Seasons

I find a lot of joy in chronicling the daily doings of my family. 

 I think it's a good reflective practice.  A reminder of all I have to be thankful of and maybe best of all a way to recognize seasons in the life of my family. 

 It seems that over the last year or so I'm feeling less free in my writing.  

 I live with a tween and an almost tween and they deserve a great deal of privacy. 

 They don't need me writing out the details of their frustrations, or amazing discoveries, or funny antics.  

 I am so often tempted to write these stories because they are real and beautiful and full of the magic that is life in a house with my girls.

Though, these are their stories to share if they wish, not mine. 

And because I know that change is inevitable and indeed seasons change, 

 I've decided it's time to stop sharing my blog publicly.  

I'll continue to write my version of their stories privately because this really has become such a special place for me and I know someday, a gift for my girls.

Maybe I'll start a Days with Lucy and Teddy Blog! They are still up for anything, including me posting our crazy 20 minute selfie session.  Getting Teddy to cooperate was futile! But fun!

Anyway, thank you so much for reading my blog over the last 6 years.  Remember,  like my Nana always told me, write your stories down, you think you'll never forget, but honey, you will!

Fall Quote

Over the summer my guiding quote was:

Treasure the doing a little more and the getting done a little less.

That quote made my summer.
Honestly.
When I'd start getting all keyed up about some plan I had which was not working out or about how every single spot my eye fell around the house yielded something that needed attention, I'd remember the quote.  And I'd take a deep breath and decide what really needed doing.
Rarely was it the plan or the house.

This fall my chosen quote is the one I shared on Monday:

Go confidently in the direction of your dreams!  Live the life you've imagined.  As you simplify your life, the laws of the universe will be simpler.
Henry David Thoreau

 You've probably seen that one a million times but maybe only part of it.  The "as you simplify...." part is often left off. 

Because, boy is that ever hard! We tend to get super excited about the confidently going in the direction of our dreams part and forget about the part where we have to make room for those dreams.
Which is exactly why I chose this quote.

It's fall.
 I have 3 kids.
They are all involved in sports and extra curricular activities.
Yes, even Lucy.
To put it bluntly, we are crazy busy.

It may not seem like it from the outside looking in but right now my life is all about simplifying and helping my girls to learn to simplify as well.  

It is a daily choice to say no.  No to great things, no to opportunities, no to fun.  It is also a daily choice to say yes.  Yes to great things, yes to opportunities, yes to fun.
The trick is figuring out which things are leading us in the direction of the life we've imagined.
We're working on it.
We're getting there.

No, we didn't sign Lucy up for a bowling league.  But that face, and those legs and those shoes!  It's enough to make a person consider it.

It's September!

Go confidently in the direction of your dreams! Live the life you've imagined. As you simplify your life, the laws of the universe will be simpler.

Henry David Thoreau

Teddy is 2!

It's no secret I'm not the world's biggest dog person.   I may actually live with the world's biggest dog person so I knew it was only a matter of time before I'd be a dog owner again.  Over the last year I've definitely warmed to the idea of a dog and about 6 months ago we found Teddy, our practically perfect dog.

A practically perfect dog-
1.) doesn't shed
2.) doesn't smell
3.) doesn't yap or bark constantly
3.) doesn't jump
4.) is excellent with kids (can withstand lots of pulling, cuddling, hugging, loud noises, sudden movements, sticky hands and general chaos)
5.) is cute
6.) is housebroken
7.) doesn't chew on furniture
8.) doesn't cost a fortune
9.) is over a year old

With the above list in mind we narrowed our search to a Goldendoodle, Labradoodle, or a Wheaten Terrier.  I found several but always moved too slowly and they were adopted before we had a chance.  I felt relieved each time.  Then one Thursday night, as had become a regular part of my routine,  I checked Craigslist for a dog.  For the first time in my search I found a Wheaten Terrier.  An adorable little guy that made me feel excited about the prospect of getting a dog.  I responded to the ad immediately and began a back and forth email conversation with his owner,  an exhausted mother of a newborn and a two year old who loved her dog but just couldn't handle it all.  She wanted him to have a family with kids who had time to love and play with him.  I went to bed knowing that we'd found our dog.

