tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40465073958027353532024-03-12T21:44:40.628-07:00While You Were Napping... grace, faith, and the importance of a two hour nap ...Becca {While You Were Napping}http://www.blogger.com/profile/12340577448931755326noreply@blogger.comBlogger328125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4046507395802735353.post-57355190278271096802014-07-19T14:34:00.001-07:002014-07-19T14:34:34.824-07:00New Site!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hello friends! The blog is currently undergoing some transition... new site, new look, all that good stuff. While construction is happening, <a href="http://whileyouwerenappingblog.wordpress.com/">click on over here</a>!Becca {While You Were Napping}http://www.blogger.com/profile/12340577448931755326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4046507395802735353.post-74170940309891753752014-06-11T06:53:00.001-07:002014-06-11T06:53:22.122-07:00Good Soil<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span class="text Mark-4-3" id="en-NLT-24300" style="background-color: white;"><span class="woj">“Listen! A farmer went out to plant some seed.</span></span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><span class="text Mark-4-4" id="en-NLT-24301" style="background-color: white;"><span class="woj">As he scattered it across his field, some of the seed fell on a footpath, and the birds came and ate it.</span></span><span class="text Mark-4-5" id="en-NLT-24302" style="background-color: white;"><span class="versenum" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;"> </span><span class="woj">Other seed fell on shallow soil with underlying rock. The seed sprouted quickly because the soil was shallow. </span></span><span class="text Mark-4-6" id="en-NLT-24303" style="background-color: white;"><span class="woj">But the plant soon wilted under the hot sun, and since it didn’t have deep roots, it died. </span></span><span class="text Mark-4-7" id="en-NLT-24304" style="background-color: white;"><span class="woj">Other seed fell among thorns that grew up and choked out the tender plants so they produced no grain.</span></span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><span class="text Mark-4-8" id="en-NLT-24305" style="background-color: white;"><span class="woj">Still other seeds fell on fertile soil, and they sprouted, grew, and produced a crop that was thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times as much as had been planted!” [Mark 4:3-8]</span></span></i></span><br />
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My grandma has a thirst for beauty and a real gift for creating it in any space. She is one of the most creative people I've ever had in my life. Wherever she goes, she's using her hands to make the world a more beautiful place. I've been thinking about her a lot lately. Whenever I think of her house, I picture it simply lush with trailing green plants, large ferns, and towers of African violets. Even in the middle of a cold Indiana winter, her home felt warm and alive. She and my grandpa recently moved into a new condo, and her letters (yes, letters! She is the most precious grandma one could ever wish for) describe their patio garden and the new plants she's putting in. It's inspired me to try my best to turn my brown thumb into a slightly greener one. I've been looking up information online and trying my best to check my plants' soil on a regular basis. This has been filled with a lot of trial and error, and I've lost a plant or two, but the other day I was rewarded by my first African violet bloom in a year!<br />
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This is what good soil and tending can do for plants. And it's what they can do for the human heart.<br />
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Providing good soil for my children is the best work I can do in their lives, and it is the part of parenting that I take most seriously. Over the last few years, I've been asked by a lot of moms what we do in our house to provide a good soil for the Gospel to take root, and I have three suggestions below, based on what's worked well for our family. I am <i>always</i> interested in how other families are teaching the Gospel at home, so please leave your sweet practices in the comments! Some of these things may seem obvious, some may seem like something you'd like to try, and others may not fit your family at all! The important thing is to cheer each other on as we share Good News with our sweet babies.<br />
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+ I'm in the Word. This has looked different at different seasons and I expect it to keep changing and <i>that's fine.</i> Grace, not legalism, right? I get a daily email from <a href="http://shereadstruth.com/">She Reads Truth</a> that contains a Bible passage and a devotional. These are really manageable, yet meaty, for a mom of two who has lost a significant amount of brain power in the last three years. I want the Word of God to be written on my kids' hearts, so I absolutely need it to be written on mine. I want wisdom from the Bible to flow as naturally out of my mouth as a little ditty from Daniel Tiger. And it really works. Cruz was feeling nervous about a slide at the playground and I got to tell him, "remember when the disciples felt nervous about the Big Storm?" Be in the Word.<br />
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+ Our kids listen to exclusively Christian music (also, a tremendous amount of the Frozen soundtrack, so let me keep it real). I <i>love</i> pop music and hip hop music and we used to listen to that, so please don't think this about me being on any kind of high horse about morality in music. However, one morning I drove Cruz to daycare at 7:50am and our local hip hop station was playing some song that blasted out "<i>sprayin' honeys with champaaaagne." Too early! </i>I thought, and just like that, I was done. Cruz and London love music, so the music they listen to might as well have some redeeming qualities. When Cruz is supposed to be napping, he's often jumping around his room belting out "Come Thou Fount" or "Silent Night" instead. I feel <i>great </i>that those words are written on his heart. I love that I can ask him, "what do you think this song is about?" and we can talk about why there are so many songs about God as a foundation (I mean, really, there are a lot).<br />
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+ We pray with our kids <i>and</i> in front of our kids. Pre-dinner and pre-bedtime prayers are so sweet to do with our kids, but I want my children to see how rich and real prayer life can be. Tovi and I often set aside time while we're driving (and the kids are essentially our captive "audience") to praise God and pray for each other, our family, our church... anything that's on our hearts. I hope that this practice demonstrates our dependence on God, thanksgiving for the things He's provided, thanksgiving for salvation, and the truth that we can bring anything to Him in prayer.<br />
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If you're looking for more ways to help your children develop an awesome faith life, here are some additional suggestions. And leave your's in the comments below! I would love to keep updating this list with your ideas!<br />
+ <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Jesus-Storybook-Bible-Every-Whispers/dp/0310708257/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1402460585&sr=1-1&keywords=jesus+storybook+bible">The Jesus Storybook Bible </a><br />
+ <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Power-Praying-Parent/dp/0736919252/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1402460612&sr=1-2&keywords=the+power+of+a+praying+parent">The Power of a Praying Parent </a><br />
+ <a href="http://www.lifeway.com/n/Product-Family/HomeLife-Magazine">Homelife Magazine </a><br />
+<a href="http://www.mops.org/blog"> Hello, Darling</a>Becca {While You Were Napping}http://www.blogger.com/profile/12340577448931755326noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4046507395802735353.post-81997539663943484842014-05-28T22:28:00.000-07:002014-05-28T22:28:14.291-07:00what's working {in february}after i posted <a href="http://whileyouwerenapping.blogspot.com/2014/01/whats-working-in-january.html">what's working in january</a>, my friend <a href="http://simplycomplicated.me/?p=1216">michelle posted her own version</a>. and from that, i was inspired to start using the 'notes' app on my phone more often. so all month long i've been keeping a running list of the things that seem to be working well for us. so here we go... what's working in february!<br />
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+ <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Nutella-26-5-Ounce-Jar/dp/B008TMIO2M/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1392614255&sr=8-2&keywords=nutella">nutella</a>. yup, i am a million years late to the game on this one. it never occurred to me that as an adult, i could decide to keep nutella in my home. we were recently given a jar of nutella... and we're never going back. this is an eliasen family pantry staple from now on.<br />
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+ <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Paper-Mate-InkJoy-Advanced-Colored/dp/B0067Y5KWG/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1392614289&sr=8-3&keywords=inkjoy">inkjoy pens</a>. you've seen the commercials, and the pens live up to the hype! great colors, easy flow. they are currently making all my notes and planners and to-do lists look very, very pretty. $1.87 on amazon is a price that can't be beat.<br />
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+ <a href="http://oldnavy.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=36107&vid=1&pid=920266012">old navy drawstring jersey pants</a>. are these sweats? are they leggings? who knows, but they're great. a little tip from me to you: size up on these. i like them to fit a little slouchy, more like tapered sweats than leggings.<br />
