10 Things : Capturing Me Right Now
1. I am wanting to re-organize everything. And I mean everything...no drawer is safe. It's usually when I am at my busiest that I want to get rid of any excess that has been collected (and I have no time to do it). The result is little messes all around where I have started going through stuff and then had to get back to work in my office before finishing the task. Not a good cycle.
2. I am tired. I have a seven-month old and, no, she does not sleep through the night. But as you can see above it has not stopped me from testing out the Wii that Chris brought home this past weekend. Simon is a bowling champ already.
3. Simon has been amazing us every day in all sorts of ways. He seems to have had a language explosion again recently. Actually it's more of a sentence explosion - he is expressing himself in longer sentences and more complete thoughts (that make more sense and are more relevant). It's really, really cool. Chris and I do a lot of glancing at each other and smiling while we listen to his daily recaps, questions and statements about his life. Yesterday as we headed out on some errands he stated, "Mom every time we walk out the door it's an adventure."
4. I haven't read any really good books since Anna was born. I haven't really felt much like reading - every little bit of sleep is like gold. This past weekend I was wishing I had something to read to balance everything out: work, family, baby, this & that. I am thinking of jumping on the bandwagon and checking out Oprah's new book club selection which is a collection of short-stories: Say You're One of Them
5. I am constantly in awe of the fullness of life.
6. I caught a little bit of one of my favorite radio shows last night (I usually listen to it as a podcast on iTunes) called Speaking Of Faith. This week was a replay of a 2008 interview with Irish poet & philosopher John O'Donohue called The Inner Landscape of Beauty. What I heard was really inspiring and I'm hoping to listen to the full version while I work today.
7. I am feeling really thankful that I am getting the chance to revisit babyhood again with Anna. In the same instant I am often aware that I am a completely different person and the same scared first time mom I was with Simon as an infant. I can feel totally capable, calm and confident one moment and then slip into insecurity about my abilities in the next. Overall I am much more relaxed and go with the flow and trying really hard not to wish any of these stages away.
8. My to-do list is longer than there are hours available.
9. I was surfing around recently and came across this project by Laura Kurz: 365 days to 30. It's a blog where she documented 365 people (over 365 days) who were along for the ride of her life leading up to her 30th birthday. It's magic and fabulous life documentation.
10. This morning I played chase with Simon as he waited for the bus. We talked about the red leaves on our grass and made some "observations" about where they had come from (the neighbor's tree across the street). I got to give him a big hug and a little kiss as he got on the bus. I love you buddy - hope you have a great day filled with fun adventures at school.
Wii Sports Resort is by far the best Wii game we own. If I had to recommend one game for that console, Sports Resort would be it. :)
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Oh, how I can relate to the sleep deprivation, my nine month old (baby #3) is trying his best, but his teething is interrupting his sleep lately! Hope Anna finds her sleeping groove soon. I wanted to mention how much I enjoyed your article about stitching on layouts in the current CK. A few of those layouts (A3, the butterfly one, and the fall one) were just jaw-dropping to me. Thanks for the inspiration!
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I can so relate to the lack of sleep . . . my little guy didn't start sleeping through the night until around 8 months. I thought I was going to go crazy, and I don't even have an older child. You're amazing to be keeping up with everything and making it look easy!
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Isn't the Wii great?! My daughter, too, is a "pro" at the bowling! It's amazing the ball gets down there the way she throws... she also enjoys the tennis and then watching the "movie" after the match (something she figured out all on her own...) So fun about Simon's sentence explosion... and the "adventure" comment. Those funny little comments can make a day much happier!
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So special, the hugs and kisses. They go away too soon. My son has Aspergers syndrome and didn't want hugs most of last year. The first day of fifth grade this year right outside of his classroom. He said, Mommy hug. I love him so much it warmed my heart. I will never take those hugs for granted.
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Thank you so much for this post Ali! It really made me think about some things in my life.
I really love Simon's statement about the everyday adventure - you should scrapbook that sentence. It's so cute and it says so much about the way he feels about life. He is so lucky to grow up with such wonderful parents and he is obviously a really happy kid.
Sandy
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I love you Ali, you're a wonderful person!! <>
I recognise the tiredness and lack of sleep, and then the big to-do-list.... Hang on!!
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Ali, love your honesty. My third child is 15 months old and still wakes twice a night. I feel like I live in a constant state of fatigue but the rewards are well worth it!
I am always trying to clean out and declutter with not much success!
Amy
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number 1: I'm there too. I don't have enough time to rid myself of all the things around me. What always strikes me is that I want space, but the space is here lying under the stuff.
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beautiful post! Love the changing of the leaves too! Wish we had more of that here! But love fall and looking forward to it!
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Love the Wii. Knowing Simon is a Star Wars fanatic, you have to get star wars lego for the Wii for him. My 6yr and 8yr old would play it every day if we let them. And we have had it for 2 years. It follows the stories really close, and it is fun!
I can relate with the want to reorganize. That is where I am with my scrap room.
Find joy today!
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Check out The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. It is technically a YA book, but it is captivating and wonderful. I am an 8th grade teacher, so I love YA books and this might make it into my top 10 list. It was featured on NPR a week or so ago, so you can probably look it up to see what they say if you don't trust a total stranger on your blog ;)
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John O'Donohue is an amazing poet and philosopher. Sadly he passed away suddenly last year at a realtively young age. His Bleesing Book is simply gorgeous and his thoughts on death are incredible.
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I love the reflection. It is a wonderful reminder to look at were we are, and the steps which are taking us to our next adventure!
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Ali, have you read Three Cups of Tea??? I imagine you have, but if not, it is a must read. One of the few times I couldn't put down a nonfiction book.... It has changed my view on things & made me want to be a better person.
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Books: I hope you look into reading these. Two are just phonomenal. One is life-changing!
1. Same kind of Different As Me This will touch you deep and will change your life.
2. The Help The author's first book and it is WOW!!
For the Wii, look into getting Mario Party 8. My 5 year old will play that daily. Of course I have to play it with him, but it is worth the money to get it. That and Mario Kart. The others are too hard and frustrating.
I hope you get two read my two suggestions. They really are THAT good!
Lisa Russell
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5. I am constantly in awe of the fullness of life.
*Ditto*
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I loved, loved loved readng your post. My daughter is a month older than Anna. We met at a CHA show and I was walking around (or rushing) with someone you know from the UK - Becks Fagg...we were both pregnant and you were a month beind me and had kept it quiet.
How lucky are we to experience all of these emotions? I know I would not be the person I am today if I didn't have Nevie-Rose. Being a first time mummy has been an experience that is so rewarding every day. Going back to work (with lack of sleep also) and with Neve-Rose being a busy 8 months old is a whole new world...hectic one minute,lonely another minute, tearful the next. I wish there were more hours in the day!
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I always enjoy your 10 things about where you are. it's so neat that Simon is so aware of your jaunts out of the house being adventures. neat too the way his language skills are growing. I still want to just love on he and Anna like crazy. Such beautiful children. You are always giving me something new to check out--like the book.
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Thanks for sharing the groovy new way to document 365! I am heading towards my 39th b-day and would love to document life before 40! As always...you rock!
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