Our Weekly Rhythm

So, I had mentioned I was starting to implement some new routines around here. I've attempted to weekly chore routines over the years with varied success, but have found now that Nora's older and I'm juggling two kids plus housework, my routines needed to be revamped. Not only do I need to make sure we have clean underwear and dinner on the table, but I'm wanting to include some regular learning activities to do with Nora. These are daily cues that help me plan for the week and work on age-appropriate skills.

Here it is:

("missional community" is our church small group and time at Oma's is with my mom, Nora's grandma)

Honestly, right now, we are doing maybe one or two days of activities a week and I've been okay with that. We are trying to squeeze every last drop out of the pleasant fall weather we've been having, enjoying playdates and Nora is taking a basketball class right now (how cute is that?!). But as the weather grows colder and life slows down a bit, I am planning on being home more and making more use of this routine. Generally we are doing these activities in the morning during Silas' naptime or during that awkward after-nap, before dinner time. We've also started to focus on a letter a week (or two).

Making applesauce during the letter "A" week.

I am not trying to be rigid about these activities but want it to be fun for Nora and something she can look forward to. I'm a firm believer that at this age, the most important thing I can be doing to encourage her to be a life-long learner is to incite her curiosity and creativity. There is so much to discover in this amazing world!

More than anything, I'm realizing my priority needs to be spending intentional time with my girl. She will only be this little for so long and I want to seize each day with her! This is such a time of wonder and giggles, excitement and a pure spirit of play. It's funny to think I need to make a plan to make sure I don't miss it, but it's true, I do.

And, I have a lot to learn from her too. Just the other day, I asked her to help me hang laundry on the line in the backyard - she is my clothespin "dispenser". My thinking was "good opportunity for her to learn about keeping a home and how to serve others". Once we got outside, Nora dutifully helped me for a few minutes before the 6 inch deep golden leaves from our maple tree were just too tempting. She exclaimed "Mommy! Mommy! Let's make a pile of leafs so I can jump in them! And when Silas wakes up, he can jump in them too!" No, it wasn't part of "the plan", but frolicking and laughing while throwing leaves in the air and in our hair ended up being the best part of my week.

Do you have any kind of a weekly routine? How do you make sure to spend intentional time with your kids?

As He Leads

*I started writing this post with the full intention of sharing the weekly rhythms I'm trying to establish in our home, but it turned into something completely different....thank you, Holy Spirit!*

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First off, thank you so much for the several non-blog comments I've gotten from many of you readers letting me know that you too are struggling to find rhythm in your days with little ones. I'm glad I am not in this alone. I've been praying a lot that God would give me the right perspective and attitude in these crazy days with young ones. A verse that I have clung to for many months now is this:

He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young. - Isaiah 40:11

Let me repeat that...He gently leads those that are with young. God is gracious. Those condemning thoughts of utter failure, of being completely alone in this, of single-handedly ruining our kids forever (hmmm, am I being a little transparent here?), THOSE ARE NOT FROM OUR HEAVENLY FATHER. Rebuke them, put them to death (preaching to myself). He knows what it's like to have children who are utterly needy, who sass and seem to invent ways to disobey. And, it's by His example and only the power of His Spirit that we can, in turn, lead our children gently.

Our church is currently going through a preaching series on the Holy Spirit. Through this teaching and some really challenging recent conversations, I have been convicted that I don't ask the Spirit for help in mothering. Maybe I think God doesn't have the time or this job is such a small thing. And yet, He gently leads those that are with young. There it is again. Could it be any more clear that He is with me on this bumpy, sometimes confusing, often foggy, frustrating, hilarious, joyful, humbling journey of raising children. He wants to lead me, to help me, even when I don't know what to ask for.

Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. - Romans 8:26

He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? - Romans 8:32

I feel like I'm reading Romans 8 with brand new eyes these days in light of my current place in life. Will you join with me in asking for God's Spirit to guide us and empower us as moms?

The Rhythm of Our Home

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You hear time and again how much children thrive on routine. Well, I'm going to say mommy's do too. At least this mommy does...and when I am out of one, life feels chaotic, confusing and overwhelming. I know this just comes with the territory of having little ones underfoot. There will always be interruptions, minor emergencies (like "Mommy, I just pooped"...heard coming from my daughter's bedroom a few minutes ago)...ever heard of Tyranny of the Urgent?!

