{Day 31} :: Reflection

I made it. Thirty-one days of sitting. I must admit it's nice to be on this end of the challenge. But not because the challenge itself has been arduous. It's just that the documentation of it has been so . . . so . . . daily. (Translated: I will NOT be posting tomorrow. Unless something wildly noteworthy occurs. Which is unlikely. My children have slipped into a sugar coma. Or is it sugar comas, plural? I don't know. I'm slipping myself.)

No, it was a great challenge, and I truly found myself learning a thing or two as the thirty-one days marched by. Might I share them with you?


1. No matter how busy I am, there's always time to sit with those that God has placed in my life. When I begin my day with the Lord and ask Him to order my moments, He honors my request. Above and beyond, in fact. I'm not at all surprised. Delighted? Yes. Surprised? No. My God is faithful that way.

2. A few minutes is all it takes. Of course, I would love to ignore every household responsibility, hire a maid and just play with LEGOS and Calico Critters all day. (Can I hear an Amen?) But since this wouldn't be very practical, I make an effort to take advantage of those times in which I can. (Little Miss Kate at the piano? A mere ten minutes. She's thrilled to her core. How easy is that? And so, so worth it.)

3. Free time doesn't necessarily mean me time. I've become much more aware of how I spend my free time. There isn't a whole lot of it, and yes, I am aware that it's important to take the time to quietly tend to my own needs. But. Motherhood is about joyful sacrifice, and if that means taking that ten minutes between laundry and dinner prep to paint some itty-bitty fingernails, then that's a pretty good use of that ten minutes. Don't you think?

4. Like the counting of blessings, this sitting doesn't stop. It's becoming a part of me. I'm looking for it, living in it. I've seen how it strengthens my family, bolsters my children, blesses my marriage, renews my faith. Why on earth would I give up something that powerful?

So, yes. This has been a good, good month. I thank you for following my little challenge and for your encouragement along the way. And hey -- if you're ever in the area, give me a call. I'd love to sit with you over a cuppa tea. I'm getting pretty good at it.

Read about the thirty-one day challenge over here.

{Day 30} :: What Makes Me Happy

"Does it make you happy to hear children running around having fun?
Is it one of the things you're thankful for?"
{Avery Kate}

Enjoying this peaceful Sabbath afternoon, thankful to be surrounded by little ones who are really starting to get it: That true happiness finds its roots in a spirit of gratitude. Blessings on your Sunday, my friends. May you open your eyes and hearts to the abundant gifts that have been poured out by our generous Heavenly Father.

{Day 29} :: Sitting and Cheering!

Just popping in briefly today! On our way to Bethie's first gymnastics competition, where I will of course be doing a fair amount of sitting (that would be thanks to the three hour drive) and a whole lot of cheering. Hooray, Bethie!

{Day 28} :: What I See

What do I see as I sit and watch and love? Thought I'd share a little visual tour of our week with you this afternoon:

(Along with proof that I do sit.)

The gardens at Fort Vancouver . . . .

Teaching the children to sit, too. The girls are very happy about this.



(I love the way he's cradling his notebook while reaching for a cannon ball. Very realistic.)

"Let's pretend like we're running!"

Grammar with a tatted, tea-guzzling cowgirl who writes "toot" and "poop" on as many assignments as possible.

Kids with huge smiles, checking every other second to make sure Mama's watching. "Did you see that, Mom?!"

Paint is like a magnet to these children. I pull out the supplies and they come a-runnin'. They asked me to join them this afternoon. I did.

Because I know the days of Q-tip art and swim lessons and field trips are numbered. And I don't want to miss a single one.


Read about the thirty-one day challenge over here.

{Day 26} :: Reading on the Road

You may recall that Wednesday is my crazy day. The day that is spent, to a large degree, on the road.

You may also recall that I thoroughly enjoy a good read.

I've happily discovered that the two can coexist. I'm easily able to finish off a chapter or two on the way home from dropping Drew off at youth group. And yes, I do keep my eyes on the road. Because on Wednesday afternoons, I listen to my books.

Today it was Tom Sawyer. Drew read it last month, and in an attempt to keep up with my son, I'm plugging along at the impressive rate of one or two chapters per week. I hope to finish before he graduates. (It really is a charming story. I knew the basic plot -- was even in the play -- but this is my first time hearing Mark Twain's delightful prose.)


