7 Quick Takes for Lent

I can't believe it has been two weeks since I wrote here! There have been so many times I have wanted to sit and write, but the rhythm of our lives has changed with the observance of Lent. Though it is a good thing, it has left me little room for writing or being on the computer. Here's some of what we've been up to and what I've been thinking about. For more Quick Takes, visit Jen.

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My husband fashioned the cross pictured in my header from two pieces of our Christmas tree. It was an idea I had seen in an Anglican Lenten Carnival post some time back, and I filed it away for this year. The first candle was lit on Ash Wednesday, and each Sunday, we light one more candle. It will be fully lit on Palm Sunday, and on Maundy Thursday we will light the purple candles for the last time. On Easter Sunday, we will replace the purple candles with white for our Easter celebration breakfast. We'll see if it sticks around for the full season of Easter or not. It's not too late to craft one of these from any wood (though the Christmas tree symbolism was nice), and if my husband and I can do it, you can. We are not crafty people!

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I think I mentioned this before, but we are fasting from artificial light after sundown during Lent. More than our food fasts and our limited computer usage, this fast has changed the entire feel of our days. We are going to bed earlier and rising earlier and finding ourselves more disciplined to finish our tasks before the dark sets in. I am amazed at how much this is changing our lifestyle in a very good way. I think as we settle into it I will find more time for rest and reflection at the end of the day and may even start getting up early enough to really begin my day in prayer. Once Lent is over, we may continue this one evening a week, probably Saturdays, as a time of rest and preparation for the Sabbath day.

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Other than the family fast from light and a fasting from computer games (except on Sundays), I don't feel like I am doing much to include the boys in Lent this year. We have had good times of talking about it during our prayer times in the evenings, and we are teaching the boys the prayer of confession from the Book of Common Prayer. Other than that, though, I don't feel like our house seems different this time of year like it does at Advent. I would love to know what my liturgically minded friends out there do to the home environment to set this time apart. Maybe fasting is enough.

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During this season, I've really been appreciating the wisdom of the ancient church in establishing the church calendar as they did. Lent comes at the perfect time. After the anticipation and celebration of Christmas and the complete loss of routine and discipline that often occurs around holidays, I find myself longing for a return to order and simplicity and for a chance to fast. Our culture's tradition of New Year's resolutions is a good one, but I think it comes too early. If the spirit of the resolution really is to rid oneself of bad habits and begin developing new ones, then it is a secular version of Lent. And by the time February rolls around, I have had enough time to get over the exhaustion of the holidays and find myself longing to change things and make order and clean out, both literally and figuratively. I am not ready for that on January 1st. I can resolve to eat right or to exercise or to get more sleep all I want, but I rarely stick with it.

But I enter Lent with an intention to deny myself something enjoyable (sweets, entertainment, the need to accomplish something) in order to make room for something better (times of prayer, the discipline of training my body, a rested body and mind that can serve and love more patiently). When I meditate on the sufferings of Christ as I deny myself these immediate pleasures, these resolutions suddenly have a spiritual significance. They are no longer about just looking or feeling better, they allow me to enter into the spiritual reality of Christ's suffering and death. And, most importantly, I have the joy of Easter resurrection awaiting me at the end. (And, hopefully, after six weeks of spiritual discipline some of these changes will stick and strengthen my body and soul.)

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I am looking for some good books for children during Lent. I have a book on the Stations of the Cross that I plan to pull out, and I am super excited about a Stations of the Cross experience that our church is putting on this Sunday. They are having art and sensory experiences and music, a variety of things at different stations. They are opening it up for families to come with young children at the beginning of the evening, and I think we will take our boys.

But this take was about books. Any suggestions for good books for the boys to focus them on the ideas of Lent? I will be pulling out our books about caterpillars turning to butterflies and seeds turning to plants and eggs hatching into birds and all of those lovely Springtime images that God put in nature to reflect the spiritual reality of New Creation. Anything else?

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Because Lent is often a traditional time for Spring cleaning, I am trying to use this time to step up my purging and cleaning out and preparing our house for the market and our belongings for our move overseas. The task ahead seems so big, and I am find myself doubting so often that we will ever get to the mission field. But one thing this artificial light fast is teaching me is to focus on one task at a time and to work diligently. When I really do that, I find myself able to trust that the big picture will be taken care of as I am faithful to do all I can and not try to do more.

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If you are fasting from meat for Lent, Jessica has some great recipes up. I linked to this two weeks ago, but now I have tried two of the recipes. I loved the curried lentils and rice, and the broccoli calzones were a hit with everyone in the family. I think her most recent post has a couple more links to vegetarian recipes, so check it out.

