Connections

It always amazes perplexes me that I can be a "stay-at-home" mom and yet not always make a connection with all the people under our roof.  I mean we are home together 24/7 {give or take hours for sleep and a few things that take us away from home, but you know what I mean - for the most part we are home together... a lot!} and yet much is required of me in order to keep a home running smoothly, relatively speaking.  Older children {our college students} have their own work/study/social schedules that pose challenges to connect as well.
I do get time with each of the younger ones while we accomplish the day's schooling, but that is scheduled and essential and doesn't always provide the "connection".    Let's face it, geometry proofs, phonics flashcards, and spelling drills don't easily elicit warm, fuzzy feelings.  
 
My goal this year is to spend 1 hour with each child each week.  Doesn't that sound simple and easy? 
Here is how it is going so far...

Ellie has taken an interest in hand sewing.  The perfect place to start is with a sampler.  I came across the perfect project here.  Simple enough for the both of us.  I show her how each stitch is made, and then she continues.  When we complete this I plan to frame it for her room as a reminder of her accomplishment and our time spent together.

Abbie begs for time to bake in the kitchen with me.  So we roll up our sleeves and put our aprons one afternoon each week and endeavor to fill our cookie jar. 

I'm still working on carving out special time with the others too.  I think Legos and puzzles might be in my near future. And coffee.  Did you know that Coffee is the universal language with teens?  And husbands.  Yup.

 Jim Elliott once said, "Wherever you are, be all there."  That really resonates with me.  I want to engage with those I love in a meaningful, memorable way.  It's a work in progress, to be sure.

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For information on the Sampler or other patterns go here.

I linked this post to The Art of Home Making Mondays