My Break

This week my to-do list has felt impossibly long.There are some things that I want to do - clean out closets, hang pictures in the nursery, finish our Israel scrapbook that I started two years ago, finally figure out how to make the white picture frames to go over our couch that I've been imagining in my head. Sometimes these are chores, but lately I've been motivated to create, to organize, to make my little part of the world a little more beautiful.

More pressing are the things I have to do - put away laundry, research health insurance, price baby clothes for the consignment sale, put together an ACT curriculum, plan dinner.

During nap time this afternoon, I sat in my Chair stewing about how the have-to's were taking over the want-to's, and I finally gave myself permission to take a break. Type A though I may be, there is a limit to my productivity, and today I reached it. I stared at the tulips Clint brought me earlier this week, fell asleep in said Chair, played games on my iPad well after I knew Caleb was awake, and thought about all the little things lately that have made life sweet.

• We recently discovered the Pioneer Woman's iced coffee recipe. We mix her concentrate with milk, add a little ice and caramel syrup, and go through a gallon a week. It's amazing.
• This morning I ordered two books on Amazon, a big treat for me. The first was the leather-bound copy of Valley of Vision, a compilation of Puritan Prayers that I'm sure I'll be sharing on here. The second is the yet-to-be-released new book by Shauna Niequist, a combo cookbook / deep-thoughts-on-friendship book that I'm sure I'll read in one sitting.
• We just started a meal swap with four other families. Every other week, we each a make a HUGE recipe of chili or lasagna or yummy breakfast rolls, meet at someone's house, and come home with five different dinners. We've only swapped twice so far, but it's brilliant and I'm never going back.
• Apparently somebody recently taught our dimpled darling to throw himself on the floor and kick and scream when he doesn't get his way, so we've been devouring our stack of James Dobson books and soaking up a wealth of parenting advice from our friends. The advice that's been the most helpful as of late was this: when you catch yourself saying no (no whining, no touching, no throwing your plate on the floor), ask yourself, "What do I want him to do instead?" Instead of punishing him for whining, teach him to say "help." When I tell him not to bang his drumsticks on the television, show him that he can bang on the brick in front of the fireplace. It adds some positivity to the whole parenting experience, and he gets over his hurt feelings a lot faster. Happy mama, happy baby!
• We finally gave up on Alias. After one particularly cheesy episode, Clint said, "I feel like I'm watching Walker, Texas Ranger." So we started watching Justified. Ironic, I know. But Boyd Crowder has got to be one of the best characters on television.
• For three summers now I've been hunting for the perfect pair of gladiator sandals. This week, I bought them. I can't remember the last time I was so excited about uncomfortable shoes.

Tonight we went out to dinner to celebrate Clint’s surprise day off tomorrow, and now I’m drinking my caramel macchiato at Fresh and playing on Pinterest while Clint puts the kiddo to bed. I'll be productive tomorrow.