At Home With Dot

As we enter into 2017 my New Years resolution is to be intentional in my interactions with my children. Since our interactions mostly occur within routines; this will be where I start being the most intentional. When I hear the word routine. I automatically think about performing in a dance recital or playing an instrument in front of an audience. However, in this case I'm talking about the events that occur on a daily basis with my children. When these routines are practiced with intention, its showing my children how to interact with others appropriately and with purpose. This is where learning begins; within routines.  Routines are in almost every moment of the day for children (and really for adults too). According to The Program for Infant and Toddler Care, routines take up 80% of the day! The major routines for young children include events like eating, dressing, diapering and toileting. Sometimes, it can be tempting to rush through these rich activities so we can move o...

This is the 3rd post in my restart series. The first two post were about have a quiet time and finding a hobby you love. Thanks for coming along with me! When I'm feeling sorry for myself, I sometimes blame it on my difficult week, month or even year. However, if I'm honest, most of the time it really stems from self-pity. Pity as defined by Webster states "the feeling or suffering of one person, excited by the distresses of another." So According to this, self-pity means I am just looking at  MYSELF and the struggles  I'M going through. Ouch. Admitting self-pity is so hard. I have the tendency to blame it on something outside of myself. Something like, the kids didn't nap today, my 3 yr. old has many tantrums, my 1 yr. old cries a lot, I had a fight with my husband...again, the lack of time to complete tasks...on and on it goes. Ultimately it's me that decides to feel sorry for myself. There will be times in our life where we face...

This is the 3rd post in my Restart Series. If you want to read more visit my last post here . Last week I was feeling a little trapped. Do you know the feeling? It usually hits me like a brick! I'll be satisfied; feeling really happy with my current situation and then 💥 BAM 💥 !!! The kids feel like heavy shadows, the house walls are closing in, I yell more, I cry more, I feel vulnerable and I just want to sleep. This is when I know I need a restart!  I am human. We are human. There will be times in our lives when we are overcome with sadness, feeling trapped, and restless. Give yourself grace and have it draw you closer to Him. And then know there are great things on this side of heaven for us to enjoy to get us through it. One of those things for me is thrifting! ( Click here for my thrifting tips ) Last week, I gathered up my two toddlers and visited a new thrift store. I had one item on my list; find an old wooden bread box. Th...

As promised I will be writing about how I restart my "system" so I can do my best in the tasks set before me. I'll be doing a few posts on activities that have worked in refreshing my soul! My initial post is titled " New Years Restart ." Take a look and keep on visiting! I love hearing comments and encouraging words from you too!!! So, here is my first restart activity: I'm going to be honest here, in my home with kids "real quiet time" rarely happens...even if I get up early. My kids have this special kid sense that goes like this... "Oh mom is awake, I better start screaming for her now." It doesn't always happen this way, which I'm grateful for. This quiet time for me has molded and changed depending on my stage in life or difficulty of my week. So, let me first explain how this quiet time really becomes a fluid concept for me. When I refer to quiet time I mainly mean my time when I'm reflecting on, reading about...