I think life happens in the ordinary.

When I’m home and days are slow.  When I’m not rushing them off to some planned mom-manicured event. When I am able to cease striving and just be content in my present…

Life happens in those ordinary moments that if I’m moving too fast or I’m distracted by something else like cleaning or organizing or working out or going back to work or when I’m too busy looking forward to what comes next I might miss completely.

I wonder how often I miss these beautiful, ordinary moments that are LIFE.

Like spending two hours on the stairs with Lizzy because she is just figuring out how to go up and down.  Like the look of absolute delight on her face when she heads for the stairs and I follow her, pretending to be annoyed.  That little giggle when she starts up the stairs and she turns a little just to make sure I am following her.  That triumphant, dimpled smile when she makes it to the top all by herself.  The way she says something garbled and a little like “backwards” when she turns and heads back down on her tummy.  Up and down.  Over and over and over.

Like double-swinging with Luke on my lap on our swings out back.  Higher and higher.  Watching the clouds and blue sky behind his head and that adorable, dimpled grin.  Like the way he shouted, “This is the best ride ever!” and the way neither one of us ever wanted to stop.

Like baking “Death by Chocolate” zucchini bread with Eli while the little ones napped.  That look on his freckled, dimpled face as he chit-chatted with me while we stirred.  He grated all the zucchini then mixed the dry ingredients while I did the wet.  I tried just keeping him company (on my computer) while he baked but he said, “Come on mom…I wanted to make it WITH you”.  Sometimes I need those gentle reminders to put the world away and just BE.

Like listening to Isaiah’s next grand plan for his own phone.  His schemes for how he might be able to afford a second-hand phone and monthly plan.  Noticing how he talks so fast when he is excited and the way he always talks with his hands.  Watching him thoughtfully researching online for the most affordable plans.  And realizing how every day he is growing less a little boy and inching closer and closer to a full blown teen.

And like laying next to my sweet James before bed listening to him read by the light of his booklight on his top bunk.  A bunk filled with the six books he is reading simultaneously.  A chapter here in this one, then another chapter in the next.  He loves that “I Survived” series.  Tonight however he chose his children’s bible…he is on page 406.  He wants to finish it before school starts.

It’s not in the bigger house or better car or nicer clothes.  It’s not on extravagant vacations.  It is not the bigger, better, faster, thinner, more, more, more perfection of the world.

Nope.

Life happens in the ordinary.

I try so hard to just be ordinary, on purpose.