Thursday, October 18, 2012

Uncultured Swine

Jamie Martin wrote a funny little book called Mindset for Moms and she makes a point that is changing my life.

Kids are uncultured swine.

(The phrase is mine, but the idea is hers.)

After reading this unbelievably freeing information, I sat my squirmy, inattentive herd down after breakfast (read: time when three swine compete to cement the most granola to the surrounding furniture) and announced, lovingly, that they were uncivilized and that we would now proceed from that framework.  What is more, quoth I, I am civilized and have taken it as my mission to civilize my herd of uncultured swine.

I would teach them to live and operate within civilization--nay EXCELL!!!

What was their job?  Their job was to help me see the rainbows and wooly boogers.  To remind me to jump in the puddles on the count of 11.  To bring civilization to its knees in wonder.

And do you know?  They understood.  They play in the puddle of refracted light on our kitchen floor.  They gasp as the leaves fall from the trees.  They twirl in nightshirts and blink in the wind and squeal at a nimble squirrel tightrope walking our fence.  They tug my arms away from my civilized tasks and command me to see the abundance around me.  And I dance in the rainbows and twirl in the wind and wonder at the frantically indecisive squirrels.

Then I clean the peanut butter off the wall.

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