On Trantrums and Travel, On Meals and Marriage

Hey Babe, Herm said, peeking his head in through the cracked door, I am heading to Canandaigua for a bit, and I'd like to take the kids along. Is that okay?

Is that okay? Oh blessed words.

I was in the midst of putting Jack down for a nap, and from the looks of things, would likely spend the rest of the afternoon contending with Brooklyn. She is pro-choice when it comes to nap time; I am not.

We had just gotten back from running errands, and Brooklyn, my feisty, spirited child was feeling every emotion. There were tears because I "turned the wrong way" and drove right on passed Aldi, there were tears at the drive-thru when I opened the little cylinder container and sent our checks into the bank before she had a chance to ask if she could do it. There were tears when she realized our favorite bank teller wasn't there to say hi to (or get a lollipop from), and there were even more tears when I told her that even if Ms. Christine was working, an attitude like her current one is never rewarded with sugar.

When we finally did make it into Aldi the tears kept coming because I put peanut butter in the cart when she wanted to do it... and so on. We still had to stop at the library, where, in that tranquil atmosphere, her lung capacity was sure to break all sound barriers. If we get kicked out of that place someday, it's her fault.

I absolutely love Brooklyn's strong and fiery personality. I hope she never loses that. But in a two year old, and when you're her mother, it's also utterly exasperating.

But here I am, home with a sleeping baby--the humming dishwasher and a whirling fan the only background noise I hear. It is lovely!

Recently Herm and I have been discussing marriage. What makes a marriage good? What makes a marriage great? Perhaps I'll share my two cents on this topics at a later point. One thing I know without a shadow of a doubt though, is that by looking for ways to serve the other person (in other words, make their life easier) the marriage will automatically benefit. So, brownie points for Herm!

Jumping back into this blogging world feels a bit like trying to walk after riding a horse for a few hours--I still know how but at the moment I'm a bit wobbly. In order to have a successful blog, so many people say that you need to find your niche. I don't have one.

I like to write about what I like, and I like a variety of things. Which means it's back to the usual again, where I share stories my kids and what we're up to, where I talk about books I am reading, and clothes I am loving, and travel, and how I hate that five o'clock hour when everyone is hungry and I am supposed to do something about it.

Since I already talked about a kid, let's chat about books: Have you read 7 Men: And the Secret of Their Greatness, by Eric Metaxas? I borrowed it a couple of weeks ago, and am currently working my way through it. It focuses on the lives of seven men who made history. Talk about inspiring you to live a life of greatness! Metaxas also wrote a book called 7 Women: And the Secret of Their Greatness. I can't wait to dive into that one too.

As far as clothes go, I recently bought a pair of J. Crew High-rise Toothpick jeans on Poshmark. I got the curvy version, which has a more narrow waist band. (No more gaping or sagging! Hallelujah!) The curvy style is sold out in stores but the ones I am linking to are still available. I love the rip-and-repair edition because it has the playfulness of destroyed demin, but the sturdiness of regular jeans.

Travel. I am longing to travel again. Jack's passport came this week, which means, we can now go abroad as a family of five! What a fun thought.

And speaking of that five o'clock hour: Minor panic until I remembered tonight we are going to my parents for a meal. I don't have to think about it.

Okay, that's enough jabbering for one day. I'll sign off now. (And take out the trash, because that's what you do to strengthen a marriage. :-) )

-Sarah