Are you KIDDING me?!?

No. No it simply cannot be. I refuse to believe that it has been almost a WHOLE YEAR since I have sat down and posted something here! I knew it had been a while but I NEVER would have guessed a YEAR!

*shrug* oh well…such is life. And LIFE is exactly what has been happening around here lately. All three kids are growing and changing daily. My husband and I are being stretched in ways we never thought possible. And God is continuing to lead us down a path that its hard to see what is coming around the next bend. Just your typical busy family life.

But there is a part of me that missed the act of writing. I know I will never win any awards for my simple musings. To be honest, I probably break more grammar rules than I realize and I KNOW that without the gift of spell check my posts would be LAUGHABLE. (I have always struggled with spelling).  And yet I enjoy summing up the chaos that goes through my brain and putting it here for another time.

So here’s to another bout of posts (for however long it lasts) and who knows maybe I will surprise myself with what develops.

We all need a little love.

For the record I have 4 children, three of which I have been given the beautiful pleasure of watching grow and develop their own personalities and quirks. Having said that, one truth has become VERY apparent:

Each child is different.

Uh DUH! Perhaps you are tempted at this point to turn your attention else where figuring I must have finally lost the last marble I have been clinging desperately to. Or perhaps you are shouting, “OF COURSE each child is different! Seriously?!?” Yes, I know, that concept isn’t new and I promise it wasn’t some big revelation to me either. No, the big revelation came with what I DO with that fact. Because each child is different, even twins who have shared an intimacy that few ‘singletons’ can relate too, my approach to each child must be different as well.

Let me see if I can explain. Take my boys for example. Both are sweet and lovey but in completely opposite ways. Zach is an all or nothing kid. He is either in my lap, laying with his head against my chest or he is off about his own business and wants nothing to do with Momma. Nathaniel on the other hand is, what I like to call, a ‘drive-by hugger’. He could be on a mission to do Heaven only knows what but as he passes by where I am sitting he lunges in for a full hug and then moves on. See? different. I can’t expect Nathaniel to sit in my lap and cuddle for any length of time but I also must be tuned in to his ‘drive-by’ hugs so I don’t miss the opportunity to show him love as well.  And then there is my daughter…she is a whole other story and for those of you who have met her you are probably smiling right now.

What does this mean for us as parents, guardians and caregivers? It means that we must be willing and able to adjust how we respond and interact with the children in our lives and their differences in personalities. What worked for my daughter in terms of spending time, showing love and disciple will not necessarily work for my sons. THAT is my big revelation. The fact that interacting with my children must reflect their differences if it is to be effective and worthwhile for them.

Does that mean that my parenting changes depending on which child I am interacting with? NO WAY! My husband and I, long before we had children, discussed general principles and guidelines that were important to us concerning children and how they would be raised. And in the light of my recent discovery I am VERY glad we did.  For example, in our family, ‘No’ means no. No amount of whining, crying or temper tantrums will change that. Therefore we try to be careful not to say “No” too quickly and then regret our decision. However we have also learned that for our daughter we need to provide her with the reasoning behind the answer. That’s just how she is wired.  The general principle doesn’t change but the way it is delivered does. Time will tell how that boys differ from their sister in that regard.

For now I have a new outlook to my days spent with my little ones. We all need a little love just not necessarily the ‘same’ love.  It is challenge, that is for sure, but one with the reward of (hopefully) being a better momma to my munchkins.

Making Mondays MARVELOUS – The 10 Second Tidy

BLAH!  Yup that’s how this Monday feels: BLAH!  In fact a lot of days have felt this way recently. Between computer problems (yes that is why I haven’t been updating this blog), a busy family life, and just one thing after another, after another I have barely been able to keep my head above water. (As if everyone in the whole entirety of the world isn’t facing these same things on a day to day basis…ok…end rant.)

So that brings us to today. Monday. Again. No my Fall cleaning isn’t finished, (big surprise) and yes it is officially November (the month I said I would be done by) but *shrugs shoulders* somethings got to give sometimes and this time it was the heavy duty cleaning in light of the fact I scarcely found a minute to vacuum the floor. (By GOLLY twin one-year-olds can make a MESS!)

What does that leave for today on the home-front agenda? Its a day I like to refer to as:

 10 SECOND TIDY DAY

Its a day where each room is given a 10 Second Tidy. What, you may be asking, is a 10 Second Tidy? Anyone remember a kids show called The Big Comfy Couch? If not, you missed out. But anyway there is a section of the show where the main character, a clown girl, looks around and sees what a big mess she has made during her play. She then sets the clock and does a 10 Second Tidy and quickly picks up all the stray toys and shoves them into her couch all taking about 10 seconds. Admittedly my version is more like 20 minutes but the name is just so cute and evokes a fun memory for me that it has stuck.

The essence of this quick tidy up is not perfection but fast results. Not everything will be put away, not every dish will be washed, not ever cob-web will be removed and that’s OK. It is meant to be a fast paced, get it done so its presentable kind of thing.