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+ <a href="http://www.target.com/p/junior-s-boyfriend-v-tee/-/A-11751613#prodSlot=large_5_27&term=mossimo">mossimo junior's boyfriend v tee</a>. the other day my friend anna texted me a funny comment about gray t-shirts from target (and wearing them every day). i quickly her back a picture of me captioned, "oh, you mean THIS gray t-shirt from target?" this t-shirt is part of my every day uniform (and yes, i'm wearing one right now). whenever i go to target, i pick up another color. size up if you're into a slouchy fit, although they're a good length to start with.<br />
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+ making lunch the night before. i am going crazy trying to figure out how to <a href="http://whileyouwerenapping.blogspot.com/2014/01/sometimes-we-try-to-leave-house.html">get us out of the house</a> in a timely manner. one solution that i've come up with is to pack cruz's lunch at night, no matter what. i usually do this if he has daycare the next morning, but now i'm doing it every day so that we can zip off somewhere once london's up from her morning nap. (sidenote: doesn't london's expression kill you? 'mom, how many more pictures do you need of us eating lunch?')<br />
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+ <a href="http://www.duckduckmoose.com/educational-iphone-itouch-apps-for-kids/trucks/">trucks app</a>. cruz does not get a tremendous amount of screentime, but he has a couple of apps on my ipad and phone. the 'trucks' app by duck duck moose was one that i originally downloaded onto my phone. he liked it ok, but didn't choose to play with it that often. we recently pulled it up on the ipad, where it is a much better app. i like this app because there's problem solving involved, and <i>no characters.</i> there's a "fix it" shop section, where cars with flat tires get new tires, and cruz has now created an entire fix it shop under my desk, inspired by his game. i don't know if this is creative or disturbing, but let's go with creative.<br />
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what's working for you this month? share in the comments or link up!<br />
xo/beccaBecca {While You Were Napping}http://www.blogger.com/profile/12340577448931755326noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4046507395802735353.post-59786871679934681742014-05-28T22:26:00.000-07:002014-05-28T22:26:15.606-07:00what's working {in march}<br />
it's time for what worked in march! march is typically my busiest month at work, so i've felt stressed and pulled verrrrrry thin: it didn't always feel like a lot was working. but over the last week i've caught my breath and remember that yes, there are lots of things that are working for us around here.<br />
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+ <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/snapbibs?ref=search_shop_redirect">snapbibs</a>. let me tell you-- i just hate bibs. they are horrible and crusty and never as clean as i want them to be. we recently ordered some cute girlie bibs for london, which turned out to be darling but a totally terrible product. she gave them a loving chomp (as babies do) and within a few days, they looked worn and damaged. then i discovered snapbibs on <a href="http://instagram.com/snapbibs">instagram</a>... and this is the bib we've been looking for. london looks so cute with it on, and it's durable! i can see these being a great go-to baby shower gift. i'm already picking out which colors i want next (for her! right?).<br />
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+ <a href="http://coffitivity.com/">coffitivity</a>. i love working at a coffee shop. i love the smell, the energy, and the social pressure to stay focused on my work. because i have two kids at home now, i don't always get to escape to my local starbucks or coffee bean the way i used to. the coffitivity app or website helps make up for some of that. i can get the ambient noise going, and it really does help me to focus.<br />
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+ daffodils from trader joe's. honestly, you can't spend a better $1.29.<br />
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+ shampoo only. we could just call these next two tips "the lazy gal's guide to beauty." by this point you know that i am all about cutting out excess. and guess what? one morning i was so tired that i forgot to put conditioner in my hair and i ended up with a fantastic hair day! what the what?? i've now gone over two weeks without conditioner and i can only say good things about it. my showers are shorter, and because i'm using less product , i can go longer between washes. now, i have no idea if this will work for your hair, but isn't it worth trying?<br />
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+ apple cider vinegar. i've been having wacky postpartum skin. think dry, fine lines, and the occasional breakout. i've been using apple cider vinegar on my breakouts with surprisingly good results! i keep a baby food container of acv in the bathroom, and when i feel a breakout coming on, i use a q-tip to apply a little to my face. it stings, but that's how we know it's working, right? (i could probably even use acv in place of conditioner! #lazygalbeauty)<br />
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+ do you ever do serious spring cleaning? for some reason, i've had the itch to spring clean this year. i've followed <a href="http://iheartorganizing.blogspot.com/2014/03/monthly-clean-home-challenge.html">iheartorganizing's daily plan</a>. i didn't take on a project every day, of course, so there's plenty to keep going with in april. there were some projects that i originally scoffed at, but later realized how desperately my home needed them! (<a href="http://iheartorganizing.blogspot.com/2014/03/monthly-clean-home-challenge-wipe-down_17.html">cleaning the fronts of the kitchen cupboards</a>! wow!)<br />
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want more things that work?<br />
<ul>
<li><a href="http://whileyouwerenapping.blogspot.com/2014/01/whats-working-in-january.html">january </a></li>
<li><a href="http://whileyouwerenapping.blogspot.com/2014/02/whats-working-in-february.html">february </a></li>
</ul>
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what's working for you this month? share in the comments below or link up!</div>
Becca {While You Were Napping}http://www.blogger.com/profile/12340577448931755326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4046507395802735353.post-87209585792356314982014-05-28T22:25:00.001-07:002014-05-28T22:25:27.178-07:00What's Working {in May}<div class="MsoNormal">
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<span style="text-align: start;">I have never appreciated spring as a season. I guess growing up in Seattle never felt terribly different from winter. Is there truly a difference between rainy, windy and thirty degrees and rainy, windy and forty-five? In Santa Barbara, our weather hardly fluctuates. I bet you could guess the weather of any day of the year with startling accuracy—75 degrees, sunny, slight breeze. But somehow this year it has felt like </span><i style="text-align: start;">spring</i><span style="text-align: start;"> and I really like it. I’m noticing the blooming trees and flowers in our neighborhood. I appreciate our mild days and cool nights, and I’ve been spring-cleaning and redecorating fearlessly! With Tovi and I both working from home, two active mobile kids, and one dog, it feels as if every inch of our house and space and time needs to be used well right now. We need simplicity and efficiency. There's absolutely no physical, mental, or emotional space for things that don't work. So here’s what has worked in May:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">+ Working out as soon as the kids go to bed. There was a
point in March when I was working so hard that I actually made myself sick. Migraine headache, throwing up, sick. Tovi said enough was enough, and he has really helped me to build some healthy
routines back into my day. One of them is working out as soon as the kids go to
bed. It’s an obvious transition in the day, so changing outfits doesn’t feel
too weird (does changing outfits keep anyone from working out? Just me?). If you don’t have a regular workout time, I recommend this one!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">+<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Crystal-Light-Energy-Peach-10-Packet/dp/B007LTRR0O/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1401340264&sr=8-2&keywords=crystal+light+energy">Crystal Light Energy sticks</a>. I’m sure this is not the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">healthiest</i>
trick in the book, but it works! In the afternoon, I stir one of these little
powder sticks into my water and have a great boost of energy for the afternoon.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">+ Anchors in the week. With Cruz we walk a fine line between helping him to anticipate what’s coming up next in the day or week and helping him to learn flexibility. One way we do this is to have “anchors” in our week; there’s something that happens every Monday, Tuesday, etc that he looks forward to, and then we can fill in the remaining part of the day with non-routine activities. Playdate Tuesdays! Music Class Thursdays! I love being able to schedule our week around these fun anchors.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">+ <a href="http://www.peachesskincare.com/">Peaches Skincare</a>. The combination of having a second child
and turning thirty really started to show on my face. My skin started getting
dry and full of fine lines and I didn’t look or feel like myself. I’ve been
using Peaches for a month and my face feels young and fresh! Peaches is a local
skincare line (I purchased it at the spa), but you can also <a href="http://www.peachesskincare.com/order-products.html">order online</a>. As
higher-end skincare lines go, it’s totally affordable and I think it’s
