Here’s what I hate: the #1 question this summer: “What are we going to do tomorrow?”
Ugh. I don’t
know how teachers put up with 20 kids all asking questions like this.
This summer has actually been really lovely. We’ve had plenty of fun things to do. I also made the brilliant (if I do say
so myself) declaration that if anyone says they are bored, they have to start
cleaning the baseboards.
Therefore, no one has uttered that phrase all summer and my baseboards
remain dirty as always.
My girls honestly haven’t really had the chance to utter
that complaint of boredom because at the beginning of the summer, we came up
with a list of things we wanted to do.
I typed them up on a bland piece of white printer paper and stuck it to
the fridge. (This is probably part
of my subconscious rebellion against cute, Pinteresty-type lists like several
of my friends made for their Summer Fun Ideas. Things like a tin pail with clothes pins stuck on it with
activities written on the clothes pins.
Cute, right? Nope! No cute lists for me. I opted for boring white paper with a
type-written list. I didn’t even
do fancy font! Oh well. I digress.)
Anyway, here
are some of the items on our list~
Library (this was actually suggested by me and not really my
girls, but they loved it every time we went.)
Bowling
Roller Skating
Pancake Pantry with Daddy
Water balloons
Painting
Play dates with friends
Lemonade stand
Sleepovers with friends
Pool!
Go to the Beach
Find a secret place at a park
Go to “See Rock City”
We’ve done nearly everything on our list! We’ve also done things that were not on our list. We have had a
super fun, yet relaxing summer. I
am grateful.
However, each evening all my girls want to know is: “what
are we going to do tomorrow???”
Or, they complain specifically that we have not done a lemonade stand
yet.
Yesterday, I sort of snapped at Abbey when she mentioned
something we hadn’t done yet.
“Abigail, I am sick of you asking what else we are going to do and I am
frustrated that you keep asking about things we haven’t done instead of being
thankful for what we have done!”
After the oh-so-wise phrase was out of my mouth, I heard it
echoing back to me.
I mean, how often am I asking God for the next
blessing? Actually, I tell him what I want to do next (at
least my girls usually ask me what is
next). I also complain to God if
He hasn’t come through quickly enough on something I’ve been expecting. (Just like Abigail with the lemonade
stand).
Instead of thanking Him for all the good He’s given me each
day, (not to mention weeks upon weeks of numerous blessings over my lifetime),
I whine about what I want to do next.
So, each night before I go to bed, instead of (or at least
before) making my to-do list for the next day, I am going to make a thank you
list for all the lovely things God has given me today. Things like coffee, and giggly
(healthy!) girls, swimming pools up the street, air conditioning, family
movies, bagels, strength to carry on, imaginations that take us to Narnia, and
a camera to capture all the fun…
Last night when I tried this, I fell asleep before I made my
list of what I wanted to do the next day.
But, I fell asleep with a full heart and a smiling face.
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