Blog Linkage, Pinterest Stuff (Ten Things I Want My Kids Seeing Me Do Daily), Grand-Totting, Picking Out Porch Pumpkins AND The Chick is 22

Good Wednesday evening!

Blog Linkage - I'm starting out with Blog Linkage because I have two great links for you to check out.

Below you are going to see "Ten Things I Want My Kids to See Me Doing Daily" under Pinterest Stuff. These ten things came from the blog www.creativehomekeeper.com. I read several posts, and they were all very good. Check it out if you get a minute.

Also, type "missional motherhood" in your SEARCH bar on Facebook. Scroll down and click on the post entitled "Thinking Sanely in a World Gone Crazy," written by Donna Gaines. I cannot think of a more timely post to read in 2018.

Pinterest Stuff

Ten Things I Want My Kids Seeing Me Do Daily

1. Read my Bible - My kids need to see me practicing what I’m preaching. If I’m speaking Scripture over them or telling them how important being filled with God’s Word is, then you better believe I need to be in the Word, too.

During this season it hasn’t been realistic for me to have a quiet time in the morning before the kids wake up. Most of the time, my quiet time isn’t actually quiet at all, but instead of complaining I’m using that as a teachable moment.

In the morning I have them get out their Bible book basket, and we read a few stories together and talk about God. Then, while my kids are playing, I read aloud from my daily Bible reading plan and spend some time writing in my prayer journal.

Not only are they seeing me read the Bible and making my devotional time important, but they are also hearing God’s Word. Some of it may be over their heads, but I firmly believe children are sponges and those precious words are the beginning seeds of a deep faith and love for God.

2. Pray - Along with reading the Bible, my children need to see me praying. Prayer should be modeled to them so they can come to know and understand talking with God is natural.

We pray together before nap and bedtime. We pray together during our morning Bible reading time. We pray together during times of discipline and correction, and sometimes they even see me stopping what I’m doing and praying for God to grant me patience or help during a difficult morning.

My son has been anxious about going to school, so we have been praying together on the car ride to school as a reminder God is with him all day long.

I want to show my kids prayer is conversational, and we have access to God all the time through it.

3. Love their Father - Solid marriages also provide stability for children. I want my kids to see what a Godly marriage looks like, and the friendship that exists between husband and wife. My husband and I have a relationship I pray they will have with their future spouses one day.

I want them to see us flirting with one another, respecting one another, supporting one another and even see conflict and resolution between us so they have a healthy example. I don’t want them to see me complaining about or talking disrespectfully about him in front of them.

Simple things such as telling them how great Daddy is, or explaining why I’m cooking one of his favorite meals are examples of showing my kids how much I love their father.

4. Work - Someday my sons and daughter will live on their own and probably have a family. They need to know the value of work, both inside of the home and out. As much as I would love to spend every single moment of every single day sitting beside them reading and playing together, there is a house to run and maintain.

I’ve been starting to introduce chores to them and have them pitch in and help around the house. If I want them to actually help with the day-to-day tasks of cleaning, then they need to see me doing it, too. As in any learning situation, I am their first teacher and this includes things of the domestic nature.

I want both my sons and my daughter to know how to maintain a house which includes the cleaning and cooking. They also watch my husband do the yard work and several other home improvement tasks.

Along with modeling household tasks, I want to model a strong work ethic, too. They will be in school soon and someday will have a job. There are just basic life skills and responsibilities kids need to learn and where better to learn them than from home?

5. Smile and Laugh - My personality tends to lean towards the more serious side when I have tasks to be completed. It’s easy for me to get so caught up in my chores and tasks I forget to smile or stop and laugh at something silly.

I want my children to know I adore them and think they are fun. I want our home to be filled with love and laughter, and many times the mood is created by me.

6. Be Present - As I mentioned above, it’s easy for me to get caught up with my daily to-do list, and even though I’m in the same room with them, I’m not really present with them. There is a time for chores and completing tasks that make the home run more smoothly, but there is also a time to put aside work and get down on the floor to play with them.

I want my kids to know I value them and enjoy spending time with them. It’s also a good lesson to model balancing work and play.

7. Read - Reading is my favorite leisure activity. It fills me up. Reading is also very important educationally, too. My grandfather always used to say that reading was the most important thing anyone could learn to do, and I agree.

