A week in the life of my table

One of the most used rooms during our week is the dining room. It's meant to be a "formal dining room" but is affectionately called the "coloring room" by Lydia who loves to color, play play dough and generally get artsy-craftsy in the room - homework, snacks, extra school work, items end up in this room.  There is a nice chair for me to sit in the corner and plenty of windows to let the day in.  But the real work horse of the room is the table.

This is the room all gussied up for Lucy's birthday last year and the table cleared and cleaned.

 And again - ready for family to surround it this Thanksgiving.

This table is a special table - it was my Granny and Grandpa Kinsey's table. A table that more often than not had a stack of Bible commentaries and other books Grandpa was using to prepare for his weekly Sunday School lesson.  Any day of the week if I stopped by I could find Grandpa sitting at the far end of the room, with his back to the window, reading glasses on, Bible open and soaking up Truth.

Most weekend days of my childhood - I sat at the table with Grandpa.  But those times the books were put away and a table cloth covered the table - Granny sat at the other end.  They sat at opposite ends of the long table facing one another - one with the world to his back and one with her back to the kitchen and everything they cherished in between - their family with heads bowed and hands held ready to give thanks to "Our kind, Righteous, Heavenly Father".  We lined the sides in our favorite seats and shared stories and food and time (and that one towel to wipe your hands on because there weren't napkins for that).

Most Saturday's the meal was fried catfish and bream from Grandpa's pond, hush puppies, cheese grits and coleslaw.  On Sunday's the meal always included corn bread in Granny's cast iron skillet and something from someone's garden.  There were always stories about someone I might not have known (and should have) or of days long past but the stories were from two who lived in the same town they were born in and of people who were their people. 

Holidays and special occasions saw even more family packed around the table and those two still at their separate ends.  He with his watered down tea filled to the brim with ice and her with her apron, a pickle or two on the side of her plate slowly enjoying her meal (she was always the last to finish - often still enjoying that meal while we cleaned up dessert - I now know her desire to hold onto the moment of having family to serve and share life with) 

So these days when I'm miles from the nearest family and no family just "stops by" - I sit with my family of 6 around a hard working table and make new memories.  We don't eat our daily meals here but Church family come for lunch, real family gather for holidays, the table gets cleaned and cleared only to be cluttered again and filled with more memories. 

This week I thought about that table and thought I would share a picture from each day of the week.  I purposefully didn't move anything, left the clutter, didn't tidy up for the picture but caught us in the midst of the daily - the way it was meant to be.  Many days the table wasn't cleared until the next day and then it was filled again...with dreams, presents, gifts, ideas, words, stories, letters, color, imagination, Beauty, Truth and Goodness...

Day #1 - letter writing to friends who have moved, letter to Compassion child we sponsor - Dayana, stamps, and items from backpacks emptied

Day #2 - More stickers, homework in Spanish, 4th grade math (multiplying fractions), scissors for cutting anything a 3 year can find, new picture frames waiting to be filled.

Day #3 - More picture frames, more homework, Bible verses to remember, paper dalmation dog ears, paint, books and paper.

Day #4 - Box from Nana with blanket from when Jeremy was a baby (thanks Nana!), more letter writing, the latest Economist and mail, LEGO cars, colorful tape from Aunt Vicki.

Day #5  - for a brief moment the table is clean and cleared and ready for whatever comes.  I keep the table covered with a plastic cover and keep a map of some sort underneath.

Day #5- String to make bracelets, foam beads to make a necklace for a neighbor

Day #6 - Science Fair notebook, more homework, more papers from school, more bracelet and necklace making

Day #7 - More bracelet making, brother enjoying the light fixture, stickers, more science fair

Laughter, work, thought, creativity, family, tears, arguing, discipline - all while we sit across from one another, look at each other in the eyes and enter into the messiness of life that lies between.

Big Day

It's a big day in my elementary school world. Both of my kiddos had a great day and were rewarded for their hard work - Lucy won her Spelling Bee and Samuel was selected as one of the three Safety Patrol students in his class and he was inducted into the Jr. Beta Club.

