Mama-luia

I have been mentally flagellating myself for say, about 5 and half months, that I am the biggest slob known to mankind, and ergo, a terrible wife. I wasn't a very clean person growing up! Far from it, actually. I was a mess as a single adult, and had very little time into my marriage before I became pregnant and puking, so I didn't improve much, needless to say. Why would I have thought I would be better at it all AFTER the baby was born... when there was MORE laundry to do? And MORE stuff accumulated? And LESS time to manage these things?! Then I read my sister's blog post . I laughed. I smiled. I delighted in the fact that she is a very good mother, and is setting her priorities straight: kids first, tidying later. I also read another blog post that was absolutely EXCELLENT on cutting women some slack about their housework, especially those with young children. The author, and one of her commentators, also showed very cleverly why this post isn't doing women any serv...

I love bread. I would be a failure on the Atkins Diet. I should be clear, though. I love good bread. Homemade bread. Artisan bread. Stuff that doesn't come in a plastic bag with a wee bread tag. My mom used to make bread when we were kids: soft, fluffy, aromatic bread. And you know what? I would still prefer store-bought stuff! (File that under "G" for " Gosh I was so constantly ungrateful to my mother as a child!"). Now I am "grown up", I would never be so foolish. Homemade bread is the best. This winter we bought a breadmaker. We're frugal people by nature so it seemed better than buying stuff in the store (and likely, more healthy) and the idea appealed also to Patrick's "do-it-yourself" streak. My innermost woman grieved on that day, however; making bread to save money was a good idea, but wouldn't it be better to make it from SCRATCH? I just never, ever saw myself with the patience to do that. So I felt like less of "...

It's quite lovely having a work-at-home husband. We have breakfast, lunch and dinner together, but also morning and afternoon coffee breaks! Also, while many husbands begin their work day at 9, and thus need to leave at 8:30 or something, my husband and I can enjoy our morning together and have him "leave for work" at 8:55. A sweet deal. One hard thing about our situation, though, is what he does for a living. Patrick is very courageous, and takes it all in stride, but writing about some of the things that Lifesite covers can be hard on a person. It can also be hard on a wife. Some days, I just don't want to ask over lunch what he's reporting on today. It's almost like our days are polar opposites, even though we're in the same home. I get to spend all day with a beautiful baby, and delight in him during patty-cake, laundry, diaper changes, tickle times, meal prep and everything in between. Patrick, however, spends all day ruminating about abortion, eutha...

1. Today, I have chosen to do the Quick Takes for real; that is, I will post my name on the link from Conversion Diary. This is a geeky exciting step for me in the blog world. 2. I have no idea why, but my apostrophe key is not working, hence the lack of contractions in the above Quick Take. This is what it is saying instead: I havenèt a sweet clue why itès not working. (Yes, it is adding a French-looking e instead of a an apostrophe!) 3. I had a bit of a difficult time sleeping last night. The baby was unusually hard to get to sleep, and was more clingy than usual. Then when I woke up this morning, I had a Miley Cyrus song in head which has still NOT disappeared! My 9 year old brother-in-law has taken to watching the Hannah Montana show, and the last time we visited, we were delighted to witness the climactic ending of the Hannah Montana film. It has all been down-hill for me since then, culminating in me hearing over and over this blasted song in my head. So my Quick Take point is, ...

{I have decided to do a "Stuff I like" series for the next while. I often have NOTHING interesting to say when I sit down at the computer, so this might give me some inspiration. Hope you like it. } I used to fantasize I was required to wear a school uniform. In grade five, I actually insisted from time to time for my mom to braid my hair into tight pigtail braids so I could match my kilt, tights and blouse-sweater vest combo. Don't worry, I also wore jeans to school. But I loved wearing a kilt. I thought it made me more "ready" for school. Boy, was I excited when I discovered that the crazy university I was moving to the middle of nowhere to attend had a dress code. Years later, my childhood dream came to fruition. Then I got married, pregnant, gave birth, yada-yada, and here I am, a stay-at-home mom. What a beautiful vocation! It's also a "career path", too, you know. I say that because I want people to know I willingly chose this; I was...

I can't tell you how much I enjoyed this blog entry. Please, go read it. It made me feel CAPABLE of being a career stay-at-home mom (one who likes sleep way more than housework). {Also, I know some of you have likely noticed the "doom and gloom" blogs lately. I haven't been myself. I'll acknowledge that. But PLEASE don't make me call it the dreaded "PPD"; I know it's silly to fear such a label, but I don't want to give "it" a name. Either way you slice it, I've sought help from my understanding mother, my good friend and naturopath and a funny little homeopathic remedy called Ignatia . I feel like half a million bucks, and have strong reasons to believe that will be doubling soon.} Oh yes, and about the blog entry I recommended. She also has a whole series on laundry which is quite riveting. Yes, I said "riveting" and I was talking about laundry. She's just that darn good.

No time for a "real" blog entry so feast your eyes on my bullet point-style life of late. Our little cutie with his grandpa We celebrated my brother's ____ birthday (age withheld for his own sanity's sake) last Monday. Two different kinds of cake, of which I had both (I'm still "eating for two", right?) ** see below for further sugar-revelations We went to a beautiful wedding this weekend of a good friend! I pulled off bridemaid-ing it AND breastfeeding on demand. Wow, it was exhausting, but exhilarating. The bride and groom were adorable; so prayerful and happy and in love. This is the stuff which affirms us "old fogies" in our vocation (I say with sarcasm). Sunday was delicious dinner with the family and peach-upside-down cake. I had two slices... ... which led me to adopting Jaclyn's quasi-Dr. Oz diet the following morning. I must face facts: I am a sugar-addict (and the proof is in the pudding: day two and I find myself dying for ice c...