What’s Bringing You Joy Right Now?

This is so sweet. I know you will cherish it forever. I have a similar story. My mom worked when I was young at part time jobs. She took the train home if my dad wasn’t able to pick her up. I always drove with him when he picked her up. On the days she took the train I would walk to the train station so she didn’t have to walk home alone. She told me years later she loved seeing my face when she came out of the train station. It was a little thing for me but meant so much to her. I only had her for 30 years. She was my best friend and I adored her. She has been gone for 34 years and I miss her every day.

Floating in my pool the other day after a long run . I heard the two most beautiful birds that took me to what felt like a tropical island . Pure bliss !!

On Sunday, I read “In Five Years” by Rebecca Serle. It was good that I just couldn’t put it down, and I ended up finishing it in a couple of hours. I highly recommend it.

This is SO sweet. Little boys are the best (most of the time;)

I am grateful for the uninterrupted time with my 16 month old son, Wilder. When quarantine began, he had just turned one and hadn’t yet learned to walk. In these last few months he has started walking, talking, making us laugh and forming opinions… he has blossomed into himself and I am blown away by the changes. We normally have a pretty busy social schedule, travel a lot, and stay pretty active. So slowing down and letting Wilder set the pace of our days has been the biggest blessing in disguise. We watch snails travel across the sidewalks, we make smoothies and drink them in the sun, we breastfeed outside while listening to the coos of a pair of nesting doves on our pergola. These really are some of the best moments of my life.

I LOVE THIS STORY!! so sweet.

Wow, that just goes to show you are raising mindful boys who think of others. I’ve been reading your blog since Toby was born! Time flies! I can’t believe he’s ten already!

How cute and very considerate of Toby!!! Wonderful!
My husband took the day off from work yesterday and I took him to the Oregon Coast for a day hike. It was supposed to be a 6 mile hike, but due to a miscalculation on my part it turned into a 9.5 mile hike. Slogging through the dry dunal sand is quite the workout, let me tell you! But the beach walk was divine. Weather was perfect, we didn’t encounter a single soul, and it was just the best day. I look forward to the day he can join me in retirement so we can do this more regularly.

While walking my dog in my neighborhood, I went past a small “lemonade stand” that did not sell lemonade. (Yes, even the smallest businesses are affected by Covid.) Instead, the three little girls were selling rocks (mostly landscape gravel) and homemade bookmarks and bracelets. I never carry cash on my walks but I told them I would be back. They immediately offered to *give* me their wares, and when I said I’d come back with money, they pulled out a jar of coins and offered me money to spend! “Oh, I couldn’t take your money,” I protested. They insisted I take a coin; a neighbor had given the money to them and they didn’t need it all. “We’ve been walking around the block and sharing with everyone!” So sweet!

Not having to pump breast milk! I have an 8mo and a 3yo. With 3yo Nahla pumping was such a struggle. I’d never get quite enough and often had to get up in the middle of the night to make sure she’d have enough for the next day. As a teacher, I’d have to squeeze sessions into 15 minute breaks, and it felt like a lot. This time around Soleil and I have gotten to nurse together for nearly her whole life. It’s been relaxing and lovely. Lockdown with a 3yo and 8mo is not relaxing, but this is one thing I’m grateful for.

joy always: my daughter
fleeting joy: swallows, dusk, queer eye, books

The most adorable story <3

This is… so lovely. What a sweetheart! Made my day to read. I had a small parenting win and joy the other day, in the midst of many low days. My 3 1/2 year old son is especially sensitive and challenging. Many days just seem to be endless bouts of tantrums, hitting, biting and throwing things / himself against me and anything around him. I read an Instagram post recently about responding to difficult child behavior in a way that emulates how we would want to be responded to if we were having an especially hard day, and it’s changed (most of the time) how I try to respond in his most difficult moments. Now as much as I can I try to crouch down to him, tell him I’m sorry he’s having a hard time, and ask if he needs a hug. It feels fruitless 95% of the time and I question what I’m doing. But a few days ago I was having a hard time and getting visibly frustrated, feeling overwhelmed at life and taking it out on some small thing I can’t even remember. Sawyer came up to me out of nowhere and just asked, “Do you just need a hug and a kiss Mama?”. Pretty instantly my frustrations disappeared. It was a convincing reminder that empathy works and that our kids emulate what we do and say, and brought me so much joy in a challenging parenting season.

