Beautiful Crazy Faith: Breathe

I don't know about you but sometimes I feel like I forget to breathe! Does that sound weird? At times I feel so overwhelmed about all the things I ~~need to~~ do think I need to do, BELIEVE I need to do, that at times I catch myself holding my breath!

Someone please tell me that I am not the only one.

I have a lot to cram into my day and somedays I feel like the only one in the world that has as much to do as I do. (although realistically I know I am not) I get frustrated. I don't want to feel like this. I don't want to miss the small things because most of the time they are the most beautiful, the most important AND its usually the stuff that teaches you the most....if you let it. I don't want to miss out on these beautiful moments just because I am battling with the things that I THINK I NEED to be doing. Who says these things anyway?

I have to remind myself that being a home schooling Mama is more or less the equilivant to having a outside-of-the-house job of some sort. Working Mamas still have washing to hang, fold and put away, still have bathrooms to clean and floors to vacuum, as do I. Having 'Number 6' on the way has got me looking for ways to streamline, normal everyday household jobs...like folding washing. And if you know anything about me you already know that I HATE folding washing!!!

Like having a Family "Life Skills" Lesson in folding washing!

I just know that one day someone is going to thank me for this!

I have to keep myself in check and even though it is cliche I have to remind myself and if I forget to do that, Jamie will happily remind me

"Don't sweat the small stuff"

It really doesn't matter that the kids have breakfast cereal for dinner every now and then.

It really doesn't matter if I buy a packet of biscuits to take somewhere because I just can't (or don't want to) squeeze baking in to my day.

It really doesn't matter if the dishes remain unwashed overnight and the floors don't get vacuumed that day (or if I am totally honest - a few days)

Can I hear gasps of horror?

Everything always gets done eventually!

I think children have a lot to teach us.

How to make something beautiful out of nothing.

How to amuse oneself by creating and having fun out of simple things.

Take one box of firewood and two little girls imagination and determination...do you know how many times it fell down!

But...dare I say this, while all this creating, building and imagining is going on...sometimes I just need some peace and tranquility. Two things that are a little (a lot) hard to come by in my house. But even now and then, just once in a while I would like not to be living in a flippin kindergarten/school/art room/science lab/sports arena/wrestling ring!! Just sometimes I would like to be able to function without ducking rubber bullets, standing on lego, little fingers eating the biscuit dough,finding my baking utensils in the bedroom and plastic animals in my kitchen drawers!

Breathe Sharni, just breathe.

Its the "I love you Mummy" moments that make it all worth while.

Like....

Snuggles in bed,

"Mummy, you are the best" declarations,

Flowers picked especially for me,

The 11 year olds random hugs,

The 7 year old saving me the 'black and red' lollies cos he knows I like them.

"I just love the dress you are wearing" comments.

and all those other special things that children do for you.

No mountain of washing or un-vacuumed floors should deter us from basking in these small delights!

In school......

The Ragcoat by Lauren Mills

and

Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt by Deborah Hopkinson

One raining Monday morning, 'school' was replaced by making 'quilt pictures'!

We had a lot of fun, especially if you don't count the fights over the two pairs of sharp scissors. (I should of expected it really, 5 kids and 2 pairs of decent scissors)