"How's the campaign going?"
It's the question I get most often. It's also the question I'm never quite sure how to answer.
Good? ... Great! ... Your guess is as good as mine. ... We'll see May 17th!
The truth - I suppose - all depends on what you're measuring.
This weekend we hosted a Winter ONE-derland party in honor of Felix's first birthday. Considering this child was born during a snow, it seemed like an appropriate theme. Well, the weather had other plans and it was 70 and sunny! I could have hosted the dang party outside!
For my 30th birthday, I created a list of 30 things I wanted to do. One was to write a historical fiction short story. This is the story and as Ruby keeps calling to me here lately. I thought I'd share it here.
One of Nicholas's New Year's resolutions was to try freezer meals. He'd prepped meals for the week on and off through 2015 and wanted to see how it would work to prepare an entire month's worth. Then, we could just pull a meal from the deep freeze, throw it in the crockpot, and on a busy day dinner would be waiting for us.
On Friday, Griffin’s school will be celebrating Halloween. Instead of costumes, the children were asked to come dressed in the “career apparel” of their choice. They have to make a small presentation for a social studies credit on the profession of their choice and how that person contributes to the community.
Listen, I get it. I fully endorse structured costume experiences.t to be when you grow up?”
Boy, did I have this coming. Baby Felix plays super-sweet for everyone then screams in my face when no one is around. Still, I don't call him difficult. I learned that lesson with Amos, as I shared in this post originally published on Salt + Nectar a few months after Amos was born.
At first, you just want sympathy. Your baby is being difficult and you just want to talk about how hard of a time you are having. It starts innocently enough. Then, you realize you're sharing more stories about the stress your baby brings, instead of the joy.
I love Bernie. I’ve always loved Bernie. I loved Bernie before loving Bernie was cool.
He was always my favorite Senator to hear speak during my time in the Senate. After I moved home, every time he’d come on The Diane Rehm show I’d crank up the volume and agree loudly with everything he said. As he’d passionately defend the working poor and rail against the growing economic inequities, I’d testify like I was in church. “Amen!” “Let ‘em know, Bernie!”
But …
I’ve been here before.
One of my favorite lyrics from one of my favorite songs of all time is the line from the Indigo Girl's Watershed - Every five years or so I look back on my life and I have a good laugh.
Last week, I completed my FIFTH year of a Week in the Life and the anniversary gave me just a chance to look back and have a good laugh. As I flipped through my first Week in the Life in 2010, I was overwhelmed by how much our lives have changed. The years have passed so quickly that I haven't been able to take a step back and see that in almost every area our lives are different.
This little guy - who struggled with the second level of the playground - struggled with being "the ONLY first grader" who couldn't do the monkey bars. Again, I stood back and let him learn on his own and I was reminded of this post that is as true now as it was then.
If someone were to ask me the personality trait I most want to teach Griffin, it would be independence. My ultimate goal is to raise a confident, capable adult who does not need me to do his laundry or fight his fights.
As an infant, I would sit him down inside a play yard to play on his own. As soon as he could crawl, I baby-proofed his room and would allow him to play by himself in there (much to my mother's chagrin). I never saw it as my job to entertain him or show him how every single toy worked.
This weekend I finished the audio version of Brené Brown's new book Rising Strong.
Y'all. This book broke my brain.
If you are unfamiliar with Brené's work, stop what you are doing and watch this Ted Talk.
I'm trying my hand at Periscope! Yesterday, I shared one of my new favorite parenthacks. It's shockingly simple but is always paying big dividends!
