Wednesday, August 15, 2007

Taking it one box at a time

It has been a great week of unpacking and rediscovery of all of our earthly possessions. I felt I needed to share some of the key highlights and little fun things we have had happen over the last week

Lesson 1 - If you ever use a professional moving company - they will pack anything and everything, including the trash, and dirty dishes, and even rocks. One box will contain 2 items you want and 15 you don't. 80% of your box will be packing paper.

Lesson 2 - Children do take in everything you tell them, even when you think they aren't listening. All week I have been telling BB1 to use the hands, ears, eyes etc. that God has given her as we have been unpacking and putting things away. Mostly it has been said in frustration after asking her to put something away, or to move out of the way as we have been moving furniture and boxes around to different rooms. (She always seems to stand in the exact spot you don't want her.)
How I know the lesson has sunk in was as we were leaving the grocery store last night and I was backing the car out of our parking spot, I had to stop suddenly as a person appeared out of no where at the back of my car. This person was on his cell phone and oblivious to anything going on around him especially our moving car, and had I not noticed him I probably would have hit him. I said something about him being an idiot and putting the cell phone away (some people really shouldn't try and multi-task) but what sealed the moment was BB1 piping up in the back ground saying "I guess he wasn't using the brain God gave him." Priceless.

Lesson 3 - Always try to remember what it's like to be a child. There is a line in a movie that BB1 loves to watch that goes something like this "The things that would concern an adult would never concern a child" and this is so true because no matter how many times I tell BB1 that we have plans for the day, her primary focus is to go out and do something fun. It does not seem to matter if she has been told no we will not be going over to the neighbors house or to the park because within 5 minutes of being told no, she is asking to play with her friends all over again. It tries my patience to no end, but rather than get mad or irritated I am trying to remember what it was like to be 5 and see a huge big world and to feel so comfortable in it that all I want to do is run around and find fun people to hang out with who will just run around with me.
I am trying to remember the joy of a garden hose and how much fun it can be to run the water over your toes or run through the spray and feel nothing but delight rather than worrying about getting wet. I am trying to remember the joy of swinging in a swing and sliding down a slide with naught a care in the world.
It's helping me to deal more calmly with the millionth request to go outside and do something fun when I have a million things inside I should be taking care of.

1 comment:

libby said...

I love reading your blog! It inspires me to create one for my little family, but I'm nervous to because I don't think I'm all that witty and people would be bored with my thoughts. How do you keep yours so interesting?
Also, I'd love to see pictures of your new house. It looks like we won't be making it to Utah anytime soon and when I'm reading your posts I like to imagine what setting all the events are taking place in.
Love you all!