She sings them to Him

(photo credit: Life Candids Photography, 2010)
Yesterday morning, my precious Dorothy was wandering around the house making up little songs as she often does. As she walked by, I told her that her singing was very beautiful and that I loved to hear it. Her response was priceless to me. "I'm so happy because everybody likes my singing! My other songs are true because they're about God. I sing them to Him," she said excitedly. It melted my heart, and it also got me thinking about what I am doing on a daily basis to teach my children about the things that are most important in life. Do they know who God is? Do I show them His love, or am I short with them? What more can I do to make sure that they see God's love through me? Am I teaching them responsibility and creativity? These are all sobering questions that will require daily thought, purpose, planning, and action.

I have been thinking more lately about how I want our days to look. Now that I am home with the kids every day, I feel like we need more of a routine to keep things running smoothly. It's too easy to fall back on cartoons to keep the kids entertained while I get things done, but my desire is for them to learn and grow as individuals. They have many options for creative play. We have been blessed with many toys and art supplies, most of which have been given to us as hand-me-downs or holiday gifts. If I am purposeful, it should be relatively easy to fit in all the things I want to do with them.

*Since the toys are organized into bins, "center" time is something I'd like to incorporate into their day. They can each pick a bin to play with and use their imaginations. The antique dollhouse/furniture we gave them for Christmas has already been a great addition to their play time. (And can I admit that it's fun for me, too?).

*I also want to make sure that they get art time every day with drawing, painting, or play dough. They both really enjoy art time. I just have to make sure Charlotte doesn't eat the crayons ;).

*I'd like to get some good Christ-centered preschool curriculum that is age-appropriate for both girls. They are both showing signs of being ready to learn more about letters, numbers, and how things work. We also need to set aside a regular book reading time, as well as a time to read their children's Bible.

*Baking/cooking time is another thing that I would like to do with them at least on a weekly basis. One of my favorite memories is punching down the bread dough for my mom in the kitchen. I remember the feel and the smell so fondly. Because my mom let me help her in the kitchen from such a young age, I was cooking very early on, and I love cooking to this day. It has blessed not only me and my family, but others as well. In fact, I'd like to add meal ministry to my tithing of time and resources. We may not have much money to work with, but I can use what God has given us to bless others. And I know first-hand after all of the high-risk pregnancies how wonderful it is to get a home-cooked meal when you are unable to prepare one. Allowing my children to take part in this will teach them how important it is to give of our time and resources to help others.

Scheduling my time will be a bit more challenging, as I still have some coursework. Household and school is always hard to balance, but it can be done! I'll let you know when I have a more solidified schedule worked out. What works for you?