Taking a Sabbath When You're a Mom

One of the common things that I run into with myself and other moms is that we are always just so busy.  We want to do everything we can for our families but in doing that we are moving away from the long ago tradition of taking a Sabbath day.  A day to turn off the hectic buzz of life itself and to tune into what really matters. 

I have no magic answers and there are no secrets that can make this happen overnight but let's talk through this idea of taking a Sabbath day.

#1. Decide that it's important to you. 

There are two reasons why it is important to me to have a day of rest.  One is that God tells us to.  Exodus 34:21 Six days you shall labor, but on the seventh day you shall rest; even during the plowing season and harvest you must rest. 
The second reason that a day of rest is important for me, is the health benefits that go along with it.

The hard part of this point is not debating that God tells us to or that it would be good for us. The hard part is that you have to decide that it's important enough that you're willing to make it a priority.  The idea of a day off is amazing but the reality of making that happen might be overwhelming if you don't have a plan. 

#2 Have a plan and follow through.

If you simply say you're going to rest on Saturday this week, but don't come up with a plan to make that happen, it never will.  As a wife and mom you know that there are things you do each week.  Laundry, house work, grocery shopping, cooking meals, and much more.  Plan your week in a way that you know when everything will get done and then do it.

*Perhaps the most critical part in having a day of rest is what happens on the other six days.

Pray for increased productivity on the other six days and trust God to bless your efforts.  Then on your day of rest choose not to worry about all the things you should be doing.

#3 The reality of a day of rest.
 
Be flexible. You are still wife and mom and things seldom go exactly as planned.

A day of rest doesn't mean a day being lazy. Do something you love. Gardening, a day at the beach, read a book, or go on a family outing.

Recognize that a Sabbath for you might not be an entire day maybe only an afternoon.

Don't create rules for what you can or can't do on your day off.

Use it as a time to disconnect from your work and technology and a time to connect with family and friends.

Separating one day from the frenzied blur of the other six allows us to slow time and savor it's goodness. To snuggle our little ones just a little more, to hug our spouses a little longer, and to open our hearts to new growth and deeper love.

Toddler Valentine's Day Crafts

Zoe loves doing art projects these days so here are a few of the ones we did for Valentine's Day.

Lady Bug-Zoe's favorite part of this was of course the silver glitter glue we used to put the spots on our lady bug. It probably could have used legs of some kind. Maybe next year.

Foot Prints-Zoe is always a little timid about getting paint on her but she warmed up to the idea and we ended up with some great heart prints.

 

Caterpillars-We cut thin strips of paper and made the heart chain that we used for the body.  After that we cut pipe cleaners for legs and antenna.

Yarn Heart-Zoe smeared some red glitter glue into a heart shape and then pressed the different length pieces of yarn into it.  This one took some time to dry, but totally worth it.

More Caterpillars-This was super easy.  Three big hearts, a smaller one for the face, pipe cleaners, and wiggly eyes.  Zoe did hers all by herself just copying Mommy as she went. She put her head on upside down but it looked cute so we left it.

Hand Print Heart-Again it took some convincing to get painted but once she got going she had a blast.

Feather Heart-I like doing 3 dimensional things so this one was one of my favorites.  We smeared glue all around in the heart then Zoe went to town putting the feathers on.

Love-We had pixie stix left over from Halloween still so we decided to use them for art.  We wrote the letters with glue then sprinkled the powder on. After it was completely dry we shook off the excess powder and you could see what we had written.

Heart stamps-We cut heart shapes out of some sponges from the dollar store and then used them as stamps.  This was probably Zoe's favorite project.

Fish-We started with a big circle for the body then added the hearts for the scales.  We finished it off with a fin, a mouth, and of course a wiggly eye.


Doing art projects with my little one is one of my favorite parts of the day.  We talk about colors and shapes and she gets to practice cutting and drawing but there is so much more that goes on.  We make a mess together, we exercise our creativity, we laugh, we talk to each other, and then we clean up our mess.  The toddler years may have many challenges in them but they also have lots of fun and laughter.

