Thank goodness February is over and I can be on my computer all day long now while my kids are awake.

Just kidding.

All 29 days of February were hard for me and I learned so much about myself.  I was constantly reminded of my selfish heart and my need for control in doing things when I wanted to do them instead of putting them off until bedtime or nap time.  I wrote all about February on Kat's blog, and you can read about how February went for me over there.

Now it's March and to tell you how busy our family has been lately, it's March fifth and I'm just now bringing the challenge up on my blog.  Oh I have thought about it and even implemented it, but put together no computer time while kids are awake challenge, giving up social media for lent, a conference here last week, and I have had no computer time!

This month I'm challenging myself to spend one on one time with each kid each week.  If you have one kid I think you might judge me a bit for having to make this a challenge.  I think one of the hardest things about having four kids is the lack of individual time they each get with each parent. It seems that with each kid you add, you have less time one on one with the other.  I'm a fan of four kids and love it, I'm just pointing out one of the struggles that our family has.

Time and money are issues that you have to address.  Time with each kid individually means that three kids are getting no attention if I'm the only parent here.  Money with spending one on one time can add up very quickly if I'm feeling like I have to “do” something with my kids outside the house that costs money.

Here's what March looks like for me.  I'm going to fight for intentionality.  To be WITH my kids.  To be ENGAGED in them.  To LISTEN to them.  To BE with them.  This doesn't mean that I take a kid to a baseball game each week and spend an arm and a leg on nasty hot dogs and nachos.  That is fun and I just did that with the boys and it was such a fabulous mommy-son night!

This past week I asked Amos to help me with dinner while the other kids played.  He LOVES to do this and it can make his day to help in the kitchen, and it allowed us to talk without the other brothers interrupting or Story needing something.  It was just him and I.  I was able to encourage him for his help and ask about his day with intentionality.

Yesterday, Deacon was showing me some jacks that he had gotten from his teacher.  I was super busy and could have easily smiled and continued on with laundry, but I didn't.  I remembered my desire to be WITH them, and I asked him to show me how to play, and we played.  I think the game is stupid, but he doesn't and it was just him and I for a few moments, and that is worth it all!

My desire for this month is to be a continual reminder that my kids deserve all of me.  Life can get so busy and the calendar can fill up so quickly, but at the end of the day I want my priorities to fall into line where they are supposed to be.

You wanna join me for March? 

Spend one on one time with each kid each week for the month of March.  Leave me a comment if you are joining!  We're all on this motherhood journey together!!