Life, lately

Hmmm, it’s been a while since I posted… I wonder why…

Life marches on here. Jay’s back at work 1/2-time now, going in after lunch. It’s wonderful really, b/c that gives me naptime to write/work and only a few hours alone with all three kids. Yesterday was my first day like that, and it went pretty smoothly. I did call and ask Jay to come home early though, b/c some friends were coming to eat with us (bringing dinner) and the house needed work.

Today Jay was late leaving for work b/c all three were melting down, and he stayed (holding Elisha) until I got the girls in bed and could relieve him.

Natasha seems to be hitting the new-baby wall just now (Melody’s been climbing it for a couple weeks). At least, that kinda what I’m attributing her melt-down today to. Continue reading

A Time to Cherish

As long as I’ve had my own child in my arms I’ve been hearing some version of the line from adults my parents’ age (thankfully never from my parents): “Enjoy it while it lasts, sweetie, it’ll be over before you know it.”

Laying aside the fact that I was none of these people’s “sweetie,” the line always bugged me. I had several ready (rude?) responses:

“If they stopped, well, wouldn’t that be worse?”

“Every stage has things you’re glad to get away from too.” Continue reading

“Processing”

The main problem I see with “therapeutic” writing is how necessary (or, at least, strongly encouraged) it seems to be to focus on the negative you’re trying to deal with/process.

The implication is that you must define and identify it, I suppose.

But for me to do this I must submit myself to the negative feelings that pull at me (both now during “real-life”), and that seems dangerous. Who surrenders to the mini-whirlpools that pull at their ankles when swimming in unfamiliar waters? Isn’t that just foolishness?

I am experiencing emotions I want to process, I do want to understand myself and be understood, but the cost of (potentially) becoming mired in them still seems greater than the cost of pushing, however muck-footed, through them.

A lot of wordless prayers these days.

Boundaries

I came across this quote while reading an article on the Boundless webzine.

It was written by Susanna Wesley to her son while he was away at college. Apparently he had written to ask her for a list of sins he should avoid while away (?!). I can only presume this was to allow himself a human conscience (that might forget something) rather than invoking divine guidance that would doubtless be more thorough.

She did well though. Instead of making a list of vices she made a list of descriptions. I thought this was great:

Whatever weakens your reason, whatever impairs the tenderness of your conscience, whatever obscures your sense of God, whatever increases the authority of your body over your mind, whatever takes away from your relish for spiritual things, that to you is sin, no matter how innocent it is in itself.

Housekeeping– beyond the basics

A woman came over yesterday and helped me clean for about 3 hours.

She did those “non-essentials” that just sit and build up (like sink-dishes) until you’re forced to face them (usually because there’s nothing left to cook in). They’re only non-esssentials because you don’t have to do them daily to function daily. They still have to be done to feel the house is clean. Continue reading