The Power of a Kiss

Zoe raced around the playground eagerly going from the slide to the swings and back to the slide again.  She climbed the ladder, braved the bridge, hung on for dear life to the monkey bars and did it all again.  Then it happened.  Zoe was swinging on her tummy on one of the swings and she scraped her hand on the rubber surface beneath her.  I could tell that it hurt but it wasn't bleeding and it didn't require medical attention.  I didn't rush to her side but rather watched to see how she would handle it.  Her little eyes welled up just a little then she kissed her hand. 

Why, you ask.  The answer is simple.  In the past when she has fallen down or gotten a boo boo I would lean down place a kiss on her owie and tell her, "All better."  I had taught my daughter that a kiss has the power to take away the pain. 

Zoe made the right choice.  She didn't let the pain come in the way of what she loved to do.  She used the most powerful thing she knew and then she kept right on going.  I am proud of my little girl. She is my inspiration. I will not let pain that comes my way hold me back from making the most of this adventure I like to call my life. 

My Little Mirror

My day did not go according to my plan.

It really frustrated me.

Then I stopped and looked at my daughter. 

Zoe was sitting on the couch mad at her sock for being twisted, mad at her cracker because the corner was broken, mad at the blanket because it was touching her, and whining about it all.  I knew then that I owed my daughter an apology.

 I sat down next to her and told her I was sorry.  I explained to her that when Mommy got mad at her blanket this morning because it ripped in the dryer and got yucky fuzzies on everything else Mommy was wrong to get mad.  I told her that when Mommy couldn't find her gym card it was wrong for Mommy to let that make her mad.  I told her that when we dropped the plate and it broke and got glass everywhere Mommy shouldn't have gotten mad about that either.  I told her that when we got to the grocery store and Mommy's card wasn't working Mommy let that make her mad but that was wrong too.  It was about this time Zoe looked up at me with her innocent little eyes and said, "Mommy's not mad anymore."  I hugged her and said, "No Sweetheart, I'm not." 

Zoe does a fantastic job of mirroring so much of what she sees in me.  It's more than just the words I say and the things I do.  She mirrors my emotions. When I allow the circumstances in any given day the run my emotions I am teaching my daughter to do the same. 

After Zoe and I had our little chat on the couch we ate some chocolate and talked about things that make us mad and how we can handle them better.  The rest of our day had just as many things that went completely wrong.  We spilled a brand new carton of milk, Zoe lost her purple rock, the garage door isn't working, Z got a fat lip, and I left my phone at the grocery store.   We did however handle them much better. 

Thank you Zoe for being a little mirror for Mommy to see areas where we can improve.  I love you!

Lessons Learned

Earlier this week Jake and I took Zoe Bug to Chuck E. Cheese.  She is not a fan of the giant mouse but loves all the button pushing, flashing lights, gold coins, and ticket collecting.  In fact when it was time to feed her tickets back into the machine to get a grand total she chose to keep some of her tickets to take home.  Silly girl.  Anyhow we spent $10 on tokens and let her play for over an hour.  She had a blast. 
When it was time to choose her prize there were several other children waiting to claim their prizes as well.  We talked with Zoe and pointed to a couple different choices she had with the amount of tickets she had collected.  She decided on one of the little pink and silver bracelets. More children were at the counter now claiming their prizes as well and still Zoe is waiting. She stands there looking longingly into the glass case of toys at the bracelet she has chosen.  About this time a manager steps behind the counter.  He pauses to talk with Zoe.  After just a minute he reaches behind him and pulls out a silver and pink crown along with the bracelet that Zoe has chosen, candy, and stickers.  He handed them all to my sweet little Zoe.
Zoe had nowhere near the points required to earn the prizes given to her but she learned an important lesson.  It is not always easy to be patient and use good manners but there are times that it will have a great reward.
I learned an important lesson too.  There is a lot of hard work that goes into teaching a 2yr old good manners but the outcome is more than worth the effort.

What We Say Matters

I have a quick story for you that will lead to my thought for the evening. 

