The Plan

The plan was to have a wonderful morning full of Valentine themed activities, baking and even a service project, following which I would blog about Child #3's birthday - an event complete with giant color coordinated hanging tissue poms and cupcakes frosted to look like two toned roses.

Ha

Ha

Ha

The morning combusted.  I sat next to a heap of crumpled Valentine's ribbon and hit the pixie sticks like a cocaine addict.

It was a dishwasher broke, ten hours behind, children driving me up the wall, barely holding it together sort of a day.

I felt the way discouraged feels on it's rough days.

I called my friend and homeschooling mentor.  I used my "chipper" voice, wished her Happy Valentines and asked her a few questions.  She was not supposed to know just how close to the edge I was standing.  But she did.

An hour later there was a knock on my door.  There was my friend, a pot of daffodils in hand.

"I thought you could use some sunshine," she said.

I burst into tears.

She burst into tears too, just because I had and she is that kind of a friend.

She only had a moment, but we talked deep.  We talked about letting go.  We talked about love and respect and beginning again.  We talked about how perfectionism is actually the opposite of perfection - wanting the appearance of perfection without wanting the process required to become more perfect.  (enter child #3 completely naked)  We talked about educational theories.  (her children began knocking at my door.  She promised to be done in two minutes.)  We talked for two minutes about focus and simplicity.  Then we gave each other the "I know we will survive this, not sure how, but here we go," look and said goodbye.

The scriptures say to "be still and know that I am God."

Most of the time I say "I am super busy, so thank heavens I know that there's a God."

I want to say (as one of my favorite bloggers recently said):
"I am still and I know."

But I am chronically un-still and habitually forgetful.  Hmmm, I am sensing major life changes that need to be made.  I'll let you know if I figure out the secret.

So anyway, today's post will not chronicle my crafty, birthday triumph, or my Valentine's Day homeschooling wonderfulness.

Todays post is about finding grace in a flowerpot.  It's about stillness.  It's about starting over at 5:25 p.m. and letting that be okay.  It's about having my children give me another chance even though I probably don't deserve it.  It's about having a sweetheart who can come home to a sink full of dishes and house full of movie zombies and can still tell me I'm wonderful.

I suppose it's really all about love.

That's better than color coordinated poms.

Oh so true, so very,very true

Very funny.  Hope you enjoy.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEbZrY0G9PI

Elegant

A few moments that made this week elegant:

Child #3 helped me stir cinnamon into our green-apple, cranberry oatmeal while singing "Cindermommy, Cindermommy I can help my Cindermommy."

Cutting gingerbread scented play dough with cookie cutters.

I put big dots of finger paint inside ziploc bags, sealed them and duck-taped them to my kitchen table for some mess free painting time.  It was great for practicing letters in too.

Homeschool is going so well.  We are loving it.  It doesn't leave a whole lot of time for writing or laundry, but it is going great.

Hopefully more soon.

Hang in there!