On Waiting

Hey there, Jesse here! I am now blogging over at a new site called Weave In Wonder. It's the place where moms learn how to feel their happiest with meaningful self-care, respectful parenting & fun play ideas. Meet me over there! 

<3

Since the beginning of January, we've gone to bed to the sound of rain pitter-pattering on our rooftop, soft blankets pulled up to our chins, and woken up to the same sound. It's been pure bliss for us all, after three years of clear skies and shined up rain boots with no puddles to stomp in. This momma is guilty of filling up our dance cards quickly on sunny days, and I thought the rain was such a nice excuse to stay inside and do some of those Pinterest art activities I pinned eons ago.  

Cue weeks and weeks of nearly non-stop rain. 

"Is the rain ever going to stop?" Sister Butterfly asked looking out the window with her nose scrunched. I admit, the extra art activities were fun and all, but we were starting to get a bit antsy around here. All of my creativity felt like it washed away along with the rain outside. 

So while we waited for the rain to stop, I made up my mind that I was going to wait before I suggested yet another rainy day activity to fill their boredom. We sat there quietly in the living room, with the faint beating of rain on the window. Brother Butterfly crawled to a play kitchen skillet, and I decided to wait a moment before I showed him how to play with it. Moments later, he took the skillet and banged it loudly against a puzzle piece. Clunk! Then he smacked it against a metal toy. Clink! Ding! This went on for the next thirty minutes. His eyes twinkled with self confidence and total delight - this discovery of sound he made all on his own. 

I decided to use this strategy on Sister Butterly too. With a (now 4!) year old, there's sometimes a bit of struggle before genius strikes. "You're having trouble finding something to play with today. You sound frustrated! You're a great problem solver and I'm sure you'll think of something," I said to her with my fingers crossed. I was eager to finish a book I couldn't put down, and this was my only chance! 

A few minutes later, Sister Butterfly was happily building a fort using every blanket and pillow in the house, making sure it was big enough for both her and her brother. I happily watched with my book on my lap, wanting these moments of discovery and imagination to hold still and wait, before they quickly become wonderful memories.