For Christmas Zoe received a bath time tea set complete with bubble bath, fizzing cupcakes, and frosting that turns to soap.  Needless to say she loves it! Well done Auntie Anne.  Anyhow, earlier this week as I was giving Z her bath.  We're playing and having a grand time.  We have the plates floating on the water, the tea pot filled, and our little tea cups at the ready. Zoe pours me some tea and then she very plainly says to me, "Just pretend, don't actually drink the water."  It took me a minute and then I realized yes, my 2 year old just used the word "actually" in a sentence.  After another minute of thought I wasn't surprised at all because that was the exact phrase I had told her the night before. 

Now my thought for the evening: What we say matters.

It's in these moments that I realize just how important the things that we say to our children are. They are hungry for our attention. The communication that we have with them is precious.  When you are talking they are listening.  Trust me, I know there are times that you are sure your little ones are not hearing a single word you are saying but that's simply not the case.  They hear more than we think.  They hear the things we mumble to ourselves when we're frustrated and they hear the songs that we sing along to on the radio.  They hear the way we complain about things that don't go our way and they hear the stories that we read to them.  They hear the conversations we have with other adults and they hear the prayers we say when we tuck them in at night. 

This week was a good reminder for me to be very mindful of the words that come from my mouth.  Zoe is listening and I want her to hear me building others up.  To hear words of encouragement, and to hear positive statements about herself and the people in her life.  I am so proud of her and the way she is learning to express herself and tell me the things she is thinking.  Now, it is my job to be an example for her.   

Little Tricks Every Girl Can Use

1. Add sprite to the water in your vase of fresh cut flowers.  They will live longer and the water won't get stinky as fast.

2. Use plastic wrap in the same vase to give it a cool crushed ice look.

3. Always bake your brownies in a glass pan for 2 to 3 minutes less than what the box recommends, then cut them with a plastic knife.

4. Pour store bought punch or lemonade into a glass pitcher and add a squirt of lemon juice.  Everyone will think it's homemade.

5. If your recipe calls for room temperature or softened butter make sure your eggs are room temp as well.

6. When taking a passing dish to a large potluck the dollar store has great plastic serving dishes.  That way you don't have to worry about keeping track of yours or getting it back home.

7. Keep a small package of baby wipes in your glove box.  They work well for cleaning so much more than just babies.

8. Store drinking glasses right side up.  The rims will stay smooth and chip free much longer.

9. Switch up which brand of shampoo you use every couple of months.  Your hair will thank you.

10.  Let your washing machine get at least half full of soapy water before you put the clothes in. 

11. Always read the entire recipe before you start cooking.

12. Don't put meat straight from the fridge into the oven.  Let it sit out for 15 to 30 minutes to get rid of the chill. Same goes for the grill.

13. Then let it sit on the counter and rest again after it's cooked before you slice it.  (Against the grain of course)

14. Read the care label on clothes before you buy them and then follow the label.  If it says lay flat to dry it probably means it.

15. Know your oven.  Be aware that it may not be the exact temp is says it is and many ovens also have hot spots that get worse over time.

16. Put a thermometer in the fridge and another in the freezer.  Fridge should be 40 or below and freezer should be 0.

17. Splurge on a satin pillowcase.  It will help prevent wrinkles on your skin and also avoid hair breakage.

18. Put your pillows in the dryer with a couple of tennis balls.  You need to use a high heat cycle to kill the germs.

19. Put a couple of big marshmallows in your container of brown sugar to keep it soft.

20.  Use wax paper on your faucets to make them shine and remove water spots, and also on your metal closet rod to help your hangers side smoothly.

21. Use a dryer sheet to dust baseboards. 

22. Before you go to the beach fill a couple of milk jugs with water and place them in your trunk.  When it's time to go home you will have nice warm water to rinse sand off with.

23. Wash new jeans twice before getting them hemmed.  New jeans always shrink in length.

24. When it's time to thin down your closet the key is to ask yourself, "If I were shopping right now would I buy this?"  If the answer is no, it's time to get rid of it.

25. Don't wash your swimsuit in the washing machine.  Rinse it very well in the sink after each wear.  Do not twist it to wring it out.  At the end of summer wash it in the washing machine on a gentle cycle with a mild soap. Your suit will last for years.