Doing the Hard Thing: Getting Organized this Fall with Kids

Our family, Fall of 2012

Doing the Hard Thing: Getting Organized this Fall with Kids

I love the Fall. I love a new rhythm of life and the possibility to serve my family well. Getting organized is more than aesthetics. It is about pressing on to be who God called us to be this season.

These are a few of the areas that can/could use organization.

Wardrobe • Kids grow so fast. Autumn is a great time to go through closets and see what still fits. The kids have always been my priority. This year, I took 15 minutes to go through my wardrobe and say goodbye to pieces that needed to be donated. It was a great use of my time and resources.

Finances • The kids are actively working on learning how to manage money. This Fall, we continue the conversation and the actions that will help them be great managers of the resources God gave them. As parents, we are determined not to shy away from being good stewards of the resources God has given us. I want to plan and prepare for the holiday season and all our current responsibilities.

Schedule • We revisited our Fall schedule before the summer break was over. It was because of that exercise that we cut back on some activities. We continue to monitor our schedule as a way to be good stewards of the time and energy God has given us. We can't do everything. What we can do, we will do it to the best of our ability.

Friends • You probably have seen a meme of two about how adults are too busy to keep up with friends. They are funny because they are true. The Fall is a great season to rekindle friendships. There is no need to burden one's schedule. All it takes is to simply tell a friend: "I am thinking about you. I appreciate our friendship. Have a great day!" Use your preferred method of communication and hit send. I have the habit or writing letters to my friends. I plan on sending some happy mail out before the end of the year. I am really good about honoring my kids' friendships and encouraging them to find and maintain good friends. Depending on our kids social calendars, there is little time for our own. I believe we can find a happy balance by keeping simple. Just tell a friend you are still available to be a friend.

Faith • A lot of Bible studies start Fall studies this time of year. This is a great opportunity to grow and mature in our faith. The Fall is a great time to catch up on late Bible reading. If for some reason you stopped going to church, go back this Fall. God's house is open and ready to receive you. Be sure it is a Bible-believing church.

Goals • My husband found our 2015 goals the other day. Reading them brought great memories of our lives back then. We wanted to see something new and we planned on doing just that through our goals. I do not want to forget the goals I set in January. The Fall is the time to revisit them and find the perfect strategy to finish the year strong. No matter how big the goal, we can accomplish a lot of we decide to execute the strategy we choose.

 

Food • The Listenbee Family kitchen takes on a different note during the Fall. We wait until it gets cooler to cook denser foods. My husband has a delicious pumpkin cake he only prepares during the Fall. We share pumpkin-flavored treats with our neighbors. My challenge is to use seasonal vegetables weekly. I believe eating seasonally can bring a lot of joy to our palate.

Travel • We travel to see family during the holiday season. We decided to plan and prepare ahead of time. You can't plan early for any trip or travel especially when the entire family is involved.

How about you? What are the areas of your life that can use organization this Fall?

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Camp Listenbee 2022

 Camp Listenbee is coming to a close! We always start the summer speaking about the importance of being a good steward of time. 24 hours is what God gives us. We get to decide what to do with it. We need wisdom and a strategy to use our time wisely. I draw a pie chart and I use black beans because they are part of our cultural context. 

We kicked off the summer with the Renaissance Festival. It was our first time. It was a hot but fun day. We stayed hydrated and walked around mostly. The kids went to a ride and enjoyed it quite a bit. The people-watching aspect was pretty fantastic.

We spent quite a bit of time going to the library to get books and play games when we needed extra time there.

We could have driven to the pool but we decided to walk most days. It was a great way to include more activity in our days. The kids played water polo for the first time at the end of the season. Swimming in our neighborhood was a fun way to meet our neighbors.

Award season arrived too fast. These kids worked hard every day and we are eager to continue our journey as swimmers.

VBS was a blessing. I thought last year was the last one for my oldest two but no. New Hope has 6th grade with kids ministry, so the kids had another chance to experience VBS. They had a blast. We love VBS. I volunteered again. I try to volunteer every chance I get. My group was the missions group. We visited our church's garden. This ministry is unique, fruitful and much needed. It was so much fun!

Our friends, the Berry Family came to visit us on their way back to Texas. We had an AMAZING time with them. They are fundraising to go on their mission assignment. Join me in contributing to their efforts here in this link

Summers are for birthdays. We celebrated Zelia's birthday at the beginning of the summer. We had friends over for a birthday party. We all had fun! It's hard to believe that my youngest is 10 already.

