Friday Daybook

It has been forever since I did a Daybook post!  I shall have to be more consistent with these because I love how they seem to capture my life (that day) in a nutshell.

Outside:  I've had the windows thrown wide-open all morning and afternoon, even though it's been raining on and off (my kitchen windows sit just-so in my house that nary a raindrop seems to be admitted entrance).  We've had a burst of very mild, almost balmy weather here.  It was in the 70's yesterday, so Marty took Will to the park (Lucy has been under with a bug).  It wasn't so warm this morning but the breezes were heavenly.  And then the thunderclouds rolled in and we had several minutes of storms, but it blew through rather quickly.  We've all enjoyed it...even Will has come to the window several times to say "Rain...pwetty."  Yes it is, baby boy. 

Thinking:  Honestly, there's so much on my mind I'm going to do a bullet list.

• Why do my kids always outgrow their clothes about 4-8 weeks before a season ends???  Will's pants are too short and most of Lucy's clothes look just a wee bit stretched on her.  I'm *not* about to buy more cool-weather clothes, nor are we quite ready to break out the shorts and tees.  Spring is such a conondrum clothing-wise even when you have a wardrobe full of options.  But when new clothes must be bought for each new season because that person is still growing, well, it's just a big ole headache.  I've been doing my pre-shopping (scoping out items at different places) and once again, I'm going to buy the bulk of Will's wardrobe at Old Navy and Lucy's...elsewhere.  Old Navy is cute for little boys but I find their girl's clothing to be, well, just not cute enough?  Not girlie enough? 
• I've been doing a lot of thinking about Christianity lately, and more specifically, what kind of Christian I am and want to be.  To be honest, I've lost all patience with a certain type of Christian.  All around me I see so-called Christians picking apart other people and I can't even begin to explain how this rubs me so wrong, and on really bad days, sends my head veering for the nearest wall or keyboard.  Guys, the second commandment is to "Love your neighbor."  If what you're doing or saying doesn't look or sound like love, then may I respectfully suggest that you *sit down and shut up*???  This is especially true in the political sphere.  I understand if a politician wants to bring a Christian perspective to decision-making; more power to ya, I say.  But that doesn't necessarily mean that you should wield your moral high ground like a weapon, verbally clubbing anyone and everyone that doesn't fit your model of good behavior.  Look, we are *all* fallen, all sinful, all in need of *grace*.  If other people are not measuring up to you, then you haven't had a good look in the mirror lately.  Let's just remember that when Jesus walked this earth, he sat with the sinners and rebuked the self-righteous. 
  That is not to say that I have all kinds of love for non-religious politicians or even anybody currently holding office, for that matter; in fact, I can hardly believe the news out of Washington on a daily basis.  Our economy is in the toilet and our unemployment rate is wretched, yet we're arguing over *birth control*???  Could we just steer this ship a little better, please?  But I majorly digress...
  (I have lots more to say on this -- the bit about Christianity, that is -- and I really want to capture it all in a blog post, but the topic obviously lends itself to deep thinking and careful writing, so it may be awhile before it appears here.  It's a goal, though, anyway.)
• Yes, I went from "new clothes" to "moral high ground" -- is your head spinning yet?  Just imagine having my brain, because that's how it works! 
• Other things I'm thinking about...how I used to gently tease my sister Sarah for eating her kids' food scraps for lunch.  Um, Sar?  I just did that today.  It made me really think how a person can have all the opinions in the world about something, but until you walk a mile in those moccasins, you don't know jack-diddley-squat. 
• How much Will has improved with speech therapy and how I'd recommend it to anyone who was even slightly doubtful about their kid's developmental progress.  This morning I sat down with him to look at his A-B-C book (it has beautiful pages of letter-specific pictures) and while I usually stick to the easy ones (pointing to the bear on the B page and asking, "What's this?"), today I went for harder ones.  I pointed to the puppet on the P page and asked him what it was; his response?  A very clear "I don't know."  I was absolutely *thrilled* with this, because you know why?  It was the beginning of DIALOGUE.  With MY CHILD.  I then explained that a puppet was just a doll with strings attached for moving the doll, and he nodded in very apparent understanding.  And we moved on to the next picture, with me trying to tamp down my urge to do cartwheels.  :)

From the kitchen:  Attempts at new recipes all the time, some results good, others not-so-good.  But we're trying (and it's not as hard as I thought it would be) to maintain our "no junk" approach to eating.  And it is *working*.  I hope he doesn't mind that I brag on him here, but Marty has now lost 21 pounds, in just about 6 weeks.  He is also spending quality time with the elliptical, but we both agree the diet change is playing the prominent role in his weight loss.  I plan to do a blog post soon on all the foods and menus that are really working for us (why am I all "promises, promises" today?).

Happiness on a stick

Reading:  See above.  (I've finished 2 of them; working on 3 others.  This is my birthday stash, courtesy of the world's best hubby.)

Shopping:  Er, it seems I already covered this one.

Hoping:  Again, and always, for some good news.  I actually find myself jumping a little bit when I hear the phone ringing!

Hearing:  Besides my neighbor who yelled (a bit too harshly) at his dog, nothing but the sounds of the entryway clock ticking, leaves rustling outside, someone's windchimes, and occasional birdsong.  It's perfectly peaceful in my house right now and I'm soaking it up.

A favorite thing:  Oh golly, don't even get me started on Pinterest.  It's my crack, kids.  For some reason I didn't really get it when I first looked at it a long time ago, but when I tried again this week, oh we clicked.  So well, in fact, that I have to remind myself to step...away...from the Pinterest.  Other faves:  when Marty makes me coffee in the mornings.  Whole-grain fig Newtons.  Magazine subscriptions...a gift from a beloved friend.  The few minutes that Lucy and I hug and pat each other before I lay her down at night.  The way Will organizes his blocks into categories of numbers and letters (that's my boy!).  (Okay, some of those aren't "things" but who's grading me here?  Ha!)