Seven Quick Takes

 

If you'd like to see other quick takes, go visit Jen.

 

~1~

It's been a quiet week here. If you've emailed or messaged me since last weekend I probably haven't gotten back to you (but I will try before the end of the weekend). I haven't been much on the message boards I typically frequent, or even online at all. Sorry about that, but it was much needed quiet.

 

~2~

I was "that mom" on three separate occasions this week - once in the post office while I held a hysterical toddler (hysterical because I wouldn't let him just wander about the place), once in the middle of Target when my 4-year-old threw himself to the ground and then kicked me in the shin (over my refusal to buy candy), and once in a parking lot where I wrestled with Ezra for what felt like 10 years to buckle him into his car seat as I said over and over, "Car seats are not negotiable!" while people walked by staring at me.

 

I'm tired. And it feels like the boys are ganging up on me sometimes.

 

The reality is that they could tell that I was on edge and they hadn't seen their Daddy in almost three days, so they were on edge too. Extra sleep and good food is a great cure for edginess.

 

~3~

So I've been hiding out, spending a lot of time cooking and talking with Ender, changing little bits of our routine to make it easier on me, reading for a few hours after the boys are in bed (real books, not online), and getting to bed early. I needed a massive recharge.

 

~4~

When Superman came home on Wednesday, there was a long discussion about why we're doing this- why I'm working, why he's taking such a heavy course load this semester and next, where we want to be by this time next year and 5 years from now.

 

A re-focus, if you will, partnered with lots of prayer.

 

A reminder of what my husband has asked me to do, a reminder that this is indeed a short season, and that life will be peaceful again in just a few months.

 

 ~5~

In my non-online, post-little-boy-bedtime free time this week I've:

:: Cut pieces for 6 pairs of pajamas for the boys

:: cut material for two new slips for myself and one new skirt

:: cut beautiful, beautiful Alexander Henry fabric for a sunny apron to help me through the dim winter months

:: Read 3 books

:: cast on wristers for myself

:: cleaned my sewing table so I can actually sew for the first time in a few weeks. This is the weekend. Next week might be a million crafting posts since I have about a million things simply waiting to be made.

 

~6~

Why has Superman been away so much this week, you ask? Well, after work he's had at least one school-related stop to make each day- new classes started up, he had to do the whole advisor things one night to deal with the special requirements of applying for graduation and taking a last competency exam. He's been home every night, but between some craziness at work with late hours and his combination of class nights he didn't see the boys awake any time from Sunday evening until Wednesday night, and then only for an hour or so before bed. He had class last night, but thankfully once he's home tonight he'll be home until Monday morning.

 

We so need this time with him.

 

~7~

The most helpful bit of this week? An hourly schedule. A simple thing really, but I need something mindless so I could just look at the list and do whatever it said. 9 o'clock? School things with Ender. 10 o'clock? Off to the kitchen to take care of a few more of those apples. Laundry? Meals? Even reading? All on the list, designated to a time when I knew it would be taken care of.

I don't generally like to be told what to do with every minute of my day, but I needed it this week. I'm thankful for this coming weekend and the free time held there.

 

Time with Superman and my boys.

 

Time to sew.

 

Time to be outside, take a picnic (perhaps for the last time this season), and just be.

Daybook

Outside my window… It's dark. I usually write early in the morning, but I'm up late. I haven't had caffeine in ages, but one little Dr. Pepper at lunch and I won't be asleep any time soon. I really should know better by now.

Our leaves are almost all changed over- there are very few green leaves left! The trees in our front yard have huge leaves and Ender is really impressed that the leaves are bigger than his head. He wants to keep every single one of them.

 

I am thinking… about how to make our early mornings run better. I'm not naturally a morning person, but over the summer I had gotten into the habit of getting up early to help our mornings. I've been terrible about it in the last few weeks though- I need to plan ahead a little more in the evenings and actually get up with my alarm clock every day for a few weeks to help my body get used to it again.

 

I am thankful for… weekends. It was a good weekend.

 

Always Learning… Ezra has started to notice shapes. We talk a lot about circles, triangles and squares, but all he has so far is "shapes! Shapes!" which actually sounds like "sip! sip!" Hey- it's a start.

Ender's new thing this week is a book about rocks and minerals. He has a special box of rocks he has collected from camping trips, visits to new parks, rocks from the back yard and a variety of other places. A few are shiny or have a cool shape, but most of them seem like ordinary rocks. He has a reason why he chose every single one, and he keeps them ordered in his own way. He is in love with this new book and has spent quite a lot of time on it.

 

From the kitchen… 80 Gazillion pies worth of apple pie filling for future pies and crisps this winter. That's pretty much all I'm doing in the kitchen this week- apples every single day!

 

I am wearing… My favorite jersey jammies.

 

I am creating… nothing new this week. I need to finish up a few things so that I can get started on Christmas stockings and Christmas gifts.

 

I am going… to catch up on the house this week.

 

I am reading… Little Town on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder.

 

I am hoping… for some resolutions to the schedule problems I'm having.

 

I am hearing… most excellent silence.

 

Around the house… I'm de-toying the house. It was becoming too much and it was time to put away some of the outgrown things. So our infant and under-2 toys are all packed up and in storage. I also sent Ezra's 24 month clothes to storage along with his crib. He's growing up too quickly!

 

One of my favorite things… Homemade Tomato Soup. I made a bunch yesterday. That is my soul food right there.

 

A few plans for the rest of the week ... lots of apple pie making, quiet time in the evenings (I have hats to finish!), and Superman starts new classes this week.

 

Lots of prayer.

 

Lots of white space.

 

Hard stops.