As the Jr. Beta Club Reporter he had a special part in the induction ceremony - speaking and lighting the candle.

Getting pinned

Spelling Bee Champ

Guess who is the 2nd grade Spelling Bee champ for her school.  Yep, Lucy won her Spelling Bee today for her school's second grade.  I guess all those hours of reading have paid off!

Big Papa

Last weekend we got to visit with Big Papa and Great Aunt Kimmie, Great Aunt Vicki and Uncle Pat.  We had a wonderful time and enjoyed getting to visit - if only for the afternoon.  What a blessing to be loved and cared for by family!

Here are special pictures of Papa with his youngest Great - grandson.

We love you Big Papa!

Flash back

This is Lucy holding her little sister, Lydia, when she turned 2 months old This is Lydia holding her little brother, Nathaniel, when he turned 2 months old - maybe it's payback?

Friday afternoon

How do you wind down on a Friday afternoon?  What about when you were 9?  This is where I find my 9 year old most of the time when he's not throwing a ball against a wall or outside running around.  He's creating a world of his own with LEGOs and jumping into a story right where the pieces were left...

2 months

Y'all - he's 2 months old.  Wow!  I can already see the changes - holding his head up more, a few smiles and some chub.

2 months
12.9 lbs
23 inches

He smiles!

 

 

Sweet buddy!  He has some happy moments but we are still not living up to that onesie yet.

 I was able to get some exercise at the mall today with Lydia in the stroller and this cutie in the baby carrier.  After many trips around the mall we went to the playground area and Lydia played.  She was kindly playing with the few other children while I fed Nathaniel.  More children came and it got a little chaotic. 

Lydia continued to play. I could tell she was talking to herself and when she got closer I realized she was singing and narrating the scene - singing "You have to be kind, if you want to get in the boat you wait, you wait your turn, don't be the bad boy be the good boy, don't push her, don't push her"  She went on for 10 - 15 minutes singing with hand motions throughout the playground.  It was a public scene of the same thing she does at home.  Jeremy calls this "Lydia - the Musical"  I've so enjoyed spending time with her the last several months since I've been home with her more.  She is a cutie!

quotes

Lydia loves to name the squirrels she sees in our backyard "That ones Billy Bob" or "Jimmy" or "Lemily" (or lemily's cousins Emily, semily, and bemily). Today she named one on the back porch "Heart".

We don't have any nut trees out back and Lydia was wondering what Heart eats.

Lydia: "Mama, can Heart eat the pine cones?"
Mama : "she can eat the seeds..."
Lydia: "I know! When we go to the library I can get some NUTCORNS from the tree outside and bring them back to Heart!"

gotta love those Nutcorns!

AND -

When I sit Nathaniel up to burp him she often wants to help pat him on his back - the other day she saw me sit him up and she said

Lydia:  "Mama, can I cough him?"

Sunday Afternoon

 Sunday afternoon walk around the lake - it was a little breezy but so good to get out and enjoy the sunshine

Mall Walkers

I've been trying for a couple of weeks to make it out of my house and to the mall in the early morning to figure out how to walk with a three year old and a newborn since the weather makes it hard to walk the neighborhood in the rain and cold with 2 kids and dog in tow (I've tried - they cry or whine - no go).  I just haven't been able to make it happen (some days I haven't even been able to brush my teeth before 5pm but I have been taking care of these precious ones - and playing Littlest Pet Shops and having Tea time and eating LEGO food prepared by my personal chef and taking care of screaming cutie pie and feeding the whole family in their own way).  BUT today - I did it - I even brushed my teeth before I went.

I let Lydia dress herself - she's so fashionable - where else would we go but to the mall?  "Mom, I'm ready, I brushed my teeth and fixed my hair and put on lips, I have my shoes and my purse - I'm so excited, oh, I have to pee before we go!"