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And a superfluous take for good measure. Kate at A Telling Place has been posting some beautiful and poignant poems and readings this Lent. I especially love this one...and this one...and this one (because I love Annie Dillard). Many are good images and thoughts in preparation for the darkness of Good Friday.

7 Quick Takes

For more Quick Takes, visit Jen.

Just in case you were wondering why I haven't been around this space...

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We haven't taken off and moved to Asia yet. I am just choosing other things and/or trying to keep my sanity and make it a somewhat meaningful Advent. So far, that isn't going so well. We are having major behavior issues, and chaos reigns. Currently, our Advent wreath is hidden among the piles of books and mail and a laptop on our coffee table, and the Jesse tree banner hangs crookedly beside our TV while the ornaments are somewhere hidden under the mess of our living room.

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Do you ever have times where nothing about any of your relationships is easy? In addition to the above mentioned discipline problems with the boys, I can't think of a single close relationship that is easy right now. Even my really close friends have troubles of their own that make time together for us less than refreshing because neither has much peace to offer. My marriage is not in a bad place but we are definitely having growing pains. And extended family problems always like to surface at Christmas. There have been times when I have been showered with sweet, peaceful, good times of refreshing in so many relationships, but this is not one of those times.

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Even baby Linus is getting in on the action. He is still sweet as ever, but he is a sweet almost one-year-old, which means he is into everything. I can no longer sit and watch him play contentedly while I read. Now he is climbing onto the coffee table and rocking chair and generally trying to give himself a concussion. So even my alone times with him are draining.

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Needless to say, Christmas preparations are not coming along so smoothly. I have a few gifts purchased, but I am far from ready. I was all set to write a post about our handmade gifts for the boys, but now I am just hoping to get them done. I am excited about them. We are hoping to make a bow and arrows for Calvin. (Bad idea, I know.) And my mother-in-law is going to help me paint a mat for driving cars on for Hobbes. It will have all of the places we go (our house, the in-laws', church, school, Nana's, Neyland Stadium...you know, important places in his life) painted on it and roads for his cars to drive on. I had one of these as a kid that someone made for me and my brother, and it is one of the few toys I really remember playing with and loving.

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I didn't mean for this to be a complaining 7 Quick Takes. Really, life is not all bad. Advent is still my favorite time of year. We had our second annual St. Nicholas Day party this year, with 15 kids and 8 moms in our tiny house decorating cookies, learning about the saint, and playing the "toss the gold (chocolate) coin in the shoe" game. It was a lot of fun. And watching the boys, Hobbes especially, as they take in the wonder of Christmas trees and lights all around is still a lot of fun.

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And my boys still make me laugh. A lot. Calvin is really into knights these days and has been reading a lot of King Arthur books. Hobbes is along for the ride, as usual. The other day, Hobbes said to me, "Maybe his name use to be Alot, and then he got a lance and became Lancelot."

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And Calvin, oh Calvin. I swear he will be a lawyer one day. Yesterday, he came up to me with a clever smile on his face and said, "Mommy, if you need to get things done around the house, and I bet you do, you could just put me on the Wii." He thought he was being so clever. I love these boys, even on the worst of days.

7 Quick Takes-I Miss This Blog!

I miss writing and processing and using this space to help me think more clearly! But life is just so very busy now that Linus is on the move. I'm grateful more than ever these days for Quick Takes on Fridays. Otherwise, I might never get a post up. Head on over to Jen's blog for more Quick Takes.

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We have recently discovered Howard Pyle's books here in the TwoSquare household. Have you read him? If you have boys in your home, you really must. (Recommendations for other good boy books are appreciated!) We are reading Men of Iron aloud right now, and Calvin loves it. He walks around all day speaking in this lovely antiquated language. "Nay, mother, I will not do that, quoth he." It's hilarious, except that he thinks it's clever to say "no" to us this way.

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We discovered Pyle because we were looking for good versions of the King Arthur legend for Calvin. It seems the space obsession is fading, and we are into all things King Arthur around here. I am excited about the possibilities here. A medieval themed dinner, a knight's quest party for some boys, and making swords with Daddy are all possibilities. This is what my husband has been waiting for since Calvin was born. Considering he owns swords and chain mail, is it so surprising?

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It has been raining for three days here, and today is likely to be another one. Over four inches of cold, miserable rain, three days stuck in our tiny house, and a baby brother who needs some bit of quiet to nap made for some restless boys. So yesterday we pulled out the couch bed, popped some popcorn and watched movies for the afternoon. It was SO good for me to just enjoy being with my boys and stop worrying about all that needs to be done around here. SO GOOD. I need more of that.

