It felt really good to leave this special note for my girl today:

I thought about her this evening and wondered if she was playing house.  This basket is so sweet, it’s hard to tell from the picture that it’s only about an inch tall.  This is actually a little basket that a deodorant rock came in.  ~:-D  I am always thinking what could I do with that.

I found something tonight for 25 cents that she is going to love.  I’ll show you tomorrow when I can take a picture.

Lynn

is the thought that came to me. 

“House and riches are the inheritance of fathers: and a prudent wife is from the Lord.” Proverbs 19:14

It’s what I have been saying I’d write more about later.  There are so many wonderful thoughts I can share with my daughter as we work on her doll house and play house through the year of 2008.  (But why wait?  I started this in earnest a few days ago. ~:-D )

“Wisdom hath builded her house…” Proverbs 9:1

Year of the Doll House.  It’s like a plan — a vision, a goal, whatever is best to call it — for 2008.  Since working in the bakery, I have gained a new view of my daughter.  I have a perspective that I did not have before.  I am away from her more.  She is spending more time with her papa and her brothers, so that’s good, but I see clearly that she needs me, too. 

“Every wise woman buildeth her house…” Proverbs 14:1

Therefore, when I am with her, I want to really be present with her, in heart and mind, and not consumed with thoughts of things that I want to be doing for myself.

As we worked together – almost cheek to cheek — setting up her new doll house, it occurred to me that this might be the last year she even wants to have anything to do with dolls or doll houses.  Similarly, my window of time of strong influence over her thinking and her habits is small.  Playing dolls with my girl is going to be at the top of my priority list for 2008.  Staying close to her is what’s really at the heart of this.

“She looketh well to the ways of her household…” Proverbs 31:27

When I’m not home — when I am at work — I want her to know that I didn’t just leave without thinking of her.  Every day — every day — I want to have a special something for us for the doll house.  It may be a little cup for the table that I have left waiting for her to play with while I’m gone.  It may be a note from me about something one of the dolls did that she needs to look into further.  ~:-D  It may be only a thought shared about what it means to build a house.

Every day.  Can I be that committed to something?

 
“…but the house of the righteous shall stand.”  Proverbs 12:7

It may be an hour of special doll house play, or shopping together, or making something new.  But I want to have this special doll house bond for 2008.  She will remember playing, but she’ll remember the thoughts we’ve expressed to each other even more.

I really wanted to share this idea with you.  Perhaps this will appeal to your heart too…  I’ll keep you posted on our doll house lessons.

I have added The Year of the Doll House as a category (see margin) so that you can easily keep up with all posts related to our grand adventure!  Also, feel free to use our Year of the Doll House thumb image in the margin, link it back to this post (http://www.amothersjournal.com/?p=263),  and join us!  There are more thumb images here.

Lynn