Skip to main content

Mummy Time

In the chaos of home schooling and life, it's easy for days (if not weeks) to go by without really connecting with them on an individual level. This is also complicated by the fact that the four boys all share one room- which means that one-on-one conversations can't really happen.

So, in an effort to put more structure into my days- I've re-instituted 'mummy time'. I originally got the idea from a book called Large Family Logistics by Kim Brenneman (a book I highly recommend!). Kim is a home schooling mom of 9, so she knows what she's talking about!

From Monday through Friday, each child gets their day- like a special helper. One aspect of it is that I try to give them at least 1/2 hour during the day for only me and them to do something of their choosing. Then, at night (if they want), they can sleep by themselves in the tv/guest room where we can have a private chat about whatever they want.

Today was 'mummy time' for my oldest, Elijah. He's a pretty amazing (almost) young man- a little kid at heart in a nearly man-size body (he's almost thirteen, you know- like in 10 more months!). He's my guinea pig in this parenting gig. Tonight he asked if there was a parenting manual. When I told him 'no' (at least not anything other than the bible), he said that he'd better get working on learning how to do it then!

At bit about Elijah: he absolutely LOVES Lego and is constantly trying to create stop-motion animation films with Lego. He is a voracious reader, great at making duct-tape weapons, loves listening to music and is currently learning how to play the violin.

We have some of the most interesting conversations. The depth at which he ponders things never ceases to amaze me and I constantly find myself asking God to give me the right words to say to him to encourage him on in his life and faith journeys instead of nit-picking at all the bad habits he's picked up from me. He REALLY has an amazing heart for others and a genuine desire to love and follow God.

I know that God has great plans for all of my kids and each day I pray that His love will cover over the multitude of my sins and keep them on the straight and narrow path that leads to life, but there's something special about your first born that none of the rest can compete with. They're the one that started you on this parenthood journey and forever ruined you for the ordinary (and I really mean that in a good way!).

Tonight I delight in and cherish the blessing that is my son, Elijah.

copyright- wradmemories
The only one of my kids to have curly hair!

Keeping it real, by the grace of God...
Tammy

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

When Truth Gets Lost

Earlier this month I went to a Ladies Retreat. I was so excited to finally have everything work out (or so I thought) for me to go. A friend had told me about the speaker several years earlier and they had had some retreats in the past, but they were too expensive and I either had a little one that couldn't be left or Graham was working and couldn't watch them. Finally, I realized that Graham actually had that weekend off and I had his permission- so I signed up to go. Only after I paid did I realize that I was actually supposed to be really busy that weekend. Elijah had the Cadet 'Tag Days' that weekend as well as Graham's work 'Family Fun Day'. Yikes! I actually considered cancelling but figured that if God had worked this out for me to go, I should go. Besides, I figured that I needed this 'refreshing' break to rejuvenate me to be a better wife/mom/teacher (that was the speaker's focus). Notice how I put the 'refreshing' part...
Post a Comment
Read more

Filling the Wrong Bucket

I didn't cave. I also should have just stayed off of Facebook, but I didn't cave. Last summer I chose NOT send my kids to summer camp- even though, seemingly, ALL their friends were going. The same week. All of them. Well, not really, of course. But honestly, with Facebook status updates coming in fast and furiously- it really did seem like it. And I wondered, 'Am I a bad mom because I didn't send my kids to summer camp with their friends?' At one point, I seriously thought about calling up the camp (after the week had started) and seeing if I couldn't somehow manage to get them in anyway. I let the thought pass- and didn't cave. But I still feel a tinge of guilt about it and I'm dreading the decision about this summer already. Fast forward a few more months- to February 7, 2014 to be exact. Pretty much anyone with even the slightest interest in Lego will know what that date means. The release of their first full-length feature movie....
Post a Comment
Read more

Is Giving Up Failing?

Where to begin? This year has been crazy. Not just for me, but for a lot of my home schooling friends as well. I thought that going into year five of this home schooling journey was a bit of an 'arrival' of sorts. That just maybe I had 'made it' and was on to smoother sailings. Uhm.... no... Getting rid of the dog lifted a huge weight of the constant responsibility- but at the same time the heaviness was still there. Like a daughter who would break out into weeping fits when she thought about the dog and still asks me when he's coming back or when I will get another dog to replace him. I expended copious amount of time trying to deal with and train him- and getting rid of him signaled yet another failure that was emotionally hard to deal with. We also signed Elijah up with our local Air Cadet program and I have been volunteering with that as well. It's been interesting getting 'out' into the world again. For the past number of years our family ...
Post a Comment
Read more