We loved going to Crumbl cookies for the first time. I've given it to people as gifts but this was our first time trying. They were really all that jazz.

This summer we were all supposed to travel. My husband and I were going to a mission trip together but he went by himself because of a change of plans for me. The kids went to grandma camp with my sister. We all had a great experience. We prefer to be together. Being apart will become the norm as the kids grow and go pursue God's purpose. For now, we're hip to hip as I like to call it.

A long-awaited dream for the kids was to meet Ricky Dillard. His 34th-year anniversary concert was in our hometown so we all went. We're fans. Zeke has been blessed to write for Ricky for a few years. The kids loved meeting him in person. He's a good guy. He is the best at what he does and a very encouraging brother in Christ. You can find his music here.

My sweet second baby is 12! Her birthday is the last kid birthday of the year and the last summer birthday too. On top of the celebrations, we had a program and a tea in her honor. We called it "a young lady according to God's own heart." It was sweet and a blessing to us all!

We closed the summer with a goal-setting activity at a local coffee shop. The Fall will be here before we know it. We always set Fall goals because if you aim for nothing you will hit it every time" as Zig Ziglar said. We set goals in the following categories: academics, savings, faith, and new. Academic goals are the grades and habits we want to cultivate during the school year. Savings goals are goals for our money. Faith goals are spiritual disciplines we want to develop. New is something new want to try whether it is a sport or something new we want to do. I also set goals with the kids. We spoke about how we can encourage one another as we set and pursue these goals.

We had a chance to do so many other things. Now we live closer to our family we visited with them more than we normally would. What blessing! We spent time with friends from church. We had the pleasure of visiting the Atlanta Aquarium and we visited the Olympic Park with an Olympian! God truly blessed us with some amazing friends and mentors at our church.

We're still adapting to our new hometown but thus far, the Lord blessed us with a peaceful and friendly neighborhood and neighbors. We're wanted, loved and treasured. We are reciprocating the same towards everyone. I believe that the summer is more than a time to consume endless fun. It is a time to live what God calls us to do. It is a time to learn. It is a time to love. It is a time to live God's purpose as a blessing in action in the lives of people around us.

Thank God for creating summers.

More in this series:

• Summer Camp 2021 • Camp Listenbee 2020 • Camp Listenbee 2019 • Camp Listenbee 2018

• Camp Listenbee 2017
• Camp Listenbee 2016
• Camp Listenbee 2013
• Summer Organization Tips for Mothers of Preschoolers
• Preschool Summer Camp Coop

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Sunday Seven

“Do not follow where the path may lead.
Go instead where there is no path
and leave a trail” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Traveling with family is inspiring and practical. It is difficult and easy. Here are my latest learnings.

1 • We train our kids for traveling before we traveled. We prepare with flexibility in mind. We are open to possibilities. We befriend patience. We use humor and encouragement. 

2 • Less is more. I've been cultivating the art of packing effectively over the past 31 years. The kids were able to apply some of my learnings. We succeeded, even when we had to add 2 extra days to our trip.

3 • Traveling as a family is taking our systems and rhythms on the road. We don't push hard. We find the balance between 5 people. I am learning that when we work as a unit, everyone benefits.

4 • The joy of experiencing new things is the best. We all learned so much during our time away. Seeing the joy in everyone's eyes and hearing it in their voices is one of my favorite things about traveling.

5 • We make our choices and our choices inform the life we live. We also believe in thinking about our choices. The things we learn will inform the next trip we take.

6 • We talked about gratitude to God a lot during our trip. We encourage gratitude in our family. We also told the kids why we were grateful for a particular blessing. Teaching what we want to see needs to be purposeful.

7 • Our time away ended with a sense of joy and awe. God was great and kind to us. We truly appreciate His presence with us during this trip. 

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Moving to a new Community

The Houston area has been our home for the past 8 years. We had our third child here. We bought a home. We found our passion for distance running here. We planted roots. We reaped lemons, tangerines, pomelo, pomegranates, figs, and other fruits.

We were fruitful in more ways than one. There will always be a special place for the friends we made here. There's so much to love about our community. The people we met will always be my favorite thing about the Houston area.

Yes, we are moving to a new community. So, where in the world are you going? I'm including the world because with us, you really never know!

We are moving to Longview, Texas! 

We are excited about joining a great church there as well as the community. Of course I already knew someone who lives in Longview! These days, I know people everywhere (thanks internet!). I appreciate our family and friends who encouraged us and prayed with us during this transition. We have known God long enough to be sure that where He leads, He provides. What God originates, He orchestrates.

