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It's Spirit Week at Trinity Academy of Raleigh.
Monday....Pajama Day
Tuesday...Tacky Day (Oh my! What an outfit my daughter put together! It's quite an accomplishment to be "good" at dressing tacky.)
Wednesday...Wear your best--dress up day.
Today....
Dress up as your favorite TV or movie character.
Hmmmmmm....This was a tough one.
But, Courtney came up with something uniquely Courtney.
Can You guess who she dressed up as?
No? Here's another look.....
Give up?
The Mad Hatter!!!
Back to my last post......
I've been thinking a lot about the things I am doing that will leave a lasting impression on my children--the things that matter most.
A friend sent me a great blog post to read that talked about that very thing. The author is kids columnist Megan Tietz of Sorta Crunchy. She had some great thoughts that I wanted to pass along.
It’s hard for many of us to think about our own mortality, but the truth is that if we are wondering what our lasting legacy will be, we must begin at the end of our lives.
If you keep a journal or some written record of your life, it might not be a bad idea to actually write down your answers to these questions. I find there is something in the act of writing that makes an idea more concrete.
Photo by Andreanna Moya Photography
As we consider our hopeful legacy, we must take the next pivotal step of evaluating who we are and what we are doing now that either contributes to or takes away from building that legacy.
• If I want my children to remember me as a constant safe place in their lives, I must make the conscious choice to be a safe place for them on a day-to-day basis. If I’m too busy to calm their big feelings or to listen to their hopes and dreams, then I am too busy. My schedule must be loosened up so that I can be the person I want them to remember.
• If I want to leave a legacy of practicing hospitality, I need to be intentional in creating an oasis at home where anyone is welcome, anytime. I need to be willing to open my heart and our front door, welcoming others in no matter how untidy the house may be.
• If I hope to pass on my love for literature, literacy, and learning, then I need to thoughtfully create a home that cultivates a love of reading. Trips to the library, ample time for bedtime reading, and frequent family reading times are all things I can intentionally plan to contribute to a legacy honoring the love of learning.
Of course, these are just a few ideas that are important to me. Perhaps your legacy might include world travel, meaningful social justice work, rescuing abused animals, preparing exquisite meals, or involvement with local government . . . The possibilities are endless and are entirely unique to you!
One of my favorite lines from the movie Up is when Russell tells Mr. Frederickson, “That might sound boring, but I think the boring stuff is the stuff I remember the most.”
I think that’s an incredible reminder that as parents we can dream, plan, and act on all of the things that we want our children to remember about us — or not. We are building a legacy every day, whether or not we are intentional about it.
Grace comes in to remind us that even the smallest, most seemingly insignificant, or even boring things are the things our children will remember long after we are gone. Bike rides, bubble baths, making cookies, singing silly songs loudly, hide-and-seek on rainy days, and hopscotch on the sidewalk — these are a pivotal part of what we will leave behind.
My mom often laments that when we were kids, she yelled too much or didn’t get down on the floor and play with us enough; somehow the passage of time has already softened that for me, and I tend to remember fondly that she almost always had a great snack waiting for us after school and that she never, ever missed a choir concert.
As I’ve given much thought to my own legacy in the past few weeks, I’ve realized I don’t want my children to remember me only in silhouette – a face turned toward a screen. The time we have to share with children sharing the same roof with us is short and fleeting, and if I want the memories my children will someday cherish to be of me completely connected and entirely engaged in our 3-D life, then I don’t have the luxury of spending my days chasing the elusive and the temporary.
As we move forward into 2011, let’s purpose to keep our hearts and minds fastened on that which will last.
Lately I've been thinking a lot about the memories we are creating that are going to be meaningful to my children in the years to come. This morning I had coffee with a dear friend and we talked about this very thing. As I have gotten older, these are the thoughts that are most prevalent in my ponderings.
I want to make sure that my kids know what is important in life. I don't want to spend all of my time worrying about insignificant things.
There is so much family history that I am afraid will be lost. (I think that having my mom move here has made me more aware of stories that I want to make sure we talk about and/or write down.)
I want our kids to have great memories of our home and when reflecting on their growing up years, I want them to remember it as a place where love, laughter, grace and unconditional acceptance flowed freely. I want them to think of our home as a happy place.
These things don't just happen on their own. We have to be intentional as parents.
One of the things that I know I have been a little negligent about is the discipline of writing things down. Most of my journaling is about my personal junk. To be honest, when I die--I hope they burn those journals--no one needs to read all of that garbage.
I'm a terrible scrapbooker--I want to do it--but it is just WAY TOO OVERWHELMING at this point. So, there will be very little documented about the Stoner family.
The other day I came across this little gem--
Isn't it a beauty? I love it for the cover alone......but..........look at the pages.....
And, it's even better inside! It's a five year journal. All you do is answer one question a day in five lines or less. I can handle that! I can't wait to see how my answers change over the next five years. It's not much history--but it's a tidbit of written history that I can pass on.
More ponderings to come.
Don't you just love a snow day--when schools and businesses are shut down? There is something exciting about waking up and realizing that none of the things you had planned to do will be able to happen. Sleeping in and playing are on the agenda. It's always a fun day for hanging out with the family.
