I am a sap!

I have become so quick to tear up each time a baby is born, or I hear about an adoption.  My heart is seriously moved when I see a precious newborn or hear the sacrifice and love that is behind each and every adoption.   Am I just that sappy, or is our home not full??  Or is it that I understand the joys and struggles of being a parent.  I see how quickly the years go by... I am desperate for a way for this season of littleness to slow down.

This last week, Bug was asking a lot about when she was born.  So I pulled up some pictures from the day she entered the world.  Then I pulled up our old blog and read her the story about when she was born and how we chose her name.  I was in tears, reading it to her.  How was that already over 3 years ago?!?!?!?  How quickly I had forgotten some of the details, the little things that made my heart flutter a little as I re-read it.

A few days before that I was reading H the journal I had started for him.  The first entry was from when he was 2 years 9 months, and we were anticipating the birth of his little sister.  I read him the words that I had written about the kind of big brother, I hoped and prayed he would be.  And the tears flowed again, but not sad tears, tears of thanksgiving.  You see I had forgotten all that I hoped he would be, because I just got used to it... I grew to expect it instead of cherishing the brother he was.  He has been and still is every bit the big brother I prayed he would be.  God so graciously, blessed our family with one incredible big brother!

Yes, I am sappy about babies... but I am also sappy about looking back at all God has done!  All His goodness, all his blessings that come often times not in the packages we expected, but yet in the way He has perfectly planned.    I never expected that H and Bug would be 3 years apart... yet even in that I now see God's blessings.  I never planned that B would be only 19 months younger than Bug, yet again, God's perfect plan for our family.  I will never be able to slow down time, yet I can cherish it in the moment and I can take the time to look back and continue to rejoice in God's goodness!

I have been reminded many times over this week that each healthy baby is a precious gift.  May we never take the miracle of life for granted!  And, I will just put this out there, if you need anyone to hold or love on your newborn... please pick me!  My hubby might even pay you to help me get my baby-fix : )

Chore Charts

I am a firm believer that kids need to contribute at home.  I want my kids to be willing workers, to be helpers around the house and to contribute in helping carry the load of taking care of a family.  Over a year ago, I came across this great chore chart and fell in love.  I whipped up a version for H and one for Bug with each of their designated chores.  Printed them out, laminated them and have them hanging on my refrigerator.  The kids love checking off what they have accomplished... umm, I think they get that from me :)

Anyway, then I lost the file on my computer and couldn't find it again.  I tried to go to the blog where I had downloaded it from, and that blog no longer exists.  So thanks to Pinterest, I found it again!!  I saw a pic of it then clicked through to the blog, and at last here it is!

The chart is completely customizable.  Which is nice, because each kid needs a little bit of a different list of ways to help out; and for each year or season of life these chores will change.  The last chore listed on each kids chart I have "Blessing Bonus".  I use this in 2 different ways.  First, if I have the kids do an extra big job that isn't on their chart, they get to mark of "Blessing Bonus."  But the second reason I have this (and the greater reason) is that I want them to be on the lookout for ways they can bless others.  For instance, if H were to put away laundry for his sister or brother without being asked, he will get a blessing bonus. 

We have a long way to go... but I really want my kids to learn to be on the lookout for how they can bless other.  How they can use the hands God has given them to serve, care for and even clean up after other.  I feel like this is an area where I have so much room to grow in too.  Maybe I need to make myself a chart (to make sure I am getting all my chores done) and to remind myself daily to be on the lookout for ways to bless others!

"the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

Matthew 20:28

Stations- table time

So B-man has mostly dropped his morning nap. And this mama still has to do school with big bro. I'm always needing small ways to keep B entertained, and this one worked like a charm... 10 minutes of quiet and it was so good for his motor skills. All you need is a colander and a couple of pipe cleaners.

Maybe it can keep your toddler busy too : )