Ps. 119:66
TUESDAY
Yesterday, a two-hour delay. Today, early dismissals. Spring is dragging winter out the door, kicking and screaming and flinging sleet storms left and right. I'll be so glad when spring shuts the door tight and blossoms bright, here to stay.
In the meantime, in this afternoon's sleet, I drove Henry downtown for his shot. He was a brave little boy, and only let out a short wail when the nurse stuck his arm with the needle. At home I made him a chocolate milkshake. In my own childhood getting a shot meant getting a milkshake and I intend for the same consolation to comfort Henry after encounters with needles.
When he's not slurping down a milkshake, our little boy is learning his own mind. He's started refusing foods he normally likes (scrambled eggs, pineapple, grapes), turning his face away or spitting out bites of food. There's a fine line between independence and defiance when you're one, and we're trying to navigate this new territory. He's too little to understand "two more bites and you can be done," but we don't want him to win every high chair battle. There's a way to find compromises that will leave his dignity intact and still assert that we are in charge... right? Parenting is hard work.
On a more adorable side, he's gaining some more "words." He says "ah-oh-da" while he's putting blocks from one box into another or pulling off his socks or looking at a book. We haven't deciphered exactly what it means, but it's probably something like "Look at me!" He also says a imitative sort of "meh" after we finish a prayer with "amen."And as of last week, he can finally sign "please!" Little successes can bring big joy.
FRIDAY
We had three snow days in a row this week. I should be glad, but I struggle with days off. Tackle my to-do list? Or do nothing? I'm terrible at doing nothing.
After two days of feeling guilty over the tension, today I gave in and just relaxed.
I slept in (which for me, means getting up at 6:15). I read a book during both of Henry's naps. I ignored the laundry. We ate leftovers for lunch and dinner. We had a family play date in the snow.
Tomorrow I will do laundry and shop for groceries and sweep the floors. But today, I silenced the inner voices telling me to be dutiful and I successfully did nothing.
SATURDAY
Photo an Hour today!
Though the result is a bit boring and speaks of a rather humdrum life, I actually find this a good exercise. Clicking the camera every hour helps me notice how I'm spending my day and evaluate if I'm spending it well. Give this a try yourself!
7:00 | Awake
8:00 | Breakfast
9:00 | Floors
10:00 | Read
11:00 | Shop
12:30 | Forgot to snap a pic at 12:00, and now it's naptime and we're stuck in traffic!
1:00 | Late Lunch
2:00 | Wishing
3:00 | Snack Break
4:00 | Veggies
5:00 | Diapers
6:00 | Family Devotions
7:00 | Just Us
SUNDAY
Snow and resulting snow days tossed a curve ball I didn't expect and what started out as a run-of-the-mill week with nothing more noteworthy than my son's latest babbles turned into an out-of-the-ordinary mini vacation week.
This coming week promises to be more hectic. I used to long for the day when I'd hit that Plateau of Adulthood and things would finally be all neatly finalized and settled. How embarrassing that I once thought it existed. We don't achieve a coasting speed when everything just auto-pilots along with a cozy hum. There is always change, always growth, always newness, always upheaval. What I long for now is peace in the midst of chaos. An attitude of humility and acceptance and calm. As I dive into a new week (on one less hour of sleep, thanks to last night's time change), I'm going to create breathing room at the edges of my busy days and seek contentment in the mess that life inevitably creates.
Grateful this week for:
visit with an old friend
recipe inspiration
orchid blooms
milkshake with H
a repair to the light in the new bathroom
free evening time
prayer
oil change for the car
hair dryer
Bible Study
new boots, after much searching
yellow lines on a road thickly covered with fog
snowflake-filled air
H's closed-mouth grin
Car Talk
sunshine
dripping of melted snow
clean diapers
salads for dinner
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