Join me as I journey through this move! I will be writing periodically about transitioning to a new community and the adaptation phase we go through. Thanks for praying for us and for reading!

More posts in this series:

• Moving to Texas in 2011
• Hope during transition
• Isolation
• Making Friends and Singing (video)
• How my roots grew deeper
• Unintentional Church Hopper
• Transition and the dorm room
• Transitioning from stay-at-home mom to working mom

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Camp Listenbee 2019

Mississippi one, two, three!

We decided that the worst part of summer is that it ends. How we love our summers! Birthdays, celebration of motherhood and fatherhood are of them. We swim, we travel and we always learn something new.

This summer was one of learning and reflecting. Here’s what we learned:

Contentment - we learned we can do the best with what we have. I work in a wealthy area of Houston. I saw a lot of summer camp opportunities come to my inbox. Just for fun, I decided to pretend like I was going to sign the kids up to all of them. The imaginary bill was $20,000. I obviously rolled my eyes and decided that contentment was a good thing. I applied for scholarships and God blessed us with a few. We saved and the kids were able to be part of some cultural enhancing camps. Doing the best I can with what I have is one of the themes of my life.

Time - We started the summer explaining time management to the kids. The manual pie chart I created made a big impression on the kids. I explained what happens within 24 hours. I told them, one simply does not sit to watch TV the entire day. Other things need to get done and the sum of it all makes up a day. We made the difficult decision to take away tablets this summer. After the small, momentary discomfort, the kids were more alert to the life giving opportunities the summer provides. No one makes their best memories with their nose on tablet. I am okay with the perception that comes with taking such a stand if in return, I raise children to who can look an adult in the eyes and have a respectful conversation.

Financial Literacy - The kids learned to save and manage money this summer. I believe money management is a great skill to have. We opened savings accounts. They managed their money and learned from their mistakes.

We'll look extra cute for free Chick-fil-A!

I reflected on the goodness of God towards us. I reflected on the great “off line” things I witnessed. The friends who took the time to spend time with us. The family members we visited. The closeness of our family and the growth we all experience. I am even thankful because I learned from my own mistakes.

At the end of the summer, I don’t have expensive vacation photos to show. I don’t have perfect children who finished the library’s summer reading challenge. What I have is more important than that. I have thankfulness for the amazing summer God gave us. We used what we had and it was exactly what we needed.

More in this series:

• Camp Listenbee 2018

• Camp Listenbee 2017
• Camp Listenbee 2016
• Camp Listenbee 2013
• Summer Organization Tips for Mothers of Preschoolers
• Preschool Summer Camp Coop

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Getting to know you: Mexican American Mural

Houston is amazingly diverse. The Mexican-American community has strong roots here and one of the ways to learn more about it is by visiting the Mexican-American History & Culture in 20th Century Houston mural. Here is a description of this amazing work of art:

"The mural highlights the places, personalities, concepts and events that shaped the Mexican-American community and laid the foundation for the multicultural city we live in today. Set in Connally Plaza against a dramatic backdrop of City Hall and the downtown skyline, the new mural will be a cultural landmark in the historic heart of Houston."

The artwork is a collaboration between highly esteemed artists Jesse Sifuentes and Laura Lopez Cano. I work with Mr. Sifuentes wife, so I was invited to the unveiling of the mural.

It was a joyful occasion. I enjoyed being there with everyone. I enjoyed the live music, the food, and the highlight was the unveiling of the mural. We were so in awe with that work of art. I could have been there for 48 hours straight. I got a little bit more of an insight track because the Sifuentes family gave me a little personal history on the mural. I'm so thankful!

For more information and to visit the mural, please click here.

More from Getting to Know You:
• Great Day Houston
• Fort Bend Children's Discovery Center
• Houston Ballet
• Children's Museum of Houston
• Houston Rodeo
• Galveston Railroad Museum

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7 Travel Hacks for Parents

“Is it me or this is way easier when they are older?” I marveled as I experienced the joy of traveling with growing kids. The interesting thing is that the kids have always been flexible. Mamãe on the other hand, not so much. My greatest excuse was that traveling 700 miles to do all the work I could do at the house was not worth the effort. Still, we travel little but travel we enjoy. Here are 7 hacks for parents traveling with kids any time of year:

Organization for re-entry • I didn’t over do it on the house cleaning and decluttering but I did leave the house in a pleasant state so that when I returned, everything was ready for re-entry. I’m sure that some of you know this already but in the past I was so overwhelmed that I just left the house without looking back. This summer I looked ahead and even placed pajamas in the kids' beds so that when we returned all they had to do was get dressed and get in bed. Planning ahead makes sense.

Pack your Snacks • I’m amazed at how many bad snack options abound on the road. I packed a small bag with fruit, crackers and trail mix. I thought about packing sandwiches but I ran out of time. Bringing snacks saves me money on the road and it is better for our health.

Easy Hairstyle • I braided the girls’ hair with those small braids. I knew it’d be easier to manage before during and after our trip. I like small braids because when they swim it looks good and when they have something more formal to attend, it also looks great. I like small braids for weeks I want to save time on adorning two heads of hair.

Capsule wardrobe • I took the popular concept of capsule wardrobes and made a travel version of it for the kids. A few staple pieces, one pair of pajamas, two pairs of shoes and we were packed and ready. This was also the first time I experienced not having to carry everyone’s bags. Each one had their own backpack which helped a lot with organization.

Do Laundry if you can • We stayed with family part of the time so I did a load of laundry. It is always good to bring less dirty clothes. This also makes re-entry less painful if you know what I mean.

Coffee related Regret • I did not bring my own coffee. I hear that people who travel a lot bring a few things with them everywhere and I know I need good coffee everywhere. I’m not a coffee snob, I’m just a Brazilian who grew up drinking good coffee. I often visit people who are not coffee drinkers. I might buy a compact coffee maker that works for travel. We’ll see! Coffee is important, it does help my day start and stay well.   

Good Road Stops • When I was single and traveled long distance, I’d stop almost anywhere just to use the restroom, get gas and kept going. My habit changed when I had kids and needed clean and family-friendly places. I like to stop at the Cracker Barrel because their bathrooms are clean and they always have a changing table. I also like the variety of the food they serve. Now that the kids are bigger, they enjoy looking around the store and rocking outside in the porch. Some gas stations are better than others but you never know. We started stopping at Chick-fil-a so the kids can shake their wiggles out and we can eat a good salad. If you can combine clean bathrooms and family-friendly, I’ll be there! I’m also a fan of welcome centers because they might have playgrounds.

Do what works for you • You are the expert on your family's life. Think about what worked in the past and do it! Take advice for others but customize it for your family. There is nothing wrong with being who you are which is unique.

I’m amazed at how children change so quickly and traveling continues to be fun. My hope is that I will not forget that these trips are part of their childhood memories.

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The Unexpected Gifts of Hospitality

This is the second summer I’ve been honored to co-teach a summer Bible study with my mentors. This week’s topic is Hospitality.

I blogged a little about the topic but I haven’t studied at length. I have had some good, bad and interesting experiences along the way.

This week I am sharing what the Bible has to say about Hospitality and my goal is not make us all like traditional Hospitality examples we’ve all seen in our lives. And yes, you’ll have to listen to the Podcast at MerryMinistries.com to get the whole teaching. Pretty please :)

I do want to share some stories I couldn’t fit in the teaching.

When I was in College, I enjoyed the Hospitality of different families in the summer while I did my internships in newspapers.

God would always bless me with a family who would welcome me in for the summer while I worked in their local newspaper. I started the summer as a complete stranger and we’d leave as family.

How did I find those wonderful people? I’d write the local church (I was Methodist at the time) and ask them if someone could house me for the summer. I’d introduce myself very well in the email. I’d tell them about my background, my GPA, my church involvement and how I also wished to serve their church that summer.

Being connected with a local family made life easier in many ways. I was naturally rooted in the community and as a journalist, I got to know a lot of sources that way. I was naturally rooted in the church, I did not have to look for a church to attend that summer.

Oh, it was also nice to live in a home after 9 months living in my dorm.

All of my summer families made me feel at home immediately. Their heart attitude was very Christ like. They treated me as their own, which made me so at ease. It was also nice to have someone to talk to after a long day at work. No matter how challenging or exciting my day was, it was great to have people to talk to and to reflect on the adventures of the day.

I understand that not everyone would be okay with living with a family for the summer but I love family and I find that I thrive in family environments.

I can also say that the hospitality I experienced gave me many life gifts:

• I learned to appreciate Jamaican food while living in Newark with my summer family. They also took me to many Jamaican parties where I ate shark for the first time.

• I learned to appreciate homemade pesto while living in Huntington, WV with my summer family. My dear friend Jane Ellen also helped me appreciate the music of James Taylor.

• I became quite the tour guide during my stay in Niagara Falls, NY. I went there so many times, I could guide a tour all by myself. I also learned to bake oatmeal raisin and nut cookies that summer.

