This is my new favorite blog.
This blogger has an opinion on EVERYTHING, and I don't always agree with her, but I can really relate to her desire to live a home-centered life with her family.
When Henry was born, we found ourselves drawn to a homebody lifestyle--all along, we'd thought that we would be the kind of people that would take their kids everywhere. We wanted our kids to be "flexible," we said. Well, it just didn't work out that way. Our kids have always thrived on routine and their schedule is important to us. Very few time have we skipped naptime or kept them out past their bedtime...only on very special occasions. Because we found that WE are the ones who needed to be flexible in order for our children to be happy, well-rested and well-behaved. I know every child is different, but ours are always at their best when we stick to their routine.
Beyond that, I have found that over time my goal as a mom has become to create a happy and steady homelife for our children. I really believe that so many kids and famililes are overscheduled these days, and while I know that in the coming years we will succumb to the intrusion of kids' activities (soccer, dance, piano, etc, etc, etc) my hope is really that we will keep it to a minimum. I want to give my kids time to relax and play and just be kids. I want family dinner to stay a priority. I want them to spend hours reading in their rooms or playing outside in the backyard. I want them to want to be at home.
This is a pretty unusual lifestyle, I'm finding. And I'm ok with that. And Sarah at Clover Lane has helped me get there. There is a lot of pressure in today's world to be "on the go" all the time, but her blog has given me reassurance that the kind of life I want for our family is possible. That the balance of home and school and activities can be achieved in a healthy way for our kids.
I'm glad I found it (but no, I don't want six kids!).
