I thought we were done with that awful virus that visited Joseph last week, but it is not to be so. Today William has a dreadful hacking cough. At breakfast he coughed and coughed and I said to Joseph, “Oh poor William. Now he is sick.” Joseph responded with a simple nod of his head, seemingly uninterested. I went on, “Now Joseph, since William is sick, you cannot kiss him, okay? We don’t want to keep passing those germs around.” I’m pretty sure Joseph’s world stopped for a split second. He looked up at me with a stricken expression, tears in his eyes. “What do you mean, Mommy? I love to kiss William. Oh I must kiss him.” I sympathetically responded, “When he is all better you can kiss him. But for now, you will have to kiss him on his cheek, okay?” “Oh, Mommy, I will, but I hope he gets better soon…I just love to kiss him!”
Daybook
Outside my window…here comes the sun, both literally and figuratively.
I am thinking…life is much sweeter after a week of being couped up with a sick child.
I am thankful for…Jim Weiss’ storytelling…Joseph is finally napping again, slowly nodding off to the rhythmic sound of beautiful, rich stories.
From the kitchen…grilled pork tenderloin.
I am wearing…gray shorts and a coral colored t-shirt and a rubber band in my hair…yep, it’s finally long enough for a pony tail!
I am creating…stories with Joseph. He draws the pictures, narrates the story, and I simply do the writing.
I am going…to write my letter of interest to the Daughters of the American Revolution this week now that we’ve finished tracing my heritage.
I am reading…When Children Love to Learn edited by Elaine Cooper and falling in love more and more with the idea of a Charlotte Mason education.
I am praying…that God allows me the grace to see Him in the little things I do each day like washing dishes, bathing children, cooking.
I am hearing…it’s more of what I’m not hearing…no more barking or alarming breathing…Joseph is on the road to recovery.
One of my favorite things…healthy, playful children.
A few plans for the rest of the week: Bake cookies with Joseph, finish fine-tuning our schedule for the 2010-2011 school year, shop for two very special birthdays that are coming up soon.
Here is picture I thought worth sharing…
When William went to visit the eye doctor, they dilated his eyes so I gave him his sunglasses to put on while we played outside…
An Amazing Memory
The other day Joseph was busy arranging his letters on the kitchen floor. Usually he’ll make words with them or sometimes a sentence or two, but on this particular day, his letters seemed to be arranged in no particular order, yet he seemed very focused and intent on them being just so. Finally, I couldn’t bear it any longer, so I asked him what he was doing. He briefly paused to look at me, but said nothing. Then it dawned on me…he was arranging the letters as if they were a keyboard…in order, exactly. I looked around…no keyboard in sight. He was doing it completely from memory. Pretty impressive.
Gentle Woman
Music is a salve for our souls. It comforts us, refreshes us, motivates us, cheers us. It has the power to bring back a memory, to heal a wound, to soothe a soul. Here’s a song that never fails to soothe my soul…
Another conversation
Remember my conversation with Joseph? Well, someone else seems to have been listening and is now doing a fine impression of his brother.
Dax: William! What are you doing?
William: Doing.
Oh boy…here we go again!
Daybook
Outside my window…it’s sunny. It’s hot. It’s humid. Typical South Texas summer day.
I am thinking…this heat is draining me of all my energy. By the time night falls, I am exhausted and ready for bed.
I am thankful for…fresh beginnings.
From the kitchen…fresh baked bread.
I am wearing…black shorts and a teal t-shirt.
I am creating…nothing but what’s essential…I’m telling you, my energy is consumed by our outdoor playtime…the sun, the wind, the heat…it just depletes me.
I am reading…The Mission of Motherhood by Sally Clarkson.
I am praying…the rosary of healing with a CD by Dana and Fr. Kevin Scallon. When Mom first gave me the CD, I dismissed it thinking I didn’t need any healing, but I wanted to be able to say I had listened to it, so I listened to it. And I am so thankful I did. It’s not so much a rosary of physical healing as it is a rosary of healing the soul…and we all need healing for our souls.
I am hearing…Joseph singing Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious for the millionth time…he’s so entertaining to watch and listen to!
One of my favorite things…Sundays with Daxson.
Here are some pictures I thought worth sharing…
Joseph has finally conquered the slide. It took a few months to warm up to the whole idea, then a few more months to sit at the top of it, then a few more months to look down it, a few months of holding a hand to go down, and finally, a year after seeing a slide, he’s going down it…by himself.