absolutely worth the price.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">+ <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Anemone-Womens-Seamless-Removable-Strap/dp/B00AY1GMFW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1401340106&sr=8-1&keywords=anemone+bra">Anemone bras</a>. My friend Annemarie introduced me to these
stretchy bras. They are perfect for nursing and layering a low-cut shirt. They
are comfy. They come in tons of colors. And best of all? On Amazon Prime,
they’re like $12 for a 2-pack.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">+ <a href="https://www.honest.com/bath-and-body/conditioning-detangler">Honest Co. Conditioning Spray</a>. I am not an Honest Co
groupie. I’ve tried other products before and found them to be just okay, but I
really like this conditioning spray. London’s curls are growing in, and this
spray does a nice job of keeping them from getting too frizzy or wild, while
keeping them sweet smelling (a bonus, as she regularly conditions her hair with
green beans and sweet potatoes). </span></div>
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How about you? What's working in your life right now?<br />
xo<br />
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Becca {While You Were Napping}http://www.blogger.com/profile/12340577448931755326noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4046507395802735353.post-54732632154785220802014-05-20T21:03:00.000-07:002014-05-21T06:10:00.721-07:00fill her up<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
when cruz was a year old (london's age now (i know, right? she was born like five minutes ago)), working from home was a breeze for me. after breakfast i would take him to the backyard for "outdoors time," and he would crawl around after the dog, grab sticks, or gaze at passing airplanes until naptime. he was so so happy out there doing his thing. i would take my laptop outside and sit at the table chatting to him while i worked. it was idyllic and i didn't even know it.<br />
<br />
then came london, my sweet london. look, she is the world's easiest baby <i>as long as she's with you.</i> she's not introverted, let's just say. she doesn't respond well to mommy ideas like <i>independent play time. </i>do you remember how cruz would (still does) wake up early in the morning and then play happily in his crib until we came to get him? this has never happened with london. london only likes to be with people. the bumper in her crib has a permanent fold in it because the moment she wakes up, she crawls to the corner of her bed closest to the door, scrunches the bumper down so that she can monitor the door, and hollers until we scoop her up. the baby gesture that she mastered first? blowing kisses and arms straight up to be held. let me say this again, she is happy and easy beyond any baby i could have ever dreamed up, but an introvert she is not.<br />
<br />
this makes working from home a challenge.<br />
<br />
in a perfect world, i wouldn't work too often around the kids, but it's not a perfect world and i often need to get work done while the kids are up and about. cruz wants my one-on-one attention more than he used to, but i don't mind letting him play a game on the ipad or watching a little curious george while i finish up some work. obviously london is too young for this and has no patience for her jumparoo or other independent play time encouraging activities. the best i've been able to do is put her in the high chair (this makes me feel guilty most of the time because she'll lay her head down on the tray so that she can see me under the kitchen table, and then through the living room to my desk).<br />
<br />
my new friend <a href="http://wholehearted-blog.blogspot.com/">kelly</a> is both wise and beautiful. we were at the park the other week talking about the differences between our kids, and when i mentioned this difference between london and cruz, she gave me great advice:<i> fill her up first.</i><br />
<br />
fill her up with lots of face-to-face time and play and kisses and snuggles, and she'll be more likely to play by herself later on in the day. cruz has the same needs, but he doesn't need that kind of togetherness <i>before</i> he plays independently.<br />
<br />
in such a simple way, it has totally reframed my mornings and made it much easier to work while london's awake. the kids get as much of my attention as possible, from the time they wake up until london takes her morning nap. we do lots of snuggles in bed, books, breakfast, a craft, singing. i very, very intentionally fill them up (and tovi too, if he's home that morning). while london's napping, i work and cruz does something specific (usually two episodes of curious george). we're all better for our new rhythm (and especially grateful to have wise friends!).Becca {While You Were Napping}http://www.blogger.com/profile/12340577448931755326noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4046507395802735353.post-57478319350848008042014-05-15T07:39:00.001-07:002014-05-15T07:39:12.040-07:00a twitterature linkup: what i've been reading latelytoday i'm linking up with <a href="http://modernmrsdarcy.com/">modern mrs. darcy's</a> monthly <a href="http://modernmrsdarcy.com/2014/05/summer-reading-guide-rejects-twitterature/#comments">twitterature</a>. these are my short reviews of recent reads.<br />
<br />
reading is one of my absolute favorite activities. thank goodness i'm a fast reader, because i really only read at night before i go to bed! because of that, i have no problem stopping books that i don't feel connected to. this month i stopped reading three books: still life with breadcrumbs (anna quindlen), the headmaster's wife (thomas christopher greene), and doctor sleep (stephen king). i am also making my way through <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Luminaries-Man-Booker-Prize-ebook/dp/B00BAXFAJC/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1400127062&sr=1-1&keywords=the+luminaries">the luminaries</a>, but i'm no where close to the end (or middle. this book is long!)<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Code-Name-Verity-Elizabeth-Wein/dp/1423152883/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1400127275&sr=1-1&keywords=code+name+verity">code name verity</a>. this is billed as young adult fiction, but plucky young brits during world war ii might be my love language. #crackingstory #goodtwists<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zWdSGUVm7ms/U3RBZuTMbmI/AAAAAAAALWA/4z8t5f98VzE/s1600/imgres-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zWdSGUVm7ms/U3RBZuTMbmI/AAAAAAAALWA/4z8t5f98VzE/s1600/imgres-1.jpg" /></a></div>
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Invention-Wings-Sue-Monk-Kidd/dp/0670024783/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1400127459&sr=1-1&keywords=the+invention+of+wings">the invention of wings</a>. <i>beautifully </i>and painfully told story of abolitionist sarah grimke and hetty, a slave gifted to sarah on her birthday. sarah is a real american hero. there are some graphic scenes of slavery, but that's a part of our history we should understand. #absolutelyrecommend<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Dinner-Herman-Koch/dp/0385346859/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1400127953&sr=1-1&keywords=the+dinner">the dinner</a>. this one is... weird. i liked it, though. for fans of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Shriver-Lionel-Harper-Perennial-Paperback/dp/B00E2RM3ZW/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1400128102&sr=1-2&keywords=we+need+to+talk+about+kevin">we need to talk about kevin</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Defending-Jacob-Novel-William-Landay/dp/0385344228/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1400128097&sr=1-3&keywords=we+need+to+talk+about+kevin">defending jacob</a> (i liked both of those books better). herman koch does a great job of building tension. couldn't put it down. #badkids<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9dn_gjZwUGg/U3RGQcT9CbI/AAAAAAAALWQ/JaeHyDQwiEU/s1600/selection.jpg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9dn_gjZwUGg/U3RGQcT9CbI/AAAAAAAALWQ/JaeHyDQwiEU/s1600/selection.jpg.jpg" height="292" width="400" /></a></div>
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Elite-Selection-Kiera-Cass/dp/0062059971/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1400128336&sr=1-1&keywords=the+elite">the elite</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/One-Selection-Kiera-Cass/dp/0062059998/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1400128366&sr=1-1&keywords=the+one">the one</a>. books two and three of <i>the selection</i> trilogy. essentially, the bachelor meets <i>divergent</i> (i would say <i>hunger games</i>, but that would really be a stretch). this is just fun, popcorn reading if you're into young adult fiction. it's a fun love story, and someone actually calls out the heroine for always (thoughtlessly) taking matters into her own hands. #readin24hours<br />
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and you, dear friend? what have you been reading lately?<br />
<br />Becca {While You Were Napping}http://www.blogger.com/profile/12340577448931755326noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4046507395802735353.post-76133407062161016602014-05-11T21:24:00.000-07:002014-05-12T06:19:28.084-07:00the day date<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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the day date! what a magical invention. one of tovi's sweet clients gave him a gift certificate to <a href="http://andersenssantabarbara.com/">andersen's</a>, one of his favorite breakfast spots. the last couple of times we've been there, it was with our kids, so i did <i>not </i>have a good time, and was willing to try it again, just the two of us.</div>
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everything about a day date is the best. we dropped the kids off with tovi's mom really early in the morning and the two of us were sitting down to breakfast by 8:45. we sat outside to people watch. we alternated between coffee and champagne, pastries and eggs. we talked. we dreamed. we agreed that, given the opportunity, we'd move to germany. this is the kind of crazy talk that only happens when our conversation is uninterrupted and unhurried. and it was only 9:15! the whole day was ahead of us!</div>
