10/7/2022
We were asked years ago what the 𝗌𝖾𝖼𝗋𝖾𝗍 to our “𝘴𝘶𝘤𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘴” was: with marriage, work, homeschooling, parenting, navigating special needs for children. And while I’d like to say that there was some super top secret method that I could share with you, it boiled down to a shift in mindset. We started treating every day as a miracle.
I ran away, and I’m not ashamed of it anymore
I’m not sure why, I just thought adulthood would be easier than hard childhood. That, I’d know how to do life. But, here’s the part I missed-you bring into adulthood things you carried with you, good and not good.
10/4/2022
It’s hard to “trust the process” when we are in the middle of hard growth seasons…𝙗𝙪𝙩, if ever there was a time to hold strong and trust, the hard seasons are it! I think that’s part of why I’ve been drawn to autumn so long-we get to see the beautiful harvest. Motherhood isn’t much different, we daily cultivate the hearts of the precious blessings bestowed to us with every ounce of courage and every brave step.
10/1/2022
Motherculture doesn’t need to destroy your budget or your schedule-it just needs a plan. Decide what aspects of beauty would most feed your mother heart, start small yet consistent.
For me, writing and artistic pursuits are calming. The seasons that I let those go assuming it’s wasn’t possible, my heart felt it. I falsely listened to the ideas that some seasons don’t allow those. I was wrong. Some seasons need those more than others.
In the seasons that feel like exhausted hamster wheel running, you need them even more…
Favorite Geography curriculum: Beautiful Feet
I don’t post tons of curriculum reviews. I guess it’s primarily because there is already saturation online to choose from. Possibly it’s also because, like most long term homeschoolers, we’ve found that 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗳𝗹𝗮𝘀𝗵𝘆 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘁 𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗺. I’m not opposed to new curriculum; quite the opposite. The surge of new curriculum these past two years is much needed and overdue, a blessing indeed. If I share curriculum here, it’s something we’ve used, often a minimum three times. It’s been vetted, satisfies my multi-sensory standard. It’s benefited our education journey, not merely just something to do. It’s part of a CM feast, spread before us. It’s taken us on living journeys.
9/28/2022
I don’t think I’m the most patient person. Maybe it looks so from the outside, but my heart craves to jump in with both feet and get things done, to push at unhuman levels to get tasks completed. But here’s what patience has faithfully taught: you can’t rush good things, the things you crave. Don’t get stuck where you are, but don’t rush so quickly to the finish line that you miss the lessons and views along the way.
9/27/2022
In our day to day, especially when we feel the busyness of the day, it’s easy to feel the pressure. Pressures of to do lists, meals to prepare, sippy cups to fill, and spills to wipe.
We pour over our people until our own cups feel dry.
And in those moments of tired, we can revert to feelings of empty. And this is where it happens, weary digs deep and our feelings try to get the final say…
9/23/2022
Is smiling part of your daily life? Your approach to living and breathing?
Is laughter embedded into your expression of who you are?
How about you try this, just this for the next 60 seconds? Just 60 seconds, right here, right now. Your body will thank you!!
See caption for why-smile while you read the caption and your 60 second smile is done and your endorphins are dancing a bit, too!
Here’s what a mere 60 seconds of intentional smiling offers:
Smiling acts as a tiny precursor, a catalyst if you will in our brains. It triggers the release of dopamine and serotonin, happiness endorphin chemicals bringing a happiness effect.
Feeling stressed? Smile. Just 60 seconds. That’s it!
It won’t remove stress, it won’t bring world peace; BUT, it starts a peaceful effect in your mind. Meaning, a peaceful you can share peace with others. And a piece of peace does a soul good.
9/21/2022
Anxiety, pressed down and dissected apart, is worry. It is a care or concern for something to the extent that it pricks our soul. It is taking thought to something to the point that it is encumbering our mind. Anxiety causes fear, sorrow, fret, and dread because we believe that God will not care for our situation appropriately. We could minimize it, call it little faith. It is a spiritual battle, but it has roots digging deep in our soul-experiences and health roots forging deep, limbic rising into our daily heartbeats refusing to be ignored.
But here’s the deal-even though anxiety is very real, it doesn’t have to be your home. Worry and Fret don’t get the final say, you do. And that 𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮 𝘀𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗛𝗼𝗽𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗸 𝗮 𝗯𝗶𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗹…
9/20/2022
In every season, your margins and edges will feel a push.
Is mustard seed faith enough? Really enough? I think it is. I read an article this past summer that said the Dijon mustard industry was concerned about the lack of usable mustard, that the fields they gleaned their mustard plants to create their product from were experiencing extremely low growth. I looked further into the comment section and someone from the state of California commented- well, come here-we have so much we can’t get rid of it.
It had me thinking about what I did (and didn’t) know about mustard…
When you’re at the bottom of your umph…
I remember pouring over parenting magazines, books, and every pamphlet I could find-bedrest during pregnancy after years of infertility treatment offered lots of reading time. And while it seemed 40 weeks would never arrive and I faithfully memorized all the reading material, 𝗶𝘁 𝗵𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂’𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗽𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗰𝗿𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗯𝗮𝗯𝘆.
9/17/2022
Motherhood, timeless as it may be, is tough work. Even on days we feel tired, even on days that require meticulous scheduling and juggling of multiple responsibilities, it’s helpful to remember that motherhood shouldn’t be considered a hobby/pastime. It requires continual self-education, reflection, and insight. It also is enjoyed best when entered from intentional postures.
9/10/2022
Sometimes our prayers get answered in wild and wonderful ways. Ways, that if they’d been answered when we first asked, we wouldn’t appreciate God’s wisdom in knowing we weren’t ready for the answer quite yet. We need time and experience to understand how blooms unfold. As newlyweds, we purchased a starter home and I started gardening, my feeble inexperienced attempt at placing seed to soil and expecting a abundant blossoms to appear.
9/9/2022
I found a book at a local library sale recently. The cover worn and spine frayed. Flipping through, I briefly caught vintage book smell of aged grass with sprinkled vanillin~it gets me every time.
The due date though? 1974~the last time this book was checked out, I was one month old…