Farmer's Market and Football

Time was when I would wake up early on this particular Saturday morning of the year with one thing on my mind...college football! I still think this is the best time of the year. I love the opening of the football season. But since my Vols don't play until Monday this week, I was freed up to actually think about going to the market. I almost didn't make it; this baby is doing me in. I woke up at 2:30 this morning feeling like my stomach was going to digest itself if I didn't put some food in it. Needless to say, getting up early to go to the market was not first on this pregnant mommy's mind. But since I hadn't been able to go in a few weeks, I made myself do it.

And I was so glad I did. I always come home from the market in a good mood with a basket full of treasures. This week, I came home with my usual batard, farmer's cheese, and pastries for breakfast and lunch. I also bought two fresh chickens, as we'll be out of town next Saturday and unable to get one. Corn, arugula, radishes, homemade raisins (out of this world good!), radishes, eggs, melon, peaches and mozarella also found their way home with me. I picked up some eggplant and red pepper to add to my CSA goodies this week for some ratatouille.

My favorite finds are always the new ones. This week I stopped by the goat cheese guy's booth and talked to him a bit about his operation. My mother-in-law used to keep dairy goats, and when she lived in France for a few years, she took a cheese making class at a genuine French dairy farm in the countryside. I picked up a bit of chevre for her, though the feta and cheddar were tempting, too. I also found out that they host a dinner at the goat farm once a month. A local chef who uses their cheese gets invited to cook a multi-course meal for a few lucky folks in the old farmhouse. What a great date night when we have some money!

As I was leaving, I had $2 left to spend, so I decided to pick up a treat for the boys. The little guy in the photo (and his friend who is napping with Hobbes) just had to come home with me, finger puppets crafted by a local artisan. I rarely have money left to buy crafts or soaps or any of the fun things that are sold at the market, but these were in my budget. The boys loved them! What made it's way into your basket this week? Write a post and go on over to Kerry's blog to link to the Farmer's market report.

And Sometimes They Cry...

Today was not as good as Monday on the school front. Hobbes broke down into hysterics when I started to walk out the door. I reassured him that I would be back after lunch, reminded him how much fun he had on Monday, and told Calvin to help him adjust. Then I decided it was best to just leave him in the arms of his very loving teacher and go. My staying was only going to make him cry more.

If you read this blog regularly and are the praying sort, please say a prayer for him and for me. I am still not settled on this decision, though I do think that God has led us to at least try school with Hobbes this Fall. And I know that the teachers and principal there are fantastic, and many of them are Christians. The principal even told me this morning that they are doing a space shuttle craft and learning to say "space shuttle" in Chinese because she knows Calvin and Hobbes are really into space right now. The school is small enough that they pay that kind of personal attention to the kids. I know it is a good place; I am just praying that Hobbes sweet little heart is ready for this separation. It was much easier with Calvin, as he was already 3 1/2 and a Daddy's boy by the time he started.

Go Ahead and Try, It's Not Going to Kill You

Today was Hobbes' first day of Chinese preschool. He is a little young to be starting, but the other option was to start him in January, right after the baby comes. We figured he only needed one major life change at once. To say I was worried about how he would do is an understatement. When I try to leave him in the nursery at church, he always cries pitifully, and though he stops crying, he starts up again as soon as he sees me. From what I know, that means he is just waiting until he feels safe to cry.

Our nursery is a very safe and friendly place, full of kids that he sees on a regular basis outside of Sunday mornings. The same woman works in there every Sunday, and the other volunteers and teens who help in there are people he loves outside of nursery. School, on the other hand, is full of people he doesn't know speaking another language. The only thing it has going for it is that Calvin is there. Last Spring, I tried to leave him there a couple of times while I was at a parents' committee meeting. Even with me in the building and Calvin right there to play with him, he came crying to me.

Needless to say, I was prepared for a scene when I dropped the boys off...and maybe a phone call later saying I needed to come calm a crying boy. I was so worried, in fact, the my husband had assured me we could pull Hobbes out if it wasn't working (a substantial financial loss). Imagine my surprise when I dropped him off this morning, said good-bye, and barely got an acknowledgment when I left. Not a single tear.

And when I picked him up this afternoon? He came running to me saying, "I didn't even die, Mommy! Not at all!" Well, I wasn't to worried about that...It sounds much more dramatic until you know what he was actually saying.

And me? I was able to enjoy a child-free morning catching up on some reading and work at a coffee shop and getting stuff done around the house. I don't think this situation is going to be too bad for my health, either.

Just Around the Bend

I'm in a bit of a blogging slump lately, in case you didn't notice. We have been busy trying to enjoy the last few days of summer before hubby starts back to grad school and the boys start Chinese preschool. With my limited energy level these days, that means blogging has been put on hold.

We have had a good summer, full of swimming and visiting family and enjoying having Daddy home without homework. But I am not sad to see it coming to an end. I think the boys and I are ready for a change. I love this time of year. In my mind, Fall instead of Spring is the time of new beginnings. I love the coming of cool mornings, the smell of nature preparing for hibernation, the anticipation of coming holidays, the beginning of new learning, and, most importantly, the opening of college football season!

In preparation, I am trying to get a bit of order back into my life. I have been working my way through A Mother's Rule of Life in an effort to implement more of a schedule into our daily routine. I'll probably write more on it later, but the process has been good for me. I am looking forward to having a little more self-discipline and finding time for prayer, exercise, and quality time with my family. The time is right. Hopefully we will have some routines in place by the time the baby comes. I know they will change, but it will be good to have a foundation.

