Classic Lessons

My daily hours are consumed with repetitious tasks, such as wiping the bottoms of three small boys, wiping sticky fingers and sticky floors, and wiping a nose, a scraped toe, or the a occasional tear from an angry eye. Despite the fact that these seem mentally monotonous, by the grace of God, my love of learning hasn't been stifled. My children continue to teach me so much more than a book ever could.

If you've ever seen Home Alone (my favorite Christmas classic), you have seen a snapshot of my soon-to-be four year-old. The scene with the neighborhood kid who bombards the airport van driver with unrelated and irrelevant questions, and later causes the entire confusion of the large-family headcount by sitting in the family's rented vehicle is literally the comical doppelganger of my sweet Silas. The constant stream of questioning can be hysterical if I sit back and listen, but too often I lose my sense of humor and lash out with impatient frustration. Silas certainly helps reveal my lack of patience, as well as my need to slow down in life.

I could write an entire book on the lessons that Levi continues to teach me. I am always humbled by his ability to figure things out in his own way and his own timing. In an era with abundant resources documented benchmarks, red flags, and preemptive preparedness, Levi serves as the poster-child for loosening our tied shoes, letting go of comparisons, and throwing out manuals. Not only is he laid-back in personality, but also in developmental timelines. Couldn't we all stand to gain a little more "Levi-life" in our personal milestones?

Finally, even my tiniest son has lessons to bestow on my life. While Levi could not ever be swaddled due to his leg casts, I remember the swaddle struggles we had with Silas years ago. Roman likewise, reminds me of our own love-hate relationship with boundaries. We want God to hold us tightly in His loving arms, keeping us safe, secure, and warm. Yet we also want to break away in rebellion, fighting His authoritative grip. Once we begin to flail about independently, we scratch, hurt, and scare ourselves to tears. If we'd wait on his perfect-timing to show us a new way to rest, we'd save ourselves a lot of sleepless nights. We have to realize we can't have it both ways-- we can't want His loving guidance leading us if we want to be the leader too. He is the Father, after all, and much more experienced at the job.

This season of learning can't be rushed or rescheduled. It shows sign of exhaustion at times, but it is essential for eternity.

Some sweet moments from our start to the Christmas season, which I won't always have when I'm not wiping something in future years...

The candy cane helped with the tears, but Levi still wasn't so sure about this guy.

We love the one-stop shop and family-friendly Hunters Farm!

Back in my tractor-driving days... I love to give driving advice! :)

Check out that right hand grip!

Free hot chocolate makes any weather worth it!

First viewing of Polar Express proved fun at the time, but like most movies, Silas is not a fan of any sad/angry/scary/unfortunate turn of events, (even if the outcome is happily ever after), so he was sure to tell me what he did NOT like about this movie. Bah Humbug Silas!