This past summer, my kids, (two boys, ages 4 and 7) along with my niece, age 8, who was at the time visiting with us, all attended Vacation Bible School (VBS) together.  One of the theme songs for the week, which quickly became one of their new favorites was Whole Lotta Change.  At the time, I did not know it, but in reality that VBS week became a pivotal time for our family and what started as a fun VBS song, has now become a theme song to our current season.  A season of change.

There’s a whole lotta change coming your way

’cause like it or not, nothing stays the same

so hold on tight, and follow real close

’cause God is good and He’s in control

Whole Lotta Change, Lifetree Kids, Roar VBS

By the end of that VBS week, we, my husband and I, offered to open our home to our niece, who we now consider as a daughter.  She has been with us since early August, 2019 and we could not imagine our lives without her.  She has become an amazing big sister to our boys and has added so much beauty, laughter, and love into our home.

Adding an additional family member has come with blessings too numerous to count.  It has also stretched our family and myself personally further than I thought possible.  We were unsuccessful in getting an inter-district transfer for my niece into our older son’s school.  This resulted in me spending three to four hours per day commuting to and from their separate campuses (two towns away from each other). In addition, the two separate schools had very similar start and end times, requiring the impossible, for me to be in two places at once. I was going to need help, but it was not easy for me to be in a situation that I needed help.  Being in a place of needing help, often left me feeling inadequate or as if I were still a kid. 

I am the youngest in my family, with two older sisters.  Growing up, I loved being the youngest, even though at times, between my actual mom and two older sisters, it sometimes felt like I had three moms.  I was well protected and well provided for.  As an adult, I have found that family dynamics are hard to change and that no matter how old I am, I will always be the little sister.  Within my family, I have come to be okay with this, but outside of the family setting, I have worked hard to become strong, to be a resource to others, and to not walk through life in ‘little sister’ mode.   It is for this reason, that it can be difficult for me to ask for help.  When my heart’s goal is to be a resource to others, it is really hard when I have to admit to myself and others that I need help.

Welcoming my niece into our family has brought so much joy into our home.  It has also exposed my inability to do everything on my own.  I have been humbled almost daily, as I have required help with the daily tasks of motherhood, such as drop offs and pick-ups from school.   I have had amazing friends (and family) come by my side to help me, including one special friend who helped me get my niece to school each day, effectively helping me to do what seemed impossible.   These friends have loved me, encouraged me, and have physically stepped in to help me when I fall short.  These types of friends are amazing and God sent. They also expose my areas of pride, self-reliance, and areas of vulnerability.  It is easy for me to give, it is harder and humbling for me to receive. 

I have often heard preachers say things such as “Sometimes God will ask us to do something bigger than ourselves”.  I, myself, have often found myself in a situation that was bigger than me, but generally in these circumstances, what is required is living a life of prayer and allowing God to work before me.  Lately, however, life being bigger than me, has required me to accept help when it is offered by others and to even ask for help before I am at my wits end. 

This season of change, has helped me to grow.  I am learning to be more organized, and I am realizing that asking for help does not equate to failure or being juvenile.  These are good and valuable lessons for me considering that another change is now underway.

This month, a new change has presented itself.  We have worked diligently and quickly to prepare for an unexpected increase in our family.  Another niece, age 15 and nephew, age 13 (older siblings to our niece that has already been in the home) have both just joined our family.    This most recent change is brand new.  It is both exciting and terrifying to think that we have suddenly become the parents to five kids, two of which are teens. 

Just to prepare for our newest additions, we have needed to call in the cavalry.  Friends and family have helped to organize and set up the kid’s bedroom, organize the linen closet, rearrange the pantry, and help pick up new cabinets for the garage, A.K.A. the homeschool room. (Did I mention I am homeschooling all five!)  Sheets and blankets have been purchased for the kids, as well as new shoes. Friends near and far are praying for the smooth transition of our beautiful blended family and we have received a few little white envelopes with cash inside.  I am humbled.  Humbled not from embarrassment that I couldn’t do this all on my own, but humbled with gratitude that we have so many loved ones who are cheering us on and who are willing to partner with us on this brand new adventure, that is far bigger than we are.

