Seven Quick Takes Friday take one

I’ve been following Conversion Diary by Jennifer Fulwiler for a long while now. She’s remarkable, mom of a brood, writer, blogger, reality TV star, and pretty seriously funny. Every Friday she hosts a linkup (for non bloggers, that means other people share their link to their blog post with the same topic/title)–7 Quick Takes Friday–and it’s just that, quick takes from the week. Linking up with her and the rest of the interesting & awesome writers.

Without further ado, my week in seven quickies:

— 1 —

SuperBoy’s tempter tantrums have been slowing down. Kinda. He escalates in a more physical way now–stomping & wringing his hands–over small little things. His sister touching his raspberry. Me requesting him to go to the bathroom and try to go. Just try. Being done with toys. Quiet time. Playtime. Transition of any kind. You know him, he’s all about baseball so a little baseball bribery has gone a long way–meaning if he doesn’t listen he loses a few of his oh-so-few (THOUSANDS) baseball cards. They go into temporary jail. Until his good behavior wins them back. It’s kinda working.

— 2 —

Etsy shop’s a hopping. Busy sewing, busy cutting, busy designing. There were two giveaways of my lovelies by Heartland Parenting & Camp Patton. I’m sure the best winners won! My products were also at a New York tradeshow! Well received! Yay! That’s a lot of exclamations, even for me. And I’ve got orders on my table for friends & strangers alike. Love love love. And we have a sweet cousin’s baby shower coming up, with a “sprinkle” for her sister who’s expecting her third. (How great is that concept of a “sprinkle”!) So more sewing for those little ones poised to come into the world. And I’m working up a luscious knitted blankie for a very special baby who will arrive in January.

— 3 —

Moms’ group was awesome this week. My girlfriend & I started a moms’ group at our church. We get together some amazing moms & their little ones and just have fun. Usually we hang out in the Brides’ Room of the church but this time we were in this gorgeous playground courtyard outdoors–close to 30 kiddos, 12 moms, and laughing shrieking picking up beetles eating raisins. That kind of fun.

— 4 —

I had a lackluster week for meals.

Let’s see: Creole takeout, Indian takeout, grilled hot dogs, breakfast-for-dinner, and tonight? I ate three hot dogs. It wasn’t the best idea. My stomach is very sad with me over this. Oh, and ice cream at night. Lots of it. Too much, probably. I’m really going to try to get back to a meal plan next week. Really truly.

— 5 —

When SuperBoy gives up the intense-child crown, SweetPea will–well, she’ll probably force an abdication and snatch it. She knows her mind so well. Yesterday she left us in the kitchen, went and got her hat and shoes, then stood by the back door freaking out, shouting “BABABABBABABABA” at my dad who was putzing in the backyard. She could see him through the glass. And all she wanted was out. This is her at 15 months. What’s going to happen at 15 years??

— 6 —

I’m reading the Well-Trained Mind, A Guide to Classical Education at Home by Susan Wise Bauer & Jessie Wise, as recommended by a friend. Well, AA is reading it and I’m kinda reading it. He’s a better brain then I am, obviously. It’s looking me in the face on my nightstand. And It really looks good. And thick. And like I’m going to read it before the summer’s done. Fo sho.

— 7 —

Two of my friends are oh-so famous and great writers. I met Emily when I was in Austria–what was it? six years ago?–puddle jumping between a Theology of the Body conference at the wonderfully magical Gaming where Franciscan (aka Steubenville) has their abroad campus, Munich, Paris, Lourdes, and eventually to my summer job in Strasbourg. We toodled around with a few other friends and although I haven’t seen her since, I follow her writing. Read her article on Fool-Proof Advice for Improving Your Love Life. 

My other friend Andrew is a dear heart and a close friend from law school. He & his wife are two of my favorite people in the universe and I want to transport them to Saint Paul so I can have tea with them every day and have his wife interior design my life. He always was smarter than any of us, and his articles prove this. I didn’t know much about the Christians in the Middle East, but follow Andrew’s writing and you will learn something or two. Read his article (Washington POST!!) on Why Religious Freedom Is Inseparable from Progress in the Middle East, and so many more (NRO!) here, here, here, and here.

Wow, not so quick. Thanks for bearing with me. Tune in next week for an interview with Dakota Pediatric Clinic, a garden update, and maybe a little bit about the summer joy of water pools. Lots of time in the pool.

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!