Listening to books is an interesting exercise. I'm a visual person, so I really have to concentrate when I'm just hearing the words. My mind too easily wanders, and I have to snap it right back to where it should be. I tell myself it's a good workout for my brain.

This afternoon I was reminded of one of my college book-listening experiences. I was required to read through the Pentateuch two or three times for one of my Multnomah classes. The second time through, I decided to listen to it on tape (yes, on tape) while I worked on some sort of cross stitch or something. My handwork seemed rather appropriate, especially when I came to the embroidery passages in Exodus. I can still hear the narrator's voice as he described the Tabernacle . . . "The screen of the gate of the court was the work of the weaver . . ." He really held out that "eeee" sound in weaver. Boy, did I weave my little threads with purpose.

I also thought over the comfort I found in listening to Emma on CD when I was down with a cold last winter. A calm British accent is a lovely thing to fall asleep to. (It is not, however, the most motivating text when trying to jog on a trampoline. Trust me.)

So while it takes a bit of mental focus, I look forward to these afternoon drives. I know that Tom's antics will come alive as I wind my way home on the quiet country roads. Before I know it, I'm back home, ready to take on the antics of my own little urchins.

How about you? Are you a book listener, or do you have to see it to believe it? What's the last book you listened to?

Read about the thirty-one day challenge over here.

{Day 25} :: I Think It's Working

Remember yesterday? The day that I joined my Little Miss Avery Kate at the piano? Well, she noticed.

And she liked it.


Guess what happened this afternoon at about 4:30? "Mom! I'm going to practice my piano! Can you sit down like you did?" My effort yesterday had felt so small. So seemingly insignificant. But to that child at that time, it was perfect. It was exactly what she needed.

I'm sure you can guess what I did at about 4:30 this afternoon. I sat. It was just as giggly as ever. Although I did notice that she avoided asking me to play the duet. I wonder why?

Read about the thirty-one day challenge over here.

{Day 24} :: At the Piano

This sitting exercise has revealed to me a number of things. One of them is my tendency to delegate. Now, delegation can be a very handy tool when multiple children exist in a home. It's great to be able to ask Bethie to help Avery with her reading lesson or to hand over Aidan's math questions to Drew. They enjoy helping each other and appreciate the grown-up responsibility.

But sometimes I delegate too much. And often when it comes to Miss Kate. Of course this is perhaps natural since she's the youngest and most needy. If I'm making dinner and she's screaming about trying to find her bike helmet, it makes perfect sense to ask big sister to help out.


Tonight as I tried (for the third time) to finish loading the dinner dishes, Miss Kate decided that she would like to practice the piano. She got three notes into her C scale and shouted, "Mom!!! Can you help me?" My first instinct was to look for Drew. But I stopped myself. The dishes could wait (again). It would be such a small sacrifice to sit beside my daughter on the piano bench.

We sat together, counting out her scale, remembering when to tuck her fingers (with me inwardly cringing and outwardly very rigid because she mostly forgot to tuck her fingers) and finally made it successfully through all eight notes. Three times. And now for the left hand!

When it was time to move on to her song, she was quite confident. She knew she had to stay on the chocolate notes and only once accidentally landed on a vanilla one.

And then we got to duet. It was rather giggly. Mostly because I cannot for the life of me play a song with six hundred flats. We tried again and again and again. I hit a multitude of wrong notes every single time. She giggled some more, hitting her chocolate notes with perfection.

It was an ideal way to not do the dishes. Again.

Read about the thirty-one day challenge over here.

{Day 22} :: Computer Time

Lately I've been trying to make sure that my time at the computer is productive and worthwhile. This gives me more time to spend with my family and enables me to actually follow through with some of great ideas that are splashed across the web. (Cause there really are some great ideas out there!)


This means that my computer sitting time needs to be specific and purposeful. How do I do this? I'll fill you in.

1. I keep a notepad on the counter or in my apron pocket. I jot down ideas, products, crafts or school activities I'd like to look up. If I suddenly remember that I never replied to that email from the other day, I scribble myself a note. This keeps me from running to the computer where I'm likely to get distracted.

2. When I do sit down at the computer, I look at the clock or set the timer. This keeps me focused.

3. I tell Jamie when I plan to be finished. (This happens mostly during the evening.) Knowing that he's waiting to visit or watch a movie helps me keep it brief.