As we now move forward, as a newly established family of seven.  We know that this is only the beginning.  More changes are on the horizon, and I am not embarrassed to say that we will need prayers, hugs, love, support and most certainly, an occasional shoulder to cry on.   Our kids will need this too, all of them.  

Please keep us in your prayers.

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By Joy Adams

I have a hunger and a yearning right now for the ability to be present.  Most of my day is spent with a divided mind.  While I am doing dishes, my mind is focused on how I need to hurry because my four year old son is waiting patiently for me to play with him.  While playing with my son, I am consumed with reminders in my head –

Don’t forget to move the laundry.

Don’t forget to get the chicken out of the freezer for dinner.

While making dinner I am constantly glancing at the clock –

Do I have time to give the boys a bath before dinner?

Lately it is extremely rare that I am fully present in the moment, not thinking of other things, not making to-do lists in my head, just present with my own thoughts and emotions as related to the specific moment I am in. Lately this has been my norm, but, I am not okay with this.   

While at times, I may be an expert multitasker, the reality is, this is not where I want my home base to be.  I want my home base to be a place of peace and clarity, where I can totally, 100%, be present in whatever it is that I am doing. Whether I am playing with my boys or at the table for family dinner, I want to be present, but unfortunately, in my current season, this is something I rarely achieve. 

Tonight was one of those special times.  My husband was working late and I had just finished my errands for the day.  I realized that I could sit in rush hour traffic for the next forty-five minutes or I could pull off somewhere, take the boys out to dinner and while we ate, the rush hour traffic could run its course without us. 

Our dinner was wonderful.  Yes, the food was good and so was the service, but that was not what made it wonderful.  It was wonderful because for a full forty-five minutes to an hour, I did not check the time, I did not feel the need to, nor did it even cross my mind to communicate, email, call, text, anyone other than my boys. I was present for every twinkle in their eyes as they told me stories, I was present to hear and laugh with them at their jokes, I was present to be fully impressed by their thoughts and opinions on life.  I was present and they knew it. 

I think that sometimes, us master multitaskers think that others don’t notice when they become just another plate that we are juggling.  We think that the very fact that we made time for someone that we are succeeding at relationships, however when that time is divided between texts, switching loads of laundry, checking the time and countless other interruptions it generally becomes clear to everyone around us that they do not warrant our full attention.  It is us multitaskers who are usually the last to realize that what we have been offering our loved ones and to God, Himself, is merely a fraction of our focus, time, emotions, and energy. 

I am gifted administratively and being able to multitask pairs greatly with this gifting, but just because I am good at multitasking does not mean that I should do it all the time.  I need time to allow life to slow down.  I need time to be able to focus on just one thing, one person, one moment.  I need to allow myself the luxury of getting lost in a single moment. 

I want to be a reformed multitasker.  One that can turn it on to get stuff done quickly and efficiently and then just as easily turn it off to be fully present and undivided when it comes to my time with God, my family, close friends, and even myself.  I want to reteach myself how to be present by doing the things that cultivate an undivided place in my mind and heart.  Things like painting, playing the piano, and writing.  When doing these activities, I am in the moment, other things fade away and I am present.  I need to do these types of activities more often.  When I am present, I am a better wife, mom, friend, and daughter of the Most High.  When I am present, I am a better me.  A me that I like.  A me that I actually want to spend time with. 

“Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!

