Mommy Water Mommy

My kids have started bookending things they say with "Mommy _____ Mommy!" If they want a cookie, it's "Mommy cookie Mommy." I don't even know how to punctuate it - should there be commas? "Mommy, fruit snacks, Mommy." And don't worry, Daddy isn't left out of the mix. "Daddy, train, Daddy!" 

On the one hand, it kind of drives me crazy. Who else would they be asking for water, or a cookie, or fruit snacks when I'm the only grown up home? And why must they say Mommy twice? I heard them the first time!

But on the other hand, how precious is it that I have two little people who rely on me to meet their needs that they keep asking me, by name, to fulfill their requests? And even when I say, "No, we aren't having cookies right now," they don't give up :)

Everyone says these days with little ones don't last forever, and I know it's true. Life is short - too short, we are reminded in times of tragedy. I'm reminded of these song lyrics from Psalm 62. 

Though life is but a fleeting breath,

A sigh too brief to measure,

My King has crushed the curse of death

And I am His forever  

Today, I pray "God, peace, God." "God, love, God." "God, help, God!" Thanks for the reminder, kids. May we raise you to shine your lights into the darkness.

Saying "Yes" Again

I've spent the better part of the last two years saying "No." No, I can't eat that - I'm pregnant. No, I can't attend that evening social event - the babies have to go to bed. No, I can't commit to attending those meetings regularly - my kids are always sick.

At first, saying "no" just seemed normal. I didn't really think much of it because I meant I was saying yes to other priorities. As an example, when I was pumping for the babies, saying "yes" to feeding them breast milk meant I had to say "no" to anything that disrupted my pumping schedule too much. No to going out to lunch. No to seeing a movie. No to leaving the house for more than a couple hours at a time. I wanted to provide milk for them as long as I could, so those "nos" weren't too tough to accept.

But other times, saying "no" was more grating. Since the twins were preemies, our doctor advised us to keep them away from germs as much as possible last winter. That meant we were basically quarantined in our house until April. They were also taking three naps a day most of the winter. So that led to an avalanche of "nos." No, we can't attend church. No, we don't take them to play groups. No, we never go anywhere or do anything more than shop at Kroger, and even then I'm hyper vigilant for anyone sneezing in our vicinty!!

I hadn't thought about all this until the other day when I was talking to a friend, and she mentioned how she has to say "no" to some things because of what she wants to prioritize. Then it hit me - I am able to say "yes" much more often now! This winter is so much different than last. The boys go to MDO twice a week and happily play in the nursery during church activities. I'm volunteering regularly in the community. Both DF and I are back to singing in the choir. The kids and I visit the zoo, parks, and lots of other germy places with just hand sanitizer to protect us. Sure, we still have a nap schedule to contend with, but that's fairly predictable these days. 

I'm looking for other things I can say "yes" to, so if you know of something local that I/the kids might like, let me know! 

Infants' Thanksgiving Prayer

for God our Father, who art in heaven
the creator and sustainer of lie
who ordained that we should be two, not one
and knit us together in our mother's womb
for all these things, we give thanks to God

for a mommy who loves us
a daddy who loves us
grandparents and great-grandparents
aunts, uncles, and too many cousins to count
friends near and far
all of whom love us more than we know
for all these things, we give thanks to God

for doctors and nurses who cared for us in our earliest days
the medical technology that allowed us to thrive
and Zantac now to help with our reflux
for all these things, we give thanks to God

for cozy beds
a swing that swings and a bouncer that bounces
a double stroller for exploring the world
for all these things, we give thanks to God

for good food to eat
and eat again
is it time to eat yet? we're hungry hungry hippos
for all these things, we give thanks to God

for rattles to play with
hands to chew on
and newly-discovered voices that coo
for all these things, we give thanks to God


File under: NaBloPoMo Day 16

An Ode to College Writing Class

Today, I'd like to tell you about a person who helped me become a better writer, my College Writing teacher, Ms. C.

When I was a high school senior, my school offered either AP English or College Writing for college-bound students. (I believe there was also a class called Senior English, but it was for slackers.) I chose College Writing mainly because I didn't really care to read and analyze a bunch of long, confusing books. This turned out to be my favorite class I took in high school in no small part due to the great teacher, Ms. C. Her love of the written word was obvious, and she passed this passion on to us - or at least to those students like me who were eager little sponges.

We did daily writing journal exercises in that class. She would give us a prompt, and then we'd spend 10-15 minutes writing about it. Once a week or so, we'd trade journals with another student and provide each other feedback. It was great! This was before the days of blogs, so I really didn't have much of an audience for my entertaining prose otherwise :)

I remember that after we turned in our first essays, Ms. C selected a few of the best ones to read aloud to the class. Mine was one of those she picked! I was so proud and felt like a legitimate writer. In fact, I still recall the topic, "The Time I Tried Out for Teen Jeopardy." (Spoiler alert: I didn't make the cut, but at least I got a good story out of it.)

Before taking this class, no one had ever specifically taught me how to write before. By focusing on writing as a discipline and art form in and of itself, it's like a light bulb went on in my head. I realized writing isn't just about using proper grammar, punctuation, and paragraph structure. It's about saying exactly what you want to say in the style that is most appropriate to communicate your message.

A few of the things I remember learning, to be a good writer:

• Vary the beginnings of your sentences, so the reader doesn't get bored (as in, don't always start with "I" or whatever)
• Edit ruthlessly
• Don't use big words just for the sake of using them; chose the word that best conveys what you mean
• Tie it all together. For example, in a research paper, you want a solid introduction and conclusion that clearly state your thesis. In a more creative format, you'll still want to keep a unifying theme running through the piece.

Posting on my blog now feels like a writing journal that the world can read. I hope you enjoy it!

File under: NaBloPoMo Day 12