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before our date, tovi had proposed that we each pick somewhere to go after breakfast. i chose the new <a href="http://sbpublicmarket.com/">santa barbara public market </a> and he chose a walk along the breakwater. it was a simple morning, walking around, checking out the fresh pasta at the market, and the crabs scuttling on the rocks in the harbor. it's so good for us to pause, in the daylight and sunshine, and really see each other and connect. there was something so refreshing about being out together during the day. can't wait for our next day date. </div>
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<br />Becca {While You Were Napping}http://www.blogger.com/profile/12340577448931755326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4046507395802735353.post-60539183374164141782014-05-01T22:34:00.002-07:002014-05-02T06:51:51.677-07:00all the beauty<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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my amazing mom came to visit us last week, and because it was a short visit, we had to make every single minute count. once the babes were up from their naps, we headed out to ellwood mesa, which is just a few minutes from our house and one of the most magical places on earth.<br />
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once you convince your three year old to walk up the hill, you're rewarded with huge fields of wildflowers, gorgeous views on the mountains, the pacific ocean, and if you're really lucky, a pod of dolphins leaping through the waves (we were lucky). we wandered and talked. cruz sang to himself as he walked slower and slower behind, trailing sticks by his side. </div>
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i stretch my arms out, throw my head back, and sometimes i simply can't get over what a beautiful world God created.</div>
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<br />Becca {While You Were Napping}http://www.blogger.com/profile/12340577448931755326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4046507395802735353.post-48670467933673812492014-04-22T07:01:00.000-07:002014-04-22T07:01:30.526-07:00sticker charts for the perfectionist child<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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cruz turned two and a half right around that london was born. as much as i'd like to tell you that the transition from one to two children was easy, it was not. partly due to his age, and partly due to sharing mommy and daddy with another child, cruz had a rough time. i haven't written too much on this because i understand it and i want to respect cruz's right to have had a tough time with all the change. so <i>yadda yadda yadda</i>, we've been using a lot of sticker charts around here.<br />
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i've tried a lot of different sticker chart strategies, and it took some trial and error before we found a system that seemed to work for us. like everyone, we work on multiple behaviors at once. we're being sweet to sister, carrying our dishes to the sink, saying please and thank you without prompting... cruz responds really well to sticker charts, so we used them, but all of a sudden the doors of my kitchen pantry exploded with charts. and there seemed to be a different system for each behavior we were targeting. there are only a few times a day that cruz could earn a sticker for putting his clothes in the hamper, but a seemingly endless number of opportunities for saying thank you! not to mention the times i wanted to give a positive reinforcement for a behavior that didn't have it's own chart.<br />
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like a normal person would, cruz was getting frustrated with the array of color-coded charts i had for him. everything he was doing got reduced to a checklist. the rules were constantly changing and he never seemed to get to the end reward. aggravating, right?<br />
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so we threw out the old sticker chart rules and ushered in a new system that's been working very well for the last few month: the tower of stickers.<br />
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the idea is simple: whenever we want to positively reinforce a behavior, we put a sticker on the chart. the stickers start at the bottom of the page, and we build up until there's a "tower." if there's a tower by friday, cruz gets to have a "jammie movie night." the reward is big enough that he cares about getting a movie night, but he understands that he needs to wait until friday to watch his movie. we aren't stuck with handing out rewards at random times. and importantly, because there's no set number of stickers cruz needs to earn (we're looking at a general positive growth model #statnerds), there hasn't been a sense of despair over "not having enough."<br />
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best of all, it's working. cruz understands that good behavior = praise + stickers = movie night. he loves adding to his tower and we've seen his behavior improve because we're able to be consistent with the praise and reward. the other day he was upstairs. i heard him sneeze and then he hollered down, "i said bless you to myself! i'd like a sticker, please!" how could i not, right?<br />
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<br />Becca {While You Were Napping}http://www.blogger.com/profile/12340577448931755326noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4046507395802735353.post-88715407681961933732014-04-15T09:21:00.002-07:002014-04-15T09:21:49.822-07:00a twitterature linkup: what i've been reading latelytoday i'm linking up with <a href="http://modernmrsdarcy.com/2014/04/twitterature-april-2014-edition/">modern mrs. darcy's monthly twitterature</a>. these are my short reviews of recent reads.<br />
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+ <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Love-Does-Discover-Secretly-Incredible/dp/1400203759/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1397528443&sr=1-1&keywords=love+does">love does</a> lately, i have felt the need to step away from "taking a stand" and instead a call to get back to the root of my faith: <i>love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, and strength. and love your neighbor as yourself. </i>so, among other things, i bought love does. bob goff is really good at loving others and writing about it enthusiastically. this books has inspired me to make some risky big acts of love. highly recommended. #extraordinaryeverydaylove<br />
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+ <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Unlikely-Pilgrimage-Harold-Fry-Novel/dp/0812983459/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1397528478&sr=1-1&keywords=the+unlikely+pilgrimage+of+harold+fry">the unlikely pilgrimage of harold fry</a> you know how netflix makes genre recommendations that are very specific? tovi and i always get "thrilling, emotional documentaries" and "workplace comedies" (#blackfish #parksandrec). if amazon did the same, my genre would be "old british people finding themselves, charmingly." this book fits squarely inside that description, and i really enjoyed it. #oldbritsfindingthemselves #charmingly<br />
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+ <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Mr-Penumbras-24-Hour-Bookstore-Novel/dp/1250037751/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1397528504&sr=1-1&keywords=mr+penumbras+24+hour+bookstore">mr. penumbra's 24-hour bookstore</a> an author with a sense of humor, a mysterious cult, a love letter to books, san francisco. #winningcombination<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-e7naXYpkw7o/U0y2Po-n20I/AAAAAAAALR0/epbbXIKkxac/s1600/cvr9781471111297_9781471111297_lg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-e7naXYpkw7o/U0y2Po-n20I/AAAAAAAALR0/epbbXIKkxac/s1600/cvr9781471111297_9781471111297_lg.jpg" height="320" width="210" /></a></div>
+ <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Reconstructing-Amelia-Novel-Kimberly-McCreight/dp/0062225448/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1397528581&sr=1-1&keywords=reconstructing+amelia">reconstructing amelia</a> this book had all of the ingredients for a winner-- murder mystery, <i>gossip girl-esque</i> cliques, but the adult elements of the book (about teenagers) really threw it off for me. #saynotoprepschools<br />
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+ <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Exceptional-1-Jess-Petosa/dp/0615613969/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1397528637&sr=1-1&keywords=exceptional">exceptional</a> there are many great dystopian YA novels out there. this is not one of them. if you're writing about an alternative future or universe, you need to <i>build</i> that universe. this book never got close. #skipit<br />
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after last month's line-up of disappointing books, i am so happy to have a number of worthy choices to recommend! how about you? read anything good lately?Becca {While You Were Napping}http://www.blogger.com/profile/12340577448931755326noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4046507395802735353.post-28013162736953831312014-04-07T21:57:00.003-07:002014-04-07T21:57:32.616-07:00a lovely little day in: san francisco<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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we took a long weekend up to the bay area a few weeks ago, and snuck in a dreamy day in san francisco. i lived in san francisco for a semester in college and then again for the year between graduation and getting married. i love the city, but have never really experienced it with kids. we go up to the bay area often, but going into the city usually seems like a far-off dream. we planned to visit san francisco this time, but even then i thought, "ah, sure. that'd be nice if it happened." but it did! what a lovely surprise.<br />