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You may be noticing that these snippets of family life don't include a lot of real homeschooling. I think I am already a homeschool failure. I certainly don't think we are doing what works for our family. I scrapped any plans I had and am starting to pay attention to how we work as a family and how my boys learn best. Unschooling is seeming more and more appealing, combined with some more structured classical learning when they get older. Is that even possible?

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One schooling thing that is working is Chinese Preschool. For so long I wondered what we were paying the tuition for, but in the past few weeks, both Calvin and Hobbes have discovered the fun of showing off their Chinese for us. I often hear them singing Chinese songs and using Chinese words around one another, and they are finally willing to speak it for us. I am amazed how kids learn a second language so intuitively. I studied this, so I should know it. But seeing it in real life is so fascinating!

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Advent is in less than three weeks. Are you ready? I ordered a few new Christmas books for the kids, and I found a couple of Advent activity books that I may try to use. We are planning to do our usual Jesse Tree and other Advent traditions. Check out this post and this one and this one if you are interested in knowing what we do around here. And this post tells what we do about Santa. Let me know what you're doing, too!

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So...not that anyone but me cares....but things aren't looking so good for Tennessee's football players. I have long thought the quality of the players reflected the caliber of the coach, his ability to inspire discipline and hard work and his modeling of a life of integrity. It will be interesting to see if this current disaster is a reflection of the way things are going to be at UT under our new coach. I sure hope not. I'd hate to be ashamed to wear my orange.

7 Quick Takes-What's Inspiring Me

I somehow managed to waste the first half of my week and am making up for it by spending the second half on major purging and reorganizing projects, always needing to be done in preparation for moving next year. In lieu of any good words from me, check out these posts.

And, as always, visit Jen's blog for some more Quick Takes.

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This post is from a blog I just discovered. I was saying "amen" through the whole post. Introverts out there, you know what she is talking about.

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This post offers some good thoughts about the obsession with sex in our culture and how the community of the church can answer to that deeper longing. I always love Anthony Esolen's writing.

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This post by Rae made me cry. I so often wonder what happened to the person and child I once was. She is buried somewhere under laundry and bills and constant, mundane tasks. I miss her. Rae writes, But not all of a woman is made to work. The soul of a woman contains so much more- there is a girl-child inside, ready to play! And her list for finding that spirit of play in the midst of work is fantastic. I may need to write one of my own.

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This post on taking a day of rest for the whole family goes so well with those last two. Without a Sabbath rest each week, I am certain I would have given up on this motherhood/homemaker thing a long time ago.

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Gratitude. I am hearing God speak this word to me from so many directions lately. I know that joy comes from practicing gratitude and not from a change in life circumstances, but I don't really practice it. This post...and this one...and this one...all came to me this week. It was the same time I was studying Jesus' parables on money and true kingdom treasures. I am thinking it is time to start a gratitude list of my own.

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On a completely different topic, but still an inspiration, check out my dear friend, former commune housemate, amazing cook, creative mama extraordinaire's new food blog. Join in the feast! She is cooking all kinds of yummy recipes from her CSA box. I got to live with this woman and eat her cooking weekly. Aren't you jealous?

7 Quick Takes-Good Links Edition

With nothing much to say of my own, I turn to some great links to check out. Be sure not to miss number 7, it's the best!

1. I have often found links that I love that turn out to be from Slate. Meandering around the internet tonight, I have decided that I love that site. So good. As an English major, I despise Dan Brown's novels on a purely aesthetic level. I can't get past a few sentences. This Dan Brown plot generator made me laugh...heartily.

2. While we are on the topic of English majors, now I know where all of those folks I graduated with get jobs. I think I have found a way to bring in some income while being a stay-at-home mom. My favorite part of this article:

I began to feel guilty. Some poor writer somewhere was plowing through this tome, then concocting a meaningless mishmash of words simply to fill four pages and satisfy the bizarre whims of a solitary, heartless taskmaster (me). But then I realized this is exactly what I did for all four years of college—and I paid them for the privilege!

3. And here's some good advice on engaging the health care debate.

4. Moving on from Slate, Tipper's series on old Civil War letters is fascinating, a little peek into a common Confederate soldier's thoughts, complete with Appalachian dialect. Her site is a great way to learn about Appalachia, anyway. Check her out.

5. My husband and I become more convicted every day about what we consume and where it comes from, and this site is a great place to begin. I am glad Christians are a big part of this movement for justice. Time to find some fair trade chocolate.

