SPONTANEOUS DATE NIGHT

If a man comes home from work on Wednesday to discover his wife sobbing about everything and nothing as she stands over the stove preparing dinner, that wife may wake up from a Friday afternoon nap to discover a text from her husband saying they're going out to dinner.

The two of them will later abandon their children for a few hours as the husband acknowledges all the plates his wife has been spinning the last two weeks and says he wants her to have the night off. Then they'll eat a ridiculous amount of delicious food during their first visit to La Sen Vietnamese Grill.

Abandoning the responsible eating she's been intentional about for the last couple weeks, the wife will accept the husband's offer to top the gluttonous evening off by sharing some tasty ice cream from Cold Stone, paid for in part by the balance on a gift card they'd been given ages ago. Because if there's a gift card in the mix and the ice cream is two doors down, there's really no other choice but to indulge.

Three hours, lots of conversation, and a fair amount of laughter after pulling out of their driveway, they'll return home. The wife, who is tired and admits to being temporarily annoyed about being told she was going out for the evening because she just wanted to curl up in bed with a good book, will be really thankful she followed her husband's lead.

She'll put on sweats, because now her jeans are fitting more snuggly than when she left the house earlier in the evening, and make herself a cup of tea. And all will be well in her world.

Good man. Good food. Good night.

THANKFUL THURSDAY

I'm thankful for the option to stream church when I have to stay home. What's something that you're thankful for?

BOOKS I FINISHED - JANUARY 2019

*****

The Hired Girl, written by Laura Amy Schlitz
When you're a poor girl who's overworked by your mean father on the family farm, but you're also a girl who loves to read and dream and whose deceased mother challenged you to make a life for yourself, you find a way. The story reminds me a bit of Anne of Green Gables in that it has a young girl living with a family not her own, learning a new way of living. A girl who's a dreamer, but also driven, and a bit of a spitfire who constantly finds herself getting into fixes because she's not awesome at thinking past the moment.


*****

The Memory of You, written by Catherine West
A love life that fell apart, a grandfather with a health scare, and a business-minded dad who she's never good enough for combine to send a young woman off to the winery of her childhood. Painful memories of the past, practical issues in the present, and multiple strained relationships all have to be faced in order for everyone to move forward in a healthy manner.


*****

Miss Kopp's Midnight Confessions (A Kopp Sisters Novel, book 3), written by Amy Stewart
Based on the Kopp sisters of the early 1900s, as well as several headlines from that time period, the third book in this fictional series finds work and home colliding for Constance Kopp as her younger sister runs away from home. She and her older sister don't always agree on how to handle the situation, but she's trying to treat her family situation in the same level-headed manner she does the other young women she's working with at the jail.


*****

Miss Kopp Just Won't Quit (A Kopp Sisters Novel, book 4), written by Amy Stewart
As always, Constance Kopp is advocating for female inmates who have not been treated fairly, specifically one who has been admitted to an insane asylum, as well navigating relationships with her sisters and a community that isn't entirely supportive of having a female deputy. Throw in the fact it's an election year and everything becomes more complicated. This fictional story is based on real people and headlines from the early 1900s.


*****

The White Darkness, written by David Grann
Henry Worsley, a descendant of Frank Worsley, a polar explorer who had traveled with Ernest Shackleton, was a respected man of determination, perseverance, and strong leadership. Reaching the South Pole was a monumental accomplishment for the younger Worsley, but it wasn't enough. His next goal was to walk across Antarctica by himself.

*****

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THANKFUL THURSDAY

I'm thankful for people who help others. What's one thing that you're thankful for?

BUDDIES

Gabi hung out with us today since there wasn't any school and popped in from playing in the front yard with Tyler at one point this afternoon to ask if he could buy something from the ice cream truck. I said that was fine, then he asked if he could get something for Tyler. Sure thing, buddy. When they came back, he'd also bought a treat for Naomi, who was the only other little W home at the time. So sweet! 

I stepped outside to take a picture of these two boys who enjoy each other's company so much. And who also enjoyed the ridiculous pile of junk food I didn't realize they were getting from the ice cream truck that apparently sells more than ice cream. Ha!

Love this kid! He's so fun to have around.

And I love this kid, even when he's showing off chewed up candy. Maybe especially then, since he had a serious case of the giggles over it.

By request, all three of us together.

Then more pictures of two silly kids putting a marshmallow bag on their face ...

 ... cracking themselves up ...

... managing a somewhat serious pose with Cheetos they think are hilarious simply because they're spicy ...

 ... and, mouths caked in red Cheetos powder, grinning with pure joy at the fun they're having.

TYLER HAD AN IDEA

My sister is in the process of releasing a series of prints and cards with an Oregon theme, which are awesome. Tyler, having seen sneak previews and public photos on social media, got caught up in the fun and kept telling me about an Oregon design he thought she should do using an Oregon O. I explained that using the Ducks' O wouldn't go with the type of designs she was doing. He kept insisting. I kept explaining.

Then one day he realized where our communication breakdown was happening. He wasn't talking about the Oregon O, but an Oregon O.

Gotcha.

He sketched his idea and messaged it to her that evening. 

She told him she liked the idea and that she might draw it for him. The next morning he asked if he could check the mail. He frequently checks it, so it wasn't an unusual request, but he was acting strangely and I asked what was going on. It turns out he was pretty sure her drawing would be in the mail for him less than 24 hours later. Apparently he missed the fact she didn't promise to draw it and doesn't grasp the mail timeline. So funny!

A couple days later he got a message with a picture of her rendition of his idea. He was thrilled! She told me she'd drop it in the mail, but I didn't tell him. 

Today we were all outside and, thinking it might arrive today, I asked him to check the mail. He went through the stack of envelopes, naming who things were from and to, then gasped and started bouncing around. I snapped a picture of his crazy smile of excitement, blurry because he couldn't hold still.

His design came to life!!

She even added the idea to the envelope, which he thought was cool.

This boy of mine is giddy, so stinkin' excited that his Aunt Beep took his idea and created something for him with it.

MY NEW MUG

Last week I found a dollar hidden on my nightstand. Tyler had snuck it there with a very specific purpose in mind.

A few days earlier I'd heard a crash in the kitchen and discovered that he'd accidentally knocked one of my mugs off the counter while getting something out of a cabinet. We cleaned up the mess together, he apologized, and we went on with our day.

He went in my room later to hide money from his giving budget so I could head to Dollar Tree and buy myself a replacement mug. How sweet and responsible is that?!

I went and picked out a new mug on Wednesday, choosing one that reminds me of ocean colors I love so much, then filled it up hot tea to enjoy yesterday.

Parenting is brutal sometimes, in both the ongoing struggles of the daily grind everyone knows about and the big things we hold close. But sometimes it's beautiful, seemingly small moments that represent much more important things. My new mug is one of those beautiful parts of parenting for me.