Psalms 46:10 NKJV

“Be still and know…” In a place and position of stillness I can know that God will be exalted among the nations and in the earth.  From a place of stillness there is a knowing and a confidence that comes.  There is intimacy in stillness.  There is wisdom in stillness.  Within Stillness there is a revelation unknown to those in constant motion.  I want this stillness, with God, with my husband, with my children, I want this intimate knowledge and true revelation that God remains on his throne with or without me being an expert juggler of the cares of this life.  I want this stillness, I need this stillness, and I am willing to disrupt my identity as a multitasker to get it.  I am willing to debunk the lie that “I thrive in chaos” in exchange for the peace of being present within my own self and my relationships.  I am ready to be present.

*****

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A few months ago, I had a sinus infection. Both boys had high fevers. And my husband, was also home sick with the flu.  In the midst of this perfect storm of sickness, I headed up the stairs for a much required nap and suddenly I became aware that I had a pain in my side that was not normally there.  I lay in bed and the pain in my side continued.  I thought to myself, is this how an appendicitis starts?  At this thought my immediate prayer was “God, please no! My house is too messy!”

I googled “what side hurts for appendicitis?” Quickly, I ruled out the possibility of having an appendicitis.  Relived, I realized that my pain was most likely a strained muscle from carrying my feverish four year old everywhere.  In his ongoing state of fevers, he had desired more cuddles, more holding, and more carrying then normal.  I concluded that my muscles along with my body were just done in and what I really needed was sleep.  I slept, but even in my sleep, I was troubled by my initial response to the possibility of having an appendicitis.  “My house is too messy?”  Really?  Is my house really that bad?  Am I that vain?  Worse yet, am I both an out of control slob and too proud to be transparent about it?

In the aftermath of the Christmas rush, my entire family was sick.  Of course our house was going to be messy.  Toys cluttered our floor as clean laundry cluttered our couch (at least it was clean laundry, right?).  Our counters were filled with everything: mail, Spanish flashcards, Legos, tape, string, crayons, magazines, dishes (both clean and dirty), and pantry items.  In the rush before Christmas, I had let things pile up.   End of year school performance, special Christmas family traditions, and a family member hospitalized, all these things were prioritized over decluttering.  All these things should be prioritized over decluttering.

Here I was, sick, no energy and I was realizing that I had let my house get too much out of control.  Yes, my family will always come first, but when my clutter has me more concerned about the condition of my house rather than whether I have a serious medical condition, I might have a problem. 

I am not a hoarder, in the sense that I would in no way qualify to be on that show, but I do often create too much of an emotional attachment to items.  Old dishes, once owned and used by my grandmother occupy valuable shelving space.  I have only used these dishes twice, I need that space for my plastic lunch containers used daily, but I hesitate to get rid of items, especially when the item was once owned by someone who is no longer living. 

I get confused when it comes to paperwork.  What things do I need to file?  What do I shred? What do I toss?  Some days I feel like I am drowning in paperwork.  I set things aside thinking that I will know what to do with them tomorrow, but by tomorrow those items just get buried under the new items and the task of sorting becomes even more daunting. 

I have a circle of mommy friends who give me hand me down clothes for my boys, but sometimes, I end up with far more than I need.  I end up with bags full of clothes that need to be sorted by size and season.  I end up with too many clothes for the boys which allows me the flexibility to go too long between laundry days.  In my procrastination, what starts out as a simple pile of laundry soon becomes my Mount Everest and my simple attempts to do a few loads and get it back under control seem futile as my attempts do not even appear to make a dent in my daily growing pile.

At the end of the day, the kids are lovingly tucked into bed.  They have been loved, fed, clothed, loved, played with, educated, loved, disciplined, and loved some more.  It has been a good day, but, when it comes to my to-do/chore list, I did not complete anything.  Often, I go to bed exhausted and feeling a bit defeated.  Will all the laundry ever be done? Will all the dishes ever get washed and put away at the same time?