 Contents of purse - Chapstick (AKA Lips), Frozen phone, scrap of blue fabric found on floor in brother's room, CFA card, Ariel decoration, mix-matched "beautiful" gloves

 My exercise partners

 Since all of the stores were closed (and we don't get out much apparently) Lydia thought the most beautiful thing at the mall was this "golden case" - it is the FIRE EXTINGUISHER holder.  She loved it and wanted to take a picture of it with her frozen phone

 Miss fashionable Mall Walker - the other walkers didn't seem to mind her mismatched clothes or my haggard look :)

 And for fun we had to go to Build-A-Bear on the way out to try on wigs for brother - isn't he cute?

As for the exercise - we only made it around the mall 3 times.  The curlie que wants to run with me and not ride in the stroller.  If I could get her in the stroller for a few more rounds and Nathaniel in the ERGO for a while we might could call it exercise.  I think we can make this an exercise option for the winter weather months but it will take some work.

Sweet Dreams

I prayed for you tonight as I often do.  Your hurts and struggles for the day are behind and the peacefulness of rest is on your face.  Prayers to the LORD who loves you dearly- who is the ONE who grants Wisdom, Hope, Joy and Courage.  Promises run through my mind, I ponder, pray and remember to rest myself.

sweet dreams
Closed eyes surrender, 
tiny minds trade their wakeful wonder for voyages on slumbering dreams.  
Little hands and hearts let go of that object so cherished just hours ago 
and life is filled with more treasure than can be counted.  
We walk and run and scream and want - 
we wonder and sing and play and dream 
and then 
we surrender to sleeps adventures.  
Sweet surrender, peaceful surrender, 
the way of dreams is in SURRENDER - both in wake and slumber.  
So rest sweet children, rest dear Mom - with eyes open and shut.
Tomorrow there will be more opportunity for dream, 
for surrender - 
and after that - a life of tomorrows to do the same.

Postcards from the edge of sanity

Postcards from the edge of sanity - shots of chunky monkey - for Grandma and Papa

Quotes

Lydia is trying to figure out time.  She often confuses tomorrow, today, now, then etc.  Last week Regan was coming to babysit on Friday - so on Thursday

Lydia: "Is Regan coming today?"
Mama: "No, Regan is coming tomorrow?"
Lydia: "Is it tomorrow, yet?"
Mama; "No right now it's today, you have to wait until tomorrow."

The next morning I forgot what Lydia was so excited about and she came in my room and sat on my bed

Lydia: "Is it tomorrow, yet?"
Mama: "No, it's always today."
Lydia: in an exasperated tone "Why does it always have to be TODAY!"

After a laugh I told her Regan would be here tonight - ok, when is tonight?

Christmas for 6!

It was a Christmas for 6 this year and for many more in the future. We sang songs like "Go Tell it on the Mountain" and "God Rest ye Merry, Gentlemen" and we were excited about the Tidings of comfort and joy given to us even in the late days of 2014.

A blur of lights, joy, laughter and family time...

Family time

While daddy was out for Christmas we enjoyed some family time outside the house (I had to get out of the house but seemed a major accomplishment when we did)

We went for a family hike (including dog) at nearby Sweetwater State Park

Drank some hot chocolate

And even ventured to the mall -

All while keeping this little one alive and loved!

Today

I had high hopes that in the few days my older three were at Grandma's that the little one would magically begin to do this more- he's cute when he sleeps isn't he?

Because I had high hopes of finally folding everything I washed in the past week (which is everything that is fabric and washable in our home - all towels, sheets, coats, hats, blankets, clothes, etc. because we WILL be free of the lice)

 I also had aspirations of a shower, teeth brushing and maybe even something other than surviving (maybe hang a picture on the wall, out for a cup of coffee, a walk in the neighborhood, anything that would help me remember I am doing something other than surviving)  BUT this guy had other plans - this is what he did - cry

Y'all I love my little ones but this one I can't figure out - YET.  He's not as bad as Lydia was but he's getting close.  He is sweet when he sleeps, he started to smile a little but boy, oh boy, can he scream.

So, one day, I'll do more than stare at the wall when I have a few minutes of silence, one day I'll get a shower and brush my teeth in the same day, one day I'll be able to move and accomplish other than surviving - but it's not today.