6. This post from Jen was especially convicting to me this week. How often do I get so focused on my own perspective of situations that I miss the bigger picture?

7. And, finally, the link you can't miss...A Bob Dylan Christmas album...I thought it was a joke. I LOVE Bob Dylan, but this is, well, I don't know what to do with it. But I will probably own it. Go listen to the links. You have to! (HT to First Things.com)

For more Quick Takes, visit Jen.

7 Quick Takes, Ending With a Calvinism

1. We are in the verge of a lesson in "Nature, red in tooth and claw" at the Two Square house. A bird built a nest in our very dead hanging plant on our front porch, and we noticed Wednesday that the eggs had hatched. They must have hatched a while ago, because yesterday we had a fledgling trying hard to learn how to fly. The boys and I have loved watching the mommy bird bring food to her babies and encourage them to fly.

The problem? Our neighbor's cat has also enjoyed watching them, a little too much. So we spent yesterday helping the fledgling back to its nest every time it made a failed attempt at flying. We would take the hanging basket down, let the bird hop back up, and hang it back on the porch, hoping the cat didn't see its next fall before we did. Unfortunately, we came home from dinner out to find the fledgling missing and the cat waiting eagerly for another one to fall. Could get interesting today.

2. Speaking of hungry animals, I have enjoyed making lists of all of the foods Linus has tried at this point. I wonder how he ever survived just on breastmilk, honestly. He has tried all of the major fruits and veggies, rice, barley, oats, yogurt, chicken, beef, and turkey. That's the short list. Some of this is store bought baby food. Some of it is made by me. Seems the store bought kind is too smooth for this bottomless pit of a baby. He likes it as close to the real texture as he can get. In fact, he was happy to down some banana pudding and blueberry batter pie at our 4th of July picnic. And plain rice cakes that he can feed himself? Those are good for 30 minutes of entertainment, at least.

3. This constant eating is finally producing better sleep. Though Linus is not completely sleeping through the night for 10 or 12 hours, he is usually only waking once. Bliss!

4. Have you heard of this book? I have been thinking a long time about how our culture tries to turn motherhood into a profession that can be perfected and about how the attachment parenting movement, despite its good intentions, has left so many mothers feeling like failures because they can never give enough of themselves. Seems I'm not the only one. I'm looking forward to reading this and seeing what she has to say. I don't know if she explores the effect this type of over-anxious parenting may have on our kids, but I would be interested to know.

5. Speaking of parenting books, has anyone read Siblings Without Rivalry? If so, do you recommend it? Calvin and Hobbes are driving each other (and me) up the wall. I know some fighting is normal, especially between two boys so close in age, but really, does every playtime have to end in a fist fight? Mothers of boys, how much should I just overlook?


Lest you think they are terrors, here are two cute moments from yesterday:

6. Today's the day the dinosaurs have their picnic...

I love my boys' growing imaginations. This was set up before breakfast this morning...before I even got out of bed. Apparently, dinos eat Nerf balls. Who knew?


7. And, saving the best for last, a Calvinism for today:

Me (talking on the phone to my mom about my mother-in-law's fam): "They're great problem solvers. They'll figure something out."

Calvin: "I'm not a great problem-solver."

Me: "Yes, you are, Calvin!"

Calvin: "No, I'm not a great problem solver. I'm a problem maker."

Truer words were never spoken. For more quick takes, visit Jen at Conversion Diary.

7 Quick Takes-Too Much, Not Too Much

For more 7 Quick Takes, visit Jen's blog.

1. Too much to do. I am just overwhelmed these days. There seems to be no way to get everything done that needs to get done in order for us to do anything more than just make it through the day. And you can say all you want about taking it one day at a time, but we do eventually have to get on a plane and move overseas. Insurance bills do need to be straightened out. Some friendships do need to be maintained. Possessions do need to be purged. The dirt and dust under the furniture? That can stick around a while.

2. Too much stuff. I alluded to this in the first one. I have never been so aware of how much stuff we have. I look at everything in our house and ask whether to toss it, give it away, store it, or take it to Asia. I know we still have a year or so, but if I don't start now, it will never get done. Really, compared to most of America, we have very little. It all fits into a 1180 square foot home with small closets and no attic or basement storage space. But when you are moving around the world, it suddenly seems like a lot!

3. Too much cuteness. That is what I think about my kids when I am not thinking about how rotten they can be. Linus knocks my socks off every morning with his smile, Calvin is blowing me away with his new feats of daring and his Lego inventions, and Hobbes' creative mind and imaginative play are in full swing these days.

