Thoughts on turning 8

Eight years ago today I held a teeny tiny angel in my arms. Our first. She was perfect

Today she is tall and mature and cheeky and resilient and too much like me.

Unlike with her little sister, I've never had a problem with her getting older. We sent her to school at the age of four because apparently 'she was ready'. She is always after a challenge, she likes to know everything and analyse everything. She is as intense in personality as her eyes are blue. She is passionate and extroverted. She is polite, particular and 'perfect' (in public at least). Her love language is quality AND quantity time. She craves, needs. wants it all. A whole day playing games with her would fill her cup nicely, until tomorrow.

She loves animals and her grandparents.  She can sing and she is clever. She loves to make things and to have pretty things.

She is eight today and wishes she was nine. I'd quite like her to slow down now, to keep her innocence for longer.  She has already begun to pay too much attention to her hair or clothes in the morning. It must be about now that they become all too aware of themselves, their bodies, their face and how it feels to be 'in their skin'. It's scary.

Sometimes she turns into someone who is not my little angel. For 30 minutes or an hour she is uncontrollable, angry, bursting with the insufferable unfairness of life. She yells and cries and can't let it go, can't be reasoned with. Sometimes she knows she is being unreasonable but can't help herself and she is becoming aware of the pain it is to have one of these over anxious complicated female minds. She's not perfect, she is like the rest of us.  She can no more be perfect than I can love her perfectly( although I try) We both need Someone other to love us and accept us perfectly.

She's just started talking to me about sex, telling me she knows what it is and sounding smug when she describes it to me as 'married people cuddling with no clothes on.' Blake and I may have to close our door from now on. *blush*  She can stop now I think, stop at age eight. I tell both our girls that growing is a punishable act in this house and they'll be sent to their rooms if I catch them at it. Lucky for them they seem to grow while sleeping.

And they won't stop. Sigh. Next year they'll walk together to school and that thought makes me not want to think anymore today.....

Happy Birthday to our beautiful Malya Hope.

xoxo

Recovering from all the ‘getting’

Our seven year old daughter is tired. She is still getting over a big fourth term of grade 2, an ear infection and the excitement of Christmas.  So I’ve been gracious with her moods and lack luster attitude. I’ve been somewhat patient with her competitiveness with her sister and unwillingness to be kind for kind’s sake. And we have been waiting patiently for both girls to settle into the holiday routine and be friends again.  

But enough is enough.

We have four weeks of school holidays to go and with the magic of Christmas behind us, the wonderful distraction of Jesus’ birthday month all but forgotten for another year, I’m sensing the need for a new focus.

So while we continue to move from place to place for another month or so we are going to spend each day being grateful.

All four of us will write down on a piece of paper something we are thankful for each evening and put the folded strips into our ‘Grateful Jar’. Each morning we’ll have turns at reaching in for a piece to leave on the bench so we can all aim to be thankful for that one thing for the day.  At some point during the day we’ll read a verse or passage from the bible that will help us along the journey and ultimately to remind us where to direct our gratitude because..

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

James 1:17

I’m hoping that by changing the focus from what they got or what they might still get these holidays to what they already have, they might be far more content.

There are loads of beautiful quotes out there to encourage us all to give thanks. But I feel that only the bible can teach true gratitude.  What I mean is that if my family were taken from me, my home, car and possessions stripped away and I had no friends left in the world and NOTHING to be thankful for on earth (not even a bent crochet hook or a pretty tree to look at), I would still be grateful, despite being miserable.  Only because of Jesus, my only eternal gift.

It is actually pretty easy to be grateful for family and things and beauty. I hope our family can learn to live more gratefully. I hope our jar can be filled to the brim by the time school starts again.

When we were children we were grateful to those who filled our stockings at Christmas time. Why are we not grateful to God for filling our stockings with legs?  

 -G.K Chesterton

xoxo

'Start each day with a grateful heart' - [source]

Anticipation

Our girls have been bouncing out of bed each day to open the Advent envelope for the day. They are excited to see what treat or idea Mummy has popped in there (the night before as I am not an organised person!), and in each they expect the next chapter of their story bible to be read or to read to each other.

 December 8. {I folded 24 little envelopes from vintage Little Golden Book scraps and pegged them to twine strung up with washi tape}

They go to sleep excited and wake with anticipation.  Their precious minds hope for a sugary treat or a small gift to bring joy that lasts a whole morning.  Each story they read from the Jesus Storybook Bible points to the coming of the King.  Each chapter anticipates the arrival of a small baby who is unfathomably more amazing than Santa or toys. So as we read through this book within the month of December, leading up to the 25th we count down and build excitement and anticipation of the deep deep beauty and joy of Christmas.  And as the girls receive small treats along the way, their anticipation builds for a day of bigger treats!

I used this simple Jesus Storybook Bible Advent Calendar to cut into strips and pop in each envelope.

Recently I found this advent reading list on Pinterest and was drawn to it because in the silliness of the season, the stress and child-centeredness of it all I forget to stop and revel in the Joy and truly feel the peace and meaning of the arrival of the only perfect Rescuer.

I've been meditating on Isaiah 11, trying to memorise it because its so beautiful.

I love being reminded of some of the OT passages where the birth of Jesus is predicted so accurately. It really helps me read the narrative of His birth in the gospels with fresh eyes.

And this particular passage from Isaiah is so full of hope!

Verse 10 - 'In that day the root of Jesse, who shall stand as a signal for the peoples- of him shall the nations inquire, and his resting place shall be glorious.'

We all anticipate things we can plan and touch and see. But for me, if I haven't collapsed from exhaustion beforehand, I do afterwards and I am all too aware with my limitations that the gifts and food and fun don't last and I'll get things wrong and my health will fail along the way.  But anticipating something so much bigger, more spectacular, something lasting........ Its sort of easier I think.

xoxo

A handmade Christmas

I love love love November!! The weather is warming up (yes, even in Victoria), the roses are blooming, the end-of-year Christmas parties have begun, and the end of the year is in sight!

My two favourite FAVE-ourite things about November are:

1. We start thinking about Christmas and Jesus' birth, the birth of a perfect King 2012 (approx) years ago. At our church we have a big 'Jesus birthday party' on christmas eve with a giant cake and lots of fun involved.  But in November we begin to teach the historical story of His birth both at school and in church to the kids, and at home we explore it with our own children.  If you are privileged enough to be one of these teachers or to be a parent, its in November that we start to get excited and to want to share your excitement with everyone....

2. And because of all of the above, my creative juices go bananas and I go slightly crazy with wool and paper and sticks and twine. The girls join in and we set about making our christmas a handmade one.

This November I jumped on board with Stacey from the gorgeous pilgrim styling to post a #creationaday on Instagram for the month. I knew I'd be making things almost daily anyway! Pop over to her amazing blog for some inspiration. Here are some of my makes...

My Crochet Star Frame tutorial/pattern is here.

And my 7 and 4 yr old girls have been having fun too..

I've written a full tutorial for this crochet star frame here.

I've missed a few days but not due to lack of creativity, more lack of time to finish and post a picture.  One day I made a yummy pizza, the next an advent calendar, then a giant star made from old fence pailings....

November is not over yet.... 

I hope I've inspired you even just a little :)