Wednesday Lights, ii

 

Okay, so this hasn't been the best stretch of parenting I've ever done. For a week, Cosette has taken a pass on her afternoon nap. And about once a week she wakes up early early early in the morning and ends up in our bed. Flopping around and chatting with us. At 4:00 am. The other day I ended up in her (toddler) bed. Not pretty, although quite a feat.

 

And all this accumulates and I feel overwhelmed. There's a feeling embedded in all parents, I think, that begs for me time that has been eternally forfeited when our first precious baby is born. Even during times when I'm at work, or out with friends without Cosette, my mind is divided and my body is reacting to whatever her schedule has construed. There's no more me time ever. I'm not me any more; I'm someone more.

 

I love this; this is a privilege. It is an ultimate act. Give yourself for someone else! Parents who don't understand this miss out. Parents who do understand this, though, often feel like we're drowning. I'm trying to embrace the awesomeness of being a parent.

 

Anyways, here are some more lights of the week so far...

 

Playing puzzles with John at church while Dione & I (okay, Dione) reupholstered the lobby chairs.

 

 

This looks just like the wind chime I have hanging outside my front door.

Lots of folks sent chimes instead of flowers to my Grandpa's funeral.

Their chiming always cheers me up. And they're going nuts right now!

 

Something only a Daddy would do... :)

 

 

 

On Tuesday, Keith & Cosette & I ventured downtown to Crown Center and had a blast at the Crayola Factory Store and at Fritz's, the coolest-ever restaraunt that delivers your food on mini trains!

This is a mega pumped face. Coloring @ the Crayola store.

Coloring @ an easil now

Watching trains deliver the food at Fritz's! Silly.

Sitting with Daddy.
I LOVE family time where the 3 of us are out (or in) focusing on each other!

 We ended the outing with a stop at a candy store, and I truly understand the "kid in a candy store" adage. Holy moley. But we successfully made it out with lemon drops, gummy worms & letters, and something else??

 

 

Baby PK feels so huge these days and moves like a slow tumbling giant. I LOVE it. 42 days till the due date!

 

 

 

Wednesday Lights

 

It's really hard to be the person I want to be when I wake up tired and Cosette wakes up spunky indepedent. There's only so many "I want that" and "I need that" and "No say me no, Mommy" and "I no want Mommy" and just plain "No!" that I can take before I turn into a goblin.

I was so disappointed in myself when we were driving home from a grocery trip this morning. I hadn't enjoyed my morning with Cosette at all, had barely stumbled through it in fact. Hadn't meditated on the beautiful Psalm I read this morning or the chapter on Prayer that I read, written by a beautiful friend Libby Tedder. Hadn't accepted any peace offered me as a child of God. I had just succumbed to the exhaustion and to the fears that understand exactly when to surface and chip away at me, slowly slowly slowly.

So I started thinking about things I like, things that lift my spirit, things in my life either good or Good, that I don't want to look past.

When you run an orange peel in the garbage disposal, you get sprayed with a cloud of citrus!

 

 

My new boots. The best boots in the world. Bought with money given me by my Aunt and Grandma. I wear them every day, with everything, all the time, match or not.

 Look who's going to be in here in a few weeks!

This chalkboard makes me so happy too.

The red paper clipped on is Cosette's permission form to join a tumbling class in Feb & Mar.

She's so not a baby anymore...

 

 

 

Speaking of, I cleaned up the high chair and put it away today because Little Miss is so consistently eating at the table now without dropping her food everywhere.

Horray, extra space in our tiny kitchen!

 

 

 

One of my precious students gave me this pendant for Christmas and I haven't stopped wearing it.

Even has an end-pin!

 

 

 Freshly Fluffed Max Dog.

Bathed, brushed, and his bandana is even clean!

Must enjoy quickly, as odiforous natural scent will return in a few days.

 

 

 Friends who send you Christmas presents because they love you.

Laurryn & Matt, we love you guys.

 

 

 

Already my soul feels so much happier! Thank you Lord! Light and Loved.