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

Spaghetti yarn bowls

Today, after too many rainy days indoors, we decided to try the "spaghetti yarn bowl" craft from "Family Fun" magazine. Yesterday we headed to the craft store so each of the children (ages 5,4,and 2) could choose their own color yarn. We proceeded to sharpen everyone's scissor skills by cutting 60 of the 80 recommended yard long pieces of yarn. This was as far as we got before Daddy came home and it was time for dinner.

This morning, I set up the craft table with four smooth playground balls anchored in bowls and gave my mess makers bowls of glue and their piles of yarn. The two year old lasted about 4 minutes before the feel of glue on his fingers became so distressing to him that he asked Mama to finish for him. My four year old hung in there quite a bit longer, but did ask for her pieces of yarn to be cut shorter. They were a little too long for her to manipulate. (I would suggest cutting the yarn no longer than 24 inches. ) My five year old son had a blast! He loved the smooth gluey feeling on his fingers and had great fun looping the yarn on his ball. I found it very relaxing too! I'm pretty excited to see how my team effort with my two year old turns out!

Tomorrow, when the glue dries, I'll give my full review of this craft. My initial impressions are fair, but we'll have to see the end result!

Now, I wonder how long it will take me to scrub the glue off of everything?