4. Not too much food. Not for Linus. I finally broke down and made him some homemade baby food last night. Chicken, carrots, and apples. He was getting less than enthusiastic about most of the overly pureed baby foods. He would basically only eat the meat and veggie combos, so I made some of my own. He LOVED the texture. If he could only sit up and would get some teeth...then he would eat anything.

5. Never too many blueberries or peaches or muffins. I found this recipe on the Stoneyfield Farms yogurt container and have used it for strawberry, peach, and blueberry muffins. Yum!

6. Definitely not too many Legos, at least my boys don't think so. My mother-in-law saved the Legos from all four of her kids, so my husband and I estimate there are between 5 and 100 thousand of them. It's kind of hard to tell with Legos. Anyway, we decided it was time to introduce the boys to something greater than Duplos. They are in heaven. They played three solid hours without fighting at my in-laws' yesterday.

7. Absolutely never too much water in the summer. The pool. Didn't I mention that we go there a lot. Thought so. And we are off for a family vacation at the beach later this month. Yeah for water!

7 Quick Takes-A Day Late

I'm not even linking this to Jen's blog this week, since I am a day late. But here are some random thoughts from TwoSquare land.

1. I am in need of a blog update, a new look, and some added features. My husband is great at this sort of thing, but I don't want to give him more busywork. Anybody have a recommendation for a good person who isn't too expensive?

2. Also on the topic of blogs, I am contemplating a new blog project but not sure if I have the time to take it on. It would involve doing some family interviews and posting stories and pieces of my Appalachian heritage, much like Tipper's site (which I love!). I have been wanting to record some family history, and this seems like a good way to do it. Any suggestions about the privacy/security issue of such an undertaking?

3. We are at the end and the beginning. My husband graduates from grad school tomorrow! After three years of full-time work and almost full-time school, he is done. And I have a husband back...and my sanity!

4. But that means we are diving full steam into support-raising and preparing to go overseas. Never a dull moment around here. Any ideas for beginning to sort out/purge our life in preparation for a move?

5. I just finished Power and the Glory by Graham Greene and participated in a book discussion group with my church. I am once again convinced that I go to church with the coolest, smartest women on the planet. I am also convinced that Catholic writers will always be dark and disturbing. But I LOVED the book.

6. The hubby and I are working our way through some of this year's Oscars flicks. We enjoyed but were underwhelmed by Slumdog Millionaire. It was too much of a conventional idea of what makes people happy, though the portrayals of life in the slums of India were very interested. The Visitor, on the other hand, was one of the most subtly brilliant films I have seen in a while. Definitely worth your time. We have The Wrestler coming next.

7. Finally, if you are wondering the outcome of this episode. I was not like Max's mother, leaving the boys a hot supper for later. They did get a big bowl of oatmeal in the morning, and were much better behaved. I think they learned a bit about the power of their words. And Calvin and I had a good talk about it as he drifted off to sleep that night. The next morning, he was about to say something about how he hated what we were having for lunch. He caught himself and said, "I think sometimes I don't think before I talk." Don't we all?

7 Quick Takes-Galactic Pee, Books to Read, and Holy Week

1. Sometimes I am overwhelmed by the reality that I live in a house full of males. The other night, as Hobbes was preparing for his bath, I walked in on him standing in front of the toilet, ready to pee, saying "All systems are go!"

2. In case you can't tell from the above, space travel has been a big theme around this house for, oh, over a year now. It finds its way into everything from potty time to dinner time. Over and over again we have had to "correct" current books on the topic by insisting that Pluto IS a planet...well, sort of. The boys were just given some new solar system placemats that put the issue to rest. In the picture, the planets are circling the sun, all labeled with their correct names. On the outskirts there is a tiny planet with no name and a very sad face. When the boys first saw it, they were heard saying, "Don't be sad Pluto, you can still be a planet."

3. I have found a new addiction...not exactly Lenten of me, I know. Trader Joe's Dark Chocolate Covered Pretzel Slims are scrumptious! They have plenty of dark chocolate and just enough crunchy, salty pretzely-ness to be perfect. I could eat a whole bag in one sitting. So much for losing the baby weight.

On a more serious note...

4. In case you are looking for a good read for Holy Week, I highly recommend Surprised by Hope by N.T. Wright. I am reading it right now, and it offers some incredible insight into the meaning of the Resurrection of Jesus and into resurrection and new creation in general. Good stuff.

