Clover Lane

Lunch with a friend outside.

I made a few of the boys tuck this big round watermelon I brought home from the grocery store under their shirts to have a little more understanding of what I feel like every day...and then I made them up pick up their shoes.  We all had a good laugh and I could see a little light bulb go off in their heads-that was enough for me-it has to be because of course the lesson wore off before the day was done.

Another great immigrant story....my favorite kind of book.  Perfect for picking up and putting down all day long.  Or starting and falling asleep 5 minutes later, in spite of the fact that you have looked forward to reading it all day long.

After I read that book, I went on a Adriana Trigiani kick, and read these two which I loved just as much.


I own this non-fiction book by Trigiani I picked up for a Christmas present for myself last year, but re-read it...it is a memoir of sorts of both her grandmother's lives, which all these books were based on.  SO much old-fashioned wisdom, examples of the strong work-ethic that existed long ago and practical advice.  I turned down even more pages than I had the first time.




I found such inspiration in this book-I wish I could have known my grandmothers better, talked with them more, and gleaned from them their own thoughts and feelings and no doubt deep wisdom on family and work and life in general.  I love this generation's reminders-I know it's good for me to hear them sometimes too.

How did things become so complicated?  I made the mistake of walking into Babies R Us the other day and was completely overwhelmed.  I have always kept things simple but this time I feel a need to more than ever.  But I began doubting myself when I saw all the options and choices of just about everything.  All the bottles, and different types of pacifiers and carriers and for goodness sake, fancy swaddle blankets!  Things to stick the baby in...all these fancy seats and contraptions.  I stuck to my guns though and only bought what I came in for....one bottle for emergencies, a simple paci, white light thermal blankets for swaddling (I did purge on those new gauze ones that are nice and big and light for summer), and some good old fashioned A and D ointment.  And cloth diapers for burping...the same kind my mom used on all of us.  I have a few more essential supplies at home of course but I'm keeping it all to just that...essentials.

Honestly, more than ever, all this fancy stuff I saw, EXPENSIVE stuff...babies just want their mommies, and they want them close and they want to be held and calmed and cuddled every day by their mommies.  I'm not dismissing the importance of a good baby swing (a lifesaver sometimes!), or a safe place to set baby because life does go on, but oh my, it seems like all that mother/baby relationship stuff has been replaced just by plain stuff.

Isaac's college shopping trip was fast and easy of course.  Like, "How does this blanket look for your bed?"  "Good."  "This pillow feel good?"  "Yup."

I am trying to enjoy these last days of my pregnancy but I'm also looking forward to having my energy back and being able to breathe, eat, sleep and move.  I usually start to panic about now, when all that important stuff I just mentioned takes a nose dive.  I think of all I have to do (especially this summer with Isaac going off to college, and the kids starting school all in the same week as my due date!) and wonder how I will get it all finished and keep pace with the ordinary days as well.  It seems like I am plum tuckered out by noon every day and that's just not going to cut it.