I find humor and comfort in the writings of some mom bloggers who seem to fully embrace the messy life of mommyhood.  Their stories of the messiness of real life make me smile, but sometimes it seems as though they have embraced the chaos a little too much for my taste.  Yes, I have kids, but I still want to have friends and family over and I want them to have a clean and comfortable place to sit.  I don’t mind the boys leaving some Legos out, but I don’t want to be stepping over them every time I walk from the living room to the kitchen. 

In the mommy life it seems as though there is always a pendulum swinging.  At one end is a spotless house, everything in its place and on the other end is a house in which everything is icky and sticky, with nothing where it goes.  For me, neither extreme feels like home.  The first requires a perfection that is beyond my personality and robs my family of opportunities for impromptu fun.  The other end of the spectrum is so dysfunctional that it robs my family of peace and the structure that I crave. I am most at home somewhere in the middle, but this is so hard to achieve. 

Being in the middle, nothing is ever perfect, but neither is it sterile.  The middle allows the kids to have glue and playdough at the dining room table with the intention that it won’t still be there three days later.  The middle is likely to have clean sheets on unmade beds.  The middle might have family dinners that mostly come from a box with sides of broccoli and/or blueberries as their redeeming feature.  The middle has me turning in for the night with the dishwasher running but with the larger items left “soaking” (whether they need it or not). The middle allows me the freedom to not finish a task so that I can play trains and Batman with my boys.  The middle allows me the ability to leave things undone, so that I can get a good night sleep and be fresh and rested in the morning for myself and my family.  The middle is a place that I am happy and my family is happy.

The problem lies in what happens when home base is the middle and suddenly there is a family crisis, sickness, or even just an overly busy few weeks.  Suddenly things spiral out of control and I find myself not in the middle (my happy place) but in the land of dysfunction, the land of chaos.

In her book, Sink Reflections, Marla Cilley, also known as The Fly Lady, created an acronym for CHAOS – Can’t Have Anyone Over Syndrome.  When things get out of hand, this is exactly how I feel.  I am embarrassed, and the last thing I want is for someone to see the depths of my dysfunction.  It is in these times that something deep within me cries out and sick or not, overwhelmed or not, beyond exhaustion or not, “I have to get back to my happy place!” 

My appendicitis scare, or rather my reaction to it, was my wakeup call.  In the last few months I have donated dishes that I rarely used, yes, including some of the ones that used to belong to my grandmother.  I have gone through and sorted piles of clothes, donating many of them.  I have begun going through piles of papers. And I have hired a housecleaner to come twice a month to help me with general maintenance, like mopping the floors (my least favorite job).  My house is still far from perfect, but I am getting closer to that middle place that feels like home. 

The more I continue to grow and develop as a person the more I realize just how undone I am.  You will not find perfection in my house, my appearance, my anything but while I do not seek perfection, I do desire a life and home of integrity, safety and warmth.  I find great encouragement in this passage:

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.  Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it.  But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining towards what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 3:12-14 NIV

My house will never be perfect. But I can press on to improve my efficiency, my organization, and my ability to let go of sentimental items I truly don’t need.  I can let go of clutter.  I do this not to achieve perfect rooms, styled for a magazine cover, but to create the environment for perfect moments.  Perfect moments like my family around the dinner table laughing to the point of tears because my youngest is making up knock, knock jokes and his laughter is so contagious.  Perfect moments like playing hide and seek with my boys and my oldest counting all the way to 120 for the first time without mistakes. (This is a first grade standard he has been working on all school year.)  Perfect moments like watching my husband and boys all cuddled on the couch playing video games (something they have a shared love for). 

These perfect moments were ushered in by a table that was cleared off, rooms in which hiding spots were easily and safely accessible, and couches that were absent of laundry piles.  As I have struggled the past few months, to reclaim my house from CHAOS, I have been on a personal journey of discovery.  I am learning and I am growing. My home is still far from immaculate, but in this process I am learning new levels of transparency.  I will not celebrate my home dysfunctions, but I will celebrate my journey and the joy that is ever before me in the endless possibilities for perfect moments in an imperfect home. 

