Those sweet little words from a three year old revolutionized the way I view time. What am I doing with each second? I'm certainly not living in each moment the way a child does. He lives in each moment with reckless abandon; after all, the present moment is all he experiences. Children live in the present, the here and now.

His words made me stop. I froze. I thought about time and the way I use it. I want to be more like him.

Time.

It's one of the very few things that money cannot buy.  You can't hurry it up, slow it up, get rid of it, or get more of it.

But you can waste it, squander it, cherish it, savor it, soak it in. You care in control of how you use it.

You cannot ignore time; our lives are set by it. We awake each day by a clock; a clock dictates our work day, our eating schedules; we make plans with a clock at the center. "I'll meet you at 6 at the pub." "Your doctor appointment is scheduled for 10:30 am." The clock rules our lives.

But only if you let it.

Why not... try something different. What if YOU controlled the clock? What if you told the clock how it would work for you, not the other way around? How, you say?

By never wasting one second. Time cannot be your enemy when it is your friend. And it all starts with a simple mind set change. Rather, than see time as a cruel master driving our day, what if you looked at time as a gift. A beautiful wonderful gift from God. And beautiful wonderful gifts are not enemies; we cherish those gifts and make sure no harm comes to them. The same goes for time.  

It is a gift.

This week's book review showcases an illustrated children's book A Tale of Two Beasts by Fiona Roberton.

Although I bought this book for my three year old for Christmas, it quickly became one of my favorites. I read it to my sister and she too was quick to state that she wants her own copy. What sort of children's book captivates two grown women? One that teaches a lesson that all of humanity could benefit from - the same lesson we've heard over and over since childhood: Don't judge someone until you walk a mile in their shoes. Every story has two sides, and you never know what the other person is going through.

Often, it is much easier to learn a lesson when we can see what the lesson looks like. What does it look like to not judge someone until you walk in their shoes? What does it look like to try and see someone else's perspective? That's the great thing about stories. Stories use examples to teach us lessons; it's why stories are such great tools for learning.

Roberton's book does not disappoint. In an unique story telling method, she does more than tell a story; she shows the story. She shows exactly what it looks like to see the two sides of a story.  We see a little girl who mercifully rescues a sad little wolfie from the woods, but then we see the (not sad) beast who was ruthlessly kidnapped and whisked away from his beloved woodsy home. Two sides: one story. 

It's a lesson we all could implement just a little bit more in our lives. Being aware of someone else's journey helps us use a little more mercy and a little more kindness in our interactions.

Let us know what you're reading to your kids!

Three years ago, my family and I were on a retreat - not as participants but as leaders. During one small group exercise, we began to have a conversation about consciences. Although we talked about many things, the main idea kept coming back to one point: our consciences are not megaphones, but rather they are tiny little whispers coming from within. Of course, those little whispers are easy to ignore at first, but slowly and steadily, like The Tell Tale Heart, they become impossible to ignore.

That being said, I think I was there on that retreat for a reason. Like I said, I was there as a leader, not a participant, but I ended up getting answers to a question that had been nagging me for quite some time.

And I had the answer all along... I only had to listen in the silence.  This is why so many people seek nature in times of stress or turmoil. Our daily lives can be so noisy and distracting that we fail to hear our own thoughts.  How can we learn anything or make good decisions when we can't even think?  Nature and silence allow our own thoughts to be heard. When we can hear those, we can hear our soul, our heart.

What answers are you looking for? Are you waiting for the megaphone or neon sign to illuminate your path? Maybe, like mine, your answer has been there all along... in the silence and calmness of your heart.

"I'm going to start a new blog. This one is about my life - my experiences as a newlywed, a student, a preschool teaching assistant.  I'm at a crossroads in life...  things are changing a lot.  I don't mean that in a bad way either.  I just got married, just started a new job, and am trying to finish my last semester of my undergraduate degree.  So I figured, I would share my life experiences because I'm sure I'm not the only person in the world who is trying to get her life going in the right direction.  


