What I've Learned Recently, Part 2
- Christmas is super special. I love the lights and sounds and smells. I love being together with my family and hanging out and not having homework or activities or alarm clocks.
- Christmas is also….loud. As in, 4 kids running around the house, yelling at each other, loud. Also…exhausting. Because those 4 kids don’t go to bed at normal bedtimes. I mean, its CHRISTMAS BREAK! Let’s stay up LATE!! The only problem is little ones don’t understand sleeping IN come morning. Which makes for tired, emotional people come midafternoon. The kids included.
- School is a beautiful thing. Routine is my friend. And after the wonderful, unscheduled time of Christmas break, it is time for precious angel children to go back to school. Only…you wake up that morning to discover your school canceled….because it is too cold and might be icy. So you put on your smile and know tomorrow will soon come. The next day, school is delayed 2 hours. You throw your dream of routine in the trash for the day and carry on. The next school day is cancelled too, and you cry a little in your pillow…because SCHOOL IS A BEAUTIFUL THING. - I have discovered the fun of reading out loud. Not just for the littles who can’t read themselves, but also the big kids. They love it. Ady and I have been reading the BFG by Ronald Dahl. It is full of crazy, made up words, which I stumble all over. My giant’s voice sounds a bit like a drunk German. But we are laughing and together. Even Bria stops what she is doing and just sits on her bed and listens.
- I think the reason reading out loud is so special to me, is because my dad used to read out loud to us. I remember reading the Chronicles of Narnia together, sitting on my bed. Then we graduated up to reading at the same time, but both to ourselves. This is how I read “To Kill A Mockingbird” (but the Readers Digest Version…which is how I learned what the phrase “the Readers Digest Version” means.) These are some of my all time favorite childhood memories. - Makenna said when she grows up she wants to be a doctor. (She also wants to be a fashion designer, a jewelry maker, and a baker…so….we’ll see.) But for Christmas, she wanted a skeleton with body parts. Aw yes, there is nothing like spending your Christmas afternoon figuring out where the liver fits in and yelling, “Has anyone seen a LUNG?!” But it was very educational and she liked it enough that she brought it to school for show and tell last Friday. When I picked up the kids from school that afternoon, we were talking about their day and all Ady could tell me what that she drank a lot of water and needed to get home. I told her I would hurry and said, “I don’t want your bladder to pop!” Complete silence in the car for 2 whole seconds and then Makenna nonchalantly says, “Speaking of bladder, my show and tell went great.” HA!!! Nicely played, my girl. ;)
- I was a big Downtown Abbey fan. Then came The Crown on Netflix. Now I am watching season 1 of Victoria. I had tea and toast for breakfast this morning. I think I might be turning British. Am I looking more British to you?? Wait. Don’t answer that. Just let a girl dream.
- January is for fresh starts and back to school. It is about finding your rhythm and the things you love. It is for reading and learning and growing. Gabe made me this sign for Christmas. It is my 2018 motto.
- I want to go into this year bravely and do the things that I was made to do. To love my family. To read and write. To laugh and learn. To drink more tea and maybe learn how to make crumpets? To cheer on queens, doctors, fashion designers, authors, and school teachers (May God bless you extra!) To look a little more like Jesus. Let us raise our tea cups to a beautiful ’18.