4. I refer to my list and try to stay there. Have you ever skipped around merrily from site to site only to realize that you can't remember why you even sat down in the first place? A list is a great way to eliminate those sneaky rabbit trails.

5. I ask myself, "Is this the best use of my time right now?" Even if I don't have any pressing commitments or tasks at hand, and even if the children are occupied and don't really need me at that moment, would I be pleased to look back on my day and see that particular chunk of time taken up at the computer?

I've benefited greatly from keeping my computer time focused and intentional. I'm able to use it as a tool that enhances my home for good, from new recipes and fun crafts to creative decor and science experiments. In fact I'm eager to share some of them with you. But I'll save that rabbit trail for another day.

Have you found a helpful way to manage your computer time?

Read about the thirty-one day challenge over here.

{Day 19} :: Mother and Darling

It's Wednesday. This means that at some point this evening, Bethie will come to me and say, "Mother?" (Yes, she calls me Mother. It's all of those books from the 40s I was telling you about. I love it.)

So anyway, she'll say, "Mother?"

And I'll say, "Yes, Darling?" (Yes, I call her Darling. It's all of those books from the 40s I was telling you about. I love it.)

So anyway (again), she'll say Mother and I'll say Darling, and then she'll say, "Can we do Beautiful Girlhood tonight?" Because every Wednesday, as much as possible, we try to read a chapter together over a cup of tea.

Although the book is special and heartwarming and I'm glad we chose it, I believe it really could be any book. She'd still ask for it. Because it's not so much about what's done as it is about with whom it's done.

And Darling feels pretty special when she gets to spend time alone with Mother.

So what will happen tonight when she says Mother and I say Darling? Mother will say yes. Will there be dishes in the sink? Probably. Will there be laundry to fold? Most definitely. But still, she'll say it: Yes.

And she'll sit and read and share the serious and the silly over a cup of tea with this girl-becoming-young-woman. Because these are the things that matter. These are the things worth sitting for.


Read about the thirty-one day challenge over here.

31 Day Challenge: Mat Sat. Sam Sat.

When my children were first learning to read, we frequently pulled out the Bob Books. The charmingly simple illustrations and silly escapades of characters like Mat and Sam made for a delightful introduction to the world of literature.

The first book in the series tells us (very briefly) of Mat and Sam's initial adventure. What did they do together? It's very exciting, so I'll tell you.

They sat.

And that's it. Mat sat. Sam sat. The book ends, and we don't know a whole lot about these guys. But we do know one thing for sure: They sat.



This month, I plan to sit. Like Mat and Sam, I feel that it's a pretty good way to begin. A good way to begin to sit quietly with my children, to linger with my husband during those evenings that are filled with a million responsibilities, to still my heart before the Lord, to make time for tea with a friend.

I sat with the Lord this morning, and He shared a special reminder from Exodus. Moses had just read the Book of the Covenant to the Israelites. Their response?

"We will do everything the Lord has said; we will obey." (Exodus 24:7)

My desire is to seek obedience as I listen to the Lord's prompting this month. It's hard to listen when I'm running about with hardly any time to sit and be still. Of course this is a life-long hope, not just limited to a thirty-one day challenge. But I trust that this will be a time of learning and growing.

I'm guessing it will probably be frustrating at times, too. October is filling up, and it will take discipline to find the quiet in those calendar squares that rigidly block out my month. I can already envision the post that will not exceed one line: "Today I sat because I was in the van taking the kids to their lessons and you pretty much have to sit down while driving."

But I know the Lord uses those times to speak, as well. To remind me that "good" can be the biggest enemy of "best." So what is the best way for me to spend my moments this day? It takes a listening ear to discern such things, and I want to be in that position. Ready to hear, ready to obey.

I want to be ready to sit at the table and color with Miss Kate. Ready to sit on the floor with Aidan while we play with LEGOS. Ready to sit at the sewing machine with Bethie. Ready to sit on the couch with Drew as he reads a Harry Potter chapter aloud. Ready to sit and listen to my husband's heart, to know his dreams, to share in his ambitions. Yes, ready to sit.

So here I go. It's time to let the sitting begin. Again, I'd love to have you join me. Let's sit together and find delight in the blessings that come to a quieted heart. Maybe I'll even write a book about it. In fact, I've already written a brilliant first line:

Julianna sat.