8. Being Fair - I am very guilty of telling my kids "no" to a special treat only to then drive through Starbucks to pick up a special treat for myself.

Other times, because I am tired and don’t want to spend the time figuring out who was truly in the wrong, I punish them both my taking away the toy. Not very fair.

There may be certain times and events where things may not always be fair. That is a part of life. I want to make sure I am very diligent about trying to be fair in my interactions with my kids.

9. Rest - I believe in the importance of rest and slowing down. My kids are still young enough where naptime is a part of our day. Every afternoon from 1 to 3 my kids go down for a nap.

I am diligent about using that time to do something that fills my tank and refuels me for the afternoon and evening rush. Most days I work on the blog, but I also make it a priority to rest. If I’m tired and worn out, I won’t try to tackle other projects, I will make myself rest instead. That might mean reading, watching a show I recorded or even taking a little nap.

10. Apologize - Admitting we are wrong and asking for forgiveness is a hard trait to learn, and it usually has to be modeled to our kids for them. I’ve apologized to my children for several things, but the main thing I ask for forgiveness from them is when I act unloving, lose my cool or yell at them.

I humbly ask them to forgive me, just like I’m teaching them to do with each other when a sibling conflict arises. Saying I’m sorry is sadly a lost art in our society, so there aren’t many positive examples outside of our home to teach them.

RANDOMNESS #1 - Grand-Totting - I know in my heart of hearts Autumn is just around the corner, but in Alabama, humidity AND high temps are the reality in late September.

This is not a surprise to me. I have lived in Alabama for 56 of my 57 years, and I cannot recall EVER successfully jumping into a pile of leaves before mid- to late October/early November.

SO...

On this particular 90+ degree day in September, the Grand-Tots and I continued our Summer activities.


I taught Miss Judith how to make water balloons, and that was so much fun...


We ended up making 200 of them.


That's when the popping of the 200 water balloons became the "funnest" thing ever.


RT doesn't mind throwing a few water balloons, but his attention quickly became fixated on the hose, and as always when dealing with toddlers, I turned that sucker on the "MIST" setting.

This Nana may or may not have been squirted in the face one too many times by excited little ones.

"MIST" for the win!


Chalk was fun for awhile...


As was driving around in a wet Cozy Coupe...


But then someone found out how to change the settings of the hose, and it was time to finish playing with the water balloons before going to the deck for lunch.




After lunch, we had a little quiet play while watching Veggie Tales and Cars, and then the guys took NICE NAPS FOR NANA!

I gave both of them a $10 because I believe toddlers are the perfect age to begin teaching the importance of a bribe!

Feel free to judge me. I'm too old to care!

RANDOMNESS #2 - Picking Out Porch Pumpkins - In no way is this an activity that replaces the fun and importance of a good pumpkin patch. This specific outing began last year when I took Judith with me to a local Farmer's Market (Witt's) to help pick out my porch pumpkins. She really got into it, so I decided to do it again this year.


She is much stronger this year than last which was a big help dragging that big ol' wagon around in the heat.

What is drudgery for a 57 year-old is a real kick to a three year-old.

Who knew?


I told her to pick out two pumpkins for her front porch, and within seconds she had collected four.

A Daddy pumpkin, a Mommy pumpkin, a Judith pumpkin and a New Baby pumpkin.

It made perfectly good sense to me, so she took four home.

I would definitely come out a little cheaper if I just went by myself to pick out my porch pumpkins, but what would be the fun in that?

RANDOMNESS #3 - The Chicks is 22 - Roxie's birthday was yesterday, so I left the house at 5:15 a.m. with a couple of gifts in hand to meet her for breakfast at Blue Bagel Deli.

(The official family birthday party is scheduled for October 7, and it will be a combo party including Josh (25) and Courtney (27).)

It was a sweet way to celebrate her actual day of birth, and as I always tell my kids, "It's just as much my day as it is yours."

Roxie thinks I tend to make all things about me, but I have no idea where she gets that idea!

I remember almost crying when Austin turned "double-digits." It just seemed so incredibly old.

(This may be what Roxie meant about the "making all things about me" comment.)

I think I see her point.


I miss the little girl, but I'm really enjoying the woman she is becoming.

Have a wonderful rest of the week and weekend. I will be back VERY soon.

Sincerely,

The Enchanting Belinda