March 23, 2010

• {a little beach in a bottle}

  I’m not an artist. I’m more of a doodler.
  Even my stick men somehow turn out looking deformed.

  But for some reason all my kids have this huge love for art.

   

  So recently I bought a role of butcher paper to cover the kitchen table with…
  found a wooden basket at Hobby Lobby for half off..
  some cute little buckets in the dollar aisle at Target…
  and set up a permanent place for them to be able to color and create.

  

  At first I wasn’t sure if the “new look” was just going to be cluttered and messy.
  But actually I’m really liking it – It’s Fun. Bright. and Springy!!

  And even I’m enjoying doodling there from time to time.

  

  
  
  

   
  Pretty flowers and sweet treats add to the fun.. 

    

  = = ~ = = ~ = =

  Not long ago while walking in the woods, Emma found a little bottle…
  she started carrying that thing everywhere.
  Putting anything and everything inside.

  One afternoon last week she came to me and asked,

  “Tan we doe det sum beach ta put in dis?” 

  Her crazy ideas and impulsiveness is something I identify with.

  

  So since the older kids were still working on school and Shayne was home early to stay with them…
  just Little Bits and I set out to “det sum beach” 15 minutes or so up the road at the lake.

  It was a little chilly… but the sun would pop out from behind a cloud from time to time making it pleasant.

  We dug a bunch of big holes and filled them with water…
  buried each others feet in the sand…
  chased the seagulls…
  twirled until we were too dizzy to stand up..
  and huddle down close together when a gust of wind would whip up and give us goose bumps.

  When my energy began to run out and hers had still a long ways to go yet,
  I sat on the cool sand and watched. and smiled. and laughed. and marveled at my girl.
  Her enthusiasm and spirit and sweetness.

   
  

  And every now and then she’d come and sit beside me…
  with arms wrapped around her legs that were drawn up tight to her chest.
  And we’d talk.
  Just the two of us.
  All alone there.
  About all kinds of things.
  About whatever we wanted.  

  I think this past year especially I’ve so realized the key importance of communication in parenting…
  And that it’s about much much more than words.
  It’s listening…
  Knowing when that’s all that’s needed…
  Knowing when we need to say something..
  Learning that what we say isn’t nearly as important as what we’re living… 
  which is what our kids will believe far more than what’s coming out our mouths.

  Shayne was telling me just earlier today that statistics show that only 30% of our communication is based on words!

  

   

    
   

  Later that day as Emma and I drove home I kept glancing back in the mirror at my bright pink cheeked, rumpled hair little girl..
  who was now very quiet. and very tired.

  I thought of future days to come…
  of talking and sharing and communicating.
  When things would be a little more serious than how clouds stay in the sky and why purple is the best color ever!
  And I found myself whispering a prayer that she would always know… that all my kids would…
  and above anything, truly feel that there is that open invitation – the ease and freedom to come plop beside mom and just.talk.

   

  I came across this verse in my Bible yesterday and even though it was all underlined with notes jotted beside it..
  I still had kinda “forgotten” about it.

  But I love it. And so feel it echoes my number one desire to see fulfilled in my kids lives~

  “That you would love the Lord your God, and obey His voice.
  And that you would hold to Him alone: for He is your life… ” Deaut. 30:20

  I want to write it out on something and hang it up somewhere in the house so that I won’t forget it again.    

  amber.

  • 8:59 pm
  • 51 Comments