What Would Ma Ingalls Do?

Are you one of those people who looks around and wonders how in the world you can ever get "it all" done? I sure am! Every day the to do list gets longer. Eight things greet me on the list in the morning. Three or four things get checked off, but everything takes longer than I expect, and then 5 more things are added to the remaining 5 for the day ahead! I've often looked back at the lives of our foremothers and wondered how they managed, especially without all the time and labor saving devices we have. I ask myself over and over, what would Ma Ingalls do?

I have a long long way to go, but here are a few things I'm learning...

1.Early to bed and early to rise...
I thought I was doing this, getting up at 5:30, but I've recently come to learn that some women get up even earlier - much earlier. Right now I get half an hour to myself in the mornings to spend some time with the Lord and get some things accomplished. Just think what could be done with 2 hours!

2. Go to the ant...
No idleness allowed. Always be doing at least one thing, preferably more. I am required to sit down while nursing the baby so that is when I allow myself to get online. I want to spend the evenings with my husband even if that means sitting in front of the tv, so hand sewing or preparing the children's lessons for the next day can get done during that time. Using a crock pot for meals is a great way to do more things at once if I can just get myself to think of it before it's too late in the day. Teaching children to be helpers is another way to get more done at once. My children help a lot, but I still sometimes get into the guilt mode where I feel like I'm asking too much of them. I'm sure Ma Ingalls never thought of that when asking her children to do chores and help out.
No laziness allowed. Yes, there's a difference. Most people would not consider me a lazy person. I keep very busy and do a lot. But laziness is very much in my heart. If I have a choice, I'll choose to do the chore that is more fun rather than the one that needs doing the most. Even if I would never whine out loud, in my heart I'm afraid it's sometimes another matter. Afternoon naps I have to admit are a point where my selfishness and laziness are evident. I've always required an afternoon nap of my children. I've always believed it to be important, and I still do - but it doesn't need to be as long as I've stretched it just to have "sanity" time. There are so many things that I would love to be able to do with my children - crafts, knitting, more time for music, taking walks - things that I've often said I don't have time for. When it's suggested that I shorten naptime - oh no! I need that time. When would I get done the things that I need to do alone? hmm, maybe if I followed number one?

3. The family that stays together...
God recently brought this one back up to me and I need to impliment it for real this time and keep it that way. All too often I've found myself doing some writing or nursing the baby and the next thing I know the boys have disappeared into their bedroom with the door closed, the older girls have done the same in their bedroom, and the younger girls are who knows where wreaking havoc. Just think of the time that could be saved not having to clean up the mess created by an unsupervised curious two year old! Not to mention the closeness of relationships found in a family that stays together and has worked out the kinks together. Mom is right there to notice and nip problem attitudes and button pushers right in the bud. This is hard for me. I'll admit there are times when the youngers are getting too rambunctious, one of the older ones is confused with math, a middle child needs to know how to spell a word, and my head feels like it's about to explode with the chaos. I need to learn to be prepared with quiet activities for the younger ones, and for coping strategies for the school time frenzy. I need to take the time to teach the children to be patient, to wait their turn, and to be understanding of others. God has given me the opportunity to teach them those things right here in the livingroom. I just haven't taken advantage of it.

Tis the gift to be simple...
Simplification is an ongoing process here. Simplification balanced with reality. I have a husband who is into computers and a son who writes computer programs. My own business, Daddy's Little Princess is computer based. We own 6 computers that are used regularly plus at least three more that are under desks and in corners here and there in various stages of completeness. That's not something I can change and probably wouldn't want to. But simplicity is more than paring down possessions to the bare essentials and living without modern gadgets. It's also looking at that to do list, praying over it, and then walking away to do the next thing whatever that is, without getting overly wrapped up in what's left on the list. It's spending time seeing the smiles in the little ones' eyes when the craft supply box is pulled out and not worrying about the mess it will make. It's sharing a cup of tea with a friend with a nursling on each of our laps, talking about the goodness of the Lord and what He's been doing in our lives. It's typing with one hand at a blog while nursing too. LOL And it's a reminder that as I work toward living as Ma Ingalls would, I need to also keep in mind that my to do list may not be God's and just walk in His rhythm for my day.

God is so good!