5. If you are looking for other good reading, I have two books to recommend. I have been terribly remiss in not mentioning these before, since they were written by very good friends of mine. Give them a try, and help feed some starving academics and ministers! Unlocking Romans by my good friend and former housemate would also be an excellent, more academic read to complement Wright's on the topic of the resurrection.

6. And Giving:the Sacred Art, by my college roommate of four years (who could probably write a book on that topic, too, or at least win an award for putting up with me), is a wonderful look at the history and meaning of giving in many faith traditions. She includes practical ideas for creating a lifestyle of generosity. Oh, and all proceeds of her book go to charity.

7. Back on the topic of Holy Week, I hope to have a post up this weekend about what we are doing with the boys to observe Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter. We are going to a little pre-Palm Sunday party tomorrow where the kids will make some crosses from palm fronds and flowers to use at church on Sunday and where we assemble a Lenten/Easter garden. Holy Experience has a good example of this type of garden here.

7 Quick Takes-Getting Over Myself Edition

I'm finding that, among other things, Lent has become a time for me to get over myself, so to speak. The Spirit is gently showing me where I depend too much on the opinions of others or think I know too much or, in other words, teaching me to see the world outside of ME. I needed that kick in the pants!

1. I have a tendency to be critical about things that I actually can't do any better than the person I am criticizing. For example, I always criticize children's Sunday School curriculums. Now, I have never actually taken the time to write one, but that is beside the point. I just assume they don't actually teach kids much, and they certainly don't seem to teach Bible stories anymore, just use them as illustrations to make a point which may or may not be the actual point of the story. So when my sweet boys started asking to pray before meals and started praying things like, "Thank you, God for making me and my family. And thank you for your wonderful world. Thank you for giving us food. Thank you for giving us Baby Linus," I was tempted to think what a good mom I was for teaching them all these things. Then I looked back and saw that their Sunday School curriculum lately has been about God making the world and creating them and about worshiping through prayer. Hmmm...maybe those curriculums are worth something. I know the teachers are!

2. I have mentioned before that I am fasting from excessive internet time during Lent. Mostly this means that I am fasting from Facebook, to which I had become slightly addicted. I am learning how much I depend on the opinions of others for my sense of worth. Though Facebook allowed me to maintain relationships with good friends and to share important parts of our lives together, it also became a substitute for seeking a relationship with my Father. I will return to Facebook after Lent, but I hope that I will return with a new perspective and that my priority will be spending time with my face in His book first.

3. I am horrible at reaching out to form relationships with my neighbors. I don't think I used to be, but somewhere along the line in this motherhood thing, I became very insular. So, when my neighbors' kids, aged 10 and almost 5 started showing up at my door because they had forgotten their key and then just started showing up to ask Calvin and Hobbes to come and play, I finally got a clue that God might be using them. We'd only lived here for almost three years...God is patient! We had a bit of relationship with this family from Ecuador, but now our kids play outside with them whenever the weather is nice, and the mom and I have had two significant conversations about kids and life in general when she gets home in the afternoons. And, as with most things God wants us to do, this has been a blessing for me, as the older boy is really great with his sister and my boys and very willing to play with them. I can send them out in our backyard with no worries. (I had already been letting C&H play by themselves out there for a few months, but I had to check on them every 10 minutes or so because they fight so much when there aren't other kids around.)

4. I have spent a lot of time stressing out about parenting over the last few months. I have even been reading parenting books, which I avoided like the plague before now. Fortunately, my children keep thwarting my attempts to read too many of these books. Hobbes has been begging for my attention so much lately that I finally realized something. My kids don't need the perfect parent, a clean and organized home, or the ideal environment for their personality type. They just need me, flawed as I am, to sit with them in the midst of piles of laundry and read or do a puzzle or play a game. Really. It's that simple. God will take care of the rest if I am there and willing to let Him love through me.

5. A visit to the dentist's office is always a good lesson in humility for me. I think I have the world's worst teeth. I had two cavities filled as a five-year-old, and it's been downhill since then. I brush twice a day, floss at least 5 nights a week, don't chew gum or eat candy, and only drink the occasional sweet tea, never any cokes (sodas for you non-Southerners.) All of this, and every single time I go in, I have another cavity or a tooth that needs to be watched. EVERY SIX MONTHS! This time, because they couldn't do x-rays or fillings while I was pregnant, I have four fillings to get done. Fun! My husband? He brushes once a day, never flosses, drinks many more sugary drinks than I, and they tell him he brushes his teeth too hard. That's it. No cavities.

