Go frew it. Littles carry such wisdom! When did we grow away from seeing life this way? Great words to ponder. I always enjoy receiving your writing...it always hits home to my mom heart. We moved to North Carolina nine months ago and we love it. If you're moving to the Charlotte area would love to show you around!
Annelie I loved this more than I can say: the beautiful writing, the reference to going on a bear hunt, the way I can relate to not wanting to go frew it! So good! 💯
A non-trashy light read I would recommend is the laeticia rodd mysteries by Kate saunders or a good kids chapter book!
yes!! It's one of our very favorites, called, "The Seven Silly Eaters" by Mary Ann Hoberman. I gift it frequently. The illustrations and story are just so charming and relatable and funny.
Some easy reads: I often turn to Georgette Heyer, who wrote Regency romances in the 1920s. They’re wholesome and funny, and often more about a whole family or at least a broad cast than just the couple.
I also read a lot of LM Montgomery recently. Her Pat of Silver Bush books are less known but good, and there’s always the Anne and Emily books. Generally, I often find classic children’s books, or classic YA like Montgomery or L’Engle, etc to be good choices for this kind of reading need—easy but still rich.
Yes, I do love L.M. Montgomery for this sort of reading. I actually don't remember if I've read the Emily ones before -- maybe I should give them a go. And I'll leave to check the other ones out too, thanks!
Moves are so hard! The comparison to labor hit me hard-I’m pregnant with my third and was just talking about how unready I feel for the physical work of it all-both birth itself and nursing/postpartum lack of sleep. He very wisely pointed out that’s exactly where I was last go around, and yet we still did it. My children’s delight/excitement for the adventure of their little sibling has been such a gift this pregnancy-like you said, they remind me to look for the delight and the adventure, and not just the muddy/rough/tiring parts. I’ll pray for you and the transition! Finally, good fluff/not trashy reads: 1. Midnight at the Blackbird Café 2. Brother Cadfael Chronicles (yes they’re murder mysteries, but very cozy ones with a nice faith focus/respect for faith and always a pair of two of doomed lovers that the good Brother helps get together) 3. Two travel books-Paris to the Moon and Love of Country: A Hebridean Journey (France and Scotland respectively) 4. Tooth and Claw-regency era/manners with dragons instead of people. Hilarious and fun
Yes, children are so helpful to remind us to see the world a little differently. And it's so easy to future trip and view our current reality alongside our future reality -- like I just always think that I'm going to be pregnant and have a newborn at the same time when I get really overwhelmed. But the reality is that things change so much along the way, and so it ends up being doable, still hard, but doable.
I needed this today, considering I am also trying to find the perfect order to pack boxes for our move and my husband is like, “Let’s just pack them already!”
This must be a very common dynamic 😂 There's something to trying to be organized, and yet, there's still no way to prevent the chaos from hitting, so at some point you just have to surrender to the mess of it all. But I fight it hard!
My daughter went to 42 weeks and 1 day, so I had to induce. My son came on his own at 41 weeks and 2 days. The going through, the waiting and endless feeling of transition, is so familiar to me. We are just "through" our latest move, but even weeks in there is much left to be done. It feels like it will never end. I just keep telling myself to eat the elephant one bite at a time. Solidarity, friend.
One bite at a time! Unpacking is slightly better than packing, but I think we often underestimate just how much energy it takes to have a new everything. Even the small things like you're brain getting confused driving to the store because there's no longer an autopilot route. It's exhausting!
I resonate very specifically with your post today! I’m 37 weeks gestation today… and I’m anxiously awaiting (dreading?) this baby’s arrival. Something about these last few weeks and the unknown of the date and labor and afterwards feels so disorienting. I’m thankful for your encouragement today, even just to “go thru it!”
Non-trashy (though it doesn't look like fluff) read I'm waiting for (on recommendation from Nadya Williams) is the YA novel Everