I still have 9 weeks until baby #7 is due. Is it too early to start nesting or am I just taking advantage of the school holidays?

Love reading here, Kim. (BTW, I am SHOCKED *wink* that you guys are post-mill. More in common than I realised).

In Him

Meredith

Perhaps this seems extreme, but even I cannot remember how I organized an area unless the labels are there when it is time to restock. You should have seen my pantry before labels. It was a NIGHTMARE! Now it doesn’t get out of control as easily, and takes much less time to restore order if a few things are put away in the wrong place.

By the way, my children are a big help, too. You should hear the younger ones beg to help more! The little ones see how important a cheerful helper is around our house, and can’t wait till they are big enough to do more of the work. My five and seven year-old beg to help me cook, so they can someday be like their older siblings (who cook well without my help). My three year old actually gets angry with me if I limit how much I let him help with the dishes. He loves the bubbles in the dishpan. I love the opportunity to let my children make a real contribution to the well-being of our family. When I gush with genuine praise for the effort a child has made, the child knows that the praise was well-earned. Children see through much of the false praise that is common in our time from those with the “let kids be kids” and “build self-esteem even if you have to lie to do it” philosophies. There is a time for play, but also a time to put the following verse in to practice: “With love, serve one another.” I’m sure no matter how hard you try, or how well you manage your children, you don’t get to sit around very much, Kim!