Simplicity (and Ryley Stories)

Today, Ryley and I are doing absolutely nothing. And it feels wonderful! The best part about it? TWO MORE DAYS just like this one.

Maybe we'll go up to Windsor to can peaches with Christie and Kendra tomorrow.

Maybe we'll go to Colorado Springs to see the hot air balloons.

Maybe we'll go to church.

Maybe I'll do some editing for the magazine.

Maybe I'll clean the house.

Maybe I'll dye my hair.

Maybe not.

This morning, after Ryan headed to work, I had coffee in bed with my laptop and, in the spirit of simplifying our lives, figured out how to do online bill paying for all our bills out of our online bank account. Ryley held a three-movie "Little Mermaid" marathon for herself. Then she and I played Yahtzee, Jr. Then she and I attempted to clean her room. But I got bored.

Sometimes I like to just stare into space for an hour and not feel guilty about it.

I am taking a break from teaching piano lessons until October. I know it sounds crazy, but that extra evening a week is so nice to have, especially now that I've returned to work (more than) full-time, and the winter issue of SHINE is in full swing, giving me deadlines to meet every week. I don't want to cut out any part of my life permanently, but there simply aren't enough hours in the week to do it all at the same time...and still keep my sanity. :-)

We've all had the beginnings of the flu this week, however, our constant juicing seems to be padding our bodies with some extra nutrients, and we are already on the mend without ever having been really down. I think Ryan is finally on board with the juicing thing. So long as it's fruit we're juicing and not veggies. Ha!

My dear, life-long friend Kendra is getting married at Christmas! I am so excited for her, and I feel so honored that she has asked me to be a bridesmaid! We went to a little engagement get-together at her parents' house last week. It was a little surreal to have my daughter running around the backyard where Kendra and I used to run...to go downstairs and see the wedding dress in the same basement where we had countless sleep-overs years ago. It's changed, but not all that much. She's getting married in the church where we grew up (she's the only one of us to actually do that); she's walking down the same aisle we walked down for our high school graduation. Kendra is a true life-long friend.

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In closing, here are some silly things Ryley has said recently:

"I am so tired of construction! Our neighborhood, my school, our grocery store, even this road! Everywhere I go there is 'nstruction! Ughhh!"

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And...In first grade, they have a behavior system of green, yellow, and red. Well-behaved kids stay on green all day, but disruptive kids are moved to yellow, etc. There is an added element to this system called "Silver." Silver is reserved for students who display extraordinary kindness and go above and beyond the expected "green" behavior. Ryley has yet to achieve this goal, however, her friend Shauna has.

"I work hard every day to be on 'Silver,' but I haven't gotten it yet! Shauna has promised Amirah and me that she will teach us what she did to get on Silver so that we can get on Silver too!"

I would have liked to hear that conversation. "Oh, please, great Shauna, teach us!"

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This afternoon, I made a comment that I wanted to dye my hair today. Ryley replied, "Mommy? I want to tell you something, but I don't want you to get mad because it's about God."

"What do you want to say?" I asked, somewhat sternly.

"I was just thinking that when people dye their hair and put on make-up, they are telling God that they don't think He did a good job. They are saying that they think they can make themselves more beautifuler than He made them."

"Where did you hear that? Who told you that?"

"Nobody. They are my own thoughts in my head."

Later, upon conferring with Ryan, it seems that this conversation is based on a conversation he and Ryley had this week about tattoos.

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Ryley is beginning to understand that not all of her friends love God. We have encouraged her to let the love of Jesus shine, and we've told her that when she is continually nice to kids who aren't as nice, they will eventually notice that she has something about her that is different. There is one specific boy in her class who is a little mean to her; I've also noticed that his mom's SUV bears multiple bumper stickers that are very far from being in agreement with Christianity. On a daily basis, Ryley tells me all the mean things he says to her, and I just keep stressing, "OK, but you just be nice in return. Remember to let Jesus' love shine."

So, the other day, Ryley was frustrated about it and said, "I keep being nice to him, but he just hasn't noticed yet!"

On the flipside, she came home very excited yesterday because two of her other friends said that they love God, too. :-)

If only life could stay this simple forever.