media smedia

my take-away from the Book 7 by Jen Hatmaker

 Chapter 4:  Media

i have pretty much gotten a C- on my media fast.
i have...cheated-again!!  although, i have significantly reduced the usage of my digital "accomplices" - and, i am getting the hang of, no, i am enjoying not feeling so attached to them.
my favorite part of these 2 weeks is when olivia reminds me
that i forgot my phone and i say,
"i won't be needing it-my attention is on you and will...anyone else will have to wait."

that feels great-and the giggles that ensue and the sheer smiles are worth putting everyone else on hold.  because i have these 2 little lives that shouldn't have to be put on hold because i am checking a device...just like i am not wanting them to put me on hold when they are teenagers/semi-adults/adults.  what i model for them today is what they will do in excess as they grow up.  that is a scary and yet so very real.

and, it's moments like yesterday that will keep me disconnecting from my devices...because yesterday was cherishable and it did not involve one digital device.

before dinner...we loaded up the kids to go on a bike ride to the park.
i really, really wanted to grab my phone so i could
instagram every fun moment and document it later.
but, i resisted and went hands-free.
when we got to the trail...we saw that it was completely under water.
i reached for my phone to snap a shot-
this would make a great portion to my little documentary.

hmm. no phone.

**sigh* resisting kicking myself- 

 and, reminding myself instead of this:  

it isn't about sharing our time with everyone else...

it is about sharing our time with each other.

ben ended up taking us another way...one that felt super dangerous
and i was completely uncomfortable with.

when i finally relaxed and trusted my husband and just let him lead-i, along with my children, thoroughly enjoyed the ride, the journey and the destination.
thank you patient ben...as your mom would say...you were always so good at loooooongsuffering.

once we were home,
we fired up the grill...our crew was tired and hungry!
i stood at the window and took in these 2 precious scenes:

scene 1: instructions
 
watching my husband take will by the hand
and instruct him about the dangers of the pool...
while "mother hubbard" aka~olivia
followed behind and repeated every rule.
she loves rules...i don't know where she gets
that from - hmm. :)
oh fine-guilty.  i LOVE rules too!!
once the pool safety lesson was over-we let him adventure on his own to see what he would do.

**by the way-we are not that adventuresome...or neglegent..

the pool cover was still on the pool**

he would take a few steps... look at ben to see if he was watching.
ben would give him THE look and he would run away-
pleased with himself for following the rules.
i loved wathing him revel in collecting praises from his daddy.

it's so interesting that the questions of
 "am i enough?" + "do i have what it takes?"
start as early as 2.

scene 2:  riding lessons

olivia loves to introduce will to new things
and what i enjoy about watching her teach him...
is that she loves to not just instruct him-
she wants him to have the entire experience-
so he thoroughly enjoys his free play.
yesterday she grabbed 2 of those ponies on sticks,
and taught him how to "ride" and "gallop".
she even made sure he knew how to "yeehaw".

it's an indiana thing-i'm sure. ;)

all this from the window.  oh, had i left for a moment to grab my phone-i would have missed the preciousness of each personality carrying on with their beautiful imaginations.
and, i would have missed my husband being a really good dad.
i am learning so much from just keeping my phone out of my pocket - or away from my arms reach.

i may be doing all of this the wrong way-and, i keep messing up and feeling the need to check in on everyone's life.  but, somehow, God is breaking through and whispering sweet reminders of whose lives are the most important for me to keep tabs on.  and, i'm pretty sure they don't have facebook accounts. :)