WayfaringStrangers

"No nat (nap)!" Patrick resists my suggestion that he lay down in his crib. He throws his binkies and begins to fuss. Usually he's a piece of cake to put down, so I'm surprised. I get him out of his crib and sit with him in the blue and white plaid armchair in his room. He struggles with me, trying to squirm out of my lap. Poor little boy with a bad head cold and new teeth coming in. I know he's tired, even if he's trying to convince me otherwise. I am firm, telling him it really is time to calm down and get ready for sleep. He begins to give in, laying his blonde head on my shoulder. He squirms some more and then settles down, letting me hold him close. I have a flashback of a couple of years ago, when Graham was the exact age and fought his naps. It was a hot Virginia summer and I was 7 months pregnant, exhausted most of the time. Instead of insisting on him napping in his crib, I would take him to my bed. We'd lay there- me with my swollen belly

It's mid-spring and the world is turning green. I can never decide if I love spring or fall more. Each are always so welcome. We are all into different things right now. I get on kicks where I love country music or can't stop reading books, and at other times I only want to listen to Fernando Ortega and binge on "The Office." Right now, here's what we are into: Megan I can't stop listening to the "Claude DeBussy" and "Allison Kraus" stations on Pandora. I am really digging the wistful, emotional melodies of Claude DeBussy and the cheerful, upbeat bluegrass tunes on Allison Kraus' station. This necklace. I bought it to help fund raise for clean water in Bona, Ethiopia through Project Hopeful. It's beautiful. My new favorite. Folks, they are still a few hundred dollars short of their goal. You too can own this necklace AND help bring clean water to families in this village. The necklace is $20 and $10 of that goes s

Graham is napping right now. Most days he does not nap, so when he does, it's like somebody just drove up to my house, rang the bell, and gave me a frappucino. It's a happy surprise gift. I will wake him soon, though, or I will have to spend from 7:30- 9 trying to get him to sleep. When that happens, it's like somebody drove up to my house, I opened the door, and that somebody flung poo on my face. It stinks. .......................................................................................... I woke up sort of 'off' today. Taking the boys on a walk in the woods helped. It was a lovely spring morning, complete with birds chirping and little while flowers flowering. The boys were great and pointed out all the things: rocks, plants, dogs, sticks. The purpose of this particular tramp in the outdoors was for Graham and I to gather items for his "Easter Garden." Before I actually had children, I was disillusioned about holidays and thought they would b

I'm having a little writer's block... Not sure where to go with writing about this thing called life. I could write about how we painted the bathroom yellow and gray. Or about how I'm reading some great books. I could write about the weather, about spring and new seasons and planting gardens. I could share that we found a great new (used) table at the flea market. I could get philosophical and talk about how we want to live extraordinarily for the Lord- and how that seems hard in a stale American setting, with the complacency all around us. Or tell you funny things about motherhood. Like how I was cooking dinner and turned around and just barely stopped Graham from peeing in a salad bowl. Speaking of the kids, I could share some of the hilarious things Graham and Patrick have been saying and doing. I could tell you all the funny expressions Graham has now. I could tell you also that having a 3 year old and a 1 year old is the hardest thing. I could tell you