Steady Mom

all kids have special needs.

Today I'm sharing over on Simple Homeschool about what I've learned as a mama to a child with special needs.

From my post:

"Over a decade ago, I had the extraordinary honor of working with special needs children in both schools and homes. I mainly helped them and their families in whatever way I could, and did my best to shower a little extra love their way. I worked with some children who were severely disabled, a child with cerebral palsy, a child with ADHD, and children with autism.

I both loved and feared this work. Loved it–because I felt like I was making a difference in the lives of these families and learning so much at the same time.

Feared it–because in the back of my mind I wondered if maybe God was preparing me for something. Like one day he was going to “make” me have a child with special needs of my own.

Warped, I know.

It turns out He didn’t make me, instead He made me want a child with special needs. Want to adopt one, to be exact. My husband and I, with some fear, but a bit of faith too, chose it–and the child God brought in His wisdom is our daughter Trishna."

Head here to read the rest and join the discussion!

My girl, soon after coming home at the age of four. Isn’t she gorgeous? Photo by pennybird

the reason you need margin in your day

I sat at the dining table in the early morning--in the midst of writing my to-do list for the day ahead. I had started adding a few items, like:

* Take kids on homeschool outing
* Wash & fold laundry
* Make burritos for dinner...

Suddenly I heard the heavy thumping of what sounded like a child falling. Instead, it was a child who thought it a good idea to roll a pumpkin down the stairs before breakfast. He then brought me the battered pumpkin, which had once been painted. A trail of scraped off paint made its way from the child's bedroom, across the hallway, and down the stairs.

Lovely way to start the day, right?

I smiled, explained why that might not be a great idea, and sent the child back upstairs with the dustbuster to clean up the paint. Then I went back to my to-do list, which I had completed and now looked like this:

* Take kids on homeschool outing
* Wash & fold laundry
* Make burritos for dinner
* Write Steady Mom post
* Create outline for Monday's post on Simple Homeschool
* Begin draft for Monday's post on SH

In my periphery I saw the same child with the dimpled grin coming my way again. "This isn't working," he says, pointing at the dustbuster. Turns out he had done an "experiment."

His scientific query--Can a dustbuster be used to suck up water from the toilet?

And all before breakfast. Really?!

At this point my smile and my explanation were not quite as bright. Desperate to not give in to weariness before 8 am, I sent the child back upstairs and turned to my to-do list for help. In big letters I wrote:

THE REASON I HAVE MARGIN IS FOR THE MESS

This is why, sweet mamas, we can't "do it all." This is why we must use the secret behind a schedule that actually works. Because the messes will happen, and we will lose our cool and our joy if every minute is stretched and accounted for. We need a margin surrounding our "must-do's" to leave room for the "have-to's."

Then maybe, just maybe, we'll be able to call our husband later and explain with a laugh about said child's clever "experiment." (The dustbuster still works, hallelujah!)

"A broad margin of leisure is as beautiful in a man's life as in a book.
Haste makes waste, no less in life than in housekeeping.
Keep the time, observe the hours of the universe, not of the cars."
~ Henry David Thoreau

start with what's in your hand.

Sometimes we miss out on what might make our lives easier or better. We don't do this intentionally--we just have "high standards."

We have an image in our minds of an ideal:

the ideal house

the ideal babysitter

the ideal extracurricular activity for the kids

the ideal time to write

the ideal church

the ideal part-time job

the ideal child.

(you get the point.)

But I've found that God has often provided, and we're missing it. We need to start with what's already in our hands. When we do, He can multiply it and make it into exactly what our family needs.

The question isn't, "Have I finally found my ideal?" Instead it's "Is this what is right for this season of our lives?"

That church down the street might not suit us exactly, but it might bring a community our way.

We might only have 15 minutes between kid interruptions to start that new project, but 15 minutes eventually adds up.

Our home might be in need of updating, but it is in a peaceful environment where our children can thrive.

It might be ideal to live near family who could babysit, but today Netflix will do.=)

What has God already placed in your hand? How can you use that to take one small step in the right direction?

Sometimes what we need most of all is momentum. God can take our imperfect offering and transform it into the ideal...for us...in this moment.

Start with what's in your hand.

“If one advances confidently in the direction of one's dreams,
and endeavors to live the life which one has imagined,
one will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.”

~ Henry David Thoreau

 

teaching my children to bake--how & why I'm doing it

Today I'm writing on Simple Homeschool about the baking lessons I recently started with Trishna and Jonathan.

I'm sharing about it here as well because I think this activity is both fun and educational whether or not you homeschool!

From my post:

 

"About a month ago, I started teaching my children to bake. For years they have watched and "helped" me in the kitchen, standing around the center island with their own mixing bowls. But recently I felt my kids were ready to bake on their own.

I expected this would be fun--but I had no idea how much of a positive impact it would have on our home.

Baking is now a core component of our school day on Tuesdays. (Doesn't this bring to mind Little House?!)

"Ma used to say: Wash on Monday, Iron on Tuesday, Mend on Wednesday, Churn on Thursday, Clean on Friday, Bake on Saturday, Rest on Sunday. Laura liked the churning and the baking days best of all the week."
- Little House in the Big Woods

Want to know how and why we've added baking to our curriculum?"

Head here to read the rest!