A Work in Progress

I want to post...a lot. Seriously, I have lists, and I even have pictures. But when I sit down, determined to share books we've been reading, some of my favorite baby things, recipes I've tried, or anything else, I get totally discouraged that my blog doesn't look as cool and "put together" as I want, or the fact that my pictures are nowhere near the quality on all those "pretty" blogs that I so frequently come across. Yes, I'm comparing my blog to other blogs. I need to stop that.

And so I'm telling myself that this blog, like me, is a work in progress. I can improve upon it a little at a time. I can post pictures that are totally homey. I can share some small amount of what I'm learning. All in the hopes that it might somehow better the world for just being "out there". So there.

A Lovely Tradition

I have been reading to my kids more! I'm excited about that because "not reading to them enough" had been a guilty feeling that clung to me. We would have a huge stack of library books, and only read half of them. Now the stack is smaller, we read more of our own books, and we repeat books quite a bit. Evelyn loves it. Picture books are still her favorite, and she even "reads" the easy ones to herself.

Ever heard of the "Mr. Men" and "Little Miss" series? My sister loaned her books to us and they are definite favorites! There are allot of words to one picture so it's helping to increase the kids' attention span, and they always address topics that are very interesting to kids, like Mr. Clumsy visiting Mr. Fussy and wrecking his house, or Mr. Tickles trying to contain himself from tickling everyone. Oh, good times!

Our library here has a pretty good collection of used books for sale - super cheap. One day I let the kids each pick out one book to buy. John did a blind grab, pulling out whatever his hand touched first. Evelyn looked a little bit, but I saw one I knew she would love, pop-up ABC's! Yup. And then, in a matter of thirty  seconds I saw and grabbed 5 books - I felt a little greedy but I knew I had to have them :

"The Robe" by Lloyd C. Douglas
"Raggedy Ann & Andy the First Treasury" by Johnny Gruelle
"The Wind in the Willows" by Kenneth Grahame
"The Treasury of Children's Stories" books 1 and 2 

The Treasury books have been a special delight for me. They are filled with nursery rhymes, poems, songs, and the classic stories like "Hansel and Gretel", and "Rumpelstiltskin". They aren't the watered down versions either - when Humpty Dumpty falls and breaks that's it for him, there are no doll hospitals. I love it! They are perfect tools in teaching real life thinking skills (yes, even though they are fairy tales), as well as imagination. And of course there's always a good moral to talk about. I try to read something from these books everyday.

I still have to remind myself to stop whatever I'm doing, sit down and read to the kids. Sometimes they grumble about having to turn off a game or a show, or having to stay quiet. But I've noticed that they really love it. I know we will get better at it with more practice and I am so happy to have this tradition in our family. I am especially excited by reading the classics and seeing how it stretches all of our imaginations and thinking. I used to worry that the kids wouldn't listen to or understand the stories, or that there would be too much other "stuff" that wouldn't get done because I was reading. But really, listening comes with practice, as does understanding, and all that other "stuff" will wait for me.

My Word for the Year

My first choices were "Prepared", "Organized", or "Accomplished". I was almost fretting over this, "what is my word for the year?!". I want to do allot this year and some things just have to get done, plus I have a tendency to feel overwhelmed. I was on this line of thinking when I received some sweet inspiration - "Simple". 

Keep things simple, simplify yours and your families life, let things be done with simplicity.

Organize simply.

Start Home-school simply.

Prepare simply.

Plan, learn, have fun, have Family Home Evening, read to the kids, play, eat, exercise, LIVE - simply.

Alma 37:6

 Now ye may suppose that this is foolishness in me; but behold I say unto you, that by small and simple things are great things brought to pass; and small means in many instances doth confound the wise.

"Small and Simple", that's my goal. It's comforting to think of. With 3 little kids it's hard to feel accomplished or like I'm getting things done. But when I remember to keep things simple, and that it really is the little things that matter and add up to great accomplishments, I am able to relax and enjoy life so much more. 

2 Nephi 2:25

Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy.    

And so, I'm going to enjoy this year by living simply.

Simple.