Oh friends, it's been so long! Last time I checked in with you my littlest was just a wee thing...not even walking yet. I had brief moments of time I could explore hobbies. My craft room was a welcome reprieve -- this boymom needed a shred of garden whimsy - pink - personality in her life. So husband was gracious enough to add a room to some storage space and voila MommySpace! My writing was a cherished outlet. My garden was dirt therapy.
Then my wee one grew and crawled and walked. Then he was running. We had three in grade school the next year and socio-emotional and educational challenges to tackle. Life has been wonder-full and crazy busy!
I would NOT trade it for the world!
It's a season of life where pouring ourselves out for others is the calling we have before us. Yet, we must be mindful to keep our own buckets full. In the crazy-busy of motherhood trenches, it is in bits and pieces that we do this: a class while kids are in discipleship clubs, the occasional trip shopping alone, a moms group where childcare is covered, a desperate stop for coffee along the way, a ThriftShopHop with friends, planting a few flowers instead of entire beds.
The key I've found (though not entirely mastered) is to find contentment in whatever we can do right now. Find little ways to squeeze your favorite things into daily life. Find ways to do them with the family since rightfully get the majority of your energy/time. Don't waste energy longing for the next season; it will bring it's own brand of crazy. Embrace where you are now.
My daily Bible reading/study time has narrowed over the years, and gotten more creative. I love devotional books/apps (reliable sources) because they can give me a focus in this scattered season. Listening to sermons while working at home is fantastic. I try to do a weekly character study with the kids based on examples in Scripture. We enjoy family devotions at dinner whenever we can do so (not daily, because life does happen ... often). I love refreshing myself in whatever I'm teaching/guiding this week for kid's classes at church. I write Scripture on my windshield in dry erase marker, on sticky notes all over the house, in my planner, etc.
I craft when called upon...
"Mom, can you fix this?"
"Mom, I need a Ben Franklin costume."
"Mom, I'm going to make this, can you help me?"
(read...it will be less mess with your help, Mom).
"Mommy, color with me."
MOPS...bless MOPS activity time!
I love to bake, but again it's often only when called upon because other things demand my attention. Snacks for school, church, MOPS, or celebrations.
My garden is a big part of family life and how we make ends meet. However, there are times it is not as well-tended as I would like. Some projects got put on hold in lieu of just keeping up with my traveling circus. We engage the kids in helping more each year, but then I have to let go of perfect more, too.
Music is practiced by singing to my kiddos, or helping them learn piano. I may walk by and pluck out one page while waiting for dinner to cook, but an hour of practice is not practical right now. My strings stay in the case because l can't walk away and trust they will still be unbroken when I come back.
I've stepped back from some community/service opportunities to be more involved at school. The way I see it, since we chose not to homeschool (each family has to weigh and pray this, friends; no judgement), but I'm still a stay home mom... I see value in making sure I spend my volunteer time where my kids are at, still investing in them in some way. I know the school, staff, environment, parents, kids. I still have heart for those other things I did, but my kids won't be young forever. This is where I'm at right now.
This is the same reason I'm doing a Saturday morning character study [see Rachael Carman's series at http://rachaelcarman.com/character-qualities/ ] -- This time is more fleeting than we think. I've been convicted to intentionally invest in their world now, with the hope they will still see me as a big part of it as teens (not for me, but for them).
Still, I have found myself truly missing my writing time. At one point it had been as scheduled thing for Friday (bless my soul, I was so cute *naive*). Lately it's been on an as-needed basis. Share at a church luncheon, teach a MOPS lesson, write for the newsletter... and moving on!
So that brings me up to current day -- I miss the hobbies I used to love. The toddler is almost in preschool, the big ones are in grade school (oldest hits middle school soon, heaven preserve us). I'm seeing little slivers of time open up as our season changes. I may eventually go back to work (after little one is through kindergarten), but for now I can make the most of this.
Sometimes we have to start small. Pick one thing to change, maybe two. My plan is to keep up on the gardens better now that the little one is potty trained and more independent. My other plan is to write more. Ideally, it would be a day away from home, but if it's an hour while kids are in the sandbox and playing outside, that's good too!
I hope you enjoy this journey with me. I know I'm not perfect, but learning as we go can be a source of joy. It's an opportunity to see how God orchestrates all of it to teach us and mold us!
Please say you'll join me!
So what's that one thing (or more) for you?
What hobby can you bring out of the dust and into the light?
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