{grow with love: kids} day thirteen

Hello everyone and happy new week!   Can you believe I’m actually blogging today?!  Neither can I actually, as I almost wasn’t sure I’d make it.  This illness has wrecked me so totally.  I can’t recall the last time I was so hugely impacted by a virus, both physically and mentally.  It’s day nine of the sick for me (which also hit my sweet Bugga and my dear love) and I’m only just able to peel myself off the couch for a few moments.  Went back to the doctor today and they did a chest xray…which was sent off to be read to be sure of what they were seeing.  I’m praying for good news and a clear film.  In the mean time, I have been given some better meds and I am trying desperately to catch up on all that I’ve missed and regain all the holiday cheer I was feeling before this sick arrived.

I have missed you so and have missed scrapping and blogging and making merry so SO much.  I hope that everyone has been enjoying their season and not feeling waylayed by illness or discouragement.  I know that Crystal has been guiding you along the way with both our Grow With Love: Holiday and Grow With Love: Kids and I’m so grateful for her inspiration and for her stepping in when I couldn’t.

I’m happy to be bringing you Day 13 and the start of Week Seven of Grow With Love: Kids Edition.  We will be taking these prompts into the New Year so there is still plenty of time to hop in and join us.  You can do so at anytime, at your pace, whenever you feel inspired.  Be sure to check out the main listing of postings {here} to catch up and follow along, for the backstory of Grow With Love and some wonderful inspiration.

Soo….let’s take a peek at today’s prompt shall we?  It’s another “act and scrap” prompt as Crystal and I like to say and we find these ones to personally be among our favorites because they challenge us to really tangibly act in our lives.  And today’s is one I have found to help guide my steps on the harder days of parenting.

So, it’s true.  Parenthood is the most rewarding gift I’ve been given, but it’s also the most challenging.  Sometimes parenting can be exhausting, and it can feel thankless, and it can feel like hard.work.  Because many times it is.  We are shaping our kids into the people they will become, we are guiding them and teaching them and that is HUGE stuff.  Important stuff.  And oftentimes frustrating stuff.  I know I have some days where I am happy it’s bedtime.  I always feel a little guilty for admitting that too, but some days…the hard days…nighttime can’t come quickly enough.  It’s on these days I need to work a little harder to focus on the positives and so this prompt is helpful for me.  It’s not about shielding from the important lessons or pretending life is all “rainbows and lollypops” but it is about being mindful of the power of your words.  A parent’s words are heavy with meaning.  Meaning that lasts.  So we challenge you to take a day and let the praises be louder than the negatives..both outloud the little unsaid things you may say to yourself.

Ok..so I hope that gives you a good point to jump from.  My head is feeling a little fuzzy so its entirely possible this post has made no sense.  And I had better stop while I’m ahead.  I will be back tomorrow though with Day 10 of Grow With Love: Holiday.  And Crystal will be blogging on Wednesday.

Oooh ooh!  And if you missed it…I’ve shared a freebie on the Scrap Orchard blog today as part of their advent hoopla annnnd my releases there at my guest home this month are currently 50% off (but only for a few more hours). ♥

Happy day and Happy Scrapping!