There are currently four kids in my bed. They're talking, they're watching a movie, they're playing on their kindles. Another is napping, and our oldest is finishing up his chore. Six. We're intentionally indulging in a lazy sort of day. The day-to-day lately is alternating between drowning and treading water over here and if I've any hope of swimming, I've gotta let go a little bit. So we're here. And I think it could be worse, but I'm sure it will get better.
Yesterday I posted this to my Instagram:
Six kids is more of this.
More play and more disagreements.
It's more lessons on sharing and less down time.
Half a dozen kids is cutting way back on winging it and upping the structure.
It's meant learning my non-negotiables and being able to let the rest slide.
We are a month in and about 25 of those days have been victories.
The rest? Evidence of our fortitude,
Testimony of His faithfulness.
Intentionality has always been important to me in parenting. I want to have relationship building conversations and memory making experiences with my kids. I want to spend the majority of my time focused on the now so that when I look back, I don't lament all the things I missed because I was looking at my screen, or at someone else's life, or (even though I LOVE reading) a reality that only exists between the pages of a book. The memories I want my children to have are constructed every day.
In this season, choosing a calm mind over a calm house is what we're doing. Right now intentionality means saying yes to a bit more chaos than we're used to in order to give our family room to settle into a new groove.
*My big kids are having meaningful conversations with people outside of our family about foster care.
*There's a sweet little boy who hasn't really skipped a beat since moving in and a committed and loving Daddy working hard to bring him home.
*The littlest member of our family is the happiest, most awesome little baby and she makes having an infant a cake walk.
*Circumstances are forcing Mike and I to talk about our needs, our walk, and our expectations. Our marriage has been fortified because of it.
*Our amazing village has been the hands and feet of Jesus as they have supported us and filled in the gaps we couldn't.
I'm really looking forward to documenting the lessons we've learned and are learning and sharing our journey in a way that demystifies foster care. If you've made it through this post and have suggestions on a new post by either Mike or myself, please get in touch.
-Mandy
No comments:
Post a Comment