Friday, September 28, 2012
A blessed little kitchen
Looking at before and after photos tonight and wondering how we all survived, how I could possibly deserve such blessing, and how funny it is that a kitchen makeover could make me weep with joy.
Over and over again.
Before - June 18, 2012
After September 28, 2012
Wow.
Heather Dowling at 8:46 PM
Saturday, September 15, 2012
We have a five year old!
Today our first-born turns five years old. You can blame it on pregnancy hormones, the fact she started Kindergarten this fall, or the realization that she'll be the oldest of three Dowling children come winter, but this birthday has been the hardest on my Mama's heart. Five just seems so grown. So far from baby and toddler days and so very close to a big girl with big ideas and big choices. For so long I thought of myself as that girl with the babies. Five hardly counts as a baby anymore (no matter how much I try to cling to her small-ness). I'm now the Mama with a school-aged child. Wow. A whole new season and adventure of a mind exploding with curiosity and a personality blooming into something absolutely beautiful.
Annabelle has lived up to her pixie name. She is petite and her voice is tiny and kind. She loves all things girl but is no stranger to a fun fishing trip with Daddy & Poppy. She has an eagerness to help with cooking, babies, and projects that sometimes has to be kept at bay for fear she might just burst with excitement! Her Daddy is her favorite person and her eyes still light up when he walks into her world. Sparkles, scissors, glue, play-doh, paint, you name it and she's ready to do it. She loves art.
Her mind works so quickly that her speech is effected and we often have to slow her down just to be able to understand what latest thrill of pink something-or-other came into her little hands. She gets really excited over things.
Most mornings (and afternoons, and evenings) she'll play "church" for us. A 'microphone', a dress up dress (she loves **understatement**dress up), and a chair or two and we're entertained with singing, a lesson, and sometimes even a fun gift if we've brought our 'bibles'. What a special girl!
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We love this little lady with all her quirks and excessive pictures for Daddy to take to work. We love her heart to help others and her constant squeaky joy. We love her excitement over baby #3's approaching welcome to our little family. We love every single bit of everything this girl brings to our lives. She is sunshine and sparkles and color and life! She is beautiful! She is FIVE!
Happy 5th birthday, sweet "Buggy" girl!
Heather Dowling at 9:41 PM
Wednesday, September 05, 2012
Homeschooling
It's official! The Dowling household kicked off it's first official home school year with our sweet Annabelle as a Kindergartner today. (Pause for sobbing hormonal mama.)As I floated through the day with a bit of Johann Sebastian Bach on Pandora as our background (I have high aspirations in this little home school, you know) the simple statement from the only and only Mary Poppins continually popped into my fresh and eager homeschooling mama's brain: "In every job that must be done, there is an element of fun."
Annabelle's artistic version of art time with paint.
If I remember only one thing from the numerous wealth-of-knowledge friends I've chatted within the years preceding starting this great adventure I hope to always keep hold of this: a love for learning is far greater than a standard of what should be taught by a standard time frame. A great love for learning will not only heighten any knowledge that could be attained, but continue far past schooling years.
Today was logged in my little yellow notebook with lessons on alphabet and pioneers, a favorite leaf logged in a nature journal, painting and mazes, books and stickers and play-doh, and learning about God's love for us through His created world. More than that, I see in that little log, a girl who took today at her own pace learning about things she loves. I love this Kindergarten girl.
Ready for dance class this afternoon!
This homeschooling cap I've put on is, in all honesty, probably the biggest hat I've ever worn. Constantly I'm wondering if I could possibly measure up to give her the education I have dreamed for her and her siblings to follow. Speaking with R.Jay in weeks leading up to our big homeschooling adventure, I went on and on about how exciting and wonderful this will be: how grand it'll be to re-learn and learn new throughout the years and how wonderful it will be to watch a passion for something be birthed in her heart and mind right before my very eyes. But, the real beauty in this adventure is through this daily 'rhythm' my face and my heart will be turned to Jesus. Every. Single. Day. And in turn, hers too. No amount of lesson planning, great idea found on Pinterest, or curriculum will help me as much as God's constant presence as we take each step.
So, here it goes! It may be a "glorious mess" most days, but I'm going to purpose to love every bit of it. Even the hard parts. Especially the great parts. Like today.
Happy 2012-2013 school year!
Laughing with my big-girl Kindergartner over ice cream after dance class. We both deserved a treat today!
Heather Dowling at 11:43 PM