Being stuck inside during the winter months can test everyone’s patience.
When there are little children in the house, the need to run off energy is paramount.
Constructive ways to remain active is so important.
Creative ideas are necessary.

Often, when my children were young, our family room became a maze of forts.
Blankets strewn over chairs and benches made wonderful places to hide.
The best moments happened tucked away in the fort where no one could find you.
The best snacks were those that were had in that secret place.

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She stood there giving herself one last glance in the mirror.
At least she wasn’t in her pajamas.
She was dressed and ready to meet the day.
That was a huge accomplishment.

She had a hint of makeup and her hair got some extra attention.
She was wearing the new shirt her husband gave her and a bright colored scarf.
Not bad, she thought as she turned side to side before her reflection.
She tried to hold her stomach in but found it impossible to do since the baby.

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When you have five children growing up in a house, challenges are inevitable.
How do you carve out time with just one child at a time?
How do you make sure each child gets enough attention?
How do you ensure that each child’s uniqueness is celebrated?

When they were small, I purposed to do one small thing that proved to be invaluable.
I was always able to describe one important thing about each child that set them apart.
If I was introducing my children to someone that never met them, I was ready.

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Another winter storm has hit the Northeast.
During the day and through the night, twelve inches of snow has fallen.
The weather forecasters have told us that the snow will be around for a while.
The temperatures will remain well below freezing for the next week.

We are already plowed out.
The driveway is white with pressed down snow; bare in spots; teasing the eye.
Soon the snow will be a memory and spring will be on its coattails.

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My mother was a wonderful housekeeper.
She kept everything clean and neat, polished and dusted.
I had chores to do as well and learned from her example.

One of my favorite chores as a little girl was washing the baseboards.
The bedroom rugs were not wall to wall.
Hard wood floors went around the perimeter of the room.

A vacuum attachment would have completed the job with ease.
However, my mother wanted the baseboards and the hardwood floors washed with water.
Looking back, I wonder if she really was that particular, or she just wanted a chore for me.

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All children are born artists.
The problem is to remain an artist as we grow up.
The quote is attributed to Picasso.

How do we foster creativity in children?
How do we foster creativity in ourselves?

How do we handle the small child who wants to color the moon purple?
How do we manage the young child who would rather fidget about than sit at a desk ?
Can we continue on in the cookie cutter mentality with which we educate?

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Very few people hang wash on a clothesline any more.
Before dryers, it was the only way to dry clothes.
Some say there is nothing better than sleeping on a bed of fresh hay in an barn loft.
I say there is nothing better than sleeping on sun-dried sheets.

The smell of sheets brought in from the line is amazing.
You can actually smell the fresh air.
You can feel the warmth of the sun.
If your sheets happened to be white, they came in even whiter, bleached by the sun.

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A short video greeted me this morning.
A dear friend posted a video of her granddaughter.
Her granddaughter was sitting on her mom’s lap reading a book.
Except this little one is too small to read yet.

This precious little girl was imitating what her mom has probably done hundreds of times.
She was touching the lines of words as she “read”.
She was expressive, speaking in her toddler voice, about the mysteries that only she knew.
Her mom was smiling in the background, delighted by her daughter’s love of books.

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I walked out of school in the misty rain.
All the cars were lined up along the curb ready to pick up the children.
I could see my mother’s car down the block.

There was no bus service if you lived less than a mile from school.
You walked to school or you were driven.
I usually walked to school unless it was raining.

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Anyone who knows our family, knows how much we love milk.
When everyone is home, we go through twelve gallons of milk each week.
We bake, we eat oatmeal, we enjoy cereal, we drink milk with our meals.

It is a fact that dairy farmers love us!
I know…because one of my daughter’s dear friend is married to a dairy farmer!

A gallon of milk will be finished at one meal when my boys are home.
Strong bones…strong teeth the doctors and dentists have said.
We just think it is delicious.

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