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seeing san francisco with two kids was fantastic. we gave ourselves some limits (parking only once, keep our route pretty flat), which helped to narrow down our options. our day ended up being predictably touristy, but guess what, we're tourists.<br />
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the weather app on my phone had been telling me to expect coooold temps and cloudy skies in san francisco, but as we drove in over the new bay bridge, it was sunny! and kind of warm!<br />
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we parked one block off of embarcadero and headed towards the ferry building, but first walked down a long pier, watched some old men fishing, and some young men wearing too many accessories. we doled out snacks and took pictures of the bay bridge and couldn't believe our luck that we had actually made it into san francisco.<br />
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it's been <i>years </i>since i'd been to the ferry building, and we loved every inch of it. and every calorie. we seriously ate our way from one end to the other. tovi fell in love with some cinnamon almond brittle while i couldn't get enough of this nutella-filled italian donut (i mean, i literally couldn't get enough because cruz has not quite caught onto the concept of <i>sharing food</i>).<br />
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we made it a goal to walk down to pier 39 to look at the sea lions and get lunch. there was so much to look at and listen to the whole way down. the exploratorium had a ton of interactive exhibits outside on the piers, which were cool to see and made me want to check out the museum next time we're in town.<br />
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sea lions. street performers. fish and chips.<br />
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the kids both fell asleep on the long way back to the car and stayed asleep, so we drove around the city and reminisced about our dating days in san francisco. we held hands so much of the day and i kept saying, "i can't believe we're here!" absolutely perfect day.Becca {While You Were Napping}http://www.blogger.com/profile/12340577448931755326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4046507395802735353.post-4525267861497559592014-03-30T21:58:00.000-07:002014-03-31T06:47:32.060-07:00growth spurt<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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this little lady. my goodness, how did she get to be ten months old already?<br />
london is so rarely a baby these days. she's got eight teeth and a full head a hair, which just makes her look like a toddler. in the last two weeks she has started crawling, waving, clapping, responding to her name, moving from crawling to sitting, and saying "mama" and "dada" with purpose.<br />
i am watching my baby speed away from me, reaching out for the next thing she wants.<br />
she's friendly and joyful and oh so determined to get what she's after.<br />
london loves books, her babydolls, and mostly loves whatever cruz happens to be playing with at the moment. she giggles when we hold her upside down.<br />
it's only in the middle of the night that she feels like my small baby again. after she's nursed, and is laying on me with her arms above her head, i kiss her milky lips, and for a moment i have my newborn back.Becca {While You Were Napping}http://www.blogger.com/profile/12340577448931755326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4046507395802735353.post-82711647333262340532014-03-25T22:51:00.001-07:002014-03-26T07:17:07.765-07:00a lovely little day in: isla vistamy dad came to visit last week. it was a quick trip, but one that we tried to pack full of lots of silliness and fun things.<br />
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we had phenomenal weather while he was here, and took advantage of it by spending a lovely little afternoon in isla vista (the college neighborhood behind us). isla vista is like... peter pan and the lost boys. it's populated almost entirely by college students (like, thousands of 18-20 year olds). but there's a lot of great spots for families too, and i think we came up with a pretty great isla vista agenda.<br />
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stop number one: freebirds for nachos to split.<br />
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are you ready for a life-changing nacho related tip? get ready to thank me: guacamole and barbecue sauce together. uh.may.zing.<br />
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stop number two: crushcakes for cupcakes.<br />
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i let cruz eat one before his lunch because i'm the mom of the year. </div>
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stop number three: enjoy it all at the dinosaur park!</div>
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it was perfect and warm and full of chasing cruz and moving our cupcakes out of london's ever-increasing radius. isla vista is full of little gems, right here in our backyard. and come back soon, dad! we miss you!</div>
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<br />Becca {While You Were Napping}http://www.blogger.com/profile/12340577448931755326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4046507395802735353.post-69827190853828476772014-03-17T21:30:00.001-07:002014-03-17T21:30:53.790-07:00a twitterature linkup: what i've been reading latelytoday i'm linking up with modern mrs darcy's monthly <a href="http://modernmrsdarcy.com/2014/03/twitterature-march-2014-edition/">twitterature</a>. these are my short reviews of recent reads.<br />
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[fair warning, dear reader. i've done a lot of unsatisfying reading lately. it's about to get ranty.]<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Antelope-Living-Room-Sharing/dp/1414385544/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1395116159&sr=8-1&keywords=the+antelope+in+the+living+room">the antelope in the living room.</a> hilarious stories of marriage, best read one or two at a time. #silentlylaughingintomypillowatnight<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KAUfnD3dzQI/UyfK3Wc-12I/AAAAAAAALL4/8o_WfZTTdBU/s1600/imgres-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KAUfnD3dzQI/UyfK3Wc-12I/AAAAAAAALL4/8o_WfZTTdBU/s1600/imgres-1.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Silent-Wife-A-Novel/dp/0143123238/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1395116227&sr=8-1&keywords=the+silent+wife">the silent wife.</a> supposedly the new <i>gone girl.</i> interesting in its own right without the comparison, but the story rarely holds tension. #decentchoice<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Husbands-Secret-Liane-Moriarty/dp/0399159347/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1395116280&sr=8-2&keywords=the+silent+wife">the husband's secret.</a> ugh, no. i didn't like this one. too many stories, too many narrators, not enough depth. #returned<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Rosie-Project-A-Novel/dp/1476729085/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1395116318&sr=8-1&keywords=the+rosie+project">the rosie project.</a> this was a charming story of one man's ultra-logical, evidence-based search for a wife. #lovedit<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Police-A-Harry-Hole-Novel/dp/0307960498/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1395116411&sr=8-2&keywords=police">police. </a>now, i love unreliable narrators and i love murder mysteries, but this latest chapter in jo nesbo's harry hole series had too much of both. #toneitdownanotch<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/What-Alice-Forgot-Liane-Moriarty/dp/0425247449/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1395116463&sr=8-1&keywords=what+alice+forgot">what alice forgot.</a> by the author of the husband's secret and much, much better. this book stayed lighthearted for the most part, which fit the author's tone much more comfortably. #senseofhumor<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/A-Circle-Wives-Alice-LaPlante/dp/0802122345/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1395116520&sr=8-1&keywords=circle+of+wives">circle of wives.</a> uuuggghhhh. this is one of the most frustrating books i've read in a long time. amazon recommended it to me because i like thrillers (i do!) and probably because i'm also fascinated by polygamy. how could a person write a boring book about murder and polygamy?? #tooboringtoconsider<br />
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can i take a moment to speak to the authors and editors in the room? there's been a recent rash of new books coming out that are told from multiple perspectives. in this list alone there are three, and i just started another one that moves back and forth between narrators. is it because <i>gone girl</i> was so popular? well, <i>gone girl</i> needed two narrators; that's the whole premise of the book. but rarely, <i>rarely</i> does more than one narrator add to your novel. i just can't take it any more. i almost returned my current read as soon as i saw that there were two narrators. instead of three or four half-hearted plot lines, just tell one story really well.<br />
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so because it's st. patrick's day and i forgot to wear green, i'll celebrate by rereading one of my favorite irish authors, tana french. girlfriend can <i>tell a story with tension and clear voice. </i>she writes the dublin murder squad series, four books so far. start with <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/In-Woods-Tana-French/dp/0143113496/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1395116705&sr=8-1&keywords=in+the+woods">in the woods</a></i> and get ready to stay up all night reading.<br />
