For lack of creativity, "Kiddos"

Y'all are awesome, and I love you. Behold my adorable kiddos.

The Impossible Dream

Sleep. It's the holy grail for some young moms. I used to gauge how successful a day would be by how many hours I slept the night before--and just as important, how many times was I awake in the middle of the night?

I'm slowly learning to let go. To stop looking at the clock. To relax, because no amount of fuming or martyred sighs will make my kids need me less in the middle of the night.

Yes, Axel has had a few too many nights where he's wide awake when I want to go to sleep. Leo is doing a stint where he's coming into our room between 4 and 5 a.m. We put him back in bed, but he's not going back to sleep, he simply plays.

So a few of us are tired. Some more than others (Leo tends to tantrums, and I'm tending to coke and chocolate. We all have our coping mechanisms).

But everyone is still getting fed. The household is limping along; we have clean clothes (usually folded). We're making it, somehow, just fine. I'm no super woman, that's for sure, and the computers are playing cartoons far too often, but that will be of short duration. I'm trying to take small steps in the less-computer-more-playing direction.

Axel will find his rhythm. So will I. And so it goes, as we try to fully enjoy this new season in our lives.

Read, Read, Read

I had a long-distance friend e-mail me and ask me what I was reading, and I thought that my other friends might be interested in the list. Most of my playground conversations revolve around what I've been reading lately, and I miss chatting with all of you girls about what's going on in my books!

An incomplete list of what I've read this year:

Jesus the Christ Talmadge
The Promise of Discipleship Maxwell
The Man Watching (a biography of Anson Dorrance, coach of UNC women's soccer)
The Well-Trained Mind Bauer, Wise
The Well-Educated Mind Bauer, Wise
Nurture Shock Bronson, Merryman
How to Get Control of Your Time and Your Life Lakein
Romancing Miss Bronte Gael
Foundation Asimov
The Bicentennial Man and Other Stories Asimov
1632 Flint
Dragonsdawn McCaffrey
Tintin (several comic books) Herge
Pilgrim's Progress Bunyan
The Ladies of Missalonghi McCullough, Colleen (I read this at least twice a year)

And the books I have out from the library right now:
At Home in Mitford Karon
The Soprano Sorceress Modesitt
Le Petit Prince Saint-Exupery
Mornings on Horseback (biography of T. Roosevelt) McCullough, David

And this is just off the top of my head! I really love reading and learning, obviously, and I've started taking notes to retain more of what I read. If you want to learn to read critically, The Well-Educated Mind is a great guide to giving yourself more of a classical education.

What are you all reading these days? Any great recommendations? I'm debating checking out the Hunger Games, but I've heard the end of the trilogy is rather depressing. Thoughts?

New Normal

Good heavens, the days are flying by quickly! Axel is nearly three weeks old, and cute as a button.

I'll get working on more pictures once I have a working camera on Friday (sorry, I know how fun it is to see pictures of friend's babies!). My 7-year-old digital camera finally gave up the ghost.

The kids and I are keeping busy. My goal lately is to get the kids outside for two hours every day. It's a lot, and I rarely make the full two hours, but having the goal helps me give the kids the exercise they need to be happy. We've been to the park a lot, and other than that I've been nursing, doing laundry, dishes, nursing, reading books, nursing, holding the baby, and settling fights. It's a good life, but leaves me wondering where the time has gone by the end of the day.

Oh, and the kids have spent plenty of time watching movies on the computer.


Isn't this sweet?

Melancholy

I love the joy a new life brings into our family.

But mom just went home today. So maybe I'll post more when I stop crying. Or maybe not. Depends on how badly I need a nap.