The boys are in need of more structure, too, and I think school will be good. It has forced us to get their bedtimes into more of a routine, which we needed desperately. Though I am a bit worried about Hobbes going to school, I know that the time apart will be good for all of us. We have had a bit too much time together with no schedule, and we have suffered from impatience and lots of sibling rivalry. Calvin's burgeoning independence has led to a lot of conflict with me, and we are both ready for him to be in a challenging and stimulating environment a couple of mornings a week.

There are a lot of exciting things around the bend, and I am feeling my energy return. Hopefully that means you will hear more from me around here.

What about you? How do you feel about Fall? What are you doing to prepare for the change in seasons?

Nothing to Say, Lots to Love

Despite our recent parenting difficulties, we are find a lot of things to enjoy around the TwoSquare household these days. Since baby brain is sucking all of my deep thoughts, I offer a list of some of our current favorite things.

John Adams
We thoroughly enjoyed this miniseries. It was incredibly well acted, and it was a great look into some American history that I have little knowledge about. I especially enjoyed the portrayal of Abigail Adams. The Adams' marriage relationship may be one of the most interesting and inspiring of American history, and this series focuses a lot on Abigail's role in her husband's career. If you're looking for Revoluntionary War action, this is not the show to watch, but if you want to know more about one of the more interesting and confusing figures of that time, I highly recommend it.

The Olympics
I've already mentioned that I am enjoying them. In fact, I am watching way too much TV these days and getting way too little sleep. We only turn the TV on to watch DVD's or football, so this is an overdose for us. I can definitely see how regular television watching would be bad for our family. All the same, I am thoroughly enjoying the games, except for the trampoline. Um, how did that get to be an Olympic sport?

The Jesus Storybook Bible
I purchased this book when it first came out, but we have just recently started reading it. The boys both love it, especially Calvin. We are reading it for our Bible story time during prayer every evening. It is very well-written in a fantastic storytelling voice. Each story points forward to the high point of God's story, the coming of Christ. Calvin is especially drawn in by the emphasis on God's faithful love and promise to ultimately save His people. He is anxious for God to send a hero. It's a great way to introduce children to the narrative of God's history.

Cool Weather
Well, it's cool for August around here, anyway. After last year's drought and 90+ degree temperatures that went into October, this summer has been a pleasant surprise. We have still had some hot and humid days, but we have had many, many days in the 80's. It's still warm enough to swim and enjoy summer activities, but it is bearable to be out past 9:00 a.m. This is unheard of around here in the summer, and we are taking advantage of it. It gives me hope that we will have an Autumn this year.

The Mysterious Benedict Society
I wandered into the bookstore one Saturday looking for some light reading for the beach and came out with this fun kids' book. This is absolutely the sort of book I would have loved as a young reader, a story of four genius, orphan kids sent on a mission to save the world. It's one I'll hold onto for my kids when they get older, and I'll probably buy the next in the series. If you have young readers or are looking for something fun for yourself, check it out.

...baby kicks, fresh tomatoes, football previews, kisses and hugs from little boys...

Not Even Most of the Time

When Calvin said that no one can be perfect all of the time, I should have been forewarned. The past three or four days have been terrible with him. Talking back, screaming, tantrums, and defiance have been the norm. I would chalk it up to a little post-beach depression, but he is never this bad, not even during the days following a visit from Nana. A little bad behavior is to be expected a the end of a stretch of fun, out of the ordinary days-but nothing like this!

As I've written before, my boys are very different when it comes to emotions and will. Hobbes's bad behavior can be physically tiring, but it is pretty typical two-year-old stuff. Calvin's attitude shifts are a whole different sort of beast, and this time around they are leaving me absolutely emotionally exhausted, not to mention the physical exhaustion of dealing with two boys and being pregnant. I know there must be something behind this atypical behavior, but I have yet to uncover it. He has been given the parameters for acceptable behavior. Every time he steps outside of those, he is disciplined. We are being more strict about his sleep schedule and making sure things are as stable as possible. He is having lots of Daddy time, and I am trying to show him a lot of affirmation and love when he isn't throwing a tantrum that forces me to keep my distance in order not to get hurt.

Still, nothing seems to be working. I'm at the end of my rope, staring at the beginning of a week of being home alone with them. My husband's classes start up again this week, so we are looking at some long days without Daddy around.

I'm not sure why I'm writing this, only that I need to put it down to realize it's okay to feel this way. And perhaps to remind myself that I need to pray. There is nothing else I can do for Calvin, and I have to trust that God can. This parenting thing is awfully sanctifying and faith-building if nothing else.

Calvin Speaks the Truth

We are back from the beach, doing laundry, and recovering from the break in routine. I am absorbed in Olympics watching. Maybe you'll here from me when the Olympics are over...

In the meantime, here's a conversation with Calvin at Trader Joe's today. I don't know what it is about that place, but my kids are always terrible there. Maybe it is the freedom of having their own little carts. Maybe it is the small size of the place that makes them feel safe to roam around without me. Whatever it is, I feel like we always make a scene there. Today, I asked Calvin about it.

Me: "Why are you two always so bad in Trader Joe's? Can't you try to be good when we are here?"

Calvin: "Well, Mom, no one can be perfect all the time."

How true.