View from the Prairie Box

Jeremy and I were watching a movie, one I hesitated to watch because I find Cameron Diaz beautiful but quite annoying, and during one particular scene Jeremy found great inspiration. This little maneuver always gets big laughs from the crowd (the crowd being Livia of course). The shot of Liv is the only one that wasn’t blurry, but to get her real mood, imagine those little lips opening up into a huge belly laugh. Her Daddy cracks. her. up!

I feel like it’s been a crazy-three-year-old kind of week, the kind where I’m ready to collapse into bed shortly after she does. I’ve had a few days where choices varied from “should I rest or bathe?” to “should I go to bible study or clean the house?” The remedies for a tired and cranky mama have certainly perked up the week though. The joys include beautiful warm afternoons where a wee bit of gardening refreshed my soul, coffee and conversation with friends, movies like Dan in Real Life where I don’t have to think too hard but can laugh out loud, and chats about books and life with my husband. Oh, and there’s this:

After rubbing her head fiercely against my stomach, Livia informed me that her friend Halle at school “do dat” and “it cracked. me. up. [followed by great laughter].” I wasn’t aware Liv knew that vernacular, which in turn cracked me up!

Yesterday Bobby (one of Liv’s quints) was taken for a walk and we needed coats to ward off the chill. Today it was Nanny’s turn and we stripped down to short sleeves. Hallelujah–spring is on its way!

Hi. My name is Rebecca and I’m a registered Republican. Only, recently I’ve learned that I’m kind of liberal socially and more conservative on a few issues, so I suppose you could say I have no true party.

Politics can be tough to chat about politely, but because I have such faith in y’all, I’m going to pose a question. I would love to hear any and all responses. And if I don’t appreciate your response, well then, I’ll just delete it.

For all the Barack Obama supporters out there: Why do you think Obama should be the next president of the United States?

**Updated. The question I really meant to ask is, Why do you like Obama?

Atonement by Ian Mcewan – Jeremy and I saw the movie, which we enjoyed, but I felt there was more to the story than the movie represented. A book can always go more in depth than a movie can, and this was no exception. Still, the screenwriters did an excellent job adapting the book to the big screen. When it comes to Atonement, it’s perfectly fine to watch the film and read the book later without any disappointment.

A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin – Clearly the theme of February was escapism via fiction! A Game of Thrones had been recommended to us repeatedly by the Moreheads, so after Jeremy read the book, I picked up it. And I couldn’t stop reading…

A Clash of Kings by George R.R. Martin – These books are high fantasy, though with a little less magic found in, say, Tolkien’s Middle Earth. The characters are compelling and their storylines are what keeps me glued to these thick novels. I’ll give fair warning for the one aspect of the books I don’t like: there is quite a bit of sexual content and I wish Martin would’ve toned it down. Despite that, I’m still reading and reading and reading in order to find out what will happen to my favorite characters. These books are better than movie-watching late at night. High praise indeed from a movie afficianado.

Microwave? Check.
Tea, sugar and mugs? Check.
Mixer? Check.
Bread maker? Check.
Kitchen sprite? Check.

Yup. All’s accounted for.

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. 
-Galatians 6:9

I stumbled upon a blog where the blogger picked a bible verse to memorize and meditate on at the start of each new year. Galatians 6:9 is that verse for me in 2008. While it can easily be applied to a multitude of situations, I feel it most acutely applies to parenthood. Do not become weary, do not give up, wait for the harvest.

Dear Calvin,

I know your mom is a better cook than I am. I also think she’s tidier than I am. In case the second statement is, in fact, true, then let me show you how to make a huge mess—and how to have great fun in the making of the huge mess. You’ll need to open the box that came in the mail, set the playdoh aside, and pull on those cool giraffe boots. Having fun yet? Good. Now, don’t you dare find contentment with wearing those boots indoors, young man. Beg your mama to find you the largest, muddiest puddle in St. Louis and then try to emulate the following shots.

You’ll need to run back and forth in the puddles, splashing the mud way up high in the air.

Sometimes you can stand still and jump, other times you should leap across the water like a frog.

You’ll know you’ve had good clean (ha!) fun when even your knees are filthy. Sometimes the mud comes out of clothes, sometimes it doesn’t, but don’t let that stuff worry you. Your mom will take care of the mess later. It’s your job to have fun with your new giraffe boots. And next time you’re in Lincoln, you and Liv can run puddles together.

