Plans and the moment we are in


“We must be willing to let go of the life we have planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us.” – Joseph Campbell

Simple Mom blog today spoke to the question of purpose as mothers. Are we doing what we had planned on doing, are we in fact doing enough? What would my younger self wish to add to the life I have now? These questions make me turn to gratitude for the moment I am in.

This has been one of the best summers we have had in ages. We are doing daily tennis lessons for the kids, James has had the opportunity to go to camp up north and Annie to do horseback riding. Nate and Mark have been solidifying their creative bond with the production of family plays. Daisy has started sports! She loves tennis and newly discovered soccer like her big sister. John and Mickey have had the best season of Travel baseball because they have a pretty phenomenal coach (Dad)! Sheff is coaching along with a good family friend, and having a blast. They both are so pumped up and excited about the all American sport it puts Sheff on cloud nine.

For me it has been a time to be wholly focused on the kids in such a peaceful way, not having the pull of school and the crazy driving (even the 6 sports teams seem manageable in the summer months). It is refreshing being able to really hang out with each of them. We have found fun new reads from the library including some new cookbooks. I have been writing here and there and journaling my goals personal, spiritual and physical. Sheff and I have started running together, we used to run all the time when we were dating. The run time gives us check in and connect time.

Who did I miss? LUCY. Oh that baby is like a dessert, spicy and sweet all wrapped up chubby cheeks and laughter. She is a spitfire and a social butterfly. She is sharp as a tack and she keeps up with the brood. She is everyone's baby and will be quick to tell you "I am NOT a big girl, I am THE baby!"

Wishing everyone wonderful lazy days of summer, family connection and moments stolen for personal reflection.
Daisy finding  patch of "her flower" by the new house

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Vulnerability and Educational Moments...In the Grocery Store!

Image
I had an aquatience last week remind me I had a lot of children, and said she was hesitant to celebrate our family because it seemed like too much .  This was a chance run in on friday. For those of you who know me, know how much I struggle with that assessment. Girls with eating disorders often say: "I feel like too much" kids who have behavioral problems know people say they are "too much" and big families are often seen as really neat from a distance but too much . First, everyone has their own too much threshold. It is ok that my passion is not yours! Spending all day making Kombucha like one of my fiends is too much for me, or singing in a show, but I am able to celebrate this difference without judging this difference.  Welcoming children into our home with a 100% chance of heartbreak (sadness over them leaving or sadness someone I love is loosing a birth parent) is not for everyone! My response to negativity is very often to retreat, get off social media, tr
Read more

Veterans Day~ What to Do & How to Talk to Kids!

Image
Today as we celebrate Veterans day, I wanted to talk to the kids about both what it means to serve and how we can help our troops. Having family serve in the military can be a source of fear and pride. The kids do not have immediate family abroad but have heard from their Grandfathers and family friends about both war and leadership serving in the armed forces. We made a list of what WE could do from home. ~The kids' school has a program to send care packages to the troops. Shop, Ship and Share has lists of helpful things to buy and send to the troops. We got beef jerky, sunflower seeds and baby wipes for the kids to bring in to school for the program. Many locations participate, google to find locally! http://www.minnesotanationalguard.org/press_room/e-zine/articles/index.php?item=4518 ~ http://www.operationgratitude.com Check out for more ideas and programs happening to support our troops. ~Sending Halloween Candy to the troops, google the closest locations. We found a
Read more

Foster Care and Parenting, What is in a Number

Image
We welcomed eight children into our home between March 2020 and today, we have had twenty five children placed as foster children since 2015, and an additional five as respite placements. These numbers look so bland on paper. Thirty children have been part of our daily living in the last six years, we have nine of our own children. In putting some thoughts on paper about what these numbers mean, it boils down to acceptance and hard work.  If anyone is new to the Otis family speak, "our own" is a loaded term. We have five biological children and four adopted children. Early on one of our sons told us the power of the question "which ones are your own?" And the fact that I answered without hesitation all those years ago, "they are all our children" from birth or adoption, feeling fully accepted and claimed has become the way we walk in this family. This does not take away the respect and open conversation about birth families, first families and sacrifice. F
Read more