Birth Thoughts

As I get closer and closer to what will likely be my last time giving birth, I am feeling rushed and unprepared. I've spent all my energy getting things in order so that I won't be playing (as much) catch up after this baby comes. Now that the children are asleep, the house is quiet and dark, and today's last load of laundry is in the dryer, I feel the need to unwind and reflect on spiritual things. When I've felt nervous or anxious about this upcoming birth I have pushed the thought aside by staying busy. In doing so, I have neglected the most important thing I can do to prepare for this baby, and that is to work daily at being in tune with the Holy Spirit. Today I am setting a goal to invite the Spirit into my daily life and to take the time to be still and listen to it's promptings.

Speaking of the gift and responsibility of motherhood, President Thomas S. Monson once said:

"Who can comprehend in its entirety the lofty role of a mother? With perfect trust in God, she walks, her hand in His, into the valley of the shadow of death, that you and I might come forth into light." 

When I begin this journey of becoming mother one last time, I want nothing else but to begin this new life with my hand in Christ's. I don't want to miss my chance to experience this spirituality of this birth to the fullest.

The holiest words my tongue can frame,

The noblest thoughts my soul can claim,

Unworthy are to praise the name

More precious than all other.

An infant, when her love first came,

A man, I find it still the same,

Reverently I breathe her name,

The blessed name of mother.

It's About Family

When Beetle was attending first grade at the local public school, she often mentioned how sad she was that she was not able to spend more time with her family. She told her younger brother, Toni, that he was so lucky he got to stay home with Brighty (her baby sister) while she had to go to school all day. Beetle would often come home to find that we had been to someplace as simple as the grocery store without her, and she would feel left out.

When I first asked her if she would like to be home schooled she practically jumped out of her skin with excitement!

As Beetle began spending more time at home with us, her relationship with her younger siblings grew. Her then 2-year-old brother Hoodoo, would wake up from his naps, walk out into the hall, and the first thing he would do was call her name. One day, after finishing our lessons, Beetle gave Brighty a bath in the kitchen sink and helped get her diapered and dressed. She got so much pleasure out of helping with such a simple task. I remember thinking what a blessing it was to have her home with us and not miss out on all the potential bonding time together. Few things are more rewarding to me than seeing my children enjoy each other.

Down Time

Beetle, Toni, and Hoodoo playing "bunnies" with construction paper costumes and real carrots.

Last night, I met a woman at a bridal shower, we'll call her Sarah, and we struck up a conversation. I learned that Sarah is an elementary school teacher. Sarah told me about her sister-in-law who recently had her fifth child and happens to home school as well. Since Sarah recently had the opportunity to stay with her sister-in-law and help with the children after their baby was born, she observed what their home school was like. Sarah told me she had many reservations about home schooling. I asked her, "Why?" and her response was this:

"There was a lot of down time."

We were interrupted right at that moment and didn't get to finish our conversation. Her words have been replaying in my mind over and over again. Oh how I wish I had been able to respond to her comment.

Down time. Isn't that one of the beauties of home schooling? Because quality book learning takes a fraction of the time when a child has such individualized attention, there is so much time left over for children to be children! Since when did play time become a waste of time and book learning become the only valuable form of education? Are children not learning when they use their cleverness to create alternate worlds where imaginary characters live intricate lives together? Or when they write welcome home letters to their daddy on the driveway with sidewalk chalk? Or help make dinner, or bake cookies? As far as I'm concerned, their play time is sacred time. It's a time where they take what they've learned through books and apply it to their lives.

Recent things my children have done during their (dreaded) down time:

• Built forts with blankets
• Written and practiced their own play to perform for Mom and Dad
• Practiced piano (my 7 year old)
• Played in the dirt
• Rode their bikes
• Chased the chickens
• Traced each others shadows with sidewalk chalk
• Traced each others bodies with sidewalk chalk
• Written short stories 
• Written in their journals
• Folded an assortment of paper airplanes
• Written letters to grandparents
• Taken photos and recorded videos of each other
• Played a wide variety of pretend games
• Built towers with Legos
• Played with toy trains/tracks
• Begun hand-sewing a quilt for a doll (my 7 year old)
• Made dice out of construction paper and invented a new game
• Looked at my old scrap books
• Danced to music
• Helped with household chores
• Created math worksheets for each other to complete
• Drew pictures
• Played in the bath tub
• Made their own lunch
• Read books

I am very grateful that my children have so much down time.