Simple Daybook: Finding Balance

Outside my window…

Typical fall weather for our area. The temperatures are still warm-ish, but can swing bitterly cold in a few minutes. Layers are key right now.

I am thinking…

That there is a key balance between making a house a home and either striving for unattainable magazine status or chaotic clutter. I've watched my house fluctuate between both polar ends over the last six months, and feel like I am finally back to a balance I feel comfortable with. I wish I had learned this with my older boys. By the time I got to Lorelei, I realized that cuddles and coos do not last forever, and well…laundry is forever undone…I will always opt for the smiles that light up the room more often than not now. It amazes me that Josiah is already two months old. What I have I lost? Not much. It meant stepping over piles and turning head away from messes for a while. And will probably go on a while still. Would that I had learned this lesson much earlier in my mama journey. I do like knowing that my home is a comfortable, pleasant place to be- especially since we do spend the majority of our time home. But what comfortable and pleasant mean as definitions has changed so drastically from my oldest children to my youngest.

I am thankful for…

A babbling little toddler guy who is adding words at a near-hourly pace, who also figured out how to open doors (much to my chagrin)- it's making bedtime quite an adventure. For my sweet girl who is growing so very fast and has all but conquered the last bastion of toddler hood, wearing big girl princess panties that she is so very proud of. For my owly boy, who is facing fears and working hard, even though some days leave him plum exhausted come bedtime- he's really coming into his own and learning new skills left and right. For my oldest boy-man, who sharpens and surprises me on a daily, hourly, minute-to-minute basis- oh that I would hold his heart and yet let it go at the same time! For the father of our tumbly bumbly crew, who works tirelessly for our comfort and safe-keeping, whose hands guide and voice encourages, even when mom herself has all but lost her cool. Who wraps me in his arms and watches over me. For all these things and many more, I am so grateful.

From the learning rooms…

Sort of a rewind and fast-forward. Ben, who used to love math, has begun to struggle and drag his feet for hours. Isaiah has had the light bulb come on and is racing through concept after concept. Ben has become confident enough in his reading that he has begun to read to the littles after bath (and during our family devotions, too!) while Isaiah is struggling to grasp how words even fit together- trying to to convince me that U, Y, and V are the same thing. It is definitely a balance between noise and quiet, instruction and encouragement, education and learning. Struggling to find said balance!

From the kitchen…

I realized on my grocery run on Saturday that the season is over. I had not realized just how much food we were eating out of the garden for free or from the farmer's market for pennies on the dollar until those resources were gone. My bill was much higher than it has been all summer. It stumped me for a few seconds, until I realized just why. Factor in the need for dairy-free items, and well, you can do the math. I definitely wish I could have preserved more of the garden for the winter but it was just not in the cards for this summer with a baby cooking too! The kitchen is a constant challenge for me. 

I am wearing…

A beautiful little necklace my husband found for me at the farmer's market the other day. My 'real' necklace, which I have worn for seven years straight, has broken and we just don't have the funds to fix or find a new chain right now. The one he found is a 'stand in' (or so he says), handmade of clay and paper. It looks so cool and yet so understated. I'll have to get a picture of it.

I am creating…

an attitude of peace. I am really, consciously, trying to pursue things that bring me serenity. Counting the endless gifts, a place to quiet myself and listen, music that soothes, Word that challenges and encourages. I don't know why I thought it would happen by itself- it never does. It requires an intentional turning towards the Lord for the peace to be found. A hard stop.

I am going…

Yearly physicals for the kids, therapy appointments, co-op, and a engagement photo shoot on Friday. Next week we will travel for James graduation. Full to the brim (in a good way) days ahead.

I am reading…

Old Farm: A History by Jerry Apps. My husband picked it up at the library, and I've run off with it- it is such a lovely, story-telling book, yet wildly informative and eye-opening. Makes me think, hard, about the history under my feet.

I am hoping…

For many things, but mostly, in the words of Father Tim, praying the prayer that never fails: Thy will be done, Lord.

I am hearing…

To the buzz of the infant monitor, which is a delightfully blissful sound because no other noise is coming from it! I definitely seek silence after hours– sometimes the happy chaos of five children can get my ears to buzzing all on their own.

Around the house…

The big Autumn clothing switch has happened, and rather smoothly this time, thank goodness! I finally have a 'filing' system for our hand me downs and off season clothes that really make sense and make the process a ten-minute thing instead of a whole day of dusty pile diving. Hooray, hooray! We also did a reshuffle this time around, (egads!) abandoning all of our chests of drawers for closets only. They went to a good family who will treat them more lovingly than we have, as two of the three have been shoved in closets for lack of space elsewhere. I'd been wanting to make the jump for sometime, but had no way to dispose (or the desire, really) of three perfectly good pieces of furniture. Kismet happened, and the new family gladly took them off our hands and even paid us for our orphans, to boot! I'll miss them, but they have gone on to better assignments, I assure you. Poor things, so mistreated. But frankly, they just took up too much space in our cozy little house, and you have to earn your room and board around here to stay on…

One of my favorite things…

Watching the leaves change. And pumpkin pie spice. And apples. And all the fall festivals. And well…anything autumn related. Have I mentioned it's my favorite time of year?

A few plans for the rest of the week:

Keep pursuing balance. Put the garden to bed, pack up the pool, finish putting away all the garage stuff from our reshuffle. Glad that everything has a use and a place now. Easy to find, easy to put away, and no more bruised heads or toes or egos!

Here is picture for thought I am sharing…

You can find more daybooks here.