Parenting | Anita Mathias: Dreaming Beneath the Spires

When Waves of Mercy Crash Over My “If Onlys”

Anita Mathias — Sat, 17 May 2014 10:26:11 +0000

Motherhood. The land of If Onlys. * * * If only I’d been calmer when I was pregnant with her. If only she’d had a higher birth weight. If only I had breast-fed longer, If only I had used better childcare, Or no child-care. If only I could have home-schooled, Or read to the girls […]

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A Beautiful Train Wreck into Grace

Anita Mathias — Thu, 27 Feb 2014 20:19:22 +0000

Sometimes, my tongue runs away with me, and I use my words to express anger and frustration rather than bestow grace and life, and those words steal life and strength rather than lavish them, And I see the red flag of Jesus at the level crossing of my heart, and am stopped dead in […]

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My Heavenly Daughter

Anita Mathias — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 19:20:00 +0000

Irene saunters into my bedroom where I am trying to have quiet time. I inform her of this fact. She wrinkles her nose. Well, she says, “Why don’t you just discuss things with your heavenly daughter?”

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401 Ways to get Your Children to Work at Home by Bonnie McCullough

Anita Mathias — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 22:32:00 +0000

401 Ways to get Your Children to Work at Home Bonnie McCullough I strongly recommend this book. I bought it when Zoe was three, and it gives step by step suggestions for all the tasks a child should have mastered between the age of 2 and 18–age-appropriate suggestions for what a child could do to […]

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Irene’s back from PGL

Anita Mathias — Wed, 19 May 2010 21:50:00 +0000

Irene got home yesterday from an amazing PGL weekend in Wales of canoeing, trapezing, archery, hiking… She snuggled up to me, and said, “I missed you.” “Oh, did you think of home and wish you were with us?” I asked, always one for specificity. “Oh no!” she said in horror (Irene loves outdoorsy things!). […]

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My heavenly daughter, Irene

Anita Mathias — Mon, 10 May 2010 15:34:00 +0000

I generally sort out logistical challenges, like how to provide lunch for 15 people in the context of prayer. I was puzzling this out, while Irene kept coming up with every more time-intensive and impractical menu suggestions. “Hush, Irene,” I said, “I am trying to discuss this problem with my Heavenly Father.” I said. “Well,” […]

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In which Zoe gives Irene a shirt declaring “I am always right,” and Irene almost believes it

Anita Mathias — Fri, 07 May 2010 06:56:00 +0000

Irene uses her beloved Ipod touch to email people, listen to countless books on tape, play scrabble and boggle, and get a word a day sent to her, which she memorizes. She announced today that she is now officially cleverer than me because I didn’t know 5 of these obscure words! And because her birthday […]

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I didn’t marry you for cleverer or stupider.

Anita Mathias — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 22:47:00 +0000

I (successfully) tried to get the lean, muscular Roy to go to the gym with me. Exasperated, he said, “Anita, I married you for better or for worse, richer or poorer. I did not say “for stupider or cleverer.” Irene listened with furrowed brows, then whispered, “Mummy, what does he mean? Who is getting […]

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Irene and salad

Anita Mathias — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 21:25:00 +0000

Tried a salad recipe from a book I am reading with much interest and enjoyment–Helen Nearing’s “Simple Food for the Good Life.” It was lettuce and fresh dandelion leaves salad. Irene said, “MUM, I am so HUMILIATED! I am not a RABBIT.

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Family Life–The Mathiases Play Balderdash

Anita Mathias — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 11:50:00 +0000

We played a family game of Balderdash yesterday. A bit like pictionary, pick a word, everyone gives a feigned definition while the picker gives a real one. 3 points for a correct guess, 1 if someone else guesses yours. After a slow start, Irene, 10, got the hang of dictionary sounding definitions. Scrivello, A antique […]

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