This made my evening. I have 2 young boys who have those delightful moments where they show kindness and thoughtfulness towards others and I think, “okay, we’re doing okay with them. They are going to be okay.”
Love reading all the comments. Definitely bringing me joy today. Thanks, y’all.

Similar story! Got caught driving home in a downpour and was waiting in my car for the rain to die down. Next thing you know, my 9 yo daughter is knocking at the window, smiling under an umbrella to help me in the house. She’s the best!

My friend Chris and I have been friends for over 30 years (since about 5th or 6th grade). I have since got married, stayed close to home, been teaching art, and have a daughter. Chris has continuously traveled and lives a free-flow life. Somehow we have stayed connected even when long spans of time have gone by since he and I talk. There is never any resentment for not hearing from one another. During this pandemic, we started texting more and even calling each other to share little joys we have experienced. I will get photos of the farm he passes on his daily walks and I share photos of my garden as things bloom. It has been such a joy to have a more consistent connection with my old friend!

Evening walks: sometimes just me and husband, sometimes me with one or both kids, sometimes all of us together. We did this pre-confinement but not with the regularity or gusto of recent months, when outings in our area were restricted from 10am-7pm. There is something about walking that turns even the most reticent child into a Chatty Kathy, and I’ve often come home thinking Ok, life in all these stages will be fine, as long as we can walk and talk.

This brought tears to my eyes. I am so grateful for my little son who also can show me such an intense love!

We were in the middle of an international move when COVID hit, so my family ended up getting separated. With my husband still stuck in our old home when borders closed, I spent the first ten weeks in our new home in quarantine with my two little girls (3 and 5 years old) without a single piece of furniture. We shared a mattress on the floor as we waited for our shipment and furniture to arrive. There were some difficult moments, settling into a new life and job (WFH), and not knowing when we would see my husband again – but every night when I crawled onto that mattress with my babies (with whom I haven’t regularly shared a bed since they were six months old) I was just so grateful for the chance to hold them and kiss the tops of their heads while they slept.

My husband finally joined us last week, after international flights resumed (and the kids were excited to move into their new beds in their own room). I’m so happy to have him back – but I cannot tell you how much joy and comfort I got from being able to fall asleep with my children’s bodies nestled into mine during those first few challenging weeks.

Hitting the hiking trails after a really bad chronic illness flare.
Getting icecream at the icecream stand from down the road and licking sticky drips from my arm in the hot summer sun.
Giving myself extra time in the morning to lay in bed with my cats for a bit.
Catching up on pleasure reading now that grad school is over.
Sending and receiving postcards from friends I haven’t seen in far too long.
Watching the veggies we planted grow.

I loved this whole story, but my first thought was, “Toby is ten?!”

Thank you for sharing!!

That’s so lovely.

My little girl (4 years) just tried Reading Egg yesterday for the first time. She was having so much fun, especially after seeing that her sister did “homework” using ipad for weeks now.
The funny moment was when she woke up from her nap, even in her sleep face, she walked right to the ipad just waved me “mom, I’m going to continue to do my homework”. :)

I was out walking with my 3.5-year-old when he turned to me and said, completely out of the blue, “Mama, don’t worry, when I am far away, I hold you in my love.” I almost started crying it was so sweet. And then, of course, he went right back to talking about the perfect stick he wanted to find, because that’s how those darling 3.5-year-old brains work!

My husband and I have both been working from home since March with our 4-year-old son home with us. Despite being together non-stop for well over 100 days, every once in a while I’ll walk into a room and my son reacts like he hasn’t seen me in ages, enthusiastically shouting “Mommy!” and running to me with arms spread. It’s pure bliss.