1. So I'm doing Forty Bags for Forty Days. If Lent is designed to be a time of spiritual purification, it can also be a time of physical purification. Year after year, my Internet friends inspire me with their efforts to rid themselves of their physical baggage right along with their spiritual baggage. Since we've just moved, what better time to attempt the purge? I didn't start until nearly halfway through Lent, and I'll hit forty early this week. Yay!
2. On this subject, click over to Rachel Balducci's and check out her review of The Magical Art of Tidying. Rachel writes:
The gist of the book is this: don’t decide what you want to get rid of. Decide what you want to keep. When you go through each space, take it all out (which is exhausting and a giant mess) but then when you put things back you really are committed to only keeping what you really want and need.
Rachel claims she was in despair over the state her closet and pantry. We have always known her to be truthful, so we will accept this in good faith. But in the many years I've known her and the many times I've been in her house, I've never actually seen evidence of this; in fact, I've never spied a single thing that wasn't tidy. Maybe she does hide things well (but very, very, very well, and, honestly, I'd like to learn her secrets.)
I read the book, and I do like the idea of keeping only what you love. The author gets a tad weird in thanking her belongings for serving her (or something like that). As I've been purging, I found myself, like Rachel, thinking about the memories associated with these things and praying for friends or thanking God for good times past.
Cathartic.
3. Here's a leftover picture from Valentine's Day. Since John began to talk, when I have said, "I love you," he has responded, "Love you more!" Sweetest thing ever. I zipped into a department store to return something and found this on clearance. Had to buy it.
4. In terms of frustration, shorts shopping for Ainsley is one step removed from bathing suit shopping for me. To understand why, please read this, an article that details my experience exactly. In An Open Letter to Target, Steph writes: I was irritated because the crotch was the longest part of every single pair of shorts offered in the toddler section of your store.
5. Over on Facebook, someone posted "Shopping with kids run amok" or something like that. This picture reminded me of the night we took the gang of four washer and dryer shopping. When John tired of the riding mowers, he ambled over to the outdoor furniture and hid in a massive bin of pillows hoping to scare unsuspecting shoppers.
Yes.
Much to his disappointment, he caught just one person, a good-natured employee who (thankfully) was more amused than frightened. Never a dull moment.
 |
| Been there, drug that. |
6. Tim's been hard at it working on piano pieces. Love this blurry shot:
7. Kolbe and his friend Lawrence rocked the science fair.
We spent Saturday evening at the Regional Fair. After evaluating the projects, the judges put a "You're a Winner!" sticker on the winning projects so that participants stick around for the awards ceremony. Of course, you don't know what you've won. We were all thinking the boys got a respectable Honorable Mention or something like that. Well, the announcer breezed through the Honorable Mentions. And Kolbe and Lawrence fist bumped. She moved on to third place, and Kolbe and Lawrence fist bumped. Second place and they fist bumped again. Amazingly, they won first place in their category and third place in Best of Show! Their camaraderie and excitement was neat to see.
8. Random picture of John from his pirate play:
1 comment:
Great to have these snippets from your family life! Tim is looking very grown up, from the back at least... And that cushion is fab!
Post a Comment