During much of my pregnancy with Silas and the first half of this year, our family has definitely been out-of-rhythm, with little routine and a lot of fly-by-the-seat of your pants. This can be a good thing, in small doses, but we are well overdue to get back into some good, intentional rhythms. As wife, mom and homekeeper of our family, I think I have a particular responsibility to have dominion over the rhythms of our home. Not only for my kids' and husband's sanity, but for my own! When I have a good routine, toilets get scrubbed, meals actually get on the dinner table before 8:00 pm and we are all better rested and freed up to play, enjoy one another and serve others.

At the beginning of the year, instead of making New Year's resolutions (which for me last about, oh, 72 hours), I asked God what He wanted to impress on me most. One of the words He gave me was Rhythm.

Rhythm [rith-uhm] - noun
1. movement or procedure with uniform or patterned recurrence of a beat, accent, or the like.
2. measured movement, as in dancing.
3. the regular recurrence of an action or function, as of the beat of the heart.
4. procedure marked by the regular recurrence of particular elements, phases, etc.: the rhythm of the seasons.

In thinking through the importance of routine and rhythm, I have been struck by how God's rhythms in creation reflect His orderly nature: in the orbit and rotation of the Earth, in the days and seasons. Yes, there are changes (out my front window I see the leaves just beginning to turn from green to gold), but just as we parents create routines for our toddlers, our Heavenly Father has also created this order so we know what comes next, we know how to prepare.

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace. - Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 (ESV)

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Even our own bodies run by rhythms: when we don't follow our body's circadian rhythm, by staying up way too late, sleeping too much during the day, eating in the middle-of-the-night (all of which I did way too much of in graduate school), we get sick. When our hearts get out-of-rhythm (aka "arhythmia"), it's pretty catastrophic.

So, I've been doing some planning to get us back on track. Practically, I consulted a few of my favorite blogs to find out from other moms what their routines looked like as I set about developing ours. Here are some helpful reads:

5 Tips for Creating Family Routines and Establishing Rhythm in Your Home :: Simple Kids
Rhythms and Routines: The Flow of the Week :: Simple Kids
A New Rhythm :: Simplicity Parenting

I'm eager to share the routines we are starting to implement, both weekly and daily, in the hopes it will help you if this is an area you need improvement on too. I hate starting from scratch, so my routines have all begun as a copy-cat of others' routines, then I've just changed them up to fit our needs. (Also, if I the more I share the habits I am trying to get into, I am much more likely to follow through...so this is partially my way of holding myself accountable!)

Are routines something you fall into naturally, or do you have to work at them, like me?

Sibling Love

I hope and pray they enjoy one another like this always...

Hubba Bubba

Our boy is 8 months old! Yes, the last time I updated on him, he was a mere 3 months old. Where has the time gone?! Well, I can tell you he hasn't wasted it sleeping. ; )

"Little Man" is definitely not so little anymore and has taken on quite a few names to prove it. Silas' alias' include: Bubba, Bubs, Tank, Chubs, Snugglebuns, Little Stinker (Nora is, of course, Big Stinker) and I'm sure there are more I'm forgetting. I know I'm his mom and he's my little boy, but can I just say, in all fairness, this kid is ADORABLE. I'm realizing discipline with him is going to be tough. Not only because he is showing us he is strong-willed, but he also knows just how to cock his head and shoot me a grin that melts my heart.

He got his first two teeth within 2 days at 7 months, started doing "the worm" at 7 1/2 months and just this week (at 8 months) began full-fledged crawling! In comparison, Nora didn't get her first tooth or start crawling until she was almost 1. This kiddo is not going to let us sit back and relax.

He also loves to feed himself. While Nora would sit patiently in her high-chair and pleasantly let me feed her, if I don't strap his arms down, Silas will rip the spoon from my hands as in "Mommy, you are too slow!". And, boy that kid is strong! So, I've been introducing finger foods earlier than I ever did with Nora.

