Tiny house!

Hello Hot Mamas! Long time, no write! It seems like the days are shorter and busier during the Fall. We are progressing well with home schooling and I will be posting some of our most successful lessons in the near future. But let's move on to what's really on my mind tonight!

We live in a small house. 6 people, 1280 square feet, no basement. That doesn't leave a lot of room for storage, toys, clothes, guests...the list could go on and on. I usually find myself in a continuous cycle of purging and organizing. I must admit that there are days when I feel physically and emotionally squeezed. I go through times of acceptance, where I look at rooms anew and try to make them more practical and usable. Recently however, I have been in a state of agitation over our lack of space. The kids are getting bigger, their need for quiet time away from each other is getting more evident. I find myself irritated that we are very simply, out of space and that lack of space is affecting each family member in some way.

I'm sure that many of you out there have similar stories and feelings about your homes. So let's make a pact: until it is time for a bigger house, let's promise to intentionally enjoy the hidden benefits of our small homes! What benefits?! Ok, there are some days when it is difficult to find ANY. But, think of how creative we have become in our storage solutions. I know that I have had to stretch my imagination to figure out just the right way to divide a wall for shelving, how to transform our garage into a playroom, and how to fit THREE kids in a 10x12 bedroom. This sort of creative thinking is what will keep our brains young Mamas! And although my kids do enjoy time to themselves occassionally, our small house has aided them in becoming great play buddies and put all of us in a position to share common space quite frequently. It has allowed us to get to know each other in a way that a bigger house might not have encouraged.

I know that you can come up with some highlights of your own. Let me know what they are and let's help each other be at peace with the houses we have! God is faithful and he will show us the way that is best for our family. He knows our deepest desires and what breeds them. Let's lean on Him and each other for joy and gratitude when the walls seem just a little too close!

Lord, thank you for the home that we have. Lead us to a home that will better suit our needs and give us the patience to wait until the time is right for a move. Lead us to the right home and help our hearts to be open to your whisper. You are faithful and good. Help us to remember that you will give us our daily bread. Allow us to be examples of gratitude to our children. Mary, Holy Mother, pray for us. Amen

Glue Still Wet!!!

Well hot mamas, the spaghetti yarn bowls have not yet been deemed a success. The glue is STILL wet!

In other news, my oldest son just got his first "big boy" bike with training wheels. Thus far he's had tricycles and a kettle car "pedal go-kart". To see him on a big boy bike was amazing! He wiped out three or four times trying to make the turn onto the sidewalk, but he just hopped back on and tried again. I am so proud of the little boy he is becoming and yet I am teary when I look hard and can't see any baby left in him. I hope I have the strength to let him "wipeout" and pick himself up, while I stand ready to help should he need it. I pray that he meets life's challenges with the enthusiasm he showed getting back on that new bike. I'm so grateful for the gifts that God has given me and my husband in our children. This morning, as I hear the sound of Geotracks coming from across the hall, I am deeply thankful for my family. (Even though the glue hasn't dried on those darn yarn bowls!)

Hot mamas, go hug your kids. No matter the messes they make, the tantrums they throw, they are gifts to you, entrusted to your care because God thought YOU would be the best mom for them.