Love,
Rebecca

It’s quiet time in the Tredway household. Livia’s upstairs taking it easy in her room. Jeremy’s sequestered in his home office, web developing away. And it’s quiet. Way too quiet for this wife and mama. I need to tidy the first floor, make a few soups for dinner, and do the dishes and yet I find myself unmotivated in all this quiet. So I called next door to check on the baby. No answer. I called my mom. But I think her phone is turned off. I even called Sarah in St. Louis. We never catch each other on the phone, so I wasn’t surprised I had to leave a message.

I am placing all blame for my conversational needs squarely under the title of Extroversion. Yes, sometimes it does feel like a curse.

I’m reading a book right now called Raising Your Spirited Child. The subtitle, worth sharing, explains that the book is “a guide for parents whose child is more intense, sensitive, perceptive, persistent and energetic”. It’s great so far (more on it someday when I actually complete the thing) and I want to share a bit with you from the chapter entitled, “Extrovert or Introvert: Finding the Energy to Cope.” Author Mary Sheedy Kurcinka says that extroverts need time with people:

“Extroverts collect their energy on the outside. Not only do they like people, they need them. Allowing extroverts to talk, share their experiences, and air their feelings gives them energy. Extroverts talk their way through movies, television shows, and the newspaper. They like to discuss the action and ideas as they occur, either in person or by telephone” (Harper 1991, p.90).

Though I’m reading this book in order to understand my own spirited child, this chapter has shed light on my personality as well as Jeremy’s. Every time I read something about how introverts work, I’m a bit shocked and then laugh at how accurately it describes my husband. And then, the explanation of extroverts fits me to a “t”. So, read ahead to see if either of the following paragraphs describe you perfectly. Where do you get your energy… from people or from being alone? Final note: there’s no right answer to personality type. We are all simply built in a particular fashion, there’s no right or wrong way about how you prefer to get re-energized.

[Excerpt taken from Raising Your Spirited Child by Mary Sheedy Kurcinka]

If You Are an Extrovert, You Probably:

• want to talk with someone at the end of a busy day.
• have an immediate answer for a question.
• want to invite friends over on a Friday night.
• are comfortable repeating something already said by someone else.
• need and like to hear that others love you and like your work.
• start to invited a few friends for dinner and realize you’ve invited the entire neighborhood.
• find yourself telling your introverted child to get out of her room and call a few friends.
• solve a problem by talking through the solution with someone else.
• feel comfortable initiating a conversation.
• call for the babysitter.
• are comfortable revealing personal things about yourself.
• frequently leave a party chastising yourself for talking too much and not listening.
• enjoy and need to interact with other people and feel exhausted when you have spent too much time alone or only with young children.
• immediately share a new idea or experience with someone and find joy and energy in the telling.

If You Are an Introvert, You Probably:

• sit down with the newspaper or zone out in front of the television after a hard day.
• will do anything, even clean the toilets, if someone else will agree to call the sitter.
• can’t imagine wanting to invite a group over on Friday night.
• find being in a large group for an extended period of time exhausting.
• share personal information only with those who are very close to you. It may not be unusual for a long-term friend to exclaim, “I never knew that about you!”
• think before answering a question, often berating yourself for not sharing an answer you knew.
• frequently have extroverts ask you the same question twice because they interpret your pause to think as ignorance of the question.
• prefer dinner with the family or one special friend, rather than with the whole neighborhood.
• find yourself hiding in the bathroom or back bedroom at large family gatherings.
• solve a problem by thinking it through yourself before ever talking about it with anyone else.
• get tired of telling extroverts what a wonderful job they’re doing and how much you love and appreciate them.

I’m anxiously awaiting the outcome of some dough in my bread machine. I’ve made several loaves successfully with the machine, most of which came from premade mixes. However, I’m trying to be brave and I really want to make homemade bread and rolls. This afternoon I’m attempting to make some dough in my machine, then bake as rolls in the oven. Will I succeed or will I (and the bread) fall flat? Stay tuned…

UPDATE:

They came out beautifully [big sigh of relief], and they’re edible, too! Whew. After a particularly frustrating evening of parenting, I feel relieved something went my way tonight. Now I’m encouraged to try my hand at other recipes.