Spelling Practice

A new way for my little guy to study his spelling words: Ordinarily I strictly request no toys at the table during homework time. Instead, tonight I capitalized on a spark of creativity and asked Gabe to teach his three Lego friends how to spell each word off of this week's list by reading the word, writing the word and spelling it out loud. Gabe's imagination is one of the most beautiful things about him. He took my recommendation very seriously and did it with delight. A win-win, no homework struggle.

New Years Resolution 2013

Okay, readers (if you're out there). One of my new years resolutions is to blog more. Not because I want to be one of those hip, famous bloggers, but because I love sharing ideas. And do I usually share my thoughts here? No! A brief note: I have countless photos I've taken and thoughts I've jotted down with good intentions to share here, but that have gotten lost in the abyss of to-dos and the following.

I used to think I didn't have time to blog because I was too busy parenting, designing, exercising, reading, researching, cooking, you get the idea. And it was true, or at least a nod to my priorities in that ever so busy season of having two little, energetic guys 15 months apart.

But now, I'm in a new season with both of my fast-growing boys off to school all day. Excuses are gone if I want them to be. I'm still busy, but could certainly make the time if I really want. Plus, I'm in a new era of technology than years ago when it was such an arduous process to share photos and submit a post on the fly.

However, with my recent discovery that I'm a 3 on the Enneagram (more on that later), I'm realizing that my current inactivity with social media / my blog lies mostly in the fact that it is sometimes nearly torturous for me to write freely and candidly, especially when it comes to the reality of the possibility of being scrutinized 24/7 in the ever-so-vast, vulnerable, never sleeping realm of the virtual world.

And if I'm really honest with myself, blogging regularly also comes with the fear of caring too much about it and seeking the approval of those of you reading this, which I have worried would manifest in a false self-identity to the ultimate demise of my soul and become an unproductive waste of time. (Hello, run-on.)

But alas, I am choosing to let go of those fears and give it a shot, even if it turns out to be a failing one.

So here goes, and thanks for reading.

PS: One last thought: the awful aesthetics of my current site is a major inspirational hang-up for me. Look for a face-lift in the near future!

Great Parenting Article

Check out this article on Raising Successful Children from The New York Times. I often think of overwhelming extremes when I hear a title like this. Think tiger mom or helicopter parent, both of which are addressed in the first sentence of the text. The article is one of the best on parenting that I've ever read. (...So good I'm actually posting it on my blog - surprise!) It is concise and based on research. Thank you, Madeline Levine and Carol Dweck.

Teaching Good Perspective to My 5 Year Old

Yesterday at breakfast it became apparent that my son needed a little help with his perspective after I sliced a banana into his cereal bowl and popped the tiny end that I had been holding into my mouth. Gabe was bummed that I had eaten the teeny piece, which for me was just an automatic action. I apologized and pretty quickly seized the teachable moment by moving on to helping him view the situation with good perspective. Behold, below is the sketch I drew while we conversed. This was also a good reminder for myself as I am in a season of overhauling my perspective, being disciplined in my thoughts and living in the present moment.

Love as a Verb

"Love is the commitment of
my will to your needs
and best interests,
regardless of the cost."

From a book I'm reading called Grace Based Parenting. 
Great way to put it. So hard and important to live out.

Meaningful Design

Fantastic Ideas Promoting Health in the Lunch Line. See here.

5 + 3

On occasion the reality hits me that I have a five and three (almost four) year old. Man, where has it gone? I can recall countless nights of interrupted sleep, thousands of diaper changes, meals made, dishes cleaned, all of the duties of a mom or caregiver. Every now and again I realize that I've forgotten about many of the stages from baby to toddler to preschooler. Instead of remembering the daily tasks, the thoughts I want to remember and dwell on most are the times of enjoying each other and playing with my boys – the on-the-knees times, wearing out the jeans times– with a single focus uninterrupted by thoughts of needing to do something or be somewhere else, the days of having nothing to do except be with each other and explore a world so new and exciting to them, the teachable moments that come only from immersing and engaging oneself in the throws that come with loving a young child, often trying and testing and more patience building than imaginable.

As much as I'd prefer times of relaxed play, the house still needs to be cared for (especially after two moves last year), laundry and dishes cleaned and on. There is typically a constant tug-o-war going on in my heart over what to do first.

My Grandma always had a clean house. I lived with her for two years. Dishes were never left in the sink, pots and pans were always shined, sheets were ironed, laundry precisely hung. I distinctly remember a phone conversation she and I had years later when Gabe and Will were babies. She told me to forget the dishes and just get on the ground and play with them. She said the dishes and house can wait. These conversations were refreshing to me (at first I had to ask myself if she really had just said what she did) and since she passed away a few years ago, her words are even more refreshing in a deeper way now. They have gained importance and a deeper meaning over the years, especially during the times when my house is messy and I feel like a failure for not having it all together, whatever that means.

I think of her nearly every day (ironically as of this last fall I live just four blocks from her old little bungalow house). Many of the household chores / methods she taught me make more sense now than then, and mostly – and thankfully – her words ring in my ears about enjoying the present reality of playing with my boys. Not great for my house, but so good for my soul, especially when I realize that raising my two little guys really and truly is going so fast.