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By Joy Adams

This past winter, my six year old son, Jeremiah was playing in our community’s communal grassy area.  After just a few minutes of playing he ran up to me overflowing with excitement.  He had found a fidget spinner and he was confident that God had placed it there in the grass, just for him.  My husband and I tend to shy away from current trends, partially because we are just not that hip, and also because we want to teach our boys that fullness of life has nothing to do with the latest gadget or fad toy. In this regard, we had often seen our son enjoying playing with fidget spinners while on play-dates, however had not realized that to him, they were really something special and had nothing to do with fads.  Apparently, God knew, what we did not. 

After showing it to the neighborhood children and none of them laying claim to it, Jeremiah was all the more confident that God had brought it to him.  For the next several days, weeks, and beyond Jeremiah carried that fidget spinner close at hand almost everywhere we went, always letting people know that God had given it to him.  When he did not have it on him, he stored it in his sock drawer, like a treasure kept in a sacred vault.  

Months later, after picking Jeremiah up from school, I had taken the boys to Costco to do our grocery shopping.  It was the beginning of our pay period, so my list was long and we made our way up and down the aisles, covering most of the warehouse.  After checkout we stopped at the bathroom, then stopped for a hot dog, then back to the bathroom, then back to the food court to finish our hot dogs and then finally loaded up the car and headed home.  I was exhausted.    Shopping had taken longer than I had hoped, and we all just wanted to be home. 

Soon after getting on the freeway, headed for home, Jeremiah let out a cry of panic and distress: “Mom, I cannot find my fidget spinner!”  After having him check his pockets and all around his seat and even checking my purse, it was clear that the fidget spinner was not in the car.  “Where did you last have it?” I asked.  His reply: “Costco.”  Oh, boy! Talk about finding a needle in a hay stack.  I quickly assessed in my mind the chances of finding the lost fidget spinner weighted that with my exhaustion from the day and I began trying to offer words of comfort to my very distraught little boy.  “It is okay, honey, sometimes in life we lose toys or they get broken.”  “You are going to be okay, it’s not so bad, you have money in your bank at home, you can by a new one.”  My attempt to comfort, only made things worse.  It was evident that my son was experiencing true grief over the loss of this fidget spinner.  To him, it was as though that fidget spinner was a beloved member of our family that was totally irreplaceable. 

My heart broke for my son and for the pain of loss that he was experiencing.  I did the only thing I could do and that was get off the freeway, turn the car around and head back to Costco.  All the while, trying to prepare Jeremiah to accept the loss I felt was inevitable.  We were on an impossible task.  As I get the car back on the freeway Jeremiah says “Mom, Pray.”  I begin to pray that God will bring comfort to my son and help to restore his peace when he interrupts me and says “Mom, you are praying the wrong way.  God knows where it is, ask God to give it back to me.”  I invited Jeremiah to join me in prayer and we prayed as Jeremiah’s faith boldly led the way asking for the immediate return of his fidget spinner. 

Thanks to Bay Area rush hour traffic, almost an hour after leaving Costco, we reentered Costco on a mission to back track, if necessary, through the entire store. 

Less than a minute into our mission, Jeremiah had his beloved fidget spinner in hand.  We realized that he must have set it on the first table we had sat at in the food court and in our rush to get to the bathroom it had been left behind.  Returning to the food court, after going to the bathroom, our original table was occupied and we ended up finishing our meal at a different table.  Finding the fidget spinner, at that table over an hour after we had sat there was a miracle.   

As far as fidget spinner go, to anyone other than Jeremiah, it would seem insignificant. Its design is smaller and simpler than most fidget spinners.   The staff member who had wiped clean the table at least once in our absence could have easily felt justified in just tossing it in the trash without a second thought, but they didn’t.  Jeremiah left Costco that day with evidence in his hand that God does indeed hear our prayers and answer them.  I left Costco that day, with a renewed knowledge of how much God truly cares about us and the things we care about.

