Simple Woman’s Daybook, January 5, ‘08

Outside My Window...
It is a middle-sort of day, with cool gray skies and only a here-or-there breeze. I’ve already been outside twice today, once on my own and once with the boys to “get some wiggles” out of Gabriel before lunch time.

I am thinking...
About how to best organize our home. One of my new year’s resolutions seems to be (never made any officially but they seem to be popping up nonetheless) that the mess in the house will not be MY mess. Gabriel’s toys may be strewn about, but if all the grown-up stuff has a proper home and proper order, I think I will be much more at peace.

I am thankful for...
Gabriel taking a nap in the middle of the day. It makes afternoon so much more bearable because he’s not at the end of his energy rope. Instead of getting sluggish, being over tired makes him get gets more and more crazy.

From the kitchen...
Leftover pasta with slow-roasted cherry tomatoes, a simple salad, and homemade bulghur-wheat bread. Tomorrow we’ll do a black bean stew in the slow cooker, over rice.

I am wearing...
A month and a half old baby in a sling! And brown cords, blue flowered shirt with dusty purple shirt layered underneath.

I am creating...
a new, more patient, more generous way of interacting with my 2yr old. Honestly, this takes up much of my creative energy throughout the day! Instead of saying "Time to brush your teeth", this morning I said "WOW, you have stinky dinosaur breath!" Brought him into the bathroom with no complaints!

I am going...
To donate many baby items to the crisis pregnancy center ASAP! Peter dutifully napped this morning and Gabriel “fixed his lawnmower” with his new tools all by himself, so I was able to organize all the items, bag them up, and set them by the door. This sounds like not a big thing, but I’ve been waiting weeks to do this!

I am reading...
Raising Your Spirited Child:A Guide for Parents Whose Child Is More Intense, Sensitive, Perceptive, Persistent, Energetic, by Mary Sheedy Kurcinka.

I am hoping...
To continue with the halting steps we have been taking as a family towards having a more regular prayer life.

I am hearing...
Swallowing from a little nursling with big still-blue eyes.

Around the house...
Things are more organized... but still not squeaky clean. Still not on top of that. Not sure I can claim a newborn as the reason, either.

One of my favorite things...
Peter’s baby smiles.

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week:
Gabriel and I will out the “Terrific Two’s” library story time, as well as bring back the armload of Christmas books we have in the library basket. Michael will be heading off to a mostly silent retreat this weekend starting on Wednesday evening, so we will have a long stretch of time with him gone... but we will by no means be alone, with evening visits to both sets of grandparents scheduled and birthdays to celebrate.

Here is picture thought I am sharing...



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