This is excerpted and updated from a post I first wrote four years ago. So, at the beginning, “The Preschooler” refers to the child who is now “The 3rd Grader.” Time flies!
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A few days ago I was skimming through the Sunday paper, looking through the Target circular to see their latest deals and steals {just in case I needed another excuse to go there several times this week}. The Preschooler was looking over my shoulder and happened to see an ad for a Disney movie that she thinks she needs.
The Preschooler: Momma, can I get that movie?
Me: Maybe some time.
The Preschooler: I want to get it today.
Me: Well, maybe for a special occasion. But, today’s not a special day.
The Preschooler: Yes, it is.
Me: Oh, really. What day is it?
The Preschooler {very matter-of-factly}: It’s the second day of fall.
Now, actually, it was the third day of fall. But, still… what can you say to that? As a lover of all things fall, every day of autumn is pretty special when I think about it. So, she had me on that one.
I didn’t rush to Target to buy The Princess and the Frog just because I had been outwitted in conversation with a 4-year old. But, it did make me stop and think about how I wish I had a touch more of that kind of childish wonder for what most of us would consider to be a very ordinary day.
Both girls love to ask me each night and again each morning what we have on the agenda for the day. And, with the exception of the days they go to preschool, it’s usually not anything much more exciting than a few errands. Yet, somehow, I’ve found that if I words things in a certain way… for example, if I say, “And, we might go to the playground…” or, “After your naps we can all have ice cream…,” these simple promises give them something to look forward to, just enough reason to anticipate the next phase of their day. It doesn’t take much to excite them because they already wake up with this sort of innocent expectation about what sort of fun their day may hold.
And, yet… I am not inclined to be this way. In fact, as a non-morning person, I generally wake up a little stressed out that it’s already time to wake up. Did you know that this verse is in the Bible?
Amen and amen. I’ve always thought that being awakened by the cheery “Rise and Shine” song was an alarming way to start the day.
But, of course, this is also in there:
The problem is too often I begin the day tired or stressed or worried about this or that. I’m too distracted by my own plans and problems or feelings and fears to leave any room for eagerness, wonder, or “being glad.”
But, this is what makes children so special. They operate differently. In most cases, they aren’t yet as burdened by agendas and deadlines and responsibilities. And, it’s as if they have a natural tendency to understand something of the newness and the potential of each day in a way that we as adults have to work much harder to grasp. They know how to seize it… how to make the most of the mundane.
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Fast forward to 2015…
The Preschooler is exactly like her older sisters. She, too, wakes up and immediately asks, “What are we going to do today?” Rarely is my answer, which is usually a list of routine errands, exciting enough for her. But I’m re-learning that with kids this age, exciting doesn’t have to be exotic. Sure, they love Dollywood and Disney World. But, they also love nature walks and donut holes. They just want something to look forward to each day.
Last week the Preschooler was bored and searching for any sort of trouble she could get into involving art supplies. Her all-time favorite supply is glue, and she is unafraid to use it on any surface {including the front of the refrigerator}. So, I knew it was time to intervene. I did a quick search on Pinterest and found a craft I thought might hold her attention for more than two minutes. This popcorn activity did the trick. Here she’s adding the “butter” with a little yellow food coloring. By the time it was all said and done her popcorn was solid yellow.
But, this sort of thing is all it takes for her to consider the day {or at least the morning} a huge success.
We don’t have anything particularly exciting on the calendar today. The Preschooler has a cold and our productivity is at a standstill. I have little to show for the six hours I’ve been awake. But, I know today is a special day. It’s Wednesday. It’s the eighth day of fall.
And, it’s a gift I don’t want to miss.
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