Spring Break Part Two

Hard to believe that Spring Break is over and done with already!  I can honestly say this was probably the best Spring Break yet!  For being a staycation, it was jam packed with a great combination of play and rest! In addition to our girl's mani/pedi day and arboretum, the big littles visited grandma and grandpa one day to watch a movie, so Nessa and I baked cookies in our time alone.

She's almost a pro.  She likes to do everything on her own.  Everything.

That same night I sneaked away for a bible making session with my book club.  Awhile back I had made a Child Training bible that everyone loved but they knew they wouldn't make their own unless we carved out some time for it, which is exactly what we did.  It was a fun, but focused night together.

Thursday morning I surprised the kids with a trip to the canyon to horse back ride.  As of yet, this is something only Anjalene enjoys, but I thought it was the perfect time for Bubba to try it out too.  He loved it!

It was a gorgeous day to be out and it was so much fun to listen to them go on and on and on the car ride home!  That day continued with a spontaneous park day with some of our book club peeps.  I think at one point there were twenty-one kids.  And in the four hours we were there, no one tattled on anyone else the entire time. Victory!

Friday was the perfect kind of adventure that could only be orchestrated with my dearest BFF in the world. She showed up with Starbucks iced teas in hand and we were off on our last day trip of the week.  We headed to San Juan Capistrano Mission.  Such a rich history.  So much more fun with our families together!

We explored, listened to audio about all the different spots and then walked downtown for lunch.  The weather was a little on the cool side but perfectly pleasant to be out and about.  Towards the end of our time there, Nessa got a little attitude and all she wanted was a carrot, which she may have repeated about fifty times! So frustrating, that girl is sometimes!  She must be four or something!

The kids were dying to go to the beach but us moms weren't dying to take them.  We were cold.  Imagine them in their swimsuits splashing around in that freezing water?  We were too close not to set foot on the beautiful sand so we proceeded to San Onofre beach--pulled right up to the water practically and the kids frolicked in the waves. . .in their clothes.  Except for miss Nessa Bessa who proceeded to climb in the car and change once her jeans were wet.  She does not like wet clothes at all!

They had such a great time! I had such a great time watching! They changed into their bathing suits for the ride home--so what if we did it all backwards?  That was all part of the fun! They didn't even complain the entire Friday drive home--which meant a lot of traffic, but I would do it again in a heartbeat because the minute we got home, Lene hugged me and said, "I had the best time! Thanks Mom!" That right there is what it's all about, stepping out of your comfort zone and making memories.  I can not wait for our beach trips this summer.  I say I'm ready for weekly!

I think the best part of this trip was watching our ten year olds together.  Lene and Lo are a day apart and have been destined to be friends like their mamas.  In the fifth grade vernacular, BFF gets thrown around rather loosely.  One week it's with this person, the next it's with that one.  And sometimes it's hurtful that friendships can seemingly change in the blink of an eye.  So it's important that we  both stress to our girls the importance of longevity and investing in years of friendship before anyone earns that title.  They see us and know it's the real deal.  Real friends really do become family. The idea that they knew each other before they were even born is something only the two of them share and it is neat to watch it develop.  As many friends as they have at school, there's just something special about that friend that you consider family.

No one could really narrow down their favorite part about this Spring Break.  Neither could I.  That's what I call successful!

Hamster, Happiness and Everything in Between

Last week was one of a kind, really.  We had to lay Lene's hamster, Skittles, also known by Nessa as Scoots, to rest.  The kids just happened to have minimum day for most of the week so she had a few girls over to celebrate his life.  It was a beautiful service with bible verses read, two eulogies and a most quaint rendition of "Star Spangled Banner."  His final resting place is in grandma and grandpa's backyard alongside some of our other furry friends who have gone before.

The celebration was a simple gathering of friends, lifting each other up on an otherwise dark day.  I love the simplicity of being a kid and the things that make you feel better and more able to move on.  Note to self:  follow their leads.

The weekend was one of rest and family time.  Saturday ended up at the park with one of Jonathan's close friends from school.  It just happened we both arrived at the same time and got to let our kids enjoy each other's company while we visited and shared how faithful God has been in our lives.  I love when that happens:  what a gift!