A year later, Jeremiah still recalls how God returned to him his fidget spinner. He often uses this memory as a statement of faith when encouraging our family to pray for something or when explaining to his younger brother just how big and loving God is. 

These days, the fidget spinner stays closer to home and the safety of Jeremiah’s sock drawer.  The testimony of the fidget spinner, however, is not hidden away, it is on full display in the growing faith of our son. 

Jeremiah’s fidget spinner story reminds me that God truly does care for us and for the things we care for just as the Bible says:

In the day when I cried out, You answered me, And made me bold with strength in my soul.

Psalm 138:3 (NKJV)

Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you

1 Peter 5:7 (NIV)

He will fulfill the desires of those who fear Him; He also will hear their cry and save them.

Psalm 145:19 (NKJV)

Today, I encourage you to put on childlike faith, to believe for the impossible, and to invite God to join you in even the simple joys and trails of life.

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Life Is Not Fair

By Joy Adams

I just walked into my boys’ room and this is what I heard:

Six year old: Brother did you know that life is not fair?

Three year old: What?!

Six year old: Yeah, mommy told me that life is not fair, but she said that was okay.

Six year old: Did you know that it is okay brother?

Wow, it is amazing to realize just how much our children do listen.  It took me a moment to remember, but my older son, who seems to remember everything, refreshed my memory of a moment nearly six months ago. We had been at Jumpity Bumpity (a popular indoor children’s party destination) for a birthday party and we were needing to leave early (prior to cake and presents) due to a previous engagement.  When we left, my older soon, began to complain that “it was not fair” that we had to leave early.  I began to explain to him that life was never meant to be fair and that was okay.  I told him that even God Himself, full of love, and always just, had never promised to be fair.  This is evident in the parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14-30).

For the Kingdom of Heaven is like a man traveling to a far country who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them.  And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey.

Matthew 25:14-15 (NKJV)

When I had this conversation about life not being fair, I never imagined, roughly six months later, my six year old would be sharing, in love, this oh so important life lesson with my three year old.  I am one proud mama right now.

One proud mama, and one convicted mama.  Just earlier today, I was feeling sorry for myself.  Complaining to God  – my husband’s hours at work are too long, I am spread too thin, people have unrealistic expectations on me, life is harder than it should be, etc., etc..  Too often in life, I think we can convince ourselves that we got the short end of the stick.  We are the servants that got only two, or maybe only one talent, when others in the same position received five.  It is in these moments that we can either recognize that God is sovereign, loving, and just, or we can turn to self-pity and envy, polluting our relationship with both God and people.  Today I choose God’s sovereignty recognizing that He never promised to be fair.  He did however promise to “never leave me nor forsake me.” Life will have bumps in the road, but knowing that He is with me, brings me the perspective that I need.

Praying that God will reveal His sovereignty, goodness, and love to each of you today.

Blessings.

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By Joy Adams

Frequently, I am reminded of the fact that my husband is a genius.  He is one of those people who comes up with amazingly simple ideas that somehow no one else (or at least not me) has ever thought of.  In his workplace this results in somewhat frequent promotions.  In the home, it results in improved quality of life.  A few months ago my husband came up with one of his genius ideas and it has truly revolutionized our weekend/holiday mornings.

His idea… (Drum roll, please)….Prep breakfast snacks for the kids, the night before!  Simple – I know. But somehow, I had never thought of it.  A typical Saturday mornings used to involve my boys coming straight from their beds (very early in the morning) to my bedside, resulting in me being awakened to the announcement of “Mom, we are hungry! Can you get us something to eat?”   Then hurriedly, I would attempt to shush them from further announcements, while attempting to quickly and quietly get out of bed without waking my husband. (Saturdays are his sleep in days, Sundays are mine). I would escort them out of our room and in a sleepy state, I would begin pouring milk and cereal, slicing apples, and/or making toast.  I was exhausted.  I needed more sleep but by the time they were fully fed and either playing or watching an approved show, despite my physical exhaustion, my brain was now awake, and I could not go back to bed.