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what have you been reading recently? clearly i need some good recommendations!Becca {While You Were Napping}http://www.blogger.com/profile/12340577448931755326noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4046507395802735353.post-18305554002757099472014-03-10T22:44:00.000-07:002014-03-11T07:25:34.381-07:00one handy nursing trick<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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when cruz was first born, i often worried about how much milk he was drinking. was his latch good? was he growing? when you're nursing a baby, it's hard to tell! (with london it was a little easier because she gained, like, a pound a week. not an exaggeration)<br />
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the books said to count the number of wet diapers. the boards on babycenter said to measure the ounces (what??). but i still wanted to know to cruz was getting <i>enough</i> milk. i think every new mom wants to know! my lactation consultant taught me a cool trick and i thought i'd share it with you, just in case you've ever asked, "is she getting enough milk?"<br />
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this trick is especially helpful with newborns who tend to fall asleep while nursing, although it certainly works with older babes too! after their active sucking slows down, lift up your baby's top arm. if there's any resistance, they're still hungry. if the arm flops back down, your baby is done! for london and cruz, this would also kind of wake them back up if they'd fallen asleep.<br />
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have you ever heard of this? do you have any <i>handy</i> nursing tricks?Becca {While You Were Napping}http://www.blogger.com/profile/12340577448931755326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4046507395802735353.post-16758054358801241912014-03-03T20:59:00.000-08:002014-03-05T06:27:41.003-08:00from where i stand<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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it's 5:15pm and from where i stand, it's hard to believe that in less than two hours the house will be quiet and clean. i'm leaning against our tall table in the kitchen, scraping up the last spoonfuls of squash and green beans for london. cruz asks me to turn on some music and soon we're dancing in the kitchen. london giggles and giggles, smearing squash all over her high chair. a client calls and i laughingly try to shush everyone while i answer her question. as soon as i hang up the phone, tovi calls to say that practice went late, but that he's on his way home. "yes!" we cheer.<br />
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we're waiting for the rain to come.<br />
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i change the song and cruz asks me about the lyrics. he's full of questions these days. "why did they say 'poor and powerless' mommy?" "how can i be your same height?" "why does london eat smashed food?"<br />
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london chats and chats to us. "nananananana. mamamamama." i cut up some turkey for cruz and put his strawberries into a special cup, just like he asks.<br />
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it's loud, it's chaotic. our evenings are full of sticky palms and messy floors, sing-a-longs and jokes, and somehow, i hope these are the moments they'll remember.Becca {While You Were Napping}http://www.blogger.com/profile/12340577448931755326noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4046507395802735353.post-63387014956192162052014-02-13T09:17:00.001-08:002014-02-13T09:17:16.173-08:00this is the thick of it<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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our church is reading through the Bible together this year (which, side note, has been awesome and i'm hoping write about next week). today's new testament reading was in matthew 26. jesus and the disciples are in the garden of gethsemane, and jesus says to peter, "... the spirit is willing, but the body is weak!"<br />
i hear THAT, i thought to myself.<br />
and a few verses later... "when he returned to them again, he found them sleeping, for they couldn't keep their eyes open."<br />
yup, i hear that too.<br />
the other day, a friend's mom asked me how old my kids were. when i replied with, "my son is three and my daughter is eight months," her eyes got wide and she put a hand on my shoulder. "oooh, you are in the thick of it."<br />
let me tell you, there was something so validating in having an experienced woman say that this is a full season of life.<br />
nursing london. carrying her. lifting cruz into the car. cruz is climbing on my back. cruz is climbing on my back while i'm nursing london. i'm lugging bags and hoisting strollers. i'm filling cups and chasing boys and dogs around the backyard. and could there be any more wiping?<br />
that's what i wasn't prepared for in parenting: all.the.wiping.<br />
kisses. peekaboo. smoothing hair off of tired faces. leaning down to listen better.<br />
my arms and back are tired, so i've been trying my hardest to keep my spirit refreshed, to remember what a blessing and joy it is to serve these little souls with every ounce of my strength. Lord, you gave me these hands to hold and wipe. you made my hips perfectly wide enough to tote my baby around on. you made my legs strong enough to chase my son. my spirit is willing, Lord. help me keep my eyes open.Becca {While You Were Napping}http://www.blogger.com/profile/12340577448931755326noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4046507395802735353.post-31020441455741474032014-02-06T07:15:00.000-08:002014-02-06T07:15:05.636-08:00instajanthis is what we were up to in january... at least according to instagram<br />
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^^ while we haven't had any real winter weather, we've been enjoying the most gorgeous winter skies. in a recent sermon, our pastor even talked about how every time there's a pretty sunset, everyone in santa barbara runs outside with their iphones raised high. it's true. and awesome.<br />
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^^ in january i was sorely in need of some refreshment (i'd say 'self-care' but i don't really like that word... more on that to come...). refreshment. i needed refreshment. i needed time to sit in the sun. i needed coffee and a cupcake and a couple of episodes of 'parenthood.'<br />
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^^ london looking pretty...<br />
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^^ and silly! she's getting so big and independent. she sits like a dream, is starting to pull herself up, and wants to crawl <i>badly.</i><br />
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^^ apparently cruz only wants his picture taken while he's eating? here he is learning about the c-train (thank goodness my years and years at lindamood-bell are paying off!), and also at one of our many, many lunchtime picnics. this little park is about three houses down from us, and we've been there almost every day lately. both the kids have been growing and changing at a rapid pace this month. every single day seems full to the brim. </div>
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here's to more in february!</div>
<i><br /></i>Becca {While You Were Napping}http://www.blogger.com/profile/12340577448931755326noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4046507395802735353.post-88392916750760125712014-02-03T06:32:00.004-08:002014-02-03T06:32:56.485-08:00the great closet cleanout<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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i love shopping. i love clothes. i certainly can't claim to have any revolutionary sense of style, but i enjoy dressing myself, for whatever it's worth. but confession time: i tend to buy things on sale just because they're on sale. i can't tell you just how many jcrew tank tops lurk in my closet simply because they were 30% off clearance. i hold onto clothes that no longer fit because i have some denial about my post-baby body. i was holding onto clothes that no longer worked because i had a little denial about my post-baby lifestyle (i mean, how many cocktail dresses does a gal need?). my closet was full of <i>ifs</i> and <i>remember whens </i>and the results of a whole lot of retail therapy. it's was problem. and my closet needed some life and truth spoken into it. fortunately, this coincided with getting back into my post-baby clothes, and i've learned a couple of tips along the way:<br />
<br />
+ be truthful about your current style. look, i'm a work at home mama. i play on the floor. i'm still nursing london. i like to get out of the house. i need clothes that work for all of this. i need effortless clothing. i hardly wear jeans-- jeggings, leggings, and maxi skirts work best in this season of life. i'm not wearing any precious fabrics because spit-up/nursing/mud/sweet potatoes. (i really wear the same two target t-shirts as often as i can, let's be honest) these are the clothes i need. i took everything else out of the closet and instantly slimmed my choices down. as it turns out, i had been holding on to bags and bags of business casual-wear from the job i had before kids. now, every once in a while i'll need to go to a dressy meeting or event, but i don't need too many of these pieces. out they went!<br />
<br />
+ get a sarah. your sarah may go by another name but my sarah has great taste and isn't afraid to kindly tell the truth. get your sarah over to your house and trick her into agreeing to watch you try on every.single.thing in your closet. because she's honest and has great taste and always makes you feel great about yourself, you'll listen when she says, "you know, that shirt is just not working for you" or "do you think you have enough gray cotton long-sleeved shirts?" she'll remind you that while that top is cute, you'd never be able to nurse in it. at the end of the day, you'll end up with a closet full of clothes that you <i>actually wear</i> and <i>actually look good in</i>. there won't be any <i>if, maybe or someday</i> pieces; just clothes you actually wear. you might fight her on some of the choices, so she'll encourage you to fill up a bag with the 'maybes' and look at them again in six months.<br />