Some lovely lemons were given to us from a friend's tree so what a perfect opportunity to make fresh squeezed lemonade together!  The top left picture was taken Saturday morning.  I happened to catch Jonathan with one of the neighbor boys, eating sunflower seeds atop our light posts in the front yard.  They were so cute to listen to and watch from afar.  I didn't want to ruin their third and fourth grade cuteness by opening the door to ask for a picture (even though it would have turned out much cuter ).  I was able to kick my feed up and listen to my girl as she belted out practice solo parts for choir.  Her voice, music to my ears regardless of if she gets a part.  Mother/Son night out with my Bubba-love-a  was a gift.  hearing his heart and all the happenings at school, sitting side by side and totally engaged in conversation for a whole meal with NO interruptions. . .priceless!!!

Sunday dinner at my uncle's with some home made Peruvian food was different from our average day but a gift nonetheless.  Being with my siblings and cousins is my idea of fun.  So much so, that we went out with another set of cousins for wine tasting the night before.  That was fun too!  What a great weekend we had!

Lent started and we gave up dessert as a family.  This sacrifice is a lot easier than television as we have done in the past.  I gave up my favorite social media outlet: Instagram.  It was too easy to browse aimlessly throughout my day.  It has only been a week and I feel like this fast will be a good one for me.  I feel it and it makes me realize how I waste time that could be spent truly connecting with my kids, husband, or friends.  I am still slowly sipping on Hands Free Mama.  I'm going through the house and donating forty bags in forty days and am being cautiously optimistic that my distracted, busy life is able to be reigned in.  I will use this Lenten season to focus on the ones who are here in my everyday world that need all of me--my eyes meeting theirs, my ears hearing their hearts, my hands holding theirs, my feet walking beside them to play or do, and all the while relishing this gift that is their childhood and the role I have to play in it.

In the meantime, I'm still stepping out on faith and seeing where God lands me.  Keeping my eyes on Him.  All the time.

Learning to Fly. . .I Mean Ride

A couple weeks ago we attempted to teach Janessa to ride a bike.  It all started when a friend passed one down to her and Ernie tried to find training wheels.  When he couldn't, he ended up finding her one to "start with" and then she could grow into using the other one which was a little bit bigger.  It's funny because all three of the older kids were very coordinated and riding bikes as early as two.  We expected this experience to be the same. . .it wasn't.  We realized after an hour of pulling Nessa around, that she hasn't had the same experiences and opportunities to learn as she has been considered the baby.   She also didn't have the motivation.  The playground continuously beckoned her, as did the large field to run around on and the other kids to chase.

Don't get me wrong, she tried. . .but to no avail.  And instead of just enjoying the moments, I felt myself getting frustrated with her.  I kept showing her how to pedal and showing her, and showing her, and she just wasn't getting it.  Eventually the playground prettiness won and she was off the bike enjoying the day.  I didn't really think about my reactions to her constant failing until yesterday at my Mom Heart Group.

One friend shared about potty training her son and how the Lord spoke to her. She said something like, "How many times are we going to have to go through this before you get it right?"  And then the Lord put upon her heart, "Yes, how many times?"  As she spoke, it resonated within me, those were pretty much my exact thoughts as I tried to teach Nessa to ride her bike.  And how about, that's Jesus' question to me throughout most of my day when it comes to learning how to parent my children and pour into their little hearts.  How many times will I blow my cool and have to ask forgiveness?  How many times will I speak without thinking?  How many times will I continue to feed into the craziness and add to the chaos?  How many times will I be frustrated with my reaction to my children's mistakes?  How many times will I sin and sin again?

The thing about my God is that He is gracious and patient.  He is loving and kind.  He will forgive me as often as I need Him to, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times." (Matthew 18:22).  All He wants from me is my heart and my willingness to follow Him and write the story He intends to be my life.

It doesn't matter how many times I make the same mistake. It doesn't matter how long I take to learn something.  All that matters is that He is there for me.  He comforts and holds me up when it feels like the world is falling apart around me.  He gives His love generously and ferociously because He loves us. . .ALL of us. 

So, the learning to ride thing is going to take longer than I think it should.  Who cares?  Who am I anyways?  More time to enjoy the process of learning, I guess.  I have the song, "Learning to Fly" playing on the radio of my mind.  I think my dad used to blast it in the van years ago. . .

Well some say life will beat you down
Break your heart, steal your crown
So I've started out, for God knows where
I guess I'll know when I get there

I'm learning to fly, around the clouds,
But what goes up must come down

I'm learning to fly, but I ain't got wings
Coming down is the hardest thing

There are enough bumps and twists and turns in the road to be worried about how many times  something is going to take.  Learn to fly, or ride, or parent at your own pace.  Life isn't a race; it's a journey.  Savor it.