Although I jumped into parenting head first (pardon the pun) with little insight, no manual, no training and no active pay,
the fruits of my labor have survived to this day.
The amazement of growth in play
Blogs me today!
Look at what we've accomplished! Look at what boys love to do!
Keeping it clean....one step at a time!
One mans junk is any boys treasures.
Blessed with four Sons I've had so much to discover.
Our kitchens are so entertaining that we should be charging admission just to get in!
A kitchen is the hub of a house, it's where the pulse is as present as the hums and whirs, where plans are cooked up between the brews- of trouble and caffeine. Tis' a safe place to share whines and other words
and a place where sense of life can and should be carefully stirred. A place where heart may be served
warmly on a sleeve and is a natural source of nourishment for those in the need. The kitchen presents hidden treasures and smells to behold while crafting up memories that never grow old.
Celebrate your children in the kitchen today. Throw a counter top party and just play.
I understood that a willingness to be creative in the area of financial compromises would be a challenge but I never imagined how much fun it would be!
23 years after we eliminated the option of a second full time income for the preference of being a stay at home Mom I can say,
I am grateful for the memories of the moments in time that I have been afforded with the loves of my life.
There is nothing as valuable as owning the memories that I have shared in the kitchen with my kids.
Together we played at the Game of Life. We played math games with cupcakes and crafted Coliseums from sugar cubes. We made letters with salt dough and and baked hand formed Polymer dudes. We made music with pots and pans, beat on cups and bowls and cans. We baked cookies and kneaded "boy beaten" bread dough until finally hoping to form several loaves- for baking. We put food coloring into spray bottles and into the bath and painted acrylic paint on everything else. We cut up paper snowflakes and pasted pictures from magazines into manila scrapbooks- now keepsakes of these years. Me made sandwiches we never ate and sold lemonade that wasn't great. We cut up lettuce for pets; Hamsters and a white Mouse too, as we learned about raising the Stick bugs that came home in grade two! We kept caterpillars in milk jugs and made corn starch and mud sludge muffins for Dad that we all then pretended were the best we ever had!
Look at all the things boys love to do!
My boys would would wander in and line up on the other side of the Kitchen island, standing together, each on his own chair in the dining area, wearing messy hair and PJ's and big smiles on their faces, happily declaring with great enthusiasm that they all wanted to help!
I initially seized the innocence of the offerings with the naivety that a lack of parenting can precipitate.
With no back up plan and too much rigidity, their emotions would get the best of me.
To exist is to educate.
I quickly learned that plans will change and that I had better have something up my sleeve.
"Mom he's touching my dough"
"Mom tell him to let the hamster go"
"Mom I can't finish this, I have to go!"
"Mom, he's looking at me"
"Hmm, I see" I learned to reply to the commotion in motion, which in turn would buy me time to find or retrieve the Distraction tool I was going to need, Action Distraction
Distraction is a wonderful tool and can be effective if introduced in due time with honest interest and enthusiasm.
Once the dough has been thrown the appropriate plan may no longer be distraction but instead may require a physical reaction- removal of the reactor.. The calm in the eye of a storm is where survival skills are honed.
"Well look at this" I declared when I opened the junk drawer below me, located on my side of the kitchen island. Immediately I had the attention of 3 quiet, curious faces.
The dough dropped on the counter, the hamster ran for the cage, the third Son went to the bathroom and the youngest was pushing to see..
"OK guys, let's clean up this mess so we can sort out the drawer" and the chant quickly began
"Clean up, clean up everybody everywhere. Clean up, clean up everybody do your share..."
This catchy tune became a mantra of mine. Thanks Barney for the song that never leaves my mind...
Habits are creations of consistency and are as necessary a life skill as reading the same favorite book, or watching the same movie over and over again. A new perspective on attention to detail is delivered on every occasion to re visit.
Timing is as important in the distraction delivery as the tone of voice you use. How much fun does it really sound like to sort the drawer? How enthusiastic and creative are your suggestions? How much fun do YOU want to have.
Just DO IT. Participate and feel great.
After a final wipe to the counter top, I pulled out and dumped the junk drawer contents onto an old towel I had first spread out on the counter.
"Wow" I hear in unison from my newly intrigued audience. (The bathroom breaker now back on his chair)
"Look at all this stuff." my oldest declared.
"I found a dinky toy!" says the next.
"Look Mom, here's a button, should I save it for you?" asked my third Son.
"Hey look there's a marble in here! Look Mom there are two"
"Well look at that" I declared again as I turned to put the 2 loaves of bread that I did manage to form into the oven to bake.
About the same time I realized the potential of the opportunities that stood before me. Intrigue, wonder, curiosity and a willingness to please were all awaiting me.
Seizing the opportunity I grabbed wooden spoons to sectioned off four stations on the towel, as I explained to the boys that Sorting was the name of the game.
We talked about the treasures they found and the piles that each would create and as they set off to organize...I set about to make up my mind....hmm maybe I'll bake a cake?
Not what I had planned for earlier in my day but I was learning that plans are made to be changed. Flexibility is healthy, if they be happy I be too!
I did get my cake baked and the icing whipped up too while sharing in the beautiful ways
a boy will say and do, all the wonderful little things that boys will say and do.
Still in the kitchen by late afternoon, I need more coffee and the kids needed food, another timely distraction would soon be due.
"I'm hungry. Anyone want to help me make sandwiches?" I asked
"I do."
"I do."
"Yeah, me too."
"I wanna help" the last declared as I expected him to do. I'm so lucky to have so much help, it's true, it's true, it's true, it's true
The piles they had been sorting were quite a sight and they wanted Dad to see their work when he got home that night. As proud they were of their accomplishments, I was of mine, so we left the counter as it were and sat at the table to dine.
After serving supper and bathing away the messes created on a body in a day,
we reading stories together as we ate cake. I ponder for a moment as I reflect on my day,
How sweet it is to participate at exhausting myself ever day, while learning to Mother as I labor away....
After tucking in and settling Son by Son, I'd wandered outside to contemplate Westward at the setting Sun.
Knowing that my work as a Mother will never be done, I stumble to bed not long after I'm done!
"Morning Mom, can I have some juice and what will we do today?" I hear from behind me the first riser say.
After pouring my coffee and counting my blessings I turned towards him to say,
What shall we do today?..What shall we do today, what shall we do today, what shall we do?
Shall we start a new adventure like writing on the walls....
thanks to Pippy Longstocking for this little jingle. I still sing it out loud.
"Let's see what Alan Nursall is doing today"
Sitting beside my Son sipping my coffee on the couch, wearing messy hair and PJ's with a big smile on my face, I snuggle into his place in time.
"I love you Son and I'm so glad your mine" I share as I smile at him.
Smiling back at me and then away from me, he lifts the blanket for his brother and not long after, his other and soon following, his other brother to get under the cover.
Sipping my coffee in my PJ's I understand that the beauty of the day is not in how I look but rather in what we will discover today.
"I love you Mom" they have each taken the time to say.
Boys are more than beautiful, they are great. Celebrate!
Keeping my Cool....man alive! I don't like spiders and snakes
but that ain't what it takes to Love you
Alan Nursall.
His wonderful, fun, hands on science experiments are awesome, inspiring and engaging!
Keeping it Cool
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