in the other room. And then my smiling turns to laughter when Pierce, who is pretty smart for his age, continues... "Actually, Daddy will pay you a thousand dollars."

Ha! Not sure Daddy will be willing, but if I had it, I just may pay the bribe to have some peace and quiet and harmonious play between brothers :)

Snow Day + Fun Bonding Time With My Firstborn = One Cool International Sports Snowman

I had so much fun playing outside this morning and I am very thankful that they cancelled school.

Reece & I put our heads together for some creative ingenuity and created, if I do say so myself, perhaps the coolest snowman or snowboy around. Check him out....



As you can see, he so appropriately represents our international family & our love for sports. Canada - hockey, USA - baseball, and Mexico - soccer.




Reece, as any typical boy, later commented that his favorite part of it all was smashing him before we went inside - sigh.

Making the Connection

Over the past few weeks, I have had some significant and wonderful conversations with Reece about God....most specifically prayer. It has been really cool to see him make the connection between the theory and the application in his own life.

I see him growing up right before my very eyes and I don't want to fall short of being present in his life to challenge and help feed his faith. I have noticed his reluctance or maybe even dis-interest in praying out loud. One night we talked about it (you know, those moments as a parent - sometimes too rare - when you know there is an openness and a readiness to talk - really talk - together...I love those times!)

I was tucking him in and we began to talk about prayer. I very gently challenged him to consider prayer as an invitation to let God into all parts of his life. We shared a few examples - building friendships, worries, frustrations with brothers, etc.. I reminded him how God helped him a few weeks back when he was struggling with Chase getting all of the attention around his birthday and Reece felt left out. At that point, we prayed together and I had asked God to help Reece think about Chase and remember that we were celebrating how special he is to our family. Reece had felt like God really had helped him then. We smiled as we discussed Pierce's style of prayer - sweet and innocently consistent, "thanks for the food and then the list of every member of our family, Amen" I challenged Reece to include his thanks, but to go beyond that and talk to Him about other things. And that was about it.

The very next night, as we were getting ready for bed, I asked who would like to lead a prayer. Reece jetted his hand in the air and lead us by just talking to God. It was the neatest thing.

His first day back to school, was, as I suspected, a little difficult for him. I sensed that although he was obviously tired from our previous 3 day journey and the sudden early jolt to the sleepy vacation mornings, I just know my boy and I know that returning to school would likely be a little anxious. So I prayed for him at the breakfast table and asked God to give him courage and peace.

That afternoon, he had a huge smile on his face as he was helping me set the table for dinner. He initiated this conversation: "God really really helped me find courage to go to school. Good thing you prayed that for me"

He is making the connection and I love watching it!

So again, as I was tucking in all the boys that night we recapped that faith-building experience. Simply trying to illustrate the coolness of prayer I said, "boys isn't it awesome that the God of the whole universe, the One who made your body and runs the world, stopped and listened to Mommy's prayer this morning and helped Reece find courage?"

[things don't always go as you might expect with kids!]

Chase, gets this huge frown on his face and says, "well God has never ever helped me or given me what I ask for" (almost in tears)

"Well," I said, "I am not so sure that is true - tell me a time you have asked God for something and He hasn't answered."

Big shoulder shrug.

I continued, "why don't you try to talk to God when you pray - and you ask Him for help, or for patience, or for....... I am sure He will answer you"

"well, sometimes he says no too" one of them contributes. :)

"Okay" - he (Chase) places his hands flat together and tightly closes his eyes (it makes me smile every time because he just has this way - very reverent and kind of cute funny)....and says "God, thank you for this good day and will you please help me to read all of the hard words that I can't read yet? Amen" (he almost sighs and smiles as he snuggles into his blankets)

I asked him the next day if he read any bigger words at school and he confidently beamed - "I read every word right!"

My boys are making a new connection that I so desperately need to be refreshed in myself.

I write this down to remind me of several things:
~ experiencing God with my kids is probably the greatest faith building thing I have been blessed to enjoy
~ it is humbling and not so surprising that they teach me more than I can probably ever hope to teach them
~ intentionality is important and those rare "let's talk" moments need to be capitalized on
~ in spite of our own struggles and inconsistencies, our kids are also on a faith journey - let's journey together!
~ I feel called to "invite God into all parts of my life" and to grow with Him in conversation throughout my days

From our family to yours...

As we begin this new year with a fresh and new slate, and as we anticipate doing things better, simpler, healthier, with more patience, with more kindness, with a gentler spirit...let's remember that although it may be seen as 1 new year, its perhaps better seen as 365 new days - each day is a new beginning, and although we will surely fail at all we aim for, thanks be to Christ that we have grace and continued new beginnings.

"The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, His mercies never come to an end. They are new every morning. Great is Thy faithfulness"

Hoping that 2011 fills your life with smiles, special moments, new adventures, growth, greater depth in your faith and endless opportunities to display the light and love of Christ to those around you.

Happy new year!