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+ wait six months, then text your sarah and tell her she was right. you didn't wear anything from the 'maybe' bag.<br />
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+ bless someone else. at this point, the clothes i'm clearing out of my closet aren't torn or worn; they just don't fit me or my current style. there are items from jcrew, anthro, gap. at first i was a little sad to let them go <i>just because, </i>but now i'm excited to bless someone else, pass them on, and let my clothes go to a new home!Becca {While You Were Napping}http://www.blogger.com/profile/12340577448931755326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4046507395802735353.post-39483133505863690382014-01-27T07:14:00.000-08:002014-01-27T07:14:26.151-08:00sometimes we try to leave the house<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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it's sunday morning. tovi is gone at another conference this weekend, so it is me, two kids, one dog. it's sunday morning, and in order to make it to church sort of on time, my alarm goes off at 6:20am. i allow myself one round with the snooze button before absolutely prying myself out of bed. i am hoping, praying, daring to get in and out of the shower <i>and wash my hair</i> before i hear either one of the kids.<br />
<br />
i'm faster than fast and it's quiet enough when i get out that i have time to <a href="http://whileyouwerenapping.blogspot.com/2014/01/2014makeitwork.html">drink my glass of wate</a>r and get dressed before i hear london. i grab her from her crib, tie my wet hair into a loose bun, and bring her back into my bed to nurse. by this time we hear cruz singing "jesus loves me" from his room, and we go jump in bed with him. kisses, tickles, good mornings. i give london some books while i get cruz half dressed and send him downstairs.<br />
<br />
it is now 7:30. we have one hour left.<br />
<br />
i'm changing london and from downstairs i hear, "mommy! mommy! i'm ready for something that starts with a b!" cruz wants a cereal bar and is really into giving me <i>hints</i> about what he wants rather than asking for it. london is growing so fast that i don't always know what will fit her from day to day, so i try a couple of outfits on her before settling on a cute dress, a headband, and running downstairs, with shoes and socks in my hand for cruz.<br />
<br />
bar, fruit, juice and vitamins are doled out for cruz. i start the coffee, settle london into her jumpy and run back upstairs to start drying my hair. "hey cruz," i yell down, setting down the hairdryer for a moment. "can you let abby outside?" i pause while i hear him open the back door, call to the dog, and then shut it again. i figure that's good enough and also when did he get old enough to help like this?<br />
<br />
my hair is dry. my makeup is on. it is 8:00.<br />
<br />
i come back downstairs and announce to myself and everyone, "we're going to church this morning. we are leaving so soon." if i say it often enough will it come true? i start getting the diaper bag ready. it's packed with extra snacks for cruz in case we want to hang out with friends after church (we do). i pour a bowl of cereal for myself, start drinking my coffee, and realize that i've sat down without pouring milk into the bowl. i also realize that cruz has guzzled down an entire sippy of juice. "oh cruz!" i holler into the living, "i'm setting the timer for one minute. when you hear the beep, it's time to go potty." it's 8:15. i haul cruz into the bathroom. while he's sitting down, i see that neither of us has shoes on. "london's poopy," he tells me. ah, thank you for letting me know. i gulp down some coffee on my way through the kitchen to the living room, scooping her up and taking her upstairs. "let abby back inside," i yell down. "abby wants to stay outside all day," he answers back, clearly not wanting to stop playing again. not so helpful this time.<br />
<br />
lo and i come back downstairs, let abby back into the house. i forgot our shoes upstairs so i race up and down, hoping that was my last trip to the bedrooms. london is looking like such a little lady in her headband and tights that i stop to snap a picture. as i'm doing it, she flips up her skirt and sticks her tongue out-- what a sass!<br />
<br />
"cruz, which are we going to put on first: socks or shoes?" he giggles and runs over to me. "put some gel in my hair, mommy." this weekend we've been talking about what things go in our hair (gel: yes. pretzels: no) and his request is too cute to ignore. back upstairs to find hair gel. i work it in and he's off to look at himself in the mirror. "there's me and there's the gel in my hair!" i hear from the bathroom. it's 8:30 and it is absolutely time to get the kids into the car. can i say an amen for the minivan and my ability to open its doors from inside the house? i send cruz outside to start climbing into his seat while i turn off the lights, pick up london, lock the door.<br />
<br />
by the time i'm at the car, cruz is sitting in the driver's seat asking about the "levers." i pick him up and buckle him in, forgetting that earlier i'd promised that he could do it himself. he cries. i walk back around, unbuckle him and he does it himself, slowly and carefully. as we back out, we do our roll call. "is cruz in the car?" "yes!" "is london in the car?" "yes!" "is mommy in the car?" "yes!" (and now this is the part where i am very thankful for his help) "can you see the diaper bag?" "it's right there!" "can you see the ergo?" "there it is!" "can you see your snack?" "right there!" whew. gang's all here.<br />
<br />
we listen to praise music on the way to church. we talk about the friends that we'll see.<br />
<br />
i pull into the parking lot of 8:58 for the 9am service. we're so close and yet, so far. london goes into the ergo. cruz gets out of the van and we walk slllllooooowwwlllyyy down the sidewalk. "do you want me to carry you?" i ask a thousand times as he shuffles along. he identifies the types of trees out in front. he comments on the sidewalk cracks. he's cheerful and charming and taking his time. i've been trying to be on time for church for the last two and a half hours, and it kills me that we're still late. but when we walk in the doors, i can feel the Spirit and let it wash over me. our church is singing "bless the Lord O my soul" at the top of its lungs and cruz says, "this is the song i know!" simon, our greeter buddy, yells out, "welcome, little man!" as cruz runs in for his weekly high-five. by the time i've got the kids checked into their classes and i find my way into the auditorium, i am so so late. i am so late but it is worth the effort to get us out of the house. it is worth the hassle and the stress and the work to be out and worshipping with our church family. i can give glory to God even with this widow's mite of being late to church. so sometimes we try to leave the house.Becca {While You Were Napping}http://www.blogger.com/profile/12340577448931755326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4046507395802735353.post-55161893637539685972014-01-21T22:13:00.000-08:002014-01-21T22:13:40.580-08:00springbaby<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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we're almost eight months into this and i still can't get over how great she is. london is the friendliest baby you could ever dream up. never wants to miss a moment of what we're doing. if we're out at a restaurant, she will stare a person down until they smile back. she'll throw her body around to make sure she can see you. if she lays her head down on the highchair juuuust right, she can peek under the kitchen table, through the living room and over to the office to watch tovi working at his desk. she yells, "mamamama!" when she's mad and says, "aaaaaa!" whenever she sees a dog. she's a light sleeper (so light we don't even talk about her at night-- i just said her name to tovi while i sit here typing this post and she started crying), but a regular napper. she loves her brother and her daddy and her mommy and her dog. her favorite toys are her baby dolls (or whatever cruz happens to be playing with). she is pure joy.Becca {While You Were Napping}http://www.blogger.com/profile/12340577448931755326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4046507395802735353.post-61912652195496022202014-01-17T07:30:00.000-08:002014-01-17T07:30:43.680-08:00what's working {in january}i am always trying to simplify our lives. less stuff, less stress, you know the drill. part of me realizes, however, that our lives are always changing, so our needs are always changing. what seems to work well in one season doesn't work well in the next. so here's what works for me... for now.<br />
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<br />
+ <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Maybelline-Dream-Mousse-Foundation-Porcelain/dp/B0015G8IDO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1389971671&sr=8-1&keywords=dream+matte+mousse">dream matte mousse</a>. this is make-up that i bought at the grocery store on a total whim on thanksgiving morning. there could not be a sadder cosmetic purchase than that. so, i was clearly going into this with very low expectations... and have been extremely happy! this take 0.5 seconds to put on, is a light coverage, i feel like it lasts all day. and is $8. win win win.<br />
<br />
+ <a href="http://photo.walgreens.com/walgreens/">the walgreens photo app</a>. you guys. the walgreens photo app is genius and walgreens is about to make a million dollars from hipsters and instagram-obsessed moms. you open it up, the app pulls up your instagram feed, click click click the pictures you want and, not even kidding, they'll be ready in less than an hour. it's genius.<br />
