Why, you ask?
Cuz she's got some AWESOME, ROCKIN' contests and drawings over there.
And ya'll know I'm UP FOR 'DAT!!
Right now there is an INcredible summer craft giveaway post up. Just sign the form and you're in like Flynn!
So, of course, I did THAT! Those nesting dolls look like SO much fun to paint!
The first link above with her name is to the Write Away contest for June. Join up! You just need to write a post about "Tradition" and enter it in her form by Midnight on the 16th. Simple! Can't WAIT to read the other submissions. :D
And without further ado, here's mine...
"And how do we keep our balance? That, I can tell you in ONE WORD ~ TRADITION!"
"You may ask, How did this tradition get started?
I'll tell you!
I don't know.
But it's a tradition! And because of our traditions, everyone of us knows who he is and what God expects him to do."
"Without Traditions, our lives would be as shaky as a Fiddler On The Roof."
Have you ever done something over and over "just because that's the way it's supposed to be done?"
Me, too!
But since I was left alone to care for four kids, I have had to re-evaluate what is important and what we are doing "just because".
Is it IMPERATIVE that the child eat every bite of food on their plate no matter what kind of power struggle ensues because THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO DO?
I looked at that and thought,"What in the WORLD am I doing fighting with my daughter like this? As long as she is full and understands that there will be no more food until bedtime, what is the big deal?"
Do I HAVE to take my children to the same church we've ALWAYS gone to just because we've ALWAYS gone there? True we have friends there, but God isn't there. That means something.
Do I HAVE to follow the great Christmas Travel Tradition of driving one hour west on Christmas Eve to see MY family, then driving one hour EAST on Christmas to see HIS family when 90% of them don't show up anyway? And he's in prison? I know they want to see the kids - but is it up to me to haul them away from their new toys when the other members of his family are just as capable of driving as I am?
So as you can tell, we've been revising, rethinking and revisiting alot of old traditions. And we've been making up some new ones as we go along, too.
Gotta maintain that "balance" Tevye was talking about, ya' know! (By the way, if you don't watch that entire video...it's ok. I understand. It's kinda long and not everyone is a bigtime Fiddler fan like me. :IF I were a Rich man, yiddle deedle dydle deedle dydle deedle dydle dummmm...." Oops, scuse me. Got carried away there!)
Where was I? Oh yes, new traditions.
One-on-one time with mom. Once a month, we try to make a date. Me and each kiddo, one on one. I don't know if it helps, but I know they look forward to it as much as I do.
Birthday dinner ~ you get to pick what we have for dinner on your birthday. We've had some doozies, let me tell you. Last year, we had a dinner of strawberries, gummy worms, shrimp and Funyons. BLECH!
And the best new tradition? Telling them all that I love them at least once a day, usually served with a hug. And hearing the reply back. And MEANING it from the bottom of our hearts.
Yes, we may be "balancing" by all holding on to Mommy, but you know what?
At least we've got our heads above water!
2 comments:
Thanks so much for entering, good luck!
The word Tradition always makes me start channeling Tevye! We, too, struggled with the driving tradition after our children were born. We decided that we would invite the families to come to us, and start our own tradition.
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