Sweet Girl

In the women's bathroom at our church, there is a small collection of "take if you can use" items. Just random things. This evening, Anna brought me a small bottle of eye makeup remover and said, "Mama, I got this from the bathroom at church. The sign said to take it if you can use it and I thought you would like it. At first I thought you might be upset with me for taking it, but the sign said to take it if you can use it. First I thought of Grandma, but I wasn't sure if she uses eye makeup. And I really thought you would like it." 

I'm realizing that Anna is going through growing pains. I don't know what else to attribute the changes in her to, other than just growing up a little. I'm also realizing, with much heartbreak, that I have focused far too much on her negative behavior and not nearly enough on her positive behavior. She craves my approval and words of praise. She soaks them up like a sun scorched sponge. Is she kind and loving most of the time these days? Not usually. Does she do at least one thing every day for which I can just lavish her with praise? Yes-sometimes I just have to look extra hard! She wrote on her wall, with pen, in her room. And when I read it I started crying. Not because she wrote on her wall with pen, but because of the words she wrote. It was something like "She loves horses and wants to live in the country. She has 5 friends. She is sweet and kind and loving and soft hearted. She is Anna Rose." I cried because I have spent too much time harping on her not being kind and loving to her brothers, on being hard-hearted about her behavior and not seeming to care about her actions and their consequences. She IS sweet and kind and loving and soft hearted! I just need to remember to dig for those qualities...every, single day. 

Slow Down Busy Moms

It's spring (even though the weather is hardly showing it!) and that usually brings a certain rush to life. We're nearing the end of school, at least for a little break, and I always feel the guilt of "hurry up and finish" when it comes to school work. The Busy Homeschool Mom recently posted about this. I quickly forget one of the greatest assets to homeschooling...going at a pace that fits my child and focusing on the relationships. Is it really going to matter if Anna doesn't finish her science curriculum until June instead of May? I forget to have fun with learning sometimes! So we spend 2 weeks on a lesson instead of 1...that's okay! Today, instead of doing what I had planned for history (basically just "lecturing"), I found a documentary on the USS Dwight D Eisenhower. Im pretty sure we *both* learned more and enjoyed it more this way! And now, when there are dishes piled up (because I forgot to start the dishwasher last night), and laundry to fold, and a dozen other things I really need to get done, all Isaac wants to do is have me push him on the swing. Only me. Not Anna or Bubba, only Mama. And I'm reminded again, these days are flying by so quickly. I blinked and Anna is almost in 3rd grade! My baby is not a baby anymore...not even close. Jacob will be 6 this summer! Eeek!!! So this afternoon, the dishes are still in the sink, the laundry is still waiting, the house is still messy from a day of learning and playing. And that's okay because Isaac insists, "Ma, eww bush meee!!"