Time for Doing Things

I always overbook my week.  I think the reason might be that I like to have lots of to-dos to choose from.  I'm able to weigh priorities along with just doing whatever suits my fancy that day/evening.  And after years of trying different planners and lists, I've finally found a personal to-do system that works!  Huzzah!

This one actually works a little more like my brain works, and it's snappy, too.  And I can just take goals down as they're completed and replace them with new ones.  I got the idea from Rachel at Cornflower Blue Studio.  I had a few different ideas for the little decoration in the header, but her idea was so simple and pretty, I just had to use it.  I figure I may eventually need a few variations of these lists hanging up as life continues to vary.    You can get instructions to make your own version of Rachel's DIY Rotating Goal List here.

I was using bigger sticky notes, but they were some odd brand that didn't stay put.  So I decided to use the little Post-It ones until grocery day when I could pick up some proper large ones.  But now I think I like these better.  You can fit more in, and therefore they cater to my delusions of free time.

I plan to invest a lot of time in making things this week, so what to do when the munchkins are around?  Why, have them make things, too, of course.  They love it.  Then they love playing with the things they make.  So I decided maybe it would be more fun to have it tie into what my mom and I are working on, too.  So the kids made clothes for paper dolls.  They had so much fun, and it's fun to see how they interpret these things with loose guidelines.  I pretty much just gave them the supplies and gave them the okay to have at it.

The Supplies:  

First I cut out four naked little people and drew on faces.  I made their faces resemble the kids because they really like their own stuff.  My kids don't really look like these dolls, though; that would be weird.  But it was easy to make them recognizable, though, since I have four kids with very different hair.  I so love my kids' differences -- personality-wise and every other way.  Then my mom cut out little bits of fabric so the kids could collage them however they wanted onto their dolls.

The Process:

Next I threw a blanket on the floor so that it would be protected from stray bits of glue stick and fabric.  It's so cool that they're all old enough to do a lot of the same things now.  Some said I was crazy for having these guys so close together (I believe the polite way of alluding to this is, "Boy, you sure have your hands full."  If I had a quarter for every time I heard that one, uh.... I'd have a heck of a lot of quarters.)  But it's so cool that they like to play together.  Who's laughing now?  Huh?  Huh?  

It's possible I'm paranoid as well as delusional.  Please don't lock me up just yet.

The Results:

I love how Leif picked the the more manly fabrics, and actually those are bits of the shirts that are being made for him presently.  And I love that his is wearing a tie.  Rose's is wearing the most lovely maxi dress.  Lily and Ivy made sure to glue bits of fabric to the back of them, too, which of course is so practical.  Who wears clothes just on their front?  Nobody I want to hang out with; that's for sure.

Sticks and Acorns

I'm going to be doing this Instagram thing for a while.  As a former photography major, (one of my many experimental paths) I really appreciate the casual irreverence and simple fun of just snapping a picture this way without all the technical stuff.  It feels more real somehow, but then also a little more charming.  

It also helps because I don't have a fancy camera at the moment, and I tend to always have my phone on me.  No more running to find the camera and hoping time (or more impossibly, my kids) stood still.  

I was watching the kids in the backyard and they were, of course, "making plants," seeking out lizards and ladybugs to play with, and birds to feed without any actual food.  It's really no wonder the birds don't actually show up.  

My daughter came up to me and sighed heavily -- the only way she really knows how to sigh -- about how she didn't have any food for the birds.  Leif suggested she feed them the small stick she was holding.  I advised that the birds would more likely want to use the stick for a nest rather than lunch.  Birds are picky that way, aren't they?  Rose's face lit up and decided that, yes, she would like to donate the stick to the birds' nest-making endeavors.  So of course, she would have to throw it for them.  I'm not sure how this was supposed to help or where the stick was supposed to end up that it would be more convenient for the birds, but nevertheless, there she is giving it a second try since the first one didn't achieve the desired result, whatever that was.

This brief scene reminded me of being a kid and believing that the world pretty much revolved around whatever was in my wee head at the time -- not so much believing that I was so important, but believing that if I left a small pile of neatly gathered acorns, absolutely some fortunate squirrel would come upon them and be delighted even if it were under an oak tree with thousands more acorns lying all around.  I meant it for good and it would be received because it was significant to me.  

You know what I mean?  

It's okay if you don't.  

Anyway, I think this is how God sees us, as His kids.  Though, some of us tend to believe that God doesn't have time for our small joys or disappointments or the small things that are important to us, He's actually able to care about those things and everything else in the world.  And deeply, too.  That's what makes Him God.  We are significant, our thoughts are significant, our ups and downs are significant, our plans are significant because we are significant to Him. We're his greatest love and greatest joy no matter what, and I think that's breathtaking.

Maybe I'm reaching with that parallel.  

Oh, well.  If you're befuddled, it's your fault for reading this far.  But I love that you did.

That's all.  Have a lovely Monday.

Happy Monday

Ahh... wholesome afternoon activities for the kiddos.  Hopefully there are some good lessons in Toy Story 3, like how it doesn't pay to be a mean bear.

I'm reaching.

Lovely day outside, though.  I'm going to have to squeeze in some outside time after work today and before dinner.

Happy Monday!