What I Am Into - January 2012

While I've been very fortunate the escape the first-trimester nausea, the exhaustion hasn't stayed away in the least. It doesn't help at all that the exhaustion is coupled with a complete inability to fall asleep at night. Thank goodness my boys are tiny little rockstars who let me nap* during the day, and my equally wonderful husband often takes care of dinner. Even still, I am tired. And so, as much as I would love to stay up late and flesh out my many posts hanging around in my drafts folder, I'm going to take tonight to join Megan at SortaCrunchy in simply sharing What I've Been Into this past month.

* Of course, by "nap", I mean that I get to curl up on the couch with a pillow and blanket and attend to slightly fewer requests than I would normally have to. But I do get to doze in between them showing me their drawings and Lego creations, needing help in the bathroom, asking me to peel their oranges for them, and so on. I'll take what I can get.


What I Am Into :: JANUARY 2012
On My Nightstand:

I am about a third of the way through N. T. Wright's book Simply Christian: Why Christianity Makes Sense. I am loving it. It is every bit as good as I had hoped it would be. I so love it when a book lives up to my expectations!

The husband and I are reading through the Hunger Games trilogy together. We have finished the first two and are now well into the third one. The oh-my-goodness-we-can't-stop-here-how-about-just-one-more-chapter hasn't exactly helped my exhaustion. I am so glad we're reading this series. Intense, fascinating, and well-written, it's everything I could hope for in fiction.

Want to Read:

My to-read list isn't getting any shorter, and it's only gotten worse since a friend of mine introduced me to GoodReads, which is everything my organization-loving and book-loving self could possibly want in a website. In addition to most of the books I had on my list in November, I've now added:

• Surprised by Hope: Rethinking Heaven, the Resurrection, and the Mission of the Church by N. T. Wright
• After You Believe: Why Christian Character Matters by N. T. Wright
• Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain
• Writing Motherhood by Lisa Garrigues

T.V. Show Worth Watching:

Sorry, I'm just going to have to say it again: Once Upon a Time is the show I can't recommend enough right now. We also enjoy House and The Big Bang Theory, but it's OUaT that has me itching to get the kids to bed on time so we can sit down and watch the newest episode each week.

In My Kitchen:

Source: wearenotmartha.com via Hippie on Pinterest

I may not be nauseous, but I definitely haven't had much of an appetite for the past several weeks. It was a relief, then, to find myself thoroughly enjoying the Avocado Spinach Egg Salad Sandwich I made for lunch last week. This is definitely my new go-to version of egg salad sandwich filling. Perfect.

I also made Perfect Pot Roast (which lived up to its name) when we had company join us for the evening last week. Dinner was followed with a light dessert of peppermint tea and Lemon Sugar Cookies. The cookies were incredible. I'm embarrassed to admit it (because I did more than my fair share of helping), but we finished the entire batch in one day. One day. Oh my.

Other than that, our kitchen has been pretty boring lately. I prepare meals because the kids have to eat, but my imagination is sorely lacking in that department. My only pregnancy craving so far? Toasted peanut butter, jelly, and banana sandwiches. Yum. I could go for one right now, actually.

In My Ears:

There's still a whole lotta Christmas carol singing going on around here. Well, not "singing" so much as "hollering". The kids have fully embraced some of the Christmas greats, including (but definitely not limited to) "Go Tell it on the Mountain", "Hark, the Herald Angels Sing", "Silent Night", and "We Wish You a Merry Christmas". The carols are all the better for their childish translations. Take, for example, the boy's version of "Silent Night":

"Silent night, Holy night,
All is calm, all is bright,
yon mon version Mother and John.
Sleep in heavenly peace, sleep in heavenly peace."
Or how about the toddler's excellent twist on "We Wish You a Merry Christmas"?

"I wish you a Merry Miss-miss,
I wish you a Merry Miss-miss,
I wish you a Merry Miss-miss,
AND A HAPPY NEW YOU!!"
Truth be told, there hasn't been much else playing around here. Maybe it's time to reintroduce these young'uns to something other than Christmas carols. The husband's brain just might explode if he's still hearing Christmas songs in February...

Pinterest Finds:

Pinterest, Pinterest. Why do you mock me so? So many awesome projects, so little energy to do anything more than gaze longingly at them.

Source: purlbee.com via Hippie on Pinterest

I am basically in love with everything about this sweater. I must make it.