Now before retiring to bed, every Friday and Saturday night, we set out some snacks that the boys can help themselves to when they wake up. Nothing fancy, a couple apple sauce pouches, animal crackers, some carrots, water, maybe a juice box if we have some.  We set their morning snacks, or first breakfast as we often call it (my husband is a big J.R.R. Tolkien fan), at their assigned place at the table. Our boys love that they can just help themselves and we love that we are no longer jumping out of bed at 6:30 or 7:00 am in the mornings.   Being able to stay in bed until 8:00 am or even later is such a luxury.

Usually our boys wake up around the same time, however on the rare occasion that our younger son (three years old) wakes up first, My husband or I will get up with him, however, even these mornings are so much easier.  All we have to do is just assist in opening the apple sauce pouch or help get a straw in a juice box.  Everything else is already set out and ready to go and we can just slowly wake up as we snuggle with our little guy on the couch. Usually, once our older son (six years old) wakes up, we will sneak back into bed for a little while longer.

Our boys have gotten so used to our new weekend morning routine, that they will often close our door when they wake up in the morning in an attempt to not wake us up with their playing.  They are confident that they have what they need and they now solve their own problems by helping each other with tricky juice boxes or apple sauce pouches.

I now love the flow of our Saturday and Sunday mornings.  They are relaxed and no longer rushed.  Don’t get me wrong, I am a mom, so my ears are always attuned to listen for my boys. I am fully aware when they wake up and I can easily keep tabs on what they are doing based on the sounds I hear. But having the freedom and luxury of staying in bed snoozing or being able to wake up slowly with my husband and actually connect with him without interruptions is such a beautiful thing.  When I do emerge from the bedroom, I am ready to meet the day and my family with a positive attitude that comes from a place of rest.

As I was preparing this post, I second guessed myself several times. Within this post there is no deep spiritual truth, no unveiling of my soul, just a simple habit to make parenting little ones just a little easier.  When I shared my doubts about this post with my husband, he once again displayed his great yet simple wisdom.  He said, “parenting is the one job, that no one can afford to burn out from, if you can share something that can help parents get more rest while still taking care of their kid’s, you need to share it.”

So here’s to slow weekend or holiday mornings and hopefully a little more rest.

Blessings to all you other parents that need just a little more sleep.

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No matter where in the world you live there are days in which going outside to play is just not an option.  Whether it is a scorching 108 degrees Fahrenheit or you are surrounded by rain or snow, every parent needs some simple activities that keep little bodies busy all while staying indoors.  For me, one of my go to activities, is what the boys and I affectionately call, Coffee Dirt.

What is Coffee Dirt? It is simply ground coffee beans poured into a shallow baking pan or large casserole dish.

Coffee Dirt, in conjunction with a few dollar store mini construction trucks, creates a table top activity that mimics the back yard sandbox.  Your little ones can create roads and mountains, bury and unearth treasures and work cooperatively to complete a task.  I use cheap or expired ground coffee and add in a few whole beans to act as large rocks. When the kids are done, I just pour all the grinds into a large Ziploc bag and save it for another day of play.  My kids love playing in the dirt and I think the fact that this activity allows them to play with “dirt” inside the house, makes it all the more fun for them.

As an added bonus for all you coffee lovers out there, this activity smells wonderful so don’t be surprised if the coffee lovers of the family are drawn in by the aroma. You may want to have some coffee for consumption readily available to accompany this fun family activity.

Happy Playing.

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***Disclaimer: unless your kids are super tidy, some coffee grinds will find their way to your floor.  Provided that the coffee you use is the standard course grind it sweeps up easily.  I would recommend shying away from an extremely fine espresso grind and I would not recommend this activity for carpeted areas.

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