Parenting
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A swing, an a/c unit, and six stone jars of wine
We’ve lived in San Francisco for almost three years now. It’s definitely easier to live here now than it was in May of 2016, when all our stuff was in (mixed-up) boxes stacked along the walls, and we were sleeping on mattresses on the floor, and all four of us got food poisoning the second day we slept in the new house and the kids projectile-vomited all over the mattresses on the floor. We have our familiar and comfortable rhythms now: school days when the boys come into our room and cuddle or snooze for a minute before we all pack up and go, home days when we have long breakfasts and…
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One more brush stroke
In early 2018, when I started this blog, I decided to name it “Naptime Musings,” because at that time, I was mainly writing during Zoe’s naps. They were not very predictable at that point, and there was always a far too long list of things I wanted to get done in those 45-90 minutes. There were several clear calls in 2018. The centerpiece call was to learn humility in motherhood. But I also felt a call to minister through the written word. So I resolved to be more intentional about writing, and to create a blog. There were bigger and smaller scraps of time throughout the year to write – some were…
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Lessons from fasting from media
It was a few days before Valentine’s Day/Ash Wednesday. I found myself harried and impatient as I herded the boys along to make Valentines for their friends. And when I paused, I realized that at least part of the stress came from wanting to capture an Instagram-worthy moment of cute boys with their appropriately childishly handmade hearts. Two days till the beginning of Lent, a season to practice humility, suffering, surrender, and repentance, and I was intent on being seen. Something needed to change. Even before this moment, I was aware of an addiction. When I started feeling a little stressed, when I didn’t want to engage with the kids,…
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Embracing seasons
This is a season of interruptions. This is a season when the needs and the good of three children fills our heads and time and house. A season when the three adults hand the kindergartener, the toddler, and the baby back and forth so we can love on them and also pursue God and love other people. A season when solitude and hobbies and leisure take a back seat sometimes, so that someone we're called to love can be seen, be heard, receive kindness, or maybe so another exhausted caregiver can rest, or do the Lord's bidding, whatever form that may take.