That's what today was like when we woke up and everything was covered in ice. The cars were coated with a thick blanket. The roads were slick and dangerous. Everyone was advising us to stay home and off the roads. That sounded like a good plan.
Unfortunately--I had an agenda.
I have been itching to get in the kitchen and make some freezer meals. I used to be really great at making meals ahead. It makes life so much easier when I have done some preparations for our meals ahead of time. One of our family values is to eat dinner together as much as possible. Lately, I've been scrambling to have a plan for dinner by 4:00 in the afternoon.
So, this seemed like the perfect opportunity to do some cooking.
I don't feel very confident driving on snow and ice, so, I convinced Greg to take me to the grocery store. (He was Indiana born and bred, so these winter roads don't scare him!)
Greg, Courtney and I headed out to Walmart for a family shopping trip. I was armed with my list of all our necessary supplies.
When we got home, we hit the ground running. We used all available counter space and cooking space.
We filled both ovens.
Filled two crock pots.
8 hours later..........
14 meals:
Chicken Teriyaki (2)
Taco Meat (2)
Pork Bar-be-que (2)
Italian Beef (2)
Chicken Pot Pie
Chicken Chili
Ham
Chicken Enchiladas
Baked Ziti
Chicken and Noodles
It's been a good day. I love results. They make me feel good about myself. I have issues.
For several years now I have been hearing people talk about choosing one word that will help them focus on their goals for the coming year. I was intrigued, but not so much that I jumped in. I've been hanging back....partly because I didn't want to commit myself to something that I might be held accountable for. I'm often so afraid of failure. Isn't that a great way to live?
Well, I've been chewing on this concept for a while now. I've tossed around several words in my head, but nothing seemed quite right.
I want a word that inspires me to take steps forward on my journey.
I want a word that gives me a mental picture--because I am a visual learner.
Then, over the Christmas holidays, my family and I went to see a movie and my word jumped out at me. We saw Narnia, the Voyage of the Dawn Treader. It is my favorite of all of the Narnia books. In it, a very unpleasant boy named Eustace Scrubb turns into a dragon because of his selfishness and greed. His outward appearance takes on the ugliness of his inward self.
He eventually tries to shed his skin, along with his dragonish nature, by bathing himself in a healing pool. At first Eustace thinks this will be a simple task as he easily and painlessly scrapes and sheds his dragon skin. But as soon as he heads toward the waters, he discovers that a new one has quickly taken its place.
That’s when Aslan, the great lion of Narnia, graciously offers to take the scales off for him. Even though it is a painful process, the end result is the healing, restoration, and transformation of Eustace into a completely different person.
“The very first tear he made was so deep that I thought it had gone right into my heart,” Eustace explains.
So, my word for 2011......
shed
In every area of my life, shedding needs to happen.
I need to shed
clutter,
attitudes,
pounds,
behaviors,
habits,
distractions....
Sometimes I feel like Eustace, burdened with a dragon's skin. I know that the process of shedding will not come without pain, but I am looking forward to the freedom that comes from transformation.
Welcome 2011!
I can't wait to see what you have in store for me. Who knows what will happen over the course of the next year. But, as I step into it, here are some big ideas I have for the next 12 months.
1. Sell some stuff.
When my mom bought her house, it was filled with antique furniture. I made a deal and bought the whole house full. (No one had been living in it for 2 years). So, now I've got some work to do. I'll be posting it all on Craig's List in the coming days. I'd like to make a buck or two.
2. Love my husband better.
I am really thankful for this man that God has paired me with. Both of our girls will be out of the house this year and in college, so I am looking forward to spending time together--just the two of us.
3. Hang out with some couple friends.
One of the things that naturally happens when you have kids is that your life suddenly becomes filled up with their stuff. Your schedule is dictated by their needs. Your friends become their friends' parents. That's awesome on one level. But, when your kids grow up and it's not necessary for you to be as involved in their day to day schedules, we often find ourselves spending a lot of time alone. While spending time alone together as a couple is critical, it's also healthy to have friendships with other couples. So, that's one of the things I'd like to do better this year. It takes some effort. But, I think it is worth the effort. (So, anyone want to hang out?)
4. Read more.
Those who know me know that I read a lot. It's really one of my favorite pastimes. But, this year I'd like to read more nonfiction. I don't really like nonfiction. But, I realize that I can learn a great deal from reading it. So, my goal for the year--one nonfiction book a month. (That may be unrealistic--but I'll give it a shot.)
5. Write letters.
Remember when you were a child and a letter or card came in the mail for you? There was something thrilling about seeing your name handwritten on the envelope. Everyone loves getting mail. Real mail--not bills, junk mail, or something stamped with "current resident". In these days of texting, facebook and email, written communication has definitely taken a back seat. But, I think there is still something special about writing out a note to someone. So this year, I plan to do a lot more of that.
6. Start some new groups for young moms.
In my last post, I mentioned that one of the surprises of the past year for me was how much I was loving the moms group that I started. I think young moms need encouragement and someone that can come along side them and say "keep up the good work, you can do this"! Although I don't know any details or haven't figured out a structure--this year I would like to get some more of these groups going. That excites me.
7. Choose one little word for the year.
This needs a post all its own, so I will write more about this later.
