The Gift of Caring

"Eyes are for seeing

Ears are for listening

Mouth is for speaking kind words

Heart is for loving

Hands are for helping

and Feet so you can walk the world"

R.Fox 2005

 

This is a little saying I made up (as far as I know) when Miss now 8 was born. I looked at her in all her beauty, her eyes, ears, mouth, hands, heart, feet in all their perfection and thought what are these parts for, what am I going to teach her to do with them, how can I mould her to do good in this world, be better than me and this saying came to me. Its been whispered to all four children as they drift off to sleep, it's been sung to them while they giggle on our laps and its also been asked of them "what are your hands for Master 3?" I hope they take it with them through life and eventually they get it.

 

Its the simplicity of caring that makes all the difference, just kindness. Caring for animals, plants, other people can bring such joy, more joy than receiving. Last week I briefly forgot this. I was over the whinging, cooking and cleaning, I was tired and lonely and I was thinking all about me. I forgot to look out and I was miserable. Then I watered the plants..... and my attitude changed. I looked out, I saw the plants were growing and it was because of me. I was giving life to them literally through this giving, giving of my time and effort to water them and they were living and growing, beating the odds of my black thumb. Then I thought about all the other things I had done that morning, making breakfast, cleaning up, washing, packing school bags all the tasks that I had taken for granted were also acts of giving, caring for others..... these little others that I am sending out into the world each day. My attitude changed instantly.

 

Coming up to Christmas worries me. Our children have so much, so many things and throughout the Christmas period they get so much more, presents, food it's all in abundance for the season and its easy for us to get lost in it all. To focus on the receiving, on what you have and haven't got, what you want. This year I am going to try and turn it around a little and emphasise the giving to others. Not just physical things (although that's easy to for kids to understand) but the giving of yourself, your time, energy. I want them to look, listen, love, help and be kind wherever they travel in their magical lives.
 



It is my hope that our children turn out better than me. I hope they are better at giving, focusing on others, caring, sharing and helping. Whenever they feel sorry for themselves or miserable I will ask them, what can you care for? who can you help? I will ask them to look out not in.  I will buy them a plant, or a fish if I have to.  I hope they gain confidence and self worth  from doing this and discover the joy and light that this brings, creating their own ..... beautiful days.
 



Embrace the circus

Welcome to the circus....

 

Well its Friday afternoon and this has been a long, tough week and my husband left for work about 15 mins after school finished (smart man). I have got through this week by running and exercising, counting to ten, using denial, smiling (some faked) several hissy fits, putting my hands over my ears and singing "lalalalala" really really loud and stamping feet. All really mature ways of dealing and some were really successful some not so (I personally recommend the 'lalalala' method)!! Anyway I have read some blogs this week that really helped me exhale and feel 'normal' for feeling all out of wack especially Emily at The Beetle Shack http://www.thebeetleshack.com/I love her beautiful photography and magical writing. So in this tradition I am doing a 'keeping it real' for this weeks entry.

 

At the moment I have kicked the girls off the Monster High website to write this blog.....Monster High ewww gross for 8 years I avoided Bratz, preached positive body image, natural beauty then let my guard down now Monster High have invaded our house and their minds through the computer all that hard work undone in one website!

These girls are so enterprising they have worked out that I like exercising and will offer to 'babysit' their brothers so that I can.... they then negotiate fees with me. I have paid them close to $10 this week!!

 

 Master 3 had eaten nothing but muslie bars and cereal all day (week) then wanted a sandwich this afternoon whoo hoo I thought then he broke a whole jar of jam, glass and jam everywhere, (still one piece in my foot...) as strawberry jam laced with glass isn't a safe filling option I asked "what do you want on your sandwich now?" "My favourite" he replies "what's your favourite today?"  12 minutes of negotiation later he reveals vegemite, cheesymite and parmesan cheese is in fact his favourite....of course it is!!! Said sandwich was made and 'tada' actually eaten...Winning!! 

He has also taken to finding random objects to chase his sisters around with... sticks, rolling pins, brooms... he thinks its funny (they don't), sometimes it is!!

 

Little Love was 4 months this week, he is almost sitting up and moving lots so much so that he may or may not have fallen off a bed this week oops! As my luck had it I hadn't made the bed and the pillow was still on the floor from the night or 3 before and he landed on it I may now not make another bed until he starts walking just in case!!

 

I could go on, you see life with kids is crazy, chaotic, and life at the moment resembles a circus. My husband and I are in our own game of survival where we are outwitted, outlasted and outnumbered constantly EVERYDAY!!

I need to start doing this blog again to feel less isolated, some weeks I don't travel further than 200 metres in a single direction, some days the  ipad and the computer seem like windows into the outside world from the little dome we live in here and the circus that some days feel like. Its easy to see occasional pictures and get an impression of life with children from it, but their reality is always like your reality, washing whinging, cleaning and chaos but among it all at the heart is LOVE that's why we do it and keep doing it day after day. So fellow Mums out there embrace the circus as ...one of these beautiful days.

 

 

My selfie attempt this week for #fmsphotaday got bombed x 4

 

 

Afternote...... As all these days  aren't always beautiful I'm sure I was on a fluffy cloud of love when I thought of the blog title.... it now makes me kinda want to spew I am looking at changing it to "@ the Fox Den"  what do you think?

Look for new posts on Fridays!!