Here’s the basic approach to each room: I start in one corner and begin putting away items that I find there. Nothing fancy, just working around the room until all loose items are put away. For the play room and kids rooms this is mostly toys. For our bedroom its mostly clothes. The living room is usually a mixture of stuff belonging to other rooms so I tend to start there. That way I won’t have the frustration of checking a room off my 10 Second Tidy list only to find 15 things that need to be put away in that room later. By this point the floors are clear and I can vacuum. (It always amazes me how the act of vacuuming completes the cleaning process. Even if the floor didn’t look too bad to begin with, a quick glide of the vacuum and its like, “Wow, the room is clean!” Eh.. maybe its just me.) That just leaves the dreaded kitchen. *cue horror music here* *sigh* I may never conquer this beast of a room. Every time I turn around my kitchen is messy. But I am working on it and its times like this that I’m reminded of a song I learned as a child: He’s Still Working on Me. There is a line of the song that says,

There really ought to be a sign upon my heart: Don’t judge me yet, there’s an unfinished part. But I’m still worth it just according to His plan. I’m being fashioned by the Master’s loving hands.

It’s definitely something to remember on days like this when I could easily get frustrated with myself for not being everything I think I should be.

That’s what my Monday looks like. And just maybe by the end of it I’ll be able to say that it was MARVELOUS even if it didn’t start out that way. *smile*

Did you miss me? *wink*

After almost a week of computer trouble I am once again connected to the outside world! I find it funny how quiet my life was without Facebook, Pinterest and other such websites but also how disconnected I felt. I LIKE reading about my friend’s and family’s lives. I LIKE seeing pictures of fun crafty stuff to do with duct tape. And I like posting here on MUSINGS. I missed this…maybe you did too.

 

Well…anyhoo…Its Monday again. Anyone have their fall cleaning done? No? Me either. BUT I have made progress and that’s all that matters (or so I have been told).

Here is a general guide to making Fall Cleaning easy:

Ok…maybe not EASY but easier. PICK A ROOM. Yup, one room. Whatever time you have set aside to do fall cleaning just divide that time by the number of rooms that need to be done. Then pick one room at a time. Don’t try to wash all the curtains in your house at once. THATS CRAZY! Because unless you are FANTASTIC at keeping on task and you don’t have any interruptions like say..KIDS!… you will most likely end up with half the windows in your house naked. And if you are like me the next day is already full to the max and there is no room left for the curtain job that was yesterday’s task. SO, make it easy on yourself and pick one room.

For me, I have set aside time each Monday for the month of October and the beginning of November to do fall cleaning. (Mondays work for me because I’m home but it can be any day/time that works for you.) Then each Monday, in addition to the regular chores for the day, I focus on one room to fall clean. Today it is the upstairs bathroom. My to-do list looks like this:

• sweep/wash floors (I mean really wash the floors…not just going over them with that spray-wet-mop thing)
• wash down walls (I use a mixture of warm water, white vinegar and baking soda…Google it..there are A MILLION different solutions out there)
• clean fixtures
• wash windows
• wash curtains (I plan on throwing them in with the towel load)

That way, by the end of today my upstairs bathroom with be COMPLETELY clean. I didn’t get overwhelmed and quit halfway through and I can go to bed with that room checked off my list. See what I mean about easier?

Here’s to making Monday MARVELOUS!

If you have any ideas or tricks of the trade for cleaning, consider leaving a comment and sharing it with the rest of us. *smile*

Making Mondays…err Thursdays MARVELOUS – Fall Cleaning Mini Series

I know. I know. Its not Monday. I may have Mommy Syndrome but I swear it isn’t that bad…yet. This just couldn’t wait!

I am a firm believer that it is never productive to reinvent the wheel so, when I came across this AMAZING blog with all of her AMAZING ideas to get things organized I just had to share. *smile* (Can you tell I’m really excited?!) And since we talked about solving clutter problems as part of our Fall Cleaning Campaign (that sounds like more fun instead of just plain old fall cleaning) I thought sharing this blog fit in nicely.

So head on over and check her out. I know I’ll be making AT LEAST two things I spotted in the 10 minutes I was able to peruse before the munchkins decided they were hungry and wanted breakfast. And I promise that next week we will get into actual cleaning ideas for Fall Cleaning. *cross my heart*

Wordless Wednesday

This gallery contains 4 photos.

OOPS Sorry.

Yup, yesterday was Tuesday and there was nothing tasty posted. *sigh* Sorry all. I had every intention of posting a  yummy fall recipe for a squash/apple bake but it never made it to my computer. I guess I’m ahead of the game for next week, right? *smile*

Making Mondays MARVELOUS – Mini Series (continued)

By now, I’m sure you have identified a few areas in your home that could be classified as “problem areas”. Mine, as I mentioned before are the pile of shoes by the front door, the pile of junk mail that seems to make a home on any flat surface available and the kitchen junk drawer (I’m told that everyone has one of those but it doesn’t make me feel any better about mine).

So, as promised, I’m back with one very simple tip to assist with all of these “problem” areas. It is a universal clutter principle. Ready?

