Sometimes the Best Plan Is No Plan At All

Buzzard told me he would take the boys to scouts tonight and I could stay home and have a night off. I'm feeling under the weather and a little off my game, so I jumped at the opportunity, and immediately started formulating an agenda to capitalize on a quiet, almost empty house. Hannah left for a babysitting job, my scouts fueled up on pancakes and headed out the door, and I settled into the homeschool room to return two phone calls, grade a grammar assignment, address a few birthday cards, and send some e-mails. I could hardly wait to tackle the details that chased around my conscience all day. Emma tried to climb up in my lap and I patted her on the head and pointed her in the other direction. She brought her little fisher price people and lined them up on my desk and I neatly set them on the floor. Then she went over to the cabinet and pulled out the math manipulative blocks and set to work taking them all apart. I was too distracted to work. I was captivated by her pudgy little hands tugging and pulling at the blocks, and fascinated by how she dumped them in piles on the floor.

Since my other kids are much older, their activities tend to dictate much of Emma's time. Her schedule needs to fit and flow with the myriad of other things we have packed in the calendar. I tend to forget how enchanting it can be to linger in the presence of a two year old and let her take the lead. Too often, I forget to take the time to be the one who follows. So tonight, I abandoned my agenda and got down on my belly to see what was up with those math blocks.

She immediately offered me some. A ready and willing playmate in my midst. We tried to put the blocks on our toes and laughed because it tickled.

We made piles and pyramids and block finger puppets. We played monkey in the middle.

We hid some under the hem of her dress and played peek-a-boo. We shook some in a container and danced to the "music". We called that square dancing. Then, we served up two HEAPING bowls of Square Soup.

Mindy padded over to join in the fun.

I suppose she thought it was hip to be square.

Oh, I love this girl. And I love when God whispers to my heart and reminds me that He created toddlers to delight us with innocence and shower us with joy. And I love it when the house is quiet enough for me to hear those whispers, and bask in that innocence and joy, and give Him praise and thanks for His good gifts.