Challenge Wednesday #17

As usual, it's Wednesday {seems to happen every week doesn't it?}, and here is Tracey!  


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Hello, again.  You might remember me as the girl who barges in to Jen's blog every other Wednesday.  I am Tracey, from Control the Chaos.  Jenny is my IRL and bloggy friend, and we take turns challenging each other to be better at what we do.  And maybe learn a few things along the way.


Last week, Jen left this for me:


"Alrighty...so now it's Tracey's turn again.  Hmm...I am going to go back in time a bit to the 31 days of October, when I did some writing about being a better mama.  Tracey is an awesome mama already, but I am going to challenge you, friend, to "leave each of your children a surprise sweet note this week."  "


This was a fitting challenge for me.  Maybe some of you can identify with the way minutes sometimes slip away from you.  I have three kids:  two Bigs are in school, and the little goes to a babysitter a few hours a week and spends the rest of the time with me.


The know I love them, because I squeeze them and kiss them and tell them every day.


But, between part time work and blogging and cooking and cleaning and homework checks and schedule keeper...well, maybe you see what I mean about the minutes slipping away.  Even with our intentional simple lives.  


Seriously, we allow one extracurricular per week, we cook nearly all of our meals, and we spend every Friday night doing something together as a family (and most Saturdays as well).  We eat dinner at the table together every evening, we own one car, and we pursue uncomplicated hobbies as a family.


And still, the minutes slip away.  How Do Other People Do It?


All that rambling is to say this:  No matter how many times you tell your kids you love them, they will always always always appreciate feeling special.


And so, one night after the kids were in bed, I set to work.  I made these cute hands signs for the Bigs and put them in their lunch boxes.  The Little doesn't yet read, so I put on her favorite music and we danced our crazies out.

Source: tiffkeetch.blogspot.com via Cassidy on Pinterest

The reaction?  pure joy.

Big #1 lovingly brought it home and put it in his special things place in his room.  


 Big #2 asked me to do it every day.


The Little said "I love you so much."

*SIGH*...I'm smitten.


Another challenge in the books.  

And now, Jen, for next week, here's an easy one for you: book report time! What are you reading right now, how do you like it, and do you have any reading recommendations for us?


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Geesh. Tracey can read my mind.  I haven't been reading a ton lately...so this inspires me to crack a book open.  I've got many books left to read!