Five Minutes

OK Ladies,

It is confession time. I went to my homepage and saw nothing new on the MOPS blog and wondered who dropped the ball. Then I looked at the schedule and found that I dropped the ball. And now I must confess that I not only dropped the ball, but am looking blankly at the computer screen wondering what to talk about on this Mommy and Me Thursday.

Last night, Simon and I painted. For about five minutes he spread blue and red paint over five post cards. He discovered the difference between spreading and dotting the paint. He found the fun of accidentally dotting his mother and turned it into the fun of deliberately smearing his mother. After five minutes he was done; the trucks were calling him.

Typically, I don't think much of five minutes and had I known the amount of time he would spend on that activity I probably wouldn't have gotten out the stuff, honestly. I don't often use five minutes to connect waiting for more time. But last night was five minutes and it will be a forever memory.

I wonder what do you do with your five minutes to connect? Seriously, let us inspire and encourage one another. I need five minute ideas!

Take a Minute

Yesterday, Abigail woke from a much needed nap earlier than Simon. She doesn't wake ready for the next thing. She needs a few minutes. She came into the living room and curled up in the sunny warmth of the green chair. We sit it close to the wall because sometimes you feel as if you will be dumped out on your head, as if your body weight has somehow made the chair determine to take revenge. She started staring out the window.

What are you thinking about?

Nothing. I'm just looking at the pine cones. 

Do you want me to get the tree book so we can figure out what it is? 

Yes.

I retrieved the tree book from our library. Smiling while remembering that I got it for competing in the 4-H National Forestry Competition. Don't tell my forester father, but I can't identify the conifer standing on the east side of our house. We got the book out and narrowed the tree to the spruce family. Beyond that I can't tell. No matter what it is a sparsely-limbed and poorly-coned spruce. We identified the other two spruces we could see from our window.

It was a sweet time cuddled in the chair, looking and talking and guessing. I am so glad I didn't walk passed her. I am encouraged to remember to take a minute to be with them. It fills us all up.

Moments that Count

Moments that Count

I recently spoke to my cousin who lives in Illinois. We were exchanging stories about the kids. Our talk took us back to the days when we were the kids.

On all holidays we filled our grandparents house to celebrate the day. We meaning four children, their spouses, and at least 8 grandkids (plus guests!). The house was filled with joy, holiday spirit, and noise. Lots of chaos!

As our conversation continued, we realized we could not remember a gift that we received during those holidays. We know there were gifts but now thinking about it, they didn’t matter. It was the moments we shared with our family.

As I am planning our Christmas in our new home, I want my children to remember the family moments. Of course there will be favorite presents and surprises. Everyone loves presents! I don’t want the gifts to be a main focus though.

That is why this year, I have a new plan. I plan on sitting with my children and making cards for the family that can’t be here with us because of distance. I plan on celebrating those who we have lost over the past few years even when tears come to my eye and my heart misses them so much. I plan on sharing stories of the children in Peru that my sister and brother in law had the honor of ministering to. You see I want to take the focus from Santa, presents and ourselves to show my children a whole world that we take for granted. I am thankful that my family instilled that into me and want my children to know the chaos of a house full…..of love.

~Donna Galderisi

Mommy and Me

Pulling in from our evening at church, my little son noticed that our yard was filled with snow. Not a lot of snow, but enough for him to drive his wagon, bicycle and big wheel through the snow and inspect the tracks that he created. He'd been waiting all of autumn for the chance to do this! He loves to see tracks in sand, mud and snow, and here was snow!!

"Mommy? Can I please just drive my wagon through the snow really quick?"

It's late... my head said
He hasn't slept enough this week
He's going to be cranky
He's only little once... grab this moment- will he even like making tracks in snow next winter?
Let him stay up and feel the joy of realized anticipation...
Rest and relish this short time with your son...

It was quiet, except for the sounds of toy vehicles coming and going from my garage. I saw his little face happily looking back behind each one to check out his tracks. "Mommy! Did you see the tracks my go cart made?" he said proudly. He slipped and fell, and decided right there to try to make a snow angel in our minimal amount of snow. The stars were easily visible. It was a perfect fifteen minutes.

I could have missed it....

Thankful!

These past few weeks, my husband and I have been sorting through stuff in our basement. I have truly saved every note, card and letter (and bill and bank statement) I've ever received, which makes for some intense sorting. I have felt the whole gambit of emotions: annoyed (why did I keep all of my bills from my first apartment?), amused (wow, did we pass some stupid notes folded in odd, football shapes in junior high!) disgusted (ewwww...why did I save the foot from my frog dissection in high school?). But most importantly, throwing all of these things away has given me a great chance to see what has happened in my life in the past 20 years. Many people have been born or died, many have married or divorced, many have grown up and many were at one time very prominent in my life but have gone our own ways since. Letters from my in-laws when we lost our baby, notes about our wedding, a newspaper clipping from a great weekend in Washington DC, letters from my aunt with whom I was so close. It's been both happy and sad.

When I saved these memories, I promised myself that I'd go through them and toss them by the time I was 40. And as I approach that milestone next summer, I'm doing as I said. But over the years that I saved them, I knew that I would have these very experiences. In 1994, as I tossed the baby baptism announcement about my niece into a box, I knew that someday I'd look on that and smile. That niece is 16 now, and I did! There is so much that the younger me knew the older me would cherish.

And so I realize today how thankful I am for the chance to see how cheap my bills were in my first apartment, I'm thankful to chuckle at junior high "problems", and even my frog's foot! I am thankful to the me who has persevered in saving, to my husband for moving these momentos 3 times in our time together, and to everyone who wrote to me over the years. The memories have been priceless!

Thank you, Lord, for building my life as you have. You planned me long ago, and I am grateful for the memories I have. Sometimes it's been hard to know where I'm going or why, but it is neat to look back and see it woven together.

"You have searched me, LORD, and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you, LORD, know it completely. You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain." Psalm 139:1-6