The Littles and The Bigs

I mentioned the other day that I got some alone time (if home with the twins counts!) Monday night.  After Dave and The Bigs left, The Littles and I hung out for a bit.  I laid them on my first ever quilt and snapped a few pics.  They are growing.  But they're still our Littles.

Milo (wearing Sam's old overalls)

Felix (being the chubbiest Geidlbot to date)

This picture makes me laugh.  It looks like they're rolling down a hill.  Milo's face is hilarious.

So, something I've been wanting to get better at is not worrying about The Bigs getting dirty when they play outside.  I don't mind a little dirt here and there, but mudpie dirty is not fun.  I hate giving baths.  Dave is our bath-giver.  But, I want my kids to get to be kids--which means me not hovering over their outside play.  I am not much of a helicopter mom in other arenas--just when it comes to more nasty messes I have to clean up.  So, today, I refused to hover.

And they delivered the mess.

So, I smiled and got the camera and didn't yell or scold.

I first saw Monkey.  He was brownish green.  Then I saw Lucy's mud beard.

NASTY.

Maryn was just kind of dusty.  Not too shabby.

Sam was intentionally using drops of water from the hose to make mud.  

His hands may be a little stained from it.

I gave them a bath.  

It wasn't so bad.

I kept a positive attitude and didn't yell or scold.

And we all survived.

Life is not a Big Gulp.

I miss running.  I want to do it.  I am going to search for some time to do it.  I think it would feel so refreshing right now.  Just me, the pavement, and the woods around my house.  I just get SO tired...

The babies have started sleeping through the night (well, except for last night, but that was my fault...).  This is shocking to me.  I have done nothing to encourage this, but it is happening!  Both of them!  At the same time!  I hope it will continue.  Maybe then I will have more energy for running.  :)

Dave took the big kids with him last night to CR in Conway.  I wanted to go, but I knew I just needed to be at home and recharge.  I'm discovering that I need more margin in my life.  I have not been very scheduled the last five years or so, but now, I am thriving on a schedule.  It is the only way I can live well right now.  Anyway, I'm realizing that I have to make room for my family, for the things that will bring us peace in our home, for the friends and ministries we want to be a part of (by the way, we've found a local body to worship with!!!), and for myself.  I need this.

So, my goals this Spring are to declutter my life--of possessions, of plans, of anything that just makes me BUSY.  No more busy work.

Life is NOT an emergency (Ann Voskamp).

It's not.  I need to stop living like it is.

I don't need to beat myself up that my kids aren't eating homemade snacks right now.

I need to value my time more and be willing to sacrifice so that my time is best spent.

In fact, I need to nap more.  It's next to impossible, but I can make it happen if I will let go of some things.

Life is to savored--sipped, not gulped--and I've been living Life in Big Gulps.

Time to slow down and focus on what matters most--living well for Jesus, for my family, for my friends, and for me.  Take time to be healthy...time to be joyful...time to be thankful...time to model this for my children.

Life is NOT a Big Gulp.

Little sips...

Life in the Fast Lane

I'm going 85 in a 70.  That's what it feels like most days.  My friend, who also had twins, said she was a robot for about three years.

I am a Geidlbot.  How appropriate!

The twins' naps are getting a little more difficult.  Felix has a hard time settling down.  They're doing that 45 minute wake-up thing that mommies dread.  Milo is rolling over and waking himself up.

It's just a phase.

Lucy is pulling poo out of her diaper and smearing it.  Yuck.  I am pottytraining her now.  I have never liked pottytraining, and I still don't.  I wish I could just wiggle my nose, and she'd get it.  Her speech makes it more difficult to communicate, and that makes the whole process harder.  I hope she gets it soon.  It is hard to juggle.  I do it, but I would prefer not to.

I am not a clown.

I am considering abandoning my blog.  The thought makes me wistful, but I feel like my life is too busy or too mundane to blog about.  I've lost my fervor, and I think I've lost my audience as well.  I'm not really bummed over it, but I'm just not sure enough people read it for me to keep doing it.  I don't know.  I haven't decided yet...I know I've talked like this before, so we'll see what happens.

Anyway, I am still enjoying my gratitude journal.  I've been tested over and over by circumstances that threaten to steal my gratitude and joy.  Even as I was cleaning up poo, I was determined to find something to be thankful for...which was, in that instance, that the poo wasn't diarrhea.  Gross, I know, but you know, something to be thankful for--just the same.

And the list grows...

#46 The way Jesus heals
#49 Learning to deal with anger
#53 The way Lucy's hair curls on the ends
#57 Sam's explanations
#64 The way the Holy Spirit speaks the same thing to a bunch of people to teach us all as a Body at the same time
#68 Sowing to the Spirit
#71 Maryn's laugh
#72 My kids trying to play the quiet game
#84 Spots of purple, pink, and white in a world of brown and gray
#85 Sunlight sliding on spiderwebs