Family Life and....Adjustments.

3 pm and the house is hushed...the glory of naptime. Andrew just woke up from his post night-shift 5 hour nap. It's only just cool enough outside to open the windows--my favorite time of year! At the end of October fall is finally peeking its head around the corner. I sip my coffee and relish the crisp air...and the quiet.

There aren't many still moments lately, and sometimes it leaves me reeling. The last several months were a big momma-of-two adjustment period for me. Edmund started eating solids, crawling, and pulling up, and Andrew started his new job. Life is not the same (better now, but different), and I was still clinging to some of the old spaces of time that don't exist anymore.

But something has settled in the last month, and I feel so happy and content in my job as mom. I'm happy in the busyness...and content to let it be busy. It is such a pleasure to be able to focus on my family and others.

In general our family has been switching gears: from a break-neck grad school lifestyle to one that involves a job, a house, and life with two boys on the move. I'd be lying if I said the transition has been all smooth sailing (for various reasons), but it is glorious to be done with grad school. We see Andrew so much more, and the burden of constant deadlines and tests has been lifted off of his shoulders. He tries to fix a bike in the garage, makes Peter a tire swing, reads for pleasure.

Peter will be three at the end of November. THREE! We had a rough patch with him a couple of months ago when Edmund started crawling...Peter was so excited because it was like having a new toy in the house. And what do you do with a new toy? Experiment with it to see what happens!

Like:
What happens when you hit him on the head?
Repeatedly?
When you step on his toes?
When you pull him around by one limb?

Peter's intent was not malicious, but regardless, we had to go into "you-absolutely-cannot-hurt-your-brother" bootcamp. After about a month and a half of repeated admonishment, it finally seemed to click. His approach (to much of life) is still rough-and-tumble, but he's not intentionally hurting his little brother often anymore. {breath of relief!}

It's incredibly sweet and rewarding to see the little ways that Peter's maturing...and to be able to interact with him in new ways. He sits enraptured and asks us to read books again and again. He tells us what he and Edmund are going to do when Edmund "gets bigger." He plays imaginary games with his trucks and uses this hilarious "big man" voice when he does so.

And Edmund? At 10 months old I am constantly catching myself going, "You're old enough to do that?" When did you get old enough to wave bye-bye, want to feed yourself, play chase, and stand on your tippy-toes to reach something?

Lately, Edmund cracks us up when he tries to wave because he invariably hits himself in the face. And then there are his table manners. What a voracious eater! The kid can put away a serving as large as Peter's and in half the time! He thinks baths are great fun...a tub filled with water can cheer him up even if he's tired and cranky.

The boy is tall and skinny (even for all his eating!), and I love to snuggle his little self close to me. He's still so small and I know it doesn't last. Edmund's not overly keen on snuggling (too busy!), but he will laugh and play with me at the slightest provocation. He's a bit shy around new people, but warms up. Edmund is much more of a "mama's boy" than Peter was at his age.

So...that's a peak into how our family is doing. These are such sweet days, and I don't want to forget them.

One of the big things I miss about blogging regularly is interacting with all of you in the comments. Leave me one and tell me what your family has been up to lately. :)



P.S. The winner of the cookbook giveaway is comment #11--Audrey!

Family Life and....Adjustments.