Source: acuppaandacatchup.com via Hippie on Pinterest

How cute are these tiny little quilt magnets? I'm picturing something nice and bright - maybe yellows, greens, and blues?

Source: mybakingaddiction.com via Hippie on Pinterest

It doesn't get any easier than this, and I'm pretty much certain it comes with a "this will taste incredible or your time and energy back" guarantee.

What I'm Looking Forward to in February:

Oh-so-many things. February starts off with another midwife appointment, which should mean getting to hear Mystery Baby's heartbeat. Our five-year wedding anniversary is soon after. The husband doesn't read this blog, but just in case, I'll only let you know that I have Big Things planned and it will all be Very Exciting. Shhh, don't tell, he has no idea! February could also mean feeling the first flutters from Mystery Baby, although that particular gift could just as likely hold off until March - but perhaps February will at least bring a bit of renewed energy as I enter the second trimester? We shall see...

Well, friends, that is What I've Been Into this first month of the new year. It's been a good month, exhaustion aside, and I'm looking forward to February as well. What I'm really looking forward to, though, is the return of warmer weather! I've become soft out here on the west coast. I want some warm sunshine on my face, dry ground beneath my feet, and fewer excuses to sit around in front of my nice cozy fireplace.

Ah, well. All in good time.

Weekend Reading

In light of my sudden fears about all there is to teach my growing boy as he emerges from the hands-on younger years, each of these posts were an encouragement to me this week. Some were encouraging because they spoke to the same feelings and fears I've been experiencing, while others provided a peace that yes, it will be alright. I hope you enjoy them as well.

• Your hard is hard @ The Extraordinary Ordinary
• Lactation Consultant @ The Not-Ever-Still Life
• What Should a 4 Year Old Know? @ Peaceful Parenting
• What a Parent Wants to Say Before a Child Leaves @ (in)courage

Mess-free finger painting

Last week I put together a mess-free finger painting project for the boys. This was definitely a success! I first saw the idea on Pinterest (you can find my Pinterest boards here!), where Mama Smiles had done this project using blue hair gel. I used tempera paint, making this a great colour-mixing experiment at the same time.

I squirted two primary colours into each of the three Ziplock freezer bags, put a white piece of paper under them, and taped the whole thing down with painter's tape. Then I let the eager boys have at it!

They first experimented with each bag to see what new colour was made when mixing the two primary colours together. Then they drew pictures, made handprints, and drove their cars over the paint to see the tire tracks. Turns out cars aren't exactly gentle on the bags. After a couple quick repairs with masking tape, the cars were parked for the rest of the activity.

Next time I will make sure I get all of the extra air out of the bags before taping them down. A couple of the bags had air bubbles in them, which were much harder to remove once the paint was spread throughout the bag. Painting worked much better with the air bubbles removed.

We kept the bags taped to the table all week, removing them only when we had company coming for dinner. Now I have them tucked away, ready to be brought out and reused again at a later time. In the meantime, good old fashioned finger painting is still a very popular way to pass an afternoon!

Winding Down at Bedtime: Three calming games

Some nights a snack, a bedtime story, a snuggle and chat, and lights out while the music quietly plays is enough for the boy to fall asleep. Other nights, however, he needs something more to help him sleep. During our nightly chat, we talk about our days - the highs and lows, our hopes and plans for the next day - and I often end our talk with a calming game to help him wind down and fall asleep. Whether I stay and play with him or just leave him to it himself, these games are great ways to relax the body and soothe the mind while waiting for sleep to come.

Goodnight Toes

A fun twist on the traditional counting sheep game, "Goodnight Toes" involves saying goodnight to each of their body parts, starting at their toes and going all the way up to their nose. "Close your eyes. Now say goodnight to each of your body parts, and relax it as you say goodnight to it. Ready? Goodnight toes...goodnight feet...goodnight ankles....."

Because he's a four year old boy and because I just can't resist the inevitable gale of laughter that follows, we're always sure to say goodnight to our poop as well. And our pee, and our blood, and our bones, and all of our organs. This might not be terribly Grandma-friendly, but it's a great nightly review of anatomy once the poop-induced giggle fest abates!

Goodnight Grandma

Similar to "Goodnight Toes", this games replaces body parts with people we love. "Lie in bed, close your eyes, and say goodnight to everyone you love," I instruct. Blessed with fairly large extended families and many dear friends, his list can get quite long. I often don't hear another word from him once I've left him to say goodnight to everyone he loves.

