Hands Free

I never, ever write book reviews...especially on something I haven't even finished.  My blog is not something I want to profit from, obviously.  It's a journal for myself.  For my future self. For my grown children. For the grandparents who don't live nearby.  However, I've found quite a jewel of a book, and I want to remember my responses to my daily reading of The Hands Free Mama by Rachel Macy Stafford.  I'm supposed to read this book slowly, as in weekly chapter reading, and savor the challenges, but I'm so inspired, so deeply touched that I simply cannot do it.  I'm slowing down for daily reading of each chapter, but I'm dying to pick it up again and continue reading.

I can see myself in her pages.  I can see an epidemic of distracted living all around me.  There are a massive amount of people who are unable to see things directly in front of their faces, and they are missing their lives.  They are missing moments they cannot get back.  They are missing what is important.  They're unable to connect with other human beings.  It is unreal.  Do you see it?

So beginning today, I am going back to chapter one and will be documenting my experiences.

Hands Free Weekly Intention:  Go Hands Free for a Specific Time Period Each Day-

This is not just talking about going without your devices, your laptop, your Kindle, etc.  This is talking about the ways you are distracted from your people.  I have more trouble connecting with my kids and family when I have a task that needs to be done at home, when my productivity in the home is interrupted.  I put value in myself over how well things run.  I know I have a problem with this.  Even when I have company come stay at the house, I always must tidy up the kitchen before I can relax. But by the time those jobs are completed, I have missed a lot.  If you've ever stayed at my house, you know this is true.  I struggle in this area. So do I leave the kitchen untended, indefinitely? No.  However, I am trying to put the people and our time together ahead of the stuff and unending jobs.  Not just when company is over but for the people who matter most to me.  Does that make sense?  I am trying very hard to demote these distractions along with the obvious things like, "Don't scan facebook, twitter, or email when a person is talking to you."  I'm trying hard to look at my child when they speak to me.  I'm trying not to let the words, "in a minute..." or "maybe later" take over my vocabulary.

This book is addressing all distractions. It's saying be careful not to let your devices, duties, or to-do list distract you from what's most important.  I think facebook can be fine and good, and I enjoy it and love to catch up with friends and family, near and far.  But it cannot replace real life and daily living.  I still have endless, normal, work to do around the house with four children. My husband still has a job and must complete his tasks with integrity and work ethic. But those things are a part of life.  We all have work to do, tasks to complete.  What we need a Biblical perspective. We need to put first things, first.  We need to prioritize.  We need to be less distracted.

So my goal is to go Hands Free as much as possible.  I plan to document moments along the way.

Help me slower...

"Mommy, please help me slower.  I think I can figure it out all by myself."
Profound words from my littlest.

Spring and Summer 2009

Glance at our week

My poor kids asked if the public school kids were out of school today.  I told them that school had been cancelled for public school kids but that they had to make up days and all of that kinda stuff.  However, we can continue through this weather, finish our year before June, and enjoy summer break a little early...  That sentiment was met with understanding.  The thought of summer break was enough to inspire them not give me grief over not getting another snow day.  It was ice yesterday...not fun or safe to play in.  I let them out for a little while, but it made me nervous to let them out for long.  Co-op was cancelled again.  Our roads are completely iced over, and I'm  not sure when they will thaw.  The ice packed down and is incredibly solid.  This morning there's a fresh layer of snow on top of the ice, and the ground is beautiful.  It's completely white...no grass or red clay showing through.

Missy prissy has grown.  You can see the back of her neck where Grace cut her fur... I have no idea what possessed her to do that.

Daniel and Grace working on the Ben Franklin display board.  This will take several weeks to complete.  Ethan and Daniel had a really great idea to include several silly pictures since Franklin was such a funny guy to be around.

Ethan working on grammar.  

Grace is very attached to this cat.  I didn't realize she was such a cat person.  She loves our dogs too, but the cat is just her size.  Last night, Deron had the kids name two things they liked about one another, and the general consensus was that this girl is an animal lover.  To those remarks, she gave two thumbs up and beautifully, bright smile!

Hannah, my generally studious, little learner, is doing her handwriting here. She's wearing her jacket in anticipation of being allowed to go out to the fort they built on Tuesday. The sheet they used as a wall was completely frozen.

Ice

The news said it would happen.  The Ice Storm of 2014.  Historic. Catastrophic.  I am so thankful to still have power.  When I woke up, it looked like it had snowed.  No, it was ice. Every bit of this is ICE.  

Football fan

Daniel has become quite the football fan.  We've spent several afternoons looking up the history of the Super Bowl.  He scans the scores to see which games were awesome...not boring. Not like this year.  Then, we look up highlights from those games and check to see if there are any clips on You Tube.  

He wants to know the UGA stats.  When is the first game?  Who will be playing?  Are they any good?  Will this be a good year for GA?  He asks me questions I have no idea how to answer.  I love to watch a good game which is surprising because I used to be completely indifferent to football, but even now, I couldn't explain the game.  I'm learning, but he is learning faster than me.  He's a smart little cookie, that one.

"When does football season start?  Like when is the first GA game?"

Snow Days 2014

We didn't have a huge chance of snow.  It was 30%, I think.  I told the kids that it might snow.  Maybe.  We finished our school day by 12:30, and then, it started.  The flakes were few and far between, but they quickly changed and increased in volume.  It was beautiful.  The poor kids wanted to play immediately.  They bundled up...we all bundled up and let the snow land on our tongues.

The snow covered the ground in no time.  It fell steadily for hours, and the kids enjoyed almost every minute of it...

In and out.  Freeze and thaw.  Make snow angels...before there's enough snow to make snow angels.  Throw snowballs...well, half snow-half pine straw and clay.  I convinced them to come inside for a little while and let the snow accumulate.  It took convincing, but I lured them inside with hot chocolate and instantly...best mom ever.  We warmed up, dried all our wet clothes, bundled back up, and headed back out.

They built snowmen, got under trees, shook them, and pretended they were in a blizzard.  I took pictures and helped with the teeny, tiny snowman Hannah wanted to keep in the freezer.  We made colonial "maple cream" and Hannah used sticks to hold her snowman together.  She said the sticks were just like bones for the snowman.  The homeschool mom in me was so proud that she made the connection.

I tried to be a fun mom.  I helped push the girls down the snow in a plastic box.  I let them throw snowballs at me, and I screamed on cue when the boys touched my neck with frozen fingers.  They were thrilled and I offered more hot chocolate. Snow days are awesome!  The last couple of days have changed our pace.  We've enjoyed our time together and I have been very thankful for our nice warm house.  There has been a multitude of craziness only an hour away from us.  People stranded and traffic completely halted.  It has been a mess and I am so thankful for being home, safe, and warm.

However, I'm not terribly up for frigid weather and have been thinking and planning and dreaming about which beach we hope to visit this summer...