6. Finally, a funny "get over yourself, TwoSquare" moment:

I was in Tennessee this past weekend visiting my family. While I was playing on the floor with my niece and the boys, my niece asked, "Do you have another baby in your tummy?" When I replied in the negative, she asked, "Then why is your tummy so big?"

My friend, who had a baby around the same time that Linus was born, calls them our muffin tops. I tell her that the top is the best part of the muffin, but, really, I am not taking this post-baby weight with grace. Not at all.

7. And, in an effort to learn to live in my imperfection, I am leaving you with only 6 Quick Takes this week.

Check out Conversion Diary for more quick takes.

7 Quick Takes-Just Around the Corner

"You found it!" cried Toad. "Yes," said Frog, "I was very happy. I had found the corner that spring was just around." "Look, Frog," said Toad. "You were right. The rain has stopped." Frog and Toad hurried outside. They ran around the corner of Frog's house to make sure that spring had come again. -from Frog and Toad All Year

1. I was out of town this past weekend visiting a dear friend in Illinois. Calvin and Hobbes stayed home with their daddy, so it was just me and the baby. The time to just be with another mom, sitting in her house and chatting (and enjoying her amazing cooking), was precious and refreshing. It is so good to live life closely with another woman for awhile and to gain perspective on parenting. We are all different creatures, and different mothers, and none of us is perfect. And that is okay. This was just the break the boys and I needed. Time for a fresh start.

2. When I got back, feeling reinvigorated, I found that North Carolina had also found some new life. Despite the snow last week, Spring was indeed just around the corner. The forsythia are blooming, crocuses and daffodils are everywhere, and trees are starting to show their color. Spring is my favorite season around here, even if I spend most of it stuffed up and sneezing!

3. It's seems the Spring weather (and reading Wendell Berry) has reinvigorated my husband, too. He has spent that past few evenings getting our small garden beds ready. They were sorely neglected last year when I was in the midst of morning sickness, but hopefully we can actually grow some things this year. The boys and I bought some seeds, and we are going to get our Spring crop into the ground. Nothing like a little dirt under the nails to make one feel alive!

4. The baby is coming to life, too, and has suddenly found his own voice. And, oh, is he ever charming! He has the most amazing dimpled smile and will talk to us for a long time if we give him some attention. He REALLY likes to talk, which might be a problem later, but for now it is adorable.

5. Things are growing all around me, babies and plants and boys. Hobbes turns three next week, and I can hardly believe it! I wonder where this third year went and when he turned into such a handsome looking guy. He is definitely not a baby anymore...or even a toddler...how did he become a preschooler so quickly! But the point of this is not how Hobbes is growing. The point is to mention that he wants a space shuttle cake for his birthday. Here we go again!

6. With all of this Springy-ness and growing around me, it is hard to focus on Lent. What little I am meditating on the season has been good, though. I think, above all, that I am coming to a place of accepting my life as it is and learning the importance of being faithful in the daily tasks that God has given me to do. I have spent so much time waiting for things to change, for life to get easier, for me to just get this thing or that thing under control. I am learning that we never reach that point and that we are just called to serve and love where we are, as we are, by His grace.

7. To go along with the work of Lent and preparing for Spring, my husband and I have picked up yet another Wendell Berry book. This time it is his essay on science and the arts, progress, and the general trend of our culture away from rootedness in a spot of earth. If you haven't read Life is a Miracle, I highly recommend it. I can't do it justice in a review. Really, all I can say is "Amen!" I have never been able to articulate it, but growing up in a small, rural town, I know what he says to be true with every ounce of my being. Amen and amen!

For more "7 Quick Takes" visit Jen at Conversion Diary.

7 Quick Takes

1. I think I may have found a solution to our schooling problem for next year. We'll call it "Auntie M School." My sister-in-law is presenting her Master's Thesis in the summer and will be taking the year off to apply for PhD's and be near us for one more year. The kids love her. I mean L-O-V-E her, and she is a great private tutor. They will be with her one morning a week doing something fun: art projects, poetry, nature walks, museum trips, whatever their little brains are interested in at the time. I still have Calvin on a wait list for a half-day Kindergarten, but I really think this is the best solution. It allows them to stay at their Chinese school two mornings a week, have bonding time with Auntie M, and do some fun activities that I don't always have energy to plan.

2. The most important part of the above solution is that it allows the boys to stay at Chinese school. I just did the math and realized that, if all goes as planned, we will be moving to China in 16 months! I cannot even begin to express the amount of stress that is building up in me as I think about it. I am excited to finally go, but knowing all that it takes to get from here to there is overwhelming.

