True purging...

For a year I have been tiptoeing around my need to purge. I have learned a lot about myself in the last few years. Some of it I don't like. In the past I have bought too much, if one is good isn't four better?!?!? I have been trying to make excuses for myself, I have organized to justify myself instead of humbly admitted my wastefulness and moved on. I have been drowning in a flood of my own making, that of my neatly appointed hoarding.

I marvel at my children keeping every random scrap of this or that when in reality, I have my own piles of "one day I might" with a cutely named Pinterest board to match. I keep boxes and boxes filled with "one day projects" but say no to the "can we now projects" because the floor is covered the remains of toys no longer loved or crafts never done. And I keep harping on the need to be good stewards at the same time the piles by my bed teeter back and forth threatening to crash at any moment. The hypocrisy of it has never been so apparent to me as it became this evening.

E was at a Spurs game tonight. So, after the kids' gymnastics and Tae Kwon Do classes, I got a haircut before we came home for dinner. I was tired and decided on letting the kids watch a movie while Dad was gone. During the movie, I decided to go pick up the craft room. I would like to think that one day I will craft here. For the time being, it holds things to make crafts with and when it is nice and neat I feel creative and inspired. When it is not, I feel crabby and angry. As I cleaned I realized there were too many things and not enough spaces. I also realized that there were things that I had purchased for crafts well into five or more years ago that I never touched, much less crafted with. This was actually not a unique realization. In the past I have convinced myself that "one day" I will or I would feel guilty that I spent money on this or that and thought that giving it away would make me a bad steward.

I have no doubt that the Lord orchestrated tonight's events. I went into my children's rooms at bedtime and observed their overflowing drawers and cabinets and nearly lost it. I am so tired of the constant battle against the mess. I told my children that they showed good stewardship by taking care of what they had or by being mature and humble enough to admit they needed to let something go. And then it hit me. I needed to stop feeling guilty for past decisions and purchases. I need to walk in light of Christ's forgiveness and cut the weights pulling me down. I thought that I would be a good steward to organize and keep so much, but instead it was weighing me down, hindering me from joyfully engaging my children. 

It will be hard work. I will have to ask myself hard questions and be willing to swallow my pride as I get rid of this or that which I just had to have. It will be humbling. And I need to be willing to go to my children and ask for their forgiveness in setting a poor example of stewardship, especially since I have been so bold as to exalt myself as such a good one. I need to ask Elliott's forgiveness for not being a good manager of our resources. Of course, I need to seek the Lord and pursue His forgiveness and seek His guidance in changing my heart to rest in Him alone for my contentedness. 

As I gaze at the first pile of many more to come, my mind dancing with the possibilities... Garage sale? Blessing swap? Drop-off donation? Save up stuff until I have enough to do something grand with or get rid of stuff in onesie-twosies as I have time in the midst of schooling and living and serving the Church? 

Any ideas? 

Crafting fun...

Some scrapbook paper pumpkins...

Some cute water colored leaves...

A line of kids waiting to make some melted crayon art...

And then cutting out leaf shapes to make fall sun catchers...

There was also a cute fall "snow globe" I made for each of the moms who came, but that escaped photographic documentation. Since I was the crafting "cruise director", all the above pictures were taken by my kids. And I found all the crafts on Pinterest. Seriously, I think that site is my new best friend (even though I did totally make fun of it when it first came out...). 

My favorite thing about our Pumpkin Patch and Play day is that in just a few hours we have created enough things to decorate our house to feel all nice and cozy and festive. And I get to fellowship with other Moms while my kids play happily with friends. 

In the end, we all had fun. Some of us may have had too much fun...

Fall is in the air...

I can't remember a whole year of weather that I have enjoyed more than this year. The summer was incredibly mild, by Texas standards that is. And fall has come in right on schedule. Windows are open most every morning, the birds have begun migrating, Monarch butterflies can be see wafting by overhead. It is pure joy for my heart, and I wake each morning yearning to spend the day out of doors.

An annual tradition around here is something I have deemed Pumpkin Patch and Play day. It is when I set a deadline for myself to get the kids dressed in coordinating outfits and we head over to the local Methodist Church Pumpkin Patch for our yearly Mommy-taken kid photos. We invite friends to join us at the pumpkin patch and then back to our house for a brown bag lunch and fall inspired crafts. It was another fun event!