Uncle Ernesto
Oops! I just stumbled over these pictures…I completely forgot to post these. Daxson’s Uncle Ernesto came from Spain to visit for a few days last month.
Today’s Conversation
Me: Hi Joseph! What are you doing?
Joseph: Doing.
Me: I see that you’re doing something, but what are you doing?
Joseph: (very matter-of-factly) Doing.
Me: Yes, but what are you doing?
Joseph: (getting a little impatient with me) Doing.
Me: I guess I don’t understand. What do you mean “doing?”
Joseph: I mean it.
Me: (a little exasperated) What do you mean?
Joseph: I mean it.
Daybook
Outside my window…the UPS truck is pulling away. He’s just delivered the last few items we were waiting for. Our curriculum for next year is all here…just waiting to be devoured.
I am thinking…some days I have it all together. Things go just as planned. Other days not so much.
I am thankful for…life.
From the learning rooms…started Handwriting Without Tears’ Pre-K program today. Joseph loves the songs.
From the kitchen…fried rice. Simple yet so yummy.
I am wearing…yoga pants and a black t-shirt.
I am creating…a prayer corner.
I am reading…Haystack Full of Needles by Alice Gunther.
I am praying…for peace in my heart. William has a cyst on his eye that the doctor recommends be removed. How heavy my heart is to think that he’ll have to be put asleep to have it removed. His surgery is scheduled for September 1st. Pray for us, won’t you?
I am hearing…quiet.
One of my favorite things…fresh sliced peaches with just a little sugar…brings back cherished memories of summers spent with Grandma and Grandpa Morgan.
Here are some pictures I thought worth sharing…
Nothing says summer like watermelon…
Outside
I read somewhere that boys need 6 hours of outdoor time a day. I don’t remember where I read that, in fact, I’m not even sure what age that was referring to, but it’s stuck in my mind. My boys don’t get quite that much time outside a day outside, but they do get outdoor time everyday. After all, they’re boys…that’s what boys need. They need wide open places to get all of their energy out.
Now we live in the south. The deep, deep south. And it’s hot. So very hot and humid. And so I don’t always jump with joy when it’s time to take my boys outside. Sometimes I actually dread it. But still I put on their little tennis shoes, grab some water, and follow along behind two very excited, very energetic little boys. I grab a chair or lay a quilt out on the ground for myself and I watch as they bounce along, eager to resume their play from the day before…sometimes it’s sidewalk art, sometimes it’s sand and water play, sometimes it’s sports, sometimes it’s playing on the swingset, sometimes it’s good old fashioned imagination fueled fun. I can physically see the effect playing outside has on my boys. I see it in their eyes, in their flushed little cheeks, in their exuberance. It’s their opportunity to escape. To be free. To be hindered by nothing but their imagination. It’s not to say that they don’t use their imaginations inside, but being outside is just different. It just sets the imagination on fire. I can see their little minds working differently when we’re outside. Maybe it’s because there are so few toys outside that they’re forced to rely on their imaginations…and they do it beautifully.
But here’s the funny thing. It might not be as physical, but playing outside has a huge effect on me. Yep, I said me. See, I used to always take something productive outside with me. I’d take a nonfiction book or the phone or some other little task that needed to be accomplished. I’d use the outdoor time productively…because, well, because that’s what adults do…we use our time productively.
Then one day I didn’t take anything. I’m not sure what came over me. I just wandered outside empty handed. And I didn’t find a task to busy myself with. Instead, I just sat on the quilt and watched the boys play. Then when I realized they were happily playing, I laid down and watched the clouds for awhile. Soon Joseph joined me and asked what I was doing. He, too, stayed to watch the clouds for awhile. Then William toddled over and joined us. And in that moment I realized that being outdoors is my chance for escape, too. When we’re outdoors I am free…free from ringing phones and incoming emails. Free from all the millions of distractions that I find inside my home…free from the neverending list of things to do. We live in a very fast paced environment, rushing all the time. It feels good to have a moment to breathe. To just be.
So I know it’s hot…it’s the middle of the summer. But the best advice I can offer (and the reason you might not be seeing many blogs this summer!) is to take your kids and go outside. Pull out the baby pool, turn on the sprinkler, do whatever you have to do to make it bearable, but then just sit back and enjoy it. If you’ve forgotten how, just watch your kids and follow their lead. There’s a reason kids need lots of outdoor time…I think maybe we never outgrow that…we just sometimes need to be reminded of how relaxing it is to just be.
With Every Intention 