Teddy has proven to be absolutely awesome.  He is a solid 8/9, he's a terrible jumper with everyone but the five of us who live with him.  But, he's about as close to 9/9 as I could hope for.  He doesn't shed, or yap, or bark, is unbelievable good with the kids (he endures so much with his number one fan and has never even thought about being cross with her), is super cute, is housebroken, no chewing (except for an occasional plant!), was on the expensive side but not unreasonably so, and just turned 2 yesterday.

I'm so glad to have Teddy in the family!

The weekend!

I always love the weekend but oh, weekends in late August!  They are really something.

Last week was the first full week of school,  Kevin was traveling most of the week, and by Friday afternoon it was clear this group was WORN out!  Everyone was in bed early and I slept for over 10 hours.

I awoke on Saturday rejuvenated!  

Our weekend has been full of the swimming pool, birthday parities, long talks with good friends, a massage, great meals, books, church, a bike ride, plan making, lunch with friends, so much sleep for everyone, coffee both iced and hot, a nice long walk, lots of tomatoes, and good preparation for a great week ahead.

Ferguson still weighs heavy on my mind.  As it should.  I know as a Christian I must remain uncomfortable, constantly seeking a way to be used to better this world.  When I stop feeling pulled I have stopped listening.   This piece is an excellent example of why we're nowhere near finished and I have a role to play.  

The sun will come out tomorrow.....

Almost a week into the new school year and the kids are settling into a good routine.  School definitely agrees with these three!

I've adapted just fine to having Lucy in preschool.  Her days are as follows:

Monday, Wednesday, Friday 8:45-noon

Tuesday and Thursday 8:45-1:30

She loves it!  It is an incredible place and so good for her.   I feel so blessed that we have such an amazing school to attend.

During the four days since Lucy started school, I've worked around our house and worked outside our house (I am working a few hours a week as an instructional coach) and spent some time in Ferguson.  

Ferguson. 

Honestly, that's where most of my mind is most of the time.

I am heartbroken. 

I am mad.

I am disappointed.

The judgement. The complete lack of understanding of others in situations we don't understand. 

The hate.  Why must we always make everything about US, how we'd react, why we don't think someone deserves our love, why we never trusted those people anyway?

My only refuge is my faith.  Which is oddly the same faith that many of the people that make my heart hurt so much say they are clinging to.  So I pray because we are in this together.  All. Of. Us.   

Also, my kids, well they are just the best thing for my heart whenever it hurts. And they don't even mean to be :)! 

Tonight as the girls were cleaning up the kitchen I was in the laundry room and overheard a sweet voice singing....

The sun will come out tomorrow, so you've gotta hang on til tomorrow, come what may!  Tomorrow, tomorrow, I love ya tomorrow, you're only a day away!

And I cried.  Folding underwear and crying and thanking God for all the good things in this life and asking him for guidance on how to help because indeed the sun will come out tomorrow.

For Shirlene

  My 4th grade class in the 2002-2003 school year was fun and energetic.   One of the amazing children I was fortunate enough to have as a student was Shirlene.  She was spunky and happy and loved me from the moment we met.  I  adored her from moment number one as well. Shirlene had to work hard in every subject area, nothing was easy but she never gave up.  Her smile was easy and she was the first person with a word of encouragement whenever one was needed.  In kindergarten Shirlene lost her mother in a car accident yet she wasn't bitter or scared or sad.  She was absolutely full of life and dreams.  She loved art and singing and dancing. She hugged me often and told me she loved me, which is one of the highlights of being an elementary school teacher....the people you work with like you!  She even helped orchestrate a baby shower for me on the last day of school.  

In early June of 2008, while sitting in a car at a convenience store waiting for her cousin to return with a soda, Shirlene , age 16, was shot in the forehead and murdered.  Her murderer has never been found.  

I think of Shirlene often.  

This week, as the events in Ferguson sat heavy on my heart I thought about Shirlene even more than usual.  

She mattered.

Her death mattered.

Yet you'd never know if you based that on the media coverage it received.

Since she was  

African American

and  poor

and from the wrong area of town

it wasn't really news.

But she mattered.

She was just like my girls...she loved art and singing and dancing.

She had dreams.