The focus of 7 Quick takes changes for me each time I seem to do this, but still random thoughts cross my mind so for my 7 Quick takes this week:1. Family life with out Stephen is different. It doesn't matter how much we try and maintain a semblance of normality. It IS different. In many ways it is like being a single parent family. All the day to day decisions have to be made by me. There is no-one at night to relieve the stresses of being the sole parent in charge of keeping the family running and organised and happy.
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2. Family read alouds seem to be a thing of the past for us at the moment. This is something we have done since our older boys were very little. We would have prayers, picture books, then a bible story and then a chapter read aloud. However it is another thing that just doesn't roll any more. The older children are a great help at night time but the sense of completeness of prayers and stories is much harder to keep together and I find it is easier to "gulp" watch a DVD together.
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3. So watching more DVDs together had been a part of our season of life. Even thought we do this together I am unhappy that we do not read as much together. i really miss this time and regret that our younger children haven't had the same opportunities for a rich literary environment as the older children.
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4. Perhaps because the younger children watch more DVD's than the older children did, that may account for what I perceive as their lack of creativity and their sometimes inability to play unassisted. Or thinking more about this perhaps the dynamics of the family creates it's own differences and the creativity is being expressed in different ways.
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5. Perhaps my own lack of creativity lately has rubbed off on the children. I have been more tired of late and finding it hard to get to all the things I enjoy and so have not made things or sewed as much as I have in the past.
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6. We have been suspecting that Arwen would be a bottom crawler like Myffwyn was for some time as she really gets upset if we put her on her tummy to 'practise' for tummy time.
Over the last three days she has actually begun to move around on her bottom. she spins in circles and scoots a little more each day prompting us to reinstate the 'barrier' over the stair ways to prevent her falling down the stairs.
This however means everyone climbing over the barrier and the little ones have to lift and climb under without being cut in two by the falling barrier.
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7. I am finally catching up on the posts I am wanting to do. Saxon's and Vellvin's birthday, St Nicholas Day, The little girls D and E week, The dressing up day the children did, making toys posts, Immaculate Conception, and a few others plus the feast day tomorrow for Our Lady of Guadalupe.
I am also desperate to put our Advent Christmas books on the side bars and these are some of our favourite picture books....well I love all picture books really but I have been wanting to share these since I first started blogging anticipating Advent to begin so I could, and now well it is almost the 3rd Sunday and I have hardly started.
Perhaps I shouldn't continue with this line of thought, it isn't very uplifting. So many drafts -- so little time. I hope to get these done over the weekend.
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Extra Take~
Has anyone sung "O Come O Come Emmanuel" at Mass during Advent so far. We haven't and I must confess I find it a bit upsetting. Well this whole Music theme at Mass is somewhat abysmal compared to what we used to have at the Anglican Church. Is it just us or is this something everyone has to put up with. We used to sing beautiful old Hymns and even some beautiful newer music BUT all we get is the same selection of maybe 10 songs changed each week. And they are songs not Hymns and for the most part they are very folksy.
Well that is all I have for this week. I Pray you all have a blessed and happy week.
For more inspirational 7 Quick Takes please visit Jen at Conversion Diary I am sure you will not be disappointed.
Blessings,
Hi Gae,
ReplyDeleteI am still praying for a sale for your home so that you and your family can be reunited with your husband and their father. :)
Family life must be very different for you without Stephen.
Have a wonderful and blessed weekend,
Jillian
Hi Gae!
ReplyDeletePraying here too, dear.
I recently started back with some read alouds too. I always loved it and want it too for the younger ones. Getting to it does have it's obstacles. But I do enjoy when we all sit around and watch a DVD together too, but I know what you mean.
With our littlest, we read a bit to her before she goes to bed, but littlest son sleeps in the same room with big boys and so he misses out.
As for creativity, I do encourage youngest son to use his imagination more. I sometimes have to insist, but his siblings have encouraged him to join them in their imaginative play and I see him joining with more gusto lately. They are all so different and where they fall in birth order is the way God decided and it does make things different for them in what they are exposed to.
What you are noticing is on my heart too.God bless.
Gae, I continue to pray for your family, that this season of life will be over soon and you can be reunited as a family.
ReplyDeleteWe have had more than our fair share of "movie nights" while my husband is finishing school- he's often home just long enough to sleep at night, and at the end of the night I just need a little time to sit.
Gae, do not be so hard on yourself. You seem to be lovely woman with a lovely family! My husband travels almost weekly, and it IS hard, especially when you have a large family. You have a lot on your plate, and judging by your blog, you are very creative and an excellent mother! I have been praying for your family and will continue to do so. JMJ
ReplyDeleteRegarding hymns - I think it depends on the church and the Parish Priest. When we go to Mass locally the music is post 70's rubbish (my opinion) but when we go to a large church near the city run my Opus Dei priests the music is beautiful and traditional.
ReplyDeleteRegarding creativity - You have so much to do, I'm sure you would feel creative if you had more time to yourself.
Keep up the good work, God bless.
Kelly