3. One day at a time and a lot of chocolate, that is my solution. M&M's are my current choice. I don't think the writers of the "Melts in your mouth, not in your hand" line had toddlers in mind when they wrote that. Is Hobbes the only toddler who comes away from eating M&M's with color smeared all over his hands, face, and clothing? Am I doing something wrong (leaving out the fact that I am giving the kids sugar)?

4. Speaking of Hobbes, he is sick, again. So is the baby. You people up North will laugh, but I am so ready for Spring. The daffodils are starting to bloom, so it is on its way.

5. Speaking of chocolate. I obviously did not give that up for Lent. But the fast from Facebook and from excessive internet time has been good. Every time I find myself thinking of updating my Facebook status or checking in with my friends on Facebook or reading blogs, I turn to prayer instead. I may write a whole post on this, so I'll leave it at that for now.

6. All of this free time from the internet (laugh, laugh) is leaving me time to read actual books. I just started "Positive Discipline," which is a parenting classic, apparently. It is really good so far, or at least the writer makes her theory sound really good. I have no idea how it will work out in reality. But I am hoping it will help us to solve some of our discipline issues with Calvin and keep from making the same mistakes with Hobbes. Anyone out there have experience with this book? Tips?

7. I never thought I would be the sort to read lots of parenting books, but then Calvin turned three and life got complicated. Still, he is really amazing, and apparently, he and his brother are superheroes. At least, that is what they have been telling me all day. Their imaginations are really coming to life. They fly around our house or down the road on their bikes. They run really fast and fight the bad guys all day long. Ah, boys!

For more 7 Quick Takes, go to Jen's blog.

7 Quick Takes on Postpartum Parenting

I'm thankful for Jen's "7 Quick Takes" this week. As you can tell, I haven't had much time to post. My life is just crazy. I 'm coming to terms with that.

1. There's no time like the postpartum, hormonally crazy period to start overanalyzing your parenting. Even though things are getting much better as Calvin and Hobbes re-adjust, we still have plenty of meltdowns and fights these days, for which I blame myself and find multiple ways that I am a failure of a parent. Fun.

2. Sometime around the New Year I had a freak-out moment about Calvin's education for next year. Since he only turns five at the beginning of August and we will probably homeschool overseas, I planned to keep him in the Chinese preschool two days a week and not do kindergarten. Then I decided he needed more structure and opportunities than I was able to give him and started frantically researching school options way too late. Wasn't it much simpler when we could just rely on a good public school system and not have to plan before they were born where they would go? Anyway, I am still looking into the possibility of a four day, half day Pre-K school. Or just sending him to Chinese school more days a week. Or just keeping him home every day and providing a more stable routine for him...any suggestions from those of you who have spirited, emotionally difficult children?

3. Realizing that a week after we add a third child to the house may not be the best time to make decisions, I am also considering what to do with Hobbes and basically freaking out about the entire schooling future of my children before it is even time to worry about it. When did a three-year-old's education become such a serious thing? Should I even be sending him to school?

4. In an effort to pull back and realize that I am my child's first and best teacher, I have been trying to have some fun with my kids this week. I bought them a set of real, kid-sized cooking utensils for Christmas, and Calvin is obsessed with reading the recipe cards and asking to cook things. I let them "cook" dinner tonight (with some help), and it was fantastic! They ate it all since they chose and cooked it, including the asparagus. Moments like that make me think that it would be better to just have them home all the time.

5. Then we have moments where a simple suggestion that Calvin needs to obey turns into an emotional meltdown, screaming, anger, and tears. We had one of those Wednesday morning. He was okay by the time I dropped him off at school, but then Hobbes asked if I had packed something in his bag for show and tell. I hadn't, of course, and I left crying, wondering if I was ever going to get this parenting thing figured out. On these days, I wonder if time away from each other would be the best thing for the two of us and if a loving, engaging school environment on most mornings would help Calvin to learn to manage his emotions more.

6. The baby, who still has no pseudonym for this blog (Come on, readers!), is definitely suffering from reflux. I hate the idea of giving him meds, but I also hate to see him in pain. Anyone dealt with this before? I have cut dairy out of my diet and am giving him the meds until that has time to take effect. I am also giving him probiotics. If you have other suggestions, I am open to them.

7. Despite the emotional upheaval in my life and the fussiness of the baby, I am really enjoying this third boy. He seems to be so sweet and such a good-tempered little guy. Oh, and he sleeps like Calvin and Hobbes never did! He often goes for five of six hour stretches at night. Sweet sleep! He is beautiful...but he often has a serious look on his face, a furrowed brow like Calvin had as a newborn...