If there were one word to describe Silas, it would undoubtedly be Jolly. He loves to laugh, super smiley, seemingly making jokes with his eyes...although he is more of a giggler than a full belly-laugher. Silas is social like his sister and is always looking to make eye contact in order to turn on his charms. He is almost never grumpy and will play happily by himself for small stretches as long as he has plenty of space to move. Already quite the adventurer, I do have to be careful to keep my eyes on him as he will quickly worm his away around the house. His crawl is still pretty cautious, but I'm sure he will have that down before long.

When he does get upset about something, he certainly lets us know. There's no whimpering or whining from Silas...it's full out wails, some turning into those silent screams where you're willing your child to take a breath. Oh well, thankfully we don't get those that often, but wondering what we have in store for us!

Such a mama's boy. One of my favorite parts of the day is our snuggle time before bed. He quietly hums to himself as he nurses and I rock him to sleep. While he is a great napper during the day, he is still a bit of a mystery at night....falling asleep easily, but still waking up 2 or 3 times, complicated by the fact that he shares a room with his sister.

Juggling two kids has proven more challenging than we could have ever imagined, but love, love, love our little boy and how much he has brought to our family and our lives.

Update on Our Girl

Exuberant [ig-zoo-ber-uh nt] - adjective
1. effusively and almost uninhibitedly enthusiastic; lavishly abundant.
2. abounding in vitality; extremely joyful and vigorous.
3. See "Nora Tran"...

I can't think of a better word to describe our Nora. Our sweet, laid-back baby girl has grown into such an energetic, opinionated, brave, out-going, loving young lady. Everything she does, she does it with gusto, she gives it 110%, whether it's squealing with delight, jumping from great heights (much to Mommy's worry!) or giving a hug (or 3 or 4). We hear often these days, "Let me do it by my big girl self!" as she's growing more and more independent and testing her abilities (and boundaries).

She is still a bit of a tomboy (although I'm thinking I don't like that label), spending much of her time running, jumping, splashing in (very muddy) puddles, swinging, digging in the dirt, swimming in her pool, throwing balls, collecting rocks, wielding swords and battling invisible "bad guys". In fact, after seeing the movie Tangled, we've had to be careful about leaving frying pans anywhere Nora can get her hands on them.

Cinderella has also become a favorite around here and Nora has also started getting into princess play. Each morning she runs to her closet declaring she has to find "something suitable to wear" (a.k.a. a dress for the ball). Btw, I had NO idea the stress and drama over what clothes and shoes to wear would start this early! And, in preparation for the ball, she often asks "May I have this dance?"...tonight, I found her waltzing with her Baba in the living room, a precious memory.

Nora wearing "something suitable" ; )

With all her unbridled energy, we've had a few bumps and bruises around here lately....

...a bloody lip and yes, a broken finger. You can ask Nora about it, she likes to tell the story with every detail, but in short she "pinced it in da hide-a-bed!" : (

She is such a great big sister to Silas...

and what a helper. We recently caught her doing this...

We celebrated her birthday this year with a big kid, backyard birthday blowout. I can't tell you how fun it was to see all the neighborhood kids, cousins and friends from church swarm to our backyard to celebrate our little girl.

Nora and her pinata, pre-demolition.
Although you can't tell from these pics, Nora was having a ball!

With swimming and soccer, pinwheels and a pinata, coloring and cupcakes and most importantly being surrounded by those who love her dearly, Nora's love tank was totally filled.

As we cuddled and I rocked her to sleep that night, her face was covered in a contented grin. Thang and I have been discussing lately how important it is to teach our children how to celebrate - although I'm thinking it will be awhile before we have a celebration quite that large again!

Our little Nora is proving to be quite a handful but she makes us laugh every day and we couldn't be more thankful for her vibrant spirit. This year, I am praying John 10:10b for her...

"I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full."

...that she would know the abundant life God offers her.

P.S. If any of you have some good book recommendations on the "spirited child", let me know!

Happy Birthday to our Sunshine!

A three year old child is a being who gets almost as much fun out of a fifty-six dollar set of swings
as it does out of finding a small green worm. ~Bill Vaughan

Yes, I am breaking my long blogging silence to wish our sweet and spunky Nora
a very happy 3rd birthday!

We couldn't love you more, little lady, and are in wonder at the person
you are becoming...