I have been rather absent from this blog for the past few months. So to all five of you kind souls who follow it, "I've missed you!". I have been busy keeping afloat with life, which has left little time to write about life. And when I have had a snippet of free time, I confess I have had my nose so far into a juicy novel I just couldnt tear my eyeballs away until it was done.
In fact, Im realizing that I have been SO absent from this blog that I never even followed up with my other two words for the year. Which, incidentally, are "Gracious" and "Hospitable". But that is another post for another day, my five compadres!
So let's do the fast version catch-up, shall we?
First things first: Italy was amazing. Really, truly amazing and beautiful and romantic. It was all the things I hoped it would be. My personal highlights included a ferry ride over Lake Como, a fancy 6 course dinner in a 200 year old restaurant, and Florence. All of Florence.
In other news, Bigger One has just graduated from preschool. This left me a sniveling, mewling, tear soaked mess in the back row of the audiorium. What can I say, I have a sentimental heart. I must quietly mourn the transition of my first baby from Littleness to Bigness. Is it possible for you heart to swell and contract at the same time? Because that is exactly how I felt, sitting there in that auditorium.
Littler One is now 2.5 and full of the dickens. He is my sweet spirited, mild-mannered boy, but he is also rowdier than rowdy and so far the only thing in the world that brings him real joy is to throw whatever happens to be in his hands at the moment. Obviously, there are only few settings in life where this is conducive. We're working on it...
Husband has been the busiest of all, because after much deliberation and preparation, we have decided to leave the wonderful firm he has worked for and go independant. A very difficult decision to make, but we feel it was the right one. So far it has gone brilliantly, but it's still all quite new. Starting your own business is not for the faint of heart! It has been equal parts exciting and frightening. It's tough to break out of what feels familiar and comfortable, but sometimes you have to climb out onto the longest, scariest branch to get the best fruit.
Other than all of that, it's pretty much been business as usual around here. And by "business as usual" I mean, the children have lost their minds. Literally, they have lost their minds. Its as if school got out, and the very next day my kids learned how to fight with each other. Up til now, for the most part, they have gotten along fairly well. Bigger One mothers Littler One and he is usually fine with that. She would boss him around and he would be happy to oblige. But some deep, fundamental, subterranean shift has happened recently. They fight. Oh, do they fight! Finally this morning, I couldnt take it anymore. I stood at my kitchen counter listening to their ridiculous accusations of "He wont stop touching me!" and "Bella shoosh! Bella boss me!" and I had to choke down the panic that was rising like bile in the back of my throat. What happened here? When did it happen?! At what point did the train derail?
The past week their attitudes have slowly, inexorably, gone downhill. There has been too much arguing, whining, complaining, and antagonzing, and not enough grace, or forgiveness, or thankfulness. This morning I had one of those "Aha" moments where I realized with a sinking heart that indeed, we have gotten far off track. Amazing how fast that happens, isnt it?
So today, we have been cleaning house and cleaning hearts. I decided to try to get the kids focus off of themselves by having them do nice things for each other. Make each other's beds, get each other snacks, help me clean and organize the house, etc. But getting them to actually do these things is only half the battle. Because, does it really even count if they do it with a rotten attitude? Hardly. It always boils down to the attitude of the heart, yes? I might accomplish a clean house with their help, but if they are grumbling the whole time, then ultimately all I'm accomplishing is a clean room that will be dirty again in 15 minutes anyways.
I am working hard on instilling a sense of teamwork in them. A sense of "you belong to this family and we are all on the same team. So lets help each other out!" (I am literally chuckling as I type this. Doesn't that just sound like a nice little antecdote? It sounds so cheesy but I think that surely there's a valuable truth under there somwhere? Obviously not an easy one though, or I wouldn't be sitting here blogging about it.)
Amazingly enough, after about an hour of pitching in and thinking of each other, their attitudes changed. Like some kind of magic voodoo. Okay, not voodoo. Maybe they were getting high on all the pinesol and comet fumes coming from the kitchen. Either way, I'll take it.
Today, success! Tomorrow? Well success or no, at least its a new day.
Other than all of that, it's pretty much been business as usual around here. And by "business as usual" I mean, the children have lost their minds. Literally, they have lost their minds. Its as if school got out, and the very next day my kids learned how to fight with each other. Up til now, for the most part, they have gotten along fairly well. Bigger One mothers Littler One and he is usually fine with that. She would boss him around and he would be happy to oblige. But some deep, fundamental, subterranean shift has happened recently. They fight. Oh, do they fight! Finally this morning, I couldnt take it anymore. I stood at my kitchen counter listening to their ridiculous accusations of "He wont stop touching me!" and "Bella shoosh! Bella boss me!" and I had to choke down the panic that was rising like bile in the back of my throat. What happened here? When did it happen?! At what point did the train derail?
The past week their attitudes have slowly, inexorably, gone downhill. There has been too much arguing, whining, complaining, and antagonzing, and not enough grace, or forgiveness, or thankfulness. This morning I had one of those "Aha" moments where I realized with a sinking heart that indeed, we have gotten far off track. Amazing how fast that happens, isnt it?
So today, we have been cleaning house and cleaning hearts. I decided to try to get the kids focus off of themselves by having them do nice things for each other. Make each other's beds, get each other snacks, help me clean and organize the house, etc. But getting them to actually do these things is only half the battle. Because, does it really even count if they do it with a rotten attitude? Hardly. It always boils down to the attitude of the heart, yes? I might accomplish a clean house with their help, but if they are grumbling the whole time, then ultimately all I'm accomplishing is a clean room that will be dirty again in 15 minutes anyways.
I am working hard on instilling a sense of teamwork in them. A sense of "you belong to this family and we are all on the same team. So lets help each other out!" (I am literally chuckling as I type this. Doesn't that just sound like a nice little antecdote? It sounds so cheesy but I think that surely there's a valuable truth under there somwhere? Obviously not an easy one though, or I wouldn't be sitting here blogging about it.)
Amazingly enough, after about an hour of pitching in and thinking of each other, their attitudes changed. Like some kind of magic voodoo. Okay, not voodoo. Maybe they were getting high on all the pinesol and comet fumes coming from the kitchen. Either way, I'll take it.
Today, success! Tomorrow? Well success or no, at least its a new day.
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