Spring Break Monday: Structure and Sustenance

It is Monday morning and I am not yet dressed. My children are on spring break and we are choosing to start the day slowly... a blessing after last week's craziness. For the next 8 days, we will relax and play and work together. For our family, there is no excursion to a warmer place, no hanging out with life-like cartoon characters at a Disney destination. For our family, there is a chance to catch our breath, spend time together and find a few interesting activities to fill in the gaps.

Baseball begins today and with two of our four "double-sporting" this season, we know the pace will be a bit busy. It is a gift to have this time to rest up and prepare for the rush of busyness that will continue through the end of June. All our kids will be on baseball teams and Noah and Benjamin will play soccer as well. The end of the school year holds special activities as well and both Noah and Benjamin will take part in plays and musicals there. But for today, we will relax and plan a break that allows us to enjoy the days and prepare for what's ahead.

The kids have plans of their own. As I sit here typing, all four kids are upstairs in the boy's room with a ball of string and more palm branches than you could shake a stick at. Their idea? To create a fort (of sorts) by tying together yesterday's palm branches with bits of string. Even more amazing, they hope to create a "home" that will allow room for all of them to sit inside, at the same time! This architectural feat began with its fair share of fussing but after the third tattle trip down the stairs, all have been warned that cross words overheard could lead to momma removing a palm branch for each infraction. Ahh... no one wants this. So, back up they went to work it out themselves.

I wonder sometimes if there is something wrong with my children using such an important Easter symbol as another simple play thing. It seems a little sacrilege somehow. And yet, there is also something interesting about my children using an instrument of honor to build a structure for themselves. I know they don't think of it this way but I like the image of the same palms we raised in praise yesterday becoming a home for them... a place to be together. How amazing it would be to build our homes and our families on such exuberant worship! How deeply our lives would be changed if the cries of "Hosanna!" from Palm Sunday somehow found their voice in Monday, too.

So on they build and I cannot wait to see what comes of their work together. It's asking a lot... four kids, one project and a variety of ages together. So, we will see what comes but for now I am glad that even in their work, the palm is waved and praise surrounds. It makes me smile.

I am off to make some bread now. With baseball practices starting tonight, planning ahead and using the crock pot is the only way we stay out of the drive-thru. :) So I will knead while my children build and at the end of the day, we will have structure and sustenance to show for it all. Not a bad start to spring break!

Blessings on your day!