<br />
+ <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Babymel-Ella-Diaper-Navy-Stripe/dp/B00EOSSL50/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1389971175&sr=8-6&keywords=babymel">babymel diaper bag</a>. i carried my trusty petunia picklebottom almost every day for three years... and it was just time. i was tired of it. it was worn and smelly. i got this babymel from nordstrom and couldn't be happier. because of the stripes, obviously. but some other things too-- with the boxy shape of the ppb, i spent too much time digging down deep into the bag before i found what i was looking for. this bag has more pockets and a wider shape. (this picture doesn't do the bag any justice)<br />
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+ ekhart yoga on <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/EkhartYoga">youtube</a>. we've been doing some yoga over here. i wish we were doing more, but whatevs. i like these videos because they are shorts and effective. my friend robin also has an <a href="http://www.thebalancedlifeonline.com/pilates/free-pilates-yes-join-me/">online pilates program</a> coming out in february, and i hope to get that into my routine as well! (maybe that will be in what's working: feb edition)<br />
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+ <a href="http://shop.nordstrom.com/s/wit-wisdom-skinny-jeans-indigo-nordstrom-exclusive/3512119?origin=PredictiveSearch-personalizedsort&contextualcategoryid=0&fashionColor=&resultback=244&cm_sp=personalizedsort-_-searchresults-_-1_1_C">wit and wisdom jeggings</a>. this is another recent nordstrom purchase and wow. softest jeans ever. they keep their shape and make YOUR shape look amazing. people have asked me if i've lost weight or have been working out (hahahaha. no.). i feel great in these.<br />
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+ three goal lists. i first read about this idea from hayley of <a href="http://www.thetinytwig.com/2013/11/01/november-goals/">the tiny twig</a>, and because she's wise, i decided to give it a try. wow! hello, productivity. at the beginning of each day, i make six goals: three for home/life and three for work. after those tasks get done, i feel free to add more to my list, but narrowing it down to three goals really helps me to prioritize my time. i end up feeling really productive, and tend to get the tasks i dislike out of the way faster.<br />
<br />Becca {While You Were Napping}http://www.blogger.com/profile/12340577448931755326noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4046507395802735353.post-19520620976239250872014-01-15T08:00:00.000-08:002014-01-15T08:00:45.144-08:00lean in, lean on<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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i'm writing this on my back porch, feet propped up on another chair, body leaning in a weird direction to catch the last few minutes of sun. i'm breathing clean air and the raspy catch in my voice fortunately doesn't come through the keyboard. sometimes i like to pretend that the sun kills germs. does it? mostly it's an excuse to still go to the park when cruz has a cold. i hope it's working, because we've all been sick.<br />
<br />
last week tovi was in sacramento for a soccer coaching certification and i was on my own with the kids from saturday until the next sunday. so of course (of course!) we all got sick. i noticed it first when cruz kept climbing into my bed while i got london ready for hers. he was all glassy stares and long pauses between sentences. i put the baby down to sleep and then came back to find him in pretty much the same place. i took off his shirt to get him ready for a bath, and my hands told me everything i needed to know: he was burning up. a quick swipe of his forehead with the thermometer told me the rest-- a temperature of 102. by the next morning, london caught a cold and just to make things interesting, decided that she'd stay awake from 10pm on one night until 4:30am the next morning. accordingly, i caught her cold and lost my voice.<br />
<br />
and so began our homebound week. playdates canceled. trips to the park halted. no errands. no random trips to the grocery store or the beach. just me, two kids, one dog, and a whole lot of time on our hands.<br />
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because you know by now that cruz and i like to make lists of Things To Do, here's our list of things to do when you're stuck at home with two sick kids:<br />
+ teach the three year old to wash dishes<br />
+ wash all the backyard toys<br />
+ play doctor about 5000 times. give "pokies." give kisses. take temperatures. listen to each others' hearts.<br />
+ learn how to spell<br />
+ reorganize their rooms<br />
+ <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Melissa-Doug-Cutting-Fruit-Set/dp/B000NV9G88/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1389741648&sr=8-1&keywords=melissa+%26+doug+fruit+set">fruit cutting</a><br />
<br />
and while it certainly wasn't the <i>easiest </i>week ever, it also wasn't the hardest. it was, however, a good lesson in <i>leaning in: mama edition.</i> i've spent a lot of time with my girlfriends talking about work and women and leaning in, but the lightbulb hadn't gone off yet about how much i want to lean in at home too. at 2am, i had to settle one crying baby so that i could wake up my toddler for the next dose of tylenol. there was only me, so i had to keep my energy up all the way through bathtime and on to bedtime stories. i had to show up and show up with everything i had. <i>lean in.</i><br />
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but the best news of all? i was not alone. me, two sick kids, one poor neglected dog, and the sweet presence of the Holy Spirit, all stuck in the house together. from a sleepless night, to a fever that wouldn't quit, i had no fear because the Spirit felt so near. i didn't just lean in into thin air, i had God propping me up, going before me, and providing me with everything i needed.<br />
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and that reassurance made the whole week sweet. will that be good news for you too? that no matter where you're at or what you're dealing with, you are not alone.Becca {While You Were Napping}http://www.blogger.com/profile/12340577448931755326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4046507395802735353.post-13610143044257709852014-01-05T22:42:00.004-08:002014-01-06T06:53:24.415-08:00#2014makeitwork<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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on new year's day, after watching the parade and a hasty lunch, tovi and i threw the kids and the dog into the car and we drove up to the bay area. we're here to visit family and tovi will be scouting a few soccer games before i head back home with the kids and he spends the week at a conference in sacramento. whew! just like 2013, the new year is already promising to be a busy one for our family.<br />
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we thought we had expertly timed our road trip for naptime, ensuring us a couple of hours of grown-up talk in the car. well, the best laid plans etc, and obviously the kids didn't sleep. but they were fairly quiet, and we got to talk and dream and plan a little bit of our year anyhow.<br />
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i've loved setting goals over the past year. it's kept me on track and growing, as a person and as a mom. especially in these years of raising young kids, i think it's easy for some things to stay the same; easy to get caught up in survival mode. there aren't very many natural rhythms for pause and reflection, and new year's has been a welcome time for that.<br />
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so a few goals and resolutions for the coming year:<br />
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+ <b>get up before the kids get up.</b> this had been my regular practice before london was born, but i've slipped away from it. london is charming and delightful... and not a very good night sleeper. lately, i've been caught rolling over, stuffing the pillow over my head, and pretending that i can't hear her over the monitor. this is not the mom i want to be, and it doesn't set me up for a good day. my best days start when i am the first person up. it's been a good reminder that more sleep does not always equal a better mommy.<br />
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+ <b>drink a glass of water first thing in the morning.</b> i mean, seriously. time to grow up and get hydrated. sometimes i make it to the end of the day and think, "oh my gosh! no water! i forgot to drink water!" my sister-in-law gave me a fruit-infusing water bottle of christmas, so that will help!<br />
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+ <b>a place for everything and everything in it's place.</b> our house has seen a lot of transition this year. it's my goal that by the end of january, london's room will be her own (it was previously our guest room/home office), and that we will continue to figure out what we really need to have and how to organize it best in a small space.<br />
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+ <b>travel.</b> tovi and i <i>love</i> to travel. weekend trips, day trips, international... we love it all. we began planning for a few family trips and also a grown-ups-only trip this summer. <i>aaaaah....</i><br />
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+ <b>discipleship and encouragement.</b> there are a few women that were brought into my life this fall that i have a particular heart to disciple and encourage. i am so thankful for this opportunity to speak some love and encouragement to these wonderful friends.<br />
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i know that 2014 will hold surprises; 2013 certainly did, but God is good and faithful, and i can't wait to see how He molds us this year.<br />
<br />Becca {While You Were Napping}http://www.blogger.com/profile/12340577448931755326noreply@blogger.com3