What Did We Do Tomorrow?

Not the grammatical error you might think it is, "What Did We Do Tomorrow?" is a game the boy came up with himself, and it is one of our favourites. It usually begins with a more grammatically-correct review of "what did we do yesterday?" and "what did we do today?", where we simply talk together about how the day(s) went and the various activities we did. The boy then flashes me his impish grin and asks me, "what did we do tomorrow?"

Well! Just let me tell you what we did tomorrow! Why, we went to the moon, we did! We had a picnic right there, but it was so windy that dust got all over our food and it wasn't as tasty as we'd hoped. So we flew back home, rinsed our mouths out with water, and had a picnic in our living room instead. And then those two sweet boys of mine? Why they put themselves to bed! Early, at that! It was fantastic. Mommy stayed up for a while and ate chocolate pudding (and saved some for the boys to eat in the morning, of course) and then went to bed early and had a wonderful looooong uninterrupted sleep. And that, my friends, is what we did tomorrow.

Our stories cover everything from the mundane to the fantastical. Sometimes (as with the early bedtime and chocolate pudding above) they're a mother's fantasies; other times, they're a child's dream come true; still other stories are so dull and boring that they come around the circle and become hilarious. After I've told a few, the boy tells me his stories, also ranging from the common to the exotic. Not only is this storytelling a nice way of winding down, but it's a great way to bond and to hear his perspective on things.


What have you found helps your child to relax at bedtime? Any tips, techniques, or games to share?

The big stuff

Somehow I thought these early years would be the hardest years. They were full of sleepless nights, marathon nursing sessions, and the long days of steady teaching, guiding, correcting, and connecting. There was simply so very much to teach a toddler. One day, I thought, things will settle down. These hands-on days of babyhood, toddlerhood, and the preschool stage would calm down eventually. His needs would be less demanding, his independent play would last longer, and maybe I'd be able to read an entire page in a book without interruption. I could sit and relax more often. Maybe I'd even get to sleep through the night again.

Now I have the privilege of bearing witness to the boy emerging from those years. He is entering the more independent years; his needs feel less demanding, less exhausting. He is no longer inclined to whack another child on the head for taking his toy, or to lie down and throw a tantrum when he doesn't get his way. He knows how to help out, how to clear away his plate after a meal, how to tidy his toys at the end of the day. He is heart-meltingly affectionate towards his little "bruzzer". When he goes on a playdate with a friend and leaves me behind, I don't worry. He's a good kid. I know he'll be polite and will behave appropriately. He's growing up.

But now that those early hands-on years are ending, I begin to feel the tug of bigger issues. The implications of failure are so much more frightening than forming good dental hygiene habits or correctly identifying shapes and colours. How do I get across to a growing individual the necessity of hard work, the satisfaction of a job well done? How do I help him to understand the importance of speaking and writing well if you wish to be taken seriously? How do I encourage him to make the right choice even when it means taking the hard path? How do I ensure he develops an healthy, accurate, well-rounded view of God? How do I do all this and more without messing things up? I feel ill-prepared.

Those early years - curbing a little one's desire to throw food on the floor, teaching a small child how to gain control of himself when the desire to throw a tantrum begins to take root - suddenly feel like the easy years. The years ahead loom big and important and more than a little frightening. I know that the answer has its foundation in relationship and connection, but will it be enough?

Will I be enough?

Weekend Reading

• Why I Don't Trust Birth @ My Life
• That Damn Proverbs 31 Woman @ Coffee-Stained Clarity
• Whispers, Patience, Self-Control @ Rosmarinus Officinalis
• Unschooling, Christianity, and Other Misconceptions @ The Path Less Taken

When the husband's away...

When he told me he was leaving for a whole week on some fancy-schmancy school/networking trip, I had visions of quiet evenings to myself, delicious meals of the sort he would never enjoy, and everything running like a well-oiled machine since I wouldn't have to be waiting around or reminding him to get to his tasks. No, they'd just be my tasks, and of course I'd get them done promptly.

Yeah.

The first night went like a dream. The kids were in bed promptly at 8:00 and the toddler was asleep shortly after. The boy and I had our nightly snuggle and chat. I left him with a glass of water and came out to a clean, quiet living room. I listened to music while adding the day's memories to our family journal. Everything was as peaceful as my introverted self had imagined it would be. It felt a bit strange going to bed that night - I had this odd desire to take my laptop with me for company - but I went anyway and had two boys snuggling with me by the time morning arrived.

