Busy at home

So a few weeks ago I came up with a plan for my days at home with the kids. Josiah is almost five, Ava Beth is almost three and they both seem eager to learn. I've really been feeling some conviction lately in my parenting and I had been thinking a lot about the verse in Titus that I mentioned yesterday. Especially verse four! 4Then they can train the younger women to love their husbands and children, 5to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God. Every word of this verse is something I could meditate on for the rest of my life and still struggle. But the thing about the verse that made the most sense to me was "to be busy at home". I have heard the word "busy" discussed a lot in church. I have ever heard "busy" being referenced as a sin sometimes because we can become so busy that we miss out on the important things. I find myself busy a lot. However, when I saw this verse it hit me like a ton of bricks. You see when I am busy at home, even on those days where I never sit, I feel so fulfilled. And when I am busy at home, my home is in order and that is when my husband feels the most served and that is when my children seem the most behaved. Something happens in our home when I am "busy at home". It's like everything is aligned and we are all in one accord.

I knew we had a trip to Dallas planned so I decided that our new routine would begin on Monday, the 10th. I'm careful about setting goals that are hard to reach so, this week I decided that the tv would be on during breakfast and a little in the afternoon while I cooked. I am not one of those Moms that abhors the TV, I like it. It helps! :) But, I felt that I needed to be engaging my kids more than the TV. Hey, I am sure I will have some TV days to come. Today it's been on the cooking channel all day so I could listen to it in the background but Noggin was turned off early. Two days in a row and I even have a sick baby! So I am proud of myself to say the least. I also made it a goal to read at least one book before nap time and we have actually ended up reading two. Today I got out our favorite Toddler Bible Story Book. It's incredible! I absolutely think it is the best one out there for their age because they also give you questions to ask after each little story and a memory verse. Last year at this time, Josiah was not even four years old and he was memorizing scripture that he can still quote today. Just doing this for the past two days has helped me get back on track. We were once on this schedule before and the move to Austin really cramped our style. I got lazy, lazy, lazy!

Josiah is also officially passed the nap stage but I still make him have quiet time by himself so I am able to have a little bit of "me" time. Before we moved, we were working on letters, writing our name and a lot of PreK stuff and so I just bought a bunch of stuff that I am about to put up in the playroom to get us back on that track. I've got a gift card to Ikea so I am going to buy a table and chairs so we can start doing more school work. I think Josiah will really be excited to have his OWN table.

I don't write any of this to make myself sound like the Mom of the Year. I think I lost my chances for that award long ago. But, I am really trying to focus on staying busy at home. This is truly the place I feel the most fulfilled. Fall is about to be here and I can't wait to bake cookies with the kids and take trips to the Pumpkin Patch and of course I look forward to my tradition with Josiah. We make cupcakes for every single Holiday and there is a ton coming up! I never dreamt in a million years that I would love being so domestic but it really is my favorite role in life and my family sure appreciates it. Below are some things I have listed that my kids have been saying over the past couple of days. I've kept a journal lately because they say some hilarious stuff and I had to share with all of you. Enjoy!

Ava Beth screaming into the fireplace -"Hello, hello in there! "Santa Clause are you in there?" (Her hellos have the "w" sound instead of the "l" sound and the way she says Santa Clause is priceless.) Why she started talking about Santa Clause, I have no idea. But, she's like her Mama because I can't get Christmas out of my head lately.

Josiah- "Sissy what is Santa Clause gonna bring you?"
Ava Beth- "A Bahbie." (aka-Barbie)

Josiah-"How many more moons until Santa Clause comes to our house?"
Me- "About 106 moons." (Sad that I know.)
Josiah- "Will that go by fast?"

Josiah and Ava Beth were building a fort today and making pallets on the floor.
Josiah- "Sissy, let's play the sleeping game."
They pretend they are sleeping and then all of the sudden Josiah screams "Cockadoodledoo!"
Josiah -"Okay Sissy, time to wake up."

(I have no idea where he gets all of this stuff!)

Josiah- "Mommy, how come the rooster does not wake us up in the morning?"
Me- "because we do not live on a Farm."
Josiah -"MiMi and PawPaw have a farm but not an old McDonald Farm. They don't have a Red Farm. Where can we find a Red farm?" (My parents have a storage building that looks like a barn but Josiah calls it a Farm.)

Then I was doing our Bible Story on Joseph and how his brothers sold him into slavery. The lesson was about forgiveness. I asked Josiah a few questions.
Me- "Josiah has anyone ever been mean to you?"
Josiah- "Sissy and Daddy too." ( I was shocked he did not say me.)
Me- "When someone is mean to us, what are we supposed to do? (then I reminded him of a fight he had on Saturday night with his friend Christian.)
Josiah- "We forgive like God does."

And that made me sooooo proud! We also talked about the Ten Commandments today and how we are to obey God's rules.

Me- "Josiah, do you have rules at home that Mommy and Daddy ask you to follow?"
Josiah-"No singing at the table, no guitar playing at the table, no drumming at the table, only eating at the table. Oh and no cymbals at the table!"

I am so blessed to have these previous babies. They make my world so full!