Create,  HomeLife

surprise & delight

October 8, 2015 /

 

About five or six years ago Kevin and I attended a conference in Chicago.

(It remains one of my favorite memories of he and I.  I don’t know how that part of my mind is supposed to work.  I refuse to toss out the beautiful with the ugly.)

The conference was cool and shifted my thoughts in lots of arenas, but one bit of magic that I took from there and have applied practically to where I am is a little term called

surprise & delight.

At the conference the surprise & delight was a part of the conference founder’s philosophy.  In particular, that weekend, he used it as a guide to create memorable moments and experiences for Story attendees.

I’ve taken the idea and forced it to fit my own life (and all good ideas are malleable like that) in whatever circumstances I have found myself in.

surprise & delight.

I think it’s a fabulous little encouragement/challenge/gift for parents.

I like to look for simple ways to surprise & delight the kids.

Lately the kids and I have been taking turns having solo date nights and one on one experiences.

They love that.  (What kid in a family as large as ours wouldn’t value a little extra one on one time with mommy?)

But the surprise & delight needn’t cost scads of money or even take gobs of extra time to carve out and pencil in.

Recently, this was my surprise & delight –

While at the breakfast table, I grabbed my ten-year-old-son’s arm.  I pulled it over to me and began placing a series of tiny stickers from his wrist to his elbow.

He was giggling and kind of confused and wondering what weird thing mom was doing to him.

When he stopped laughing and I let go of his arm – he was bearing an unexpected message:

you and me. 1:30 p.m. in the kitchen. lemon poppy seed muffin class.

 

the evidence.

 

And that is what we did.

The afternoon rolled around.  He and I donned our aprons and got to work mastering a new skill.  (And with the perfect timing that only The Divine can arrange – the day before we had received an unexpected gift in the mail of a new bright sunshiny yellow lemon squeezer.)

 

the lemon squeezer. it's great.

 

Bergen and I chatted.  We watched a YouTube video explaining how to perfectly zest a lemon to avoid the bitter taste.  We stirred and poured and scooped and shared a memory and a moment in our happy little sunlit kitchen and I hope it was as full of surprise & delight for my boy as it was for me.

 

the baker. lemon is his bag.

 

Here are some surprise & delight ideas for your family:

~ Wake your kids up to a bountiful breakfast set up in an unusual location – outside in the grass on a blanket, on the floor in the living room, in your bed.

~ After the kids have been asleep (and probably on a weekend night) wake them up  at about 11 pm or whenever and bring them downstairs for a completely unexpected movie night or other fun adventure.

~ While driving around town running errands, pull into their favorite ice cream shop instead or stop at the park and pull a new soccer ball or frisbee out of the back and play a quick game.

~ Your toddlers or preschoolers are taking their baths – surprise them with extra bubbles or bath tub markers or toys — or even a glass of chocolate milk that they can drink while in the bath tub!

~ For no reason, make a weekday dinner a special occasion.  Light the candles.  Serve steak.  Celebrate one family member for just being themselves.

(Feel free to share your own ideas in the comments.  It’s always helpful to get a little brainstorming going together to refresh us and to give us new inspiration for our own families.)

 

 

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14 Comments

  • Pat Meeks

    October 12, 2015 at 1:57 pm

    I have slacked off your blogs, until Riley likes one and it shows up in the feed and I then, read it. I love reading them. When prayiing I tell God you know they families on my heart and yours is one of them. I need to remember to make a daily read. You are very uplifting and I really appreciate it. Remember someone is praying for you in Axton, VA.

  • Jennifer

    October 11, 2015 at 2:06 pm

    I enjoyed a contra dance with my son. It was magical to witness his inner tiny dancer emerge. He sat close to the band and caller observing their part in the magic for 20 minutes. What a beautiful music adventure. He is a great child of God, so much happiness light and love pours through him. He recently came to me showing me all the holes in his hand me down, consigned p.j’s. My heart and soul said, ‘ He is worth more than this.I recently bought him brand, spanking new pajamas, Wookie
    p.j.’s. His Love, Joy and Light filled our home. Tons of hugs and kisses and loads of gratitude.

  • Lana

    October 9, 2015 at 1:14 am

    My Dad used to surprise us with night time drives through the local state park to look for animal eyes in the woods along the road. I am sure you cannot go into state parks at night now but maybe you know of a country road where you can drive slow and look. We actually used to see quite a few. It was fun and scary at the same time.

    Hubby and I do winter picnics at a nearby park with a parking lot that sits up from the lake front and stretched out in front is a beautiful lake view. We like to go when it is really cold and run through Hardee’s on the way for hot coffee and biscuits. It is neat being there in our car with the heater blasting when no one else is even venturing out and just watch the beautiful sun on the water.

    Blanket in the yard in the summer to look at the stars was another favorite.

  • Margie

    October 8, 2015 at 7:40 pm

    This has got to be one of my most favorite posts. You are quite the creative thinker. I definitely will implement these thoughts and put them into action.

  • Alicia

    October 8, 2015 at 3:22 pm

    Some of ours:

    Serve hot tea and cookies in the tea set out on the porch after running in the rain

    We call out “Christmas Lights” just after everyone goes to bed, and we all run to the van to look at the lights.

    Iced coffee, grapes, and donuts on Sunday morning at the lake

    Themed home school days where we throw out all the regular studies and study one thing, like butterflies, or the moon – with food, crafts, videos, nature study, etc.