Stop and smell the flowers

We did not do any travelling this spring, so I gave the boys a choice
whether to take some time off or just push through and finish early. Typically if I allow them the option to put something off they always chose immediate gratification and procrastination. This time however the surprised me by choosing to keep working at full speed and wrap up early. So we finished our homeschooling by mid May and were all looking forward to a well deserved break. It is especially nice because our summer activities haven't really kicked in, so our schedule is more free than I can remember any time in the recent past. Add to that the fact that I have infants or toddlers, and I am mistress of my own time in way that I haven't been since B.K. (before kids).

While I have a heap of household projects that are way overdue, I am also trying to not be so focused on accomplishing that I don't stop to enjoy life. Having a large family with closely spaced siblings has created some wonderful dynamics -- I love that on a busy night I can send the little one upstairs at bedtime and her brothers will read to her and tuck her in. I love that my children were surprised to find out that some children don't share rooms with siblings. But I do sometimes feel sad that, especially for my oldest children, those early years were so hectic. I didn't experience that relaxed pace I see in moms sauntering through the park with just one toddler. I didn't have the luxury of meticulously documenting every new accomplishment in a lovely artististic journal. I didn't manage to try all the wonderful craft projects I clipped from Family Fun magazine. And yet I feel like God has really been teaching me to grab those moments while I can, to be less focused on doing and more focused on being. So during these few weeks of comparative leisure I have tried to stop and enjoy those moments. The weather has been lovely and all the kids have spent from morning to noon outside. Bute5 in particular has spent much of it collecting inchworms and flowers and all sorts of other treasures that he has presented to me. I am so grateful that I can take the time to rejoice in his finds.