Solve the clutter problem where it originates.

Let me explain. The idea behind this principle is that it is easier to modify behavior instead of change it completely. Take my problem area of shoes by the door:

The whole family kicks off their shoes as we walk in the door and this is where they end up.

I would LOVE it if my whole family, me included, would take their shoes upstairs every night. But I just know what it would take to make that happen; a lot of nagging, whining and frustration. (can I get an ‘amen’ from the other mothers?) BUT what if I simply provide a cute storage solution for the shoes and put it in the place where the problem originates. Maybe something like this:

Or this:

TADA! See the difference? My family continues to put their shoes in the same place but no more visible messy pile! *Disclaimer: I am by no means promoting these specific items or the companies that sell them. They are strictly for examples. But I have made them links in case you want to see more.*

Think about it. I haven’t been able to come up with many circumstances where this simple principle of solving a clutter problem where it originates won’t work. So whatever your clutter problem is, brainstorm ways of solving it where it originates to have the highest chance of success.

And there you have it! We have begun FALL CLEANING with something that wasn’t too painful. *smile* Let me know what you think and if this principle has worked for you, please share your success with the rest of us!

Making Mondays MARVELOUS – Mini Series!

Fall is officially here and it brought with it the weather I love so much. Nothing energizes me more than a crisp autumn breeze and that wonderful earthy smell that comes with the leaves falling.  It is honestly the only time of year that I am excited to clean and organize. Having said that, I would like to invite you to join me in, that’s right, FALL CLEANING! Now I know what you are thinking:

“Is she out of her mind?!?! What is there to be excited about?”

Well, two things: I have been learning that God is a God of order and my life is always better if I reflect that and I am a firm believer that things are WAY more fun if you are doing it with someone, so think of this as a Fall Cleaning Blog Party! Each Monday we will tackle one little project and before you know it our fall cleaning will be done and our Mondays will be MARVELOUS!

Now I am also aware that pictures make EVERYTHING better so I’m going to do my best to add some life to these posts as we go.

Our first project is an easy one. Today make a point to look around your home at all the “problem” areas. You know the ones I mean: the coffee table the is always covered in junk mail, the pile of shoes by the front door, the overflowing junk drawer in the kitchen that you are afraid to open…etc…etc… Pick the big ones…the ones that bother you the most…the ones that cause problems in the morning. For me that would be the three examples that I just listed. *smile* (see how that worked) That’s it! Just look around and make a mental note. Easy, right?

Later today I’ll be back with some helpful hints and tips (and hopefully pictures) so be sure to check back or sign up for email updates for when a new blog is posted. *wink wink* (I know, that was a shameless plug)

Good luck all!

Not every day can be a good one.

Although the title of this post is true that does not mean that we have to roll over and accept the fact that some days are just going to STINK. On such a day I choose not to look at the big picture which often times is a gigantic failure but rather at the small moment by moments that are good ones. For example, today has been one of those “no good, very bad days” our dear friend Alexander talked about. (If you haven’t read this book:  Alexander and the Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. I would highly recommend it!) Everything has gone differently than planned and NOT in a good way…I will spare you the details because I’m sure you all have an immediate picture in your head of what a Very Bad Day looks like. If I were to look at my day as a whole I have failed miserably at every task I set out to complete, hence the bad day reference. BUT if I instead choose to focus on particular moments I have a much different outcome to the day.

Let me see if I can demonstrate what I mean. Take my grocery shopping trip this morning as one example. I was on a tight timeline and needed to be back at a specific time for my husband to leave for work. “No problem”, I said to myself. WRONG. The would be 2 hour shopping trip took a little over 3.5 hours thus making me late getting home and making my husband late for work. FAILURE. During the same shopping trip, I have a weekly grocery budget that I try very hard to stick to. While walking up and down the isles I did my best to calculate in my head so as not to be surprised at the checkout. Upon checking out I was shocked to discover that I did not come in under my budget as I expected but OVER by a whopping $35.00! (that may not sound like much but it is for our budget) FAILURE. AGAIN.

Looking at the shopping trip as a whole, it was not successful. I failed in the two main areas, budget and time allowance thus, among other things, leading to my description of a bad day. But let me share with you a few snap-shot moments instead of the whole picture. On two different occasions, while shopping, I was able to give assistance to other shoppers. You know, the “could you please help me reach that item off the shelf” kind of assistance. I did it with a smile and was give heart-felt thanks in return. (for those of you keeping score at home that would be a point for the light of Jesus shining through *smile*) Top it all off, I came home to two happy boys who eagerly greeted their momma with smiles. This isn’t meant to be something cheesy like, “I was having a bad day and my kid smiled at me and it all melted away.” No its more like pure thankfulness that I came home to happy noises instead of wailing and screaming and temper tantrums. (Have you ever unloaded groceries under those conditions? I wouldn’t recommend it.)

Please don’t get me wrong. I am already looking forward to bed time when I can close my eyes and wake up to a new, clean slate but for now I will count the good moments and choose to ignore the big picture using it as a springboard to a better tomorrow.

This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:24