Family life is beautiful.
Ethan and I went on a bike ride together yesterday, and we explored some areas I've never seen. He wanted to play "Follow the Leader" so we weaved around a vacant parking lot and concrete pillars, and he was all smiles.
Alia babysat for me on Tuesday when I went to a shoe-making party for Sole Hope (amazing), but when I left, Spencer was throwing a fit and refusing to take a bath. She said, "I've got it, Mom," and she filled an unused Rubbermaid trash can (that we use to hold water balloons) with water from the hose, added some soap, put Spencer in his bathing suit, and gave him a bath in the backyard. He was totally happy and got clean for bed. I laughed to myself the whole drive to the event. My son is taking a bath in a trash can.
This morning I had a headache, and Grace let me rest on the couch while she rubbed my forehead and helped take care of the boys. We gave each other back tickles, and I told her stories from when she was a baby. She said, "I could do this all day."
My mom came out and spent the night with us last week. I fixed her oatmeal for breakfast and did my computer work while I snuggled up by her on the couch. We held hands a lot and went purse shopping together. I got choked up when I told her that I want to be with her as much as I can because I just don't know how much more time we have together. She hugged me and told me that she'll never leave me--and even when her life here is over, she'll put in a special request to stay close. I love her more than I can say.
Yesterday, Saren sent me a link to this video produced by a church in Whittier. It's based on my blog post "Your Children Want YOU!" and I think Tara did a beautiful job. Eric found the email first and was so excited that he woke me up from my nap so I could watch it. He is so supportive of all this, which is an absolute gift.
And just a few announcements:
I have three speaking events coming up next month, and if any of you are in the Southern California area and want to meet up, here are the details:
(1) Penelope Lane is hosting a Mini Blog Conference and Boutique on Saturday, September 29th. I'm going to be speaking about how to make blogging a powerful experience. My dear friend Sarah Hull runs this, and I'm so excited to be a part of it.
(2) For the very first time, I'm holding a Mind Organization Workshop in my home. It will be Saturday, September 15th from 9-11:30 am. This is something I've dreamed about for a long time, and while spots are filling up quickly, we still have some space left. Come join me!
(3) And finally, Eric and I are hosting a Couples Retreat/Workshop on Friday night, September 28th somewhere in or near Irvine, CA. We're still working on the final details, but this is going to be an amazing date night. I'll post the registration link as soon as it's up.
Okay, I think that's it for today. Time to get back to being mommy. :)
Love,
April
April, I LOVE YOU! Thank you for sharing this post. It was exactly what I needed right now at this very moment.
ReplyDeleteMan I wished we lived closer. Good luck with all you've got going, you'll do awesome!!!
ReplyDeleteYou are such an inspiration to me! I finally printed the post about when you sleep... it's not so much about sleep but how you make it work. You have work that you love and you keep your priorities in order. What you share with us is a gift.
ReplyDeleteAngie, thank you for your kind words. Today was such a hard day, and sometimes I feel so frustrated with my lack of progress (I set my expectations way too high). But I do want to clarify that I am now sleeping better at night. The middle-of-the night work sessions were effective at getting projects done, but it is so much nicer now that Spencer is in kindergarten, and I can actually sleep through the night and work while he is at school. But yes, when you're excited to work on something meaningful, but you don't want it to get in the way of your family, it definitely requires creativity and discipline. There is SO much work involved with running a website, which I know you understand. I wish you all the best with the work you're doing!
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