Category: One Step

We are in the height of summer, the time of year when I most often remind my children of Robert Louis Stevenson’s poem “Bed in Summer.”  Do you remember it?

In winter I get up at night And dress by yellow candle-light.
In summer, quite the other way, I have to go to bed by day.

I have to go to bed and see The birds still hopping on the tree, Or hear the grown-up people’s feet Still going past me in the street.

And does it not seem hard to you, When all the sky is clear and blue, And I should like to so much to play, To have to go to bed by day?

-Robert Louis Stevenson, A Child’s Garden of Verses And so, now that darkness has settled over the landscape and quiet has (at last!) settled over the house, I sit to type my weekly report.  This week I recorded 70 steps, and a few of them were big.  I’m very pleased.

Highlights:

1.  Kids Council.  This is something I made up early in the summer, and I’m getting better at using it.  Basically, it’s like a family council but because it’s done during the day while my husband is at work and I’m at home with the children, I’ve called it a Kids Council.  I’ll share more about it soon, but we had an awesome one this week.

2.  I responded really well when my four year old son decided to throw his brother’s glass jar (given to him by his Great-Grandpa, filled with sea shells and sand from the beach) at the wall.  His only explanation was this, “I thought it would just bounce off.”  Well, it did that, but in hundreds of pieces, landing all over his bed.   Gratefully we got it all cleaned up safely and I was incredibly calm and pleasant.  (Something to ponder:  why is it that I’m perfectly calm and understanding about shards of glass all over someone’s bed, but can be trusted to get all bent out of shape over stupid little things like lost shoes or jam on the floor?  I think something’s wrong here.)

3.  I’ve been working a bit each day in the basement, organizing and going through boxes.  This week I reached my goal of  having everything sorted and moved into the storage room (except all the filing cabinets, which is another project).  When I was going through boxes from my childhood, I found one at the bottom of the stack that held the red, white and blue dinner napkins I’ve collected through the years.  It’s nice to have them back in use.


4.  We got our oldest son packed and ready to leave for a week at Scout camp.

5.  I had a learning experience that, gratefully, I had the sense to record in my journal.

6.  Spent some time reading through my childhood journal (another benefit of sorting through boxes).

7.  Had really great conversations with two of my brothers.  Love those guys!

8.  I was reminded that my oldest daughter is growing up to be a very thoughtful, sweet, creative young lady.  You know she loves you when she makes you heart shaped ice cubes for your birthday.


9.  Spent a couple of hours with my oldest son, and for once I had the sense to just listen.  Naturally, I learned a lot.  Man, I’ve got a lot of growing up to do still, especially as a mother!

10.  My birthday gift to myself was to bathe my baby, cover her with my favorite baby lotion, and smell her, tickle her, play with her, hold her all day long.  It made my day.


The coming week promises to be that only-happens-in-the-summer kind of slow but busy, fast but relaxing kind of week.  Is it just me, or is summer flying by WAY too quickly?  I hope you make the most of your week;  I intend to do the same!

Hopeful Homemaker

July is in full swing at our house.  The flags are still out and will remain that way throughout the month.  In some ways it feels like summer’s just begun.  We’re in that sacred month which is, at last, unscheduled by the world.  So much of the year is like a paint by number experience:  the lines are all drawn with schedules and commitments and it is only up to us to determine how well we color it in.  Summer days are different, like a blank canvas waiting for brush and paint.  We’ve got more scheduled activities than I’d prefer, but for the most part we’re rolling with them well and enjoying a lot of down time.  I love it.


This week’s report:  79 steps.   Works for me.
Highlights:

1.  I’m trying hard to edit the THINGS we have in our home.  I want to take care of people, not stuff.  This week I hit an area in the basement.  I think I’m slowly succeeding, for I’m finding more time to play with my children.

2.  I made a concerted effort to hold my little ones more.  Several times I just sat down and waited to see what would happen.  Invariably I ended up with 3 little bodies climbing all over me (literally).  It was wonderful.

3.  Reading, reading, reading.  We’re all doing a lot of it.  I had the sweetest experience today with a grouchy four year old and Maurice Sendak’s Where the Wild Things Are .

4.  I resisted the urge to crack down on the state of the toy room, and am glad I did.   As the week wore on I found that my children fell into a heartwarming play experience together.  With their ages spanning from baby to teenager, it is uncommon now that they all find a meeting place, but somehow that happened this week.  I wouldn’t trade it for the cleanest toy room in the world.

5.  I spent an evening watching my daughter’s soccer practice while the little ones ran in the grass.  It was one of those nights when she discovered an instant aptitude for each new drill introduced, and she enjoyed a lot of praise.  Not only was it fun to watch her shine in practice, but I also found myself being renewed by observing the evening sun as it cast rays of sunlight across the shining hair and faces of my little ones.  I hope never to forget the sight of my daughter sprinting for the sprinklers.  The beauty of it made me catch my breath and feel so grateful that I paused to soak it in.

6.  In a search for a quote I’d lost, I re-read several of Abigail Adams’ letters.  What a treasure they are!

7.  As I look back on the week, each day held a particular lesson or insight for me personally and as a mother.  I’m particularly grateful for those moments, and grateful that I paused to record them.   While some of them will take time to produce real fruit, there is already a feeling of victory in my heart, a fresh reminder of this powerful lesson I pondered early in the week.

I am excited for a new week to begin, and look forward to all the surprises it will hold.  I hope yours is great!

Jennifer

Happy Independence Day!


I hope you’ve been celebrating all weekend long!  We certainly have.  The 4th of July is my favorite holiday of the year, and this one did not disappoint.  Even the weather was perfect:  cool breezes and pleasant temperatures.  Life is good.

This week’s report:  57 steps.  It was a productive week.  The week also brought the end of June, which signals the half way point in this year-long goal mine.  The total count of steps recorded this year surpassed 1500 this week, a number much higher than I dared to hope for when I began this journey.  Here are the highlights.

1.   I found the courage to keep a promise to myself.  I entered my Wild Thing quilt in our city quilt show.

2.  I tried a new recipe this week, and if I tweak it a bit we’ll have a new family favorite.  It was DELICIOUS.

3.  I cleaned out my pantry.  I’m blessed to have a really awesome pantry, and I love it when it looks like this.


4.  I cleaned out my little girls’ room this week, and had them select just a few items to keep in their room.  This included clothing and I’m really hoping it helps them keep their room clean.

5.  We had our annual 4th of July breakfast on Saturday.  I kept my traditional menu and served this and this , along with fruit salad.  We invited a family over whom we haven’t seen much of in the last few years.  It was great to see them and catch up on their lives.

6.  I listened to an awesome book on CD this week.

7.  We enjoyed a pleasant neighborhood BBQ tonight.  I’d forgotten how yummy my potato salad is.  It was fun to stand together for the Pledge of Allegiance.

8.   My heart is full of gratitude and remembrance this week.  I am grateful for honorable men and women who lived long before me but who inspire me to reach higher.

Life is great.  I hope your holiday weekend continues to be enjoyable and that this is a great week for you!

Jennifer Note:  I’m sharing my annual 4th of July trivia quiz here .  Answer correctly to win a fun flag holder!