“The moment in between what you once were, and who you are now becoming, is where the dance of life really takes place.” *Barbara De Angelis

...and it seems I've been doing a lot of dancing lately.

After 4 years of having Matt at home all day...pretty much every day, I am now in charge of raising these two precious girls alone. I know, I know...I'm being overly dramatic. But we have a lot of drama around here lately and it must be rubbing off.

Being a stay-at-home mom is the best job on earth. And it's hard. And it's beautiful. And I'm still figuring it all out.

It often feels like the only thing I do all day is make meals and clean the house. Over and over and over. But you see...I also want time in there to do amazing, life-changing activities with my girls. I want to sing and dance and tell them stories. I want to give them opportunities and experiences. I want to have art projects that rival the best of Waldorf schools! :) Oh my. I'm getting crazy now.

We've never really been a schedule-driven type of family...we usually just go with the flow. But I'm finding that having a loose schedule is helpful. Especially for Bella. She wants to know exactly what is happening and when. Every day.

I've given myself a couple of weeks now to try to work out the kinks...to get into our groove. And it's slowly happening. I can feel a nice rhythm to our days. And it feels really good. The "everyday" of our lives makes all of us happy (thank you Erin for an amazing post that refreshed my soul). Reading the same books. Going to the same stores. Being with the same friends. Sweeping the same floor.

I am getting through the day with Jesus at my side...I can almost hear him whispering my name. Reminding me to have more patience, more love, and less perfectionism :) He is telling me to go to bed sooner and get up earlier...and that too will help immensely.

I would love to have a conversation in the comments about what really works for you and your family. Feel free to use these questions as a springboard...

Tell me about the rhythm of your day.
What is the best advice you've ever received as a stay-at-home or work-at-home mother?
What has been your biggest struggle and how are you overcoming it?
What is your deepest joy in being a homemaker?
Are there certain blogs that you love for homemaking/mama inspiration?
Do you use a "system" for cleaning your house (i.e. Flylady, etc)?

I look forward to reading about and discussing your life as mothers, wives, and keepers of the home!

She Is Me I am on one end of the couch. She is on the other. Trying to sleep...but scared of monsters. Trying to explain it to me...but deciding to close her eyes instead. SO FULL of life and energy and spice. It's exhausting and beautiful at the same time. My heart aches to watch her sleep. Wondering what I might have missed that day. Thinking about what I should have said. Where we should have gone. Pushing those thoughts away... I take her hand and pull her close. Her little body fitting perfectly to mine. She is me. And I tell her I love her. Over and over.

My friend Tiffani made a beautiful video of her daughter. If you have a 6 year old, get out the kleenex :) I totally cried. I am thankful for friends who can help remind me to slow down and savor life's most important moments.