I imagine we will attempt to make another trek out to the patch this coming week as I did not seem to capture a group shot, and I want to try to conquer the lighting, but when friends arrived, all focus on Mom was understandably lost. If a return trip doesn't happen, here are the kids' photos for the year... they are somewhat becoming our "school photos". :)

 

 

Another post will contain some snapshots of our crafting fun! 

All dressed up...

The culmination of all the sewing projects...

And this week at Chick-fil-A a pair of knights may or may not have been seen having lunch...

Just keep sewing...

A few sneak peeks of what I have been busy doing (since I have obviously not been blogging)...

I'll try to get the back story up this week, as well as some photos of everything coming all together! 

A little weekend...

It's a long story, but our family was spoiled and pampered this weekend by the amazing folks at the Omni Colonade Hotel. All in all, my floors didn't get mopped, dishes weren't washed and I got behind in laundry, but it was totally worth it. :)

A little fall harvest theme to the dinner Friday evening...

Waiting to get started on our Sea World adventures...

We found Shamu!

I love my iPhone camera...

Front row seats...

Probably my favorite show of the day, Azul, with diving and synchronized swimming and beautiful animals from God's Creation. It should be called the 5th day show with birds above and water creatures below...

I love sharks!

I think they liked it... 

Busy days ahead...

The speed of life seems to be in warp overdrive lately. We are being productive, but the days are blazing past and we will finish with our eighth week of school this Friday. I even had a night of anxious awakenings that I would not be ready for Friday co-op, I kept thinking it was Thursday night and was waking up and looking for my lesson plans. I even jumped out of bed and woke Elliott with my exclamation of terror at being unprepared. It was Saturday.

Then, after months of discussion and two years of not being involved in regular extra-curricular athletic endeavors, we decided to put the kids in some different activities. The older two are taking Tae Kwon Do classes twice a week. They seem to be enjoying it, Noah especially likes all the punching and kicking and Hannah seems to be getting a better idea of body control. The younger four have been begging to go back to gymnastics, and schedules fit just perfectly for the younger four to each take their age-specific class during the older two's Wednesday Tae Kwon Do class. Yes, all six children are in an activity within the same 60-minute time slot. I honestly don't think we would be able to do it any other way.

I have to split my time between the front and back gyms so that I can see everyone do at least a little of their practice. I let Hannah and Noah drop off Micah to his class in the back gym and I go watch the middle three kids warm up and go through their first circuit. I have been impressed with the intensity and seriousness they all show during practice. None of them are chatting or goofing off, and the skills they are already excelling at in three weeks is just awesome. When I make it to the back gym for Micah's class, I watch a kid who looks like my youngest, but I am amazed at how focused he is, not running around being silly like at home, but sitting and waiting his turn, being quick to listen, and catching on to the skills super fast. E and I have been encouraged that we made a good decision adding this activity.

After Micah finishes his class, we walk together to the front gym and find the middle three finished with their class. Today, Caleb handed me an invitation for him to join the Boys Team. My jaw dropped. We have only been going for three weeks. I had a flashback of the 6th grade when I made the gymnastics team. I also had a feeling of dread knowing how careful you must be to not let sports derail the direction of your family. The team for Caleb's age group practices on Monday, a day we are already at the gym for martial arts. I asked if there were slots for the twins and Micah during the same time, just so they could take another class instead of waiting, and there was. My mind was spinning...

I have been hesitant to become involved in sports with the kids, even one sport for each kid could pull us in all different directions for practices and games. I was an athlete all growing up, and yes, it kept me out of trouble, but it also became all consuming, and left plenty of scars to prove my dedication. I have watched friends and family who have put their lives on hold to follow the schedules of their kids sports and haven't wanted to repeat that. But I am not cold and heartless as to want to deny a child access to try out something in an area where the Lord has gifted them. I find myself having to wrestle with whether or not I am wanting to deny being active in sports because I think it is the best thing for my child or if I am selfishly wanting to keep my schedule simple or if I am acting in fear of future trials. Until now, no one has shown any aptitude for a particular sport so it was easy to not be in any.

Elliot and I chatted and I am going to call the gym tomorrow and ask if Caleb can try out a team practice before we commit. I want to see what the coaches are like, and I want to see if he enjoys the longer, more intense practice or if he really just enjoys the classes... so we shall see. A part of me is excited that at least a few of my genes passed on, those being the athletic ones. The other part of me is terrified, I have said I didn't want to go the athletic route with my kids, this will be a test of faith for me, I will need to weigh my decisions prayerfully and examine my heart for selfishness and fear.

Busy days ahead...