In the kitchen, she's a regular Dora the Explorer: Her favorite cabinet is the corner one in which we store all the odd shaped cups that we all collect. Each one has a specific memory attached to it, so it's hard to let go of some of these treasures. There's the mongo-sized zoo cup with its companion sippy straw that costs us about $6.00 to buy (Who would part with a six dollar cup?). The three huge water mugs are a favorite of mine -- you know, the ones you get from the maternity ward? I'm not getting rid of those; they're my trophies from the hospital! And, of course, there's all the water bottles; the odd shaped bowling pin water bottle from that super fun bowling party is a fave!
Well, little Dora explores this cabinet every single day, pulling out all the cups and bottles and banging them on the floor, creating a cacophony of noise. At some point -- actually, at several points -- throughout the day, I pick it all up and put it back in the cabinet. Yes, it would be easier to get some kind of latch on this corner cabinet, but I'm one of those gals who would rather say, "Curses, you bowling pin water bottle!" at least five times a day. I don't know -- there's just something really cathartic about shaking one's fist at a water bottle!
So, I spend a lot time these days picking up, closing drawers and cabinets, and removing baby from potentially dangerous situations. It's that time of baby-hood that I call the "I'll-have-to-finish-this-later" time of life. Any project I undertake gets finished later...much later. We're not talking a week later; we're talking months (maybe even a year later). In fact, as I write this entry to my fledgling blog, I am realizing that the baby is actually almost 13 months old -- which means this entry has taken me over a month to compose! Isn't that great? I mean it. No false sincerity here!
The reason I call this time of life "great" is because this baby -- with her cute little giggle and spunky little nature -- is keeping me humble and focused on what's really important. She helps me continue to recognize the true hierarchy of values: that having a picture perfect home is lovely, but is NOT the most important thing....that having all my photos perfectly organized is a nice thing, but NOT the most important thing....that having the garage organized would be awesome, but again, NOT the most important thing. And honestly, this is so hard for me. I need a cute baby to remind me of these lessons. Our Lord knows I would get caught up in making my home and its perfection an end in itself instead of the means to the end.
Given the fact that Advent awaits around the corner, I would say God's timing to remind of these things is well, perfect! After all, it is union with the Incarnate God that we await. His coming into the world and into our lives each Advent is just a foretaste of the joy of that union at the end of our lives. Recognizing this keeps me motivated to make a good Advent. I want to work harder to ground myself in faith and keep that proper perspective in place. I pray that during this season, as God uses my vocation as wife and mother as a reality check, that I am "awake" and ready to hear him.
Well, little Dora explores this cabinet every single day, pulling out all the cups and bottles and banging them on the floor, creating a cacophony of noise. At some point -- actually, at several points -- throughout the day, I pick it all up and put it back in the cabinet. Yes, it would be easier to get some kind of latch on this corner cabinet, but I'm one of those gals who would rather say, "Curses, you bowling pin water bottle!" at least five times a day. I don't know -- there's just something really cathartic about shaking one's fist at a water bottle!
So, I spend a lot time these days picking up, closing drawers and cabinets, and removing baby from potentially dangerous situations. It's that time of baby-hood that I call the "I'll-have-to-finish-this-later" time of life. Any project I undertake gets finished later...much later. We're not talking a week later; we're talking months (maybe even a year later). In fact, as I write this entry to my fledgling blog, I am realizing that the baby is actually almost 13 months old -- which means this entry has taken me over a month to compose! Isn't that great? I mean it. No false sincerity here!
The reason I call this time of life "great" is because this baby -- with her cute little giggle and spunky little nature -- is keeping me humble and focused on what's really important. She helps me continue to recognize the true hierarchy of values: that having a picture perfect home is lovely, but is NOT the most important thing....that having all my photos perfectly organized is a nice thing, but NOT the most important thing....that having the garage organized would be awesome, but again, NOT the most important thing. And honestly, this is so hard for me. I need a cute baby to remind me of these lessons. Our Lord knows I would get caught up in making my home and its perfection an end in itself instead of the means to the end.
Given the fact that Advent awaits around the corner, I would say God's timing to remind of these things is well, perfect! After all, it is union with the Incarnate God that we await. His coming into the world and into our lives each Advent is just a foretaste of the joy of that union at the end of our lives. Recognizing this keeps me motivated to make a good Advent. I want to work harder to ground myself in faith and keep that proper perspective in place. I pray that during this season, as God uses my vocation as wife and mother as a reality check, that I am "awake" and ready to hear him.
