Intentional Week 1

We go back to school tomorrow after two weeks at home together.  I am feeling very sad about that fact tonight.  It's been so much fun to be home with my family and, I can honestly say, I'm managed to be fairly intentional about things.  We've made time for important things (such as visiting a favourite bookstore that is closing, playing outside together, going sledding twice and making a snowman) and I've had a chance to slow down a bit.  Going back and getting back into the insane pace of our "normal" life will be the true test of whether I can find a way to be more intentional.

Since I was feeling sad, I decided that I wanted to do something special to let the kids know that I care about them when they are at school.  I pondered it for a couple of days and then it came to me - I could make a special bracelet for each of them.  Rainbow loom bracelets are a big favourite with PK right now and I knew she'd love to have another one.  Then it came to me - I'd make a family set and each colour would represent something.  I mentioned it to DH and he even said he'd wear one (which floored me, this is not normally his "thing").  We have purple for Dh (his favourite colour), blue for LB (his fav), green for me (my fav), pink for Pk (her fav) and white for God.  I'm going to wear it with pride tomorrow and I can't wait to make sure that the kidlets know when I pick them up that I wore my bracelet all day and thought of them.

I honestly hope I can keep this up because at the moment, I feel very happy about it!

It Matters

I don't know about you but for me, sometimes, I feel as if nobody is noticing the little things I do to try and make things a bit more beautiful for those around me.  Young kids and the chaos that goes with them means that a lot gets lost in the shuffle and it's easy, as a mom, to feel as if one's efforts are invisible.

I had the nicest reminder today of how important the little things can be and that they are noticed.  Since she started school, three years ago, I started writing Pk a note every day in her lunch.  I usually include a picture (I do these on the computer) and each month is done on a theme, either of something that Pk loves, like My Little Pony, Rudolph, horses, our dogs or something that we share together (e.g., in December, each picture was somehow connected to the stories we were exploring for our Jesse Tree).  I don't see the notes once they go in her lunch and I just assumed that they get recycled.  Today, I learned what happens.  I was cleaning out her backpack to get ready for school on Monday.  Her teacher had asked each student to bring home pencil cases from desks and Pk had two.  I checked them to see if she needs anything.  The first one contained all of the items I expected - her scissors, her pencils, markers, etc.  The second one surprised me.  It was filled with paper.  I was shocked to see that every note I have written her this year was in the pencil case.  I asked her about it and she told me that she likes to save them so she can read them again.  That means more to me than I can ever say.  I feel so very lucky to be her mom!

2014

I make no promises that I will be around here much but at least today, I've had a chance to visit and I'm really excited.  It's been a terrific day - I sorted through my bookshelves (which were an abyss and which was like spending time with old, dear friends), we played games with the kids, we watched a movie together as a family and I even found time for a nap in the chair in the living room.  It was the kind of quiet day that we NEVER manage to have.  I couldn't think of a nicer way to start a new year (and a new year that ends in a 4, my favourite number!).

I also had a special treat this morning.  We have been forgetting to put see in our birdfeeder and two days ago, I remembered.  I didn't think we would have any visitors (usually, it takes a while for the birds to come back when I have been negligent).  I had such a pleasant surprise this morning:

I only managed to capture 2 but we had four cardinals who spent probably 30 minutes at the feeder (along with a persistent squirrel!) Cardinals are my favourite birds and given that I had a friend tell me a wonderful story about cardinals who are a sign of God's presence, it seemed like a great way to start the year.

Happy 2014!