It was supposed to be just housing for the summer while I did my internships but I walked away with a great appreciation for hospitality and with summer families who became forever families.

• What are the unexpected things that Hospitality has taught you?

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10 Free Spring Break Activities

1. Pinterest Projects - Remember your Pinterest board? What about those supplies you got in the store to complete those cool projects? This is the week to get busy with them. Let's be honest: you could open your own craft store with all the things you have in your house. Get creative using what you do have. Your kids will love the things you come up with! 

2. Public Library events - This is the money maker friends. Your public library understands their goal demographic and they planned amazing events for this week all for FREE. In my neck of the woods there's an opera performance for kids, story time, movie and teddy bear camp just to name a few. Log on to their website and look at their schedule of events. I know you'll be glad you did. 

3. Your Gym - This is the week to put your gym membership to use. We're blessed to have activities for the whole family in my gym so the kids get super excited about going. 

4. That membership from Christmas - If one of your loved ones gave you a membership to the zoo or to the Children's Museum, use it this week. Of course it'll be packed but there are ways of getting there in less visited times (such as when they first open). Take the dust off those memberships and use them this week! 

5. Free Museum Days - Museums are wonderful places. Some are generous enough to offer free days. find out when those days are and start exploring. 

6. Parks - I love parks with all my heart. They are always there, they are always free and they are great ways to enjoy the great outdoors. I often take a picnic to make the occasion extra special. Plan a visit to a local park with your little ones this week. 

7. Church - Really Cintia? Church? You bet. These wonderful places do not close on Spring Break and they have great activities for kids. If your excuse has been 'I'm too busy with other stuff,' this is the week to engage in some faith building time for the whole family. It will make an eternal difference. 

8. The Beach - If you live close to the beach, this is a the week to go! It's not super hot but we can all agree that just looking at the water and letting the kids play in the sand is super fun. 

9. Playdates - Most people do not do a good job keeping in touch with their friends, so getting together for a playdate is a wonderful thing to do this week. Here's the 'big girl' challenge: offer to keep your friends' kids so she can have a few hours to herself. This is a true test of selflessness and love. I'm just saying and yes, I do practice what I preach. 

10. Grandma's House - If you live close to your folks, going to their house for a few hours is a great way of getting some family time. We don't, so we rely on our church family for that. The kids will also build some great memories that will last for a lifetime. 

11. Boredom - Most people don't know how to be bored and disengage their brain from the digital buzz. This week, give your kids the gift of boredom. I often turn off all the screens at our house and I force the kids to use their own brains. Goodness what a gift it is to be trained to use the brain and the imagination God gave us! 

I hope I inspired you to find some free fun this week. Let me know how it goes! 

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Getting to Know You: Houston Symphony

I have always loved this sound:

I also love, love, LOVE the Houston Symphony. This is our second time attending a concert this season. We really enjoyed Very Merry Pops during Christmas season and we decided to return again for another concert. This was our view this time: 

I heard EVERY note and LOVED IT!

We were on the second roll, really close to the action!

Waiting for Bruckner to start.

The kids did really well. I think my favorite part of marching 3 kids to Jones Hall by myself are the gasps from the people seating around us. They're always very pleased with the fact that they talk way more than we do during the performance tough. 

Bruckner was a lovely performance to attend. I loved the music and I loved when the Houston Symphony Chorus performed during the second part. My husband joined the chorus last Fall, so we've enjoyed listening to their great performances. 

Our kids are used to being at church with no screens, so the symphony was a breeze for them. There were tears but they were silent (thank God!). The kids were super tired. As a matter of fact, two out of three fell asleep, which I was okay with. The break between the performance is also lovely cause it gave us all a chance to check our sillies out. 

My husband is up there somewhere :)

If you have considered attending a live performance by the Houston Symphony, I'm here to tell you: to do it! I planned ahead and we made it happen with no problem.

End of the show with our friends. 

I looked at the schedule online and selected the shows I wanted to attend. I also noticed that there are great deals online so everyone can enjoy the symphony at an affordable price. Do plan to park around Jones Hall. We paid $10 and we used the underground tunnels which helped us avoid the rain. That was a huge blessing.

I hope that by coming to the symphony, my children will gain an appreciation for music and I hope they nurture this appreciation for the rest of their lives.
For more information about the Houston Symphony, click here.

More from Getting to Know You:
• Great Day Houston
• Fort Bend Children's Discovery Center
• Houston Ballet
• Children's Museum of Houston
• Houston Rodeo
• Galveston Railroad Museum

Read More