10.13.2015

Favorite Things Update

Both of my children are covered in yogurt and currently fighting over Legos, so I naturally decided this was an excellent time to write a blog post - since I couldn't have found a more convenient time in the last four months.

I wanted to do a brief update in the form of a "Favorite Things" list. 

Favorite Stage of Development: 

Zeke has been potty trained for a few months now. Hallelujah. Well, day-trained. Since Kyle and I "decided" to have children twenty-one months apart, the name of our parenting game during this season is: sustainability. So Zeke is an underwear by day, diapers by night kind of kid. So far he's been doing great, and I am beginning to think night-training will not be the hellish experience I imagined it to be. #fingerscrossed

As of a few months ago, Evie is no longer nursing. Now, for the first time in almost four years, I am neither pregnant nor breastfeeding. 

The first few weeks after Evie weaned I definitely drank all the caffeine in site. (Not really, but close.) Since then I have simmered down, and now have settled to a sincere appreciation for a lot of small things that I did not appreciate before pregnancy and breastfeeding. A lot more of life has moved from the "personal rights" column to the "privileges" column in my mind. I think this has made me a more pleasant person to be around, as a whole.

Also being able to drink two cups of coffee in a day... that makes me more pleasant too.

Favorite TV Show: 

Parenthood. We are on Season 5 and I'm sort of done with feeling the gamut of my emotional range every episode. But I can't stop watching it. Neither can Kyle. I have never cried while watching a TV show, but this one makes me cry regularly. I'm usually one of those, "Real life is hard enough, why watch shows that make me think about how hard real life is?" people, but this one keeps me coming back. The only downside is that Lauren Graham's character (who most know as the beloved Lorelei Gilmore) is 99% obnoxious, but I guess that's what happens when you've played a character on a previous TV show that was amazing.  

Favorite Books: 

I recently finished Jim Gaffigan's Dad is Fat, which was hilarious. Actually I listened to it, which I think may have made it better because Gaffigan narrates it and I enjoy his comedic timing. Some of it was repeats from the stand-up shows he's done, but most of it was new to me. 

I also just listened to (I've been on an audiobook kick lately) Jen Hatmaker's For The Love. I've been stalking reading her blog for a few years now, and I'm a fan. The best way to describe it is a collection of essays about life and faith. She's funny. Like real funny. Like the taking a chapter to tweet out your life pre-social media kind of funny. 

Favorite Podcasts: 

I think I've just realized that listening to people talk while I'm doing laundry/dishes/making dinner/etc is a thing for me. Please don't hate me, but I've come to the conclusion that music isn't my thing. It just isn't. I enjoy it sometimes, but usually when there's a really specific purpose to it. Like a good cinematic score, or a long road trip, or worship, or a concert, or needing something loud and full of energy when I work out...but it is not something that I particularly like having on in the background all the time. 

I like listening to people talk though? 

Dan Carlin's Hardcore History and Things You Missed in History Class, I'm sure you see the theme there. I've really missed studying history since graduating, and these fill in the gap a bit. 

I also listen to Matt Chandler's sermon podcast and Timothy Keller's. By and large they're my favorite teachers right now. 

Favorite Thing to Cook: 

Recently, I have been cooking the business out of some breakfast tacos. All the time, breakfast tacos. 

But specifically with some homemade salsa, and tortillas that you cook? bake? pan-bake? I don't know. They come in the form of raw dough circles, but since you prepare them immediately before you eat your taco they wind up tasting SO GOOD AND WARM AND FRESH. And I pretend they're healthier even though that is not grounded in facts of any kind.  

Favorite Thing to Look Forward To: 

My little sister having her baby boy in November! (I am going to cry so much.)

One of our closest friend couples completing their YEARS long adoption journey! (SO MUCH TEARS.)

Our church plant team FINALLY beginning to regularly meet this week as a homegroup. (I am not going to cry, but I am going to make this group of people play obnoxious party games with me.) 

Favorite Workout: 

You guys, I am taking a cardio dance class. I know. I KNOW. Can I just explain to people who don't know me that this is the most ridiculous thing ever? But I'm doing it, and I love it, and it is weird. This is probably the most consistently I've worked out and still enjoyed it. A few months ago Kyle and I went biking around his parents house, and I beat him to our destination, legitimately. 

My husband is one of those people that is always in shape. Just, permanently... I don't get it. When I had a rare moment of being in better shape than him, it was a deep personal victory. 

This went away after he played soccer for like, three weeks, but it still happened.

Other than that, Kyle and I went to a marriage conference a few weeks ago and it was amazing. It contained a lot of deep heart things that both of us are still processing. Things that I'd love to write and write and write and write about, but I'll have to wait because it would be a book, or at least one of those posts that you keep scrolling and scrolling and think, "Will this never end?" kind of like this one is sort of becoming.

Much Grace,

Christina 

4 comments:

  1. As always, I'm your fan! :-) Keep up your writing, I love it! And I'm going to love the book you will write one day... probably after kids. (yes, Virginia, such a time exists)

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  2. Awesome! As for night potty training. My philosophy has been to wait until they consistently wake up dry and then switch to undies. Easy-peasy. Although, I will say that Anna was still having major issues when she turned six. I read an article about why that sometimes happens, decided to put a little Miralax in her morning juice and within a week or two she was dry all the time at night! No more diapers or pull-ups here! Oh and I firmly believe in celebrating the "little" things when parenting. So, for the first time in 8 years, we are down to just 2 car seats! I enjoyed reading about your celebrations as well!

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    1. Two car seats!!! That's amazing. I remember when my dad told me that he and my mom celebrated the first time they left the house without a diaper bag... it had been about 15 years.

      I'll keep that tip in mind when we move to night training. Zeke had problems when we day trained, and I had to use some Miralax in his juice as well. It worked beautifully. :)

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