Managing

We were listening to Laura Ingalls Wilder's These Happy Golden Years on audio in the van the other day.  Laura was just beginning her teaching position and came for a weekend.  She was explaining to Pa the difficult time she was having with a student, Clarence, and she didn't know what to do.  Pa explained that all she had to do was learn to manage.  And I realized that was all I had to do too.  Not everything has to be perfect, meals do not have to be totally organized, the house does not need to be spick and span, I just need to manage.  --- There is so much to learn from Laura Ingalls.  :)

Right now, I want new fabric. I have not bought fabric in so long and it shows.  I was looking through my containers of fabric and there was no inspiration because all of it is so old and I have been sewing with it for years.  But...I do not need fabric so it can, and will, wait!

I have chicken curry going right now for dinner, so that is one thing managed.  Eleanor has an ear infection that is healing.  Our crazy cute and crazy energetic boys are outside playing.  I have a meatloaf in the freezer, and also some cooked ground beef and two cooked chicken breast.  So when I see the things I am accomplishing, instead of focusing on what I am not, I see that I am managing.  I have learned when you add something to you life, when you say "yes" to something, it might mean that you have to say "no" to something else.  If you commit to an activity two nights a week, something else has to give.  You simply can not do it all.  Well, when your husband is in nursing school, a lot has to give.  And that is okay.  It is okay that the yard is a mess, and sometimes the house.  Because guess what?  If Dad is doing homework then that means Mom has to say yes to something else, which is spending more time with the kids and not getting my "stuff" done.  I wish I could say I always do this with a cheerful and giving heart.  Hopefully I am growing and maybe getting a little better at putting others first. 

Those last pictures of the little flower embroidery is a head band I made for Eleanor.  I added some ribbon to the ends to tie with.  I took some pictures of it completed and Eleanor wearing it but for some reason they saved to the actual cameras memory and not the memory card!  I am starting to think I have curse when it comes to cameras.  Anyhow, I really love the head band! So does Eleanor, she has worn everyday and all day. 

Felicity took three steps, unassisted, on July 7!  It was an exciting moment, she looked so proud.

There are so many good things in our lives right now that even though the days feel long and sometimes hard I know we will miss them.  There is a certain sweetness in the struggle.