Helpers.

I'm sure I've written this before...but I read somewhere that when you're living life with little ones, you should always add at least a half hour of additional time onto whatever task or event you are doing to really be able to experience things the way that they do and to really be able to see things through their eyes.

And might I add onto that... to not lose your sanity!

There's no getting around it, having little helpers around is going to take more time, make more mess, call for more deep, cleansing breathes, and (more often than not), finish with less than perfect results.

At least in THIS home.

But, that's all right. It's all good.
This season is fleeting.

And how else are they to learn the value of hard work, the satisfaction of seeing something through from start to finish, and learn important skills for life?

It's here. In the home. Living life together.

Don't get me wrong...there are times when I totally want to bust a move, conquer Rome in a day, and get 'er done, too, without stopping to take the time to look at every bug, sweep up an epic mess, or make a task an entire event of an afternoon.

Balance, right?

Ransom's favorite job is to go to the chickies with his Mama every day.
He very much loves going headfirst into the feed bin to get fistfuls of food to chuck at the girls.
After every chuck, he gleefully yells: "THERE!!!!"
He is a VERY proud little helper.
The girls are less than impressed...

He also loves to dump out all of Mama's beans.
(This is where the deep cleansing breathes come in).

I find that they are also very helpful during the mixing up of the bread dough...

While we made bread together yesterday, I couldn't help but think back to all of the many times that I let both Kaden and Jesse mix up the bread just like Ransom was doing. This has been going on for seven plus years now!

And the three styles of "helping" have been fun to remember, as well.

Kaden was meticulous. He did not want to drop a crumb, and he made sure every ingredient made it safely into the pan. Jesse stirred with gusto, and often our loaf of bread was significantly smaller than it should have been, because half of it ended up on the floor! Ransom is a bit in the middle. Not as crazy as Jesse, but not wanting near the amount of help from Mama that Kaden allowed. So funny.

I am growing.
I have so far to go, but I am learning.
Only seven years into motherhood, but I am learning to let go of so many things.
I am relaxing. I am loosening my grip. I am trying to say "yes" more often.
I am trying to major on the eternal and minor on the external.

I am learning to see beauty in the mess.
And sacred in the chaos.


***********************
1688. Three little helpers with their own little styles.
1689. Grace and patience for this Mama to (always) learn and to give.
1690. Leaving (far) behind the expectation of perfect results and minimal clean up.
1691. Knowing that this season will be gone in the bink of an eye.
1692. Striving to savor the help and see beyond the mess.
1693. Praying "Jesus, help me to slow and see the sacred amidst the chaos."

Because that's what all of it is...
Sacred holiness amidst beautiful messes.