listening to the rain

I don't know about you, but I am naturally goal-oriented. I think education is directed that way, and so probably a lot of us are. (This does not step too far away from other things I have written.) Goals are good and necessary, but can sometimes be tyrannical, making all else bow to them. This is in direct opposition to what I have been getting at lately and thinking about: living "in relatio," taking time with others, seeing life and not mess, etc.

So we won't talk about summer goals, but summer ideas. ;)

~ Let the good times roll. We don't have to have a tight schedule during summer time, for most of the day. There is nothing I love more than seeing and hearing my kids getting into some creative game they play for hours. I like for them to have this opportunity to spend this uninterrupted time together and just enjoy each other's company, creating wonderful memories. This also means allowing for the creative messes that come with it, and the occasional creative meals ( crackers, ice cream, and cheese puffs, and juice boxes for breakfast?). And what about the necessary physical order of the house? We will be having clean up times periodically rather than making an orderly house the priority.

~ How we get there is more important than where we go. It doesn't matter how cool a place is to visit if Mom and Dad are grumpy during the process of getting there, which sometimes takes heroism to avoid! :) There is this notion out there to "do things" with our kids, as if merely going somewhere is achieving a goal; ie, "we did (something new) today!" We all know it is more about the time and relationship building that goes along with the activity, because kids can have fun anywhere. I'll give you an example. I had to get some things at the store at lunchtime, so we ate lunch at the grocery store tables near the cafe area. Now, this is not one of your re-designed Whole Foods cafes. But, the kids had "so much fun," and lamented the fact that "Daddy misses all of the fun." ;)

~Don't over-set personal goals. But, get thinking and started on what I want to do for the Fall!

~Spend time with friends~ families, individuals, and couples~ the food of life, starting of course with God and my husband.

~ When all else fails, have everyone sit down and READ ( thanks, Pixie!). :)