Day 243: September 27, 2016 Children

September 27, 2016
Day 243

Children

My children are a blessing! I am grateful for all the time I have been able to spend with them and yet If I could rewind I would do the following:

~Say no to some of my friends' requests to either go out to eat or spend significant time together. Yes, it is important to maintain friendships, which I have always done. But I would add more time with the family and shave off time with friends.

~Read more to my children. Some really did not get into it at all but I wish I would have forced the issue.

~Walk more with my children - though the honest truth is I always have had a hard time making them do things they did not want to do. Some of my friends were excellent at this and I have seen how their persistence paid off in the end. I probably should have forced more things through.

~Do more outside activities. My husband grew up in the Wilds of Northern Ontario. His former life was filled with outdoor adventure. He had been there and done that. Dang! Missed out on that one.

~I am thankful for all the friends my children had over. 

~I am thankful for all the food that flew out of our house feeding visitors. 

~I am thankful for all the friends my children brought through the doors. Some of my children brought more people home than the others.

~I wish I would have been organized for them. But God made it clear to me over the years that He knew who He was giving His children to! It was to me, the random, bit messy, unorganized one who loves to think.

~I wish dinner time would have been more intriguing for me to think about. The times we have spent around the table have been rich and fun but not as consistent as I would have liked.

~Taught them more hymns. Some of these old hymns have such powerful messages wrapped up in a tune and they are easy to learn and remember.

~Taken them to more local places. Every summer I would make a mental list of events around the area but always when the time came my interest level plummeted.

~Maintained a garden that I made them work in.

~Made bedtime more of an event than an exhausted shrugging of my shoulders.

~Make bedtime a firm time. Who am I kidding? They would not have gone to bed! I never did!

I am so thankful for the relationships I have with my children despite my lack in some significant areas. And I am overwhelmed by the fact that they like to spend more time with me and communicate this to me. Man, what a gift! This is such an honor because each one of them is unique and so fun to hang out with.