Wednesday was a longer day. Nothing stands out as making it particularly so, but long it was. Turns out it's kinda nice to have someone around to help out with the little things, like changing diapers or wiping bottoms or taking out the trash. Who knew?

The day ended on a particularly great note when the toddler tripped and smashed his mouth into the edge of the coffee table. The poor child cut his lip on the inside, opened a gash below his lip on the outside, and shifted one of his front teeth forward. There was, of course, a lot of blood, and an initial reaction on my part of oh-my-goodness-do-we-have-to-go-back-to-the-ER-already??? The gash on the outside probably would have received a stitch or two if we'd gone in, but in the end I decided it wasn't an ER-worthy wound, if only he would stop chewing on it and reopening it every time the bleeding slowed. That problem was quickly solved with a bandage; unfortunately, the poor child was absolutely furious about this solution and proceeded to angrily sob himself to sleep in my arms. I laid him down in bed and he had a nice long nap - which sounds perfect, except that he woke up at bedtime. He was still awake when I went to bed. Naps, while a nice downtime during the day, are never worth it with him come bedtime.

Thursday started off well. His lip looked much better when I removed the bandage. We went out to play with some friends. Had a great morning and headed back shortly after lunch, stopping for a sandwich and donut at Tim Horton's. Unfortunately, the long drive back home meant - guess what? - another nap for the toddler. Oh boy.

By the time dinner arrived, I was exhausted. After a long internal debate over whether it would require more energy to cook dinner or to take the kids out for dinner, I settled on going out. We went to IHOP, where I had salt for dinner. Or at least that's what the entire meal tasted like. I'm pretty sure I actually ordered pot roast with mashed potatoes and corn, but perhaps I misspoke. At least the kids enjoyed their pancakes. Dinner was followed with a run around the mall's play center, a (purchase-free!) trip to the toy store, and a few necessary groceries. I was pretty much feeling like Supermom by that point - I'd fed my kids, let them run around, and got groceries. Whoot! Top of the world. So what if yesterday's dinner pots were still soaking in the sink? Habits, schmabits. I'd get to them the next day.

By the time I dragged myself back into the house, got the kids' teeth brushed and pajamas on, and settled us all into bed, I was pretty sure I'd never feel awake again. The exhaustion. Wow. The toddler had another nap-induced late night, but eventually he was out and I was able to drift off into what felt like the most wonderful sleep ever.

Until 1:30am, that is, when I woke up to the discovery that, oh yeah, I forgot about the diaper part of the bedtime routine. That was pretty much the low point of the week. Bedtime routine is the husband's nightly responsibility. He gets them their snack, reads their bedtime story, brushes their teeth, puts their pajamas on, and doesn't forget about the diaper. You'd think it'd be a pretty common sense part of bedtime, but heck if I can ever seem to remember on those rare nights when the bedtime routine falls to me. Well, lesson learned. Don't forget the diaper if you don't want to be giving a bath and scrubbing poo off the carpet at 1:30 in the morning. I sure didn't want to be.

Fortunately, every morning is the start of a new day, and this day was definitely better. I took mercy on myself and dozed on the couch all morning while the kids played. I almost felt human by the time I got up. We had a quiet afternoon of crafts and books before heading out to a big sale at one of out favourite toy stores. Two hundred and some-odd dollars later, the boy's birthday gifts were more than purchased. (Fortunately, the purchases were all actually gifts I intended to purchase, so it wasn't a bunch of impulse buys, and I saved a good bit of money on them too!) Then it was out for dinner again (*coughA&Wcough*) and back home for a brief rest before starting the evening tidy. The kids cleaned the living room while I finally tackled the kitchen and a few other bits of housekeeping that had been neglected over the past couple of days. The toddler went right to sleep at bedtime and the boy, after our snuggle and chat, was asleep soon after. And I remembered the diaper.

So here I am, listening to music, eating chocolate-covered cherries, and rambling on in an incredibly unimpressive blog post (my apologies, dear readers; I blame the pregnancy exhaustion and promise you something far more fabulous in the days to come). We will see what the next days hold - will I remember the diaper? will the dinner pots get washed? will I sleep all morning again? - and look forward to the husband's return early Monday morning.

He might not be perfect, but it turns out it's pretty darn nice to have a partner to walk through this life with.

I miss you, Love.