Less Is More


This has been true for me this year.  There is so much out there to be done. So many activities beckon.  My kids are in Awana and this week is the derby.  I bought them both the pinewood kits with blocks of wood to be designed, sawed and painted and raced.  They acted excited and said they wanted to do it.  I didn't want to disappoint them, even though I knew it was the last thing my husband wanted to do- make them each a car.  Spend hours on each of them.  The fact is, derby cars put my husband in a bad mood.  But "all" the other kids were going to race a car!  They would be having fun, and my kids needed to have fun too, right??

As the days ticked by, I knew the stress involved with crafting the cars was multiplying.  So we sat the kids on the couch on evening a week ago and talked about what making the cars would mean.  It would mean working with daddy on the cars instead of playing games, going to a movie, going skiing, wrestling, playing hide-and-seek, or whatever other things we felt like doing together in the evenings last week or on the weekend.  It took no longer than a second for them to say "I want to play instead." 

I know many dads couldn't wait to make a car with their kids- and I am sure that their enthusiasm will translate into a really fun experience for all.  But my kids' Daddy would rather wrestle, tickle, deal a deck of cards or take in a matinee than make a derby car.  Derby cars put him in a bad mood.  I realized that this is just fine- maybe even great.  We can't do everything.  If we do everything, so many of those things aren't fun after all.  If Derbys aren't fun for Daddy, then we will do something else and be happy to do it.  At church last Wednesday, when I got to say "no we don't need a race packet... we aren't doing the race."  I felt SO RELIEVED!  Less is more. 

Next on my list is cancelling our gym membership as soon as swimming lessons are over.  For the last couple years, I have felt it more of a burden than a treat.  It takes an hour and a half to get a work out in (driving, working out, driving home) and I found myself going to the gym (because I was paying for it) rather than going to story time with Holland, staying home to play or to explore a park).  I am looking forward to more runs with the jogging stroller, bike rides and do-it-yourself workouts in my basement.

Here are a few things we have goten to enjoy this month:


We found out that Henry, our backyard squirrel, likes the walnuts that Grandma collected from her backyard.  Picture taken by Daddy during afternoon home alone with his girls.


Roast Sticky Chicken

Whole wheat bread rising

and baking... along with the last of the rhubarb in my deep freeze.



Ski School!  A picture to proove that I have a son who is adorable and picture-worthy.  We miss him while he's at school!


Comments

  1. JulieFebruary 7, 2012 at 6:40 AM

    You are "figuring it out" so well. We can't do it all, nor should we. I am happy reading this.

    ReplyDelete

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