Quick Takes

1. I don't know whether they symbolize the end of winter or the beginning of spring, but...

Pussy willows!




I brought them home from a morning outing last weekend and Calvin took one glance at them and said they looked so snuggley that he'd like to sleep with them.

2. Sometimes I can work on the blog, thanks to Henry's ability to self-entertain for a bit longer these days.

Unfortunately, in the amount of time it takes me to churn out and edit a suitable post, he has turned my living room into this.



3. I found this tidbit on the Writers' Almanac page this week and found such reassuring truth to it as I struggle these days with whether I can still actually consider myself a writer:

“Writing is like driving at night in the fog. You can only see as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way.”

—E.L. Doctorow

4. "Hey, Calvin. Are there any animals you don't like?"

"Um. Maybe ducks. They don't really do anything. They just waddle around and quack. That's kinda boring."

5. Henry has ceased putting everything in his mouth, save crayons. He actually eats crayons. Is he going to be that kid in class who eats paste?

6. This book was a great read. My new neighborhood book club chose it for its inaugural meeting this month.



I'm sad to report that although I've read the book -- finished it early and everything -- I won't make it for cocktails and discussion next week because my husband leaves that day for stupid deployment!

(I'll try not to whine about that too often.)

7. In an effort to smooth out bedtime over the coming weeks of solo parenting, I've made sleep-time bags for the big kids.

Usually, when Nick is away for a night, I am unsuccessful in creating a quiet nurse-to-sleep environment for the baby while the bandicoots across the hall ignore my requests to quiet their voices and get ready for rest.

(insert sound of a new leaf turning over)





Now, each morning, I reload their sleep-time bags with that night's PJs and a special book to be read only if the whole bedtime routine has been executed swiftly.

The front pocket of each bag contains a checklist so there should be no question about the tasks at hand.

I'm hoping a set of very specific instructions will restore a bit more order to our bedtime. So far so good.

Be sure to visit the Conversion Diary for more quick takes before you start your weekend!