I guess I'll start with my reason for the name of the blog.  "A Time For Daffodils" is my favorite poem... there's a time for everything.  Everything has a reason.  This relates perfectly to my life.  There is a time for everything.  It's time for me to be part of the "real world."  There was a time when I could carelessly waste my summer days and chase down the ice cream man, but my time for that is over... until I'm chasing my kids who are chasing down the ice cream man. Haha.  


Anyway, there's a time for everything.  I hope that this blog can give guidance to others who are learning the challenges of "growing up."  We all have to do it, but it's nice when you know someone else is going through the same thing. 


I think it is a very profound poem... it has a slightly different structure than what we normally see with poems because of the parentheses... I know im a geeky English major but I just got really excited when I figured it out so i wanted to share it with you. "


a time for daffodils
ee cummings

in time of daffodils(who know
the goal of living is to grow)
forgetting why,remember how

in time of lilacs who proclaim
the aim of waking is to dream,
remember so(forgetting seem)

in time of roses(who amaze
our now and here with paradise)
forgetting if,remember yes

in time of all sweet things beyond
whatever mind may comprehend,
remember seek(forgetting find)

and in a mystery to be (when time
from time shall set us free)
forgetting me,remember me

Are you at a fork in the road? What helps you make decisions as you travel on your path? Comment below- we'd love to hear!

Monday... Monday was a typical Monday - stressful, exhausting, you know the drill. I kept working though because I knew that my hard work was going to pay off. Nothing worthwhile ever comes easily.

As I was finally hopping into bed, I felt compelled to share my motivation with others. After all, it was this following sentiment that got me through a rough Monday, and I thought others would benefit as well.

It's true - if you want something, GO GET IT!

And I'm learning to listen to my own advice!

I've wanted The Freedom Journal from the moment I heard about it.  It's a journal created by John Lee Dumas of EOfire, and it's aimed at helping you achieve your #1 goal in 100 days. Anyone who knows me knows that I love books, lists, journals, diaries. It had "Katie" written all over it. I FINALLY bought one and have not looked back. I cannot wait to see where it leads me.

What is your #1 goal? What would you do if I said you could accomplish in 100 days?Would you take the journey?

Last night when I got home, my sweet boy ran up to the door and said "Mama, I was hungry so I made a snack, and I wanted to play so I got out the playdough all by myself." He was SO proud of himself. Even though his "snack" was 6 brownies and his activity of choice invloved playdough bits everywhere, I was so proud of how independent and smart he is. The look on his face was priceless. I could've chosen to be mad about the fact he ate his weight in brownies and made a huge mess, but I used the moment to let him know how proud I am of how big he's getting and how sweet and smart and kind he is.

A few weeks ago, I stumbled across a poem called "Dust If You Must" by Rose Milligan, which was published in 1998 in UK's magazine The Lady.  Most of us mamas have heard the sweeter poem about how "dusting can wait because I'm putting my baby to sleep." However, Milligan's poem is much darker. But it struck me. Shook me, even. Milligan's simple little poem has been creeping into my mothering.

It's not just about mothering however. It's about life. What do we do with each moment? Do we take it for granted? No matter how big or how small each moment might seem, let us encounter each moment with the spirit of a child. Live. Really live in each moment.

Dust if you must, but wouldn’t it be better
To paint a picture or write a letter,
Bake a cake or plant a seed,
Ponder the difference between want and need?

Dust if you must, but there's not much time, 
With rivers to swim and mountains to climb,
Music to hear, and books to read, 
Friends to cherish and life to lead. 

Dust if you must, but the world’s out there, 
With the sun in your eyes, the wind in your hair, 
A flutter of snow, a shower of rain. 
This day will not come round again. 

Dust if you must, but bear in mind, 
Old age will come and it’s not kind. 
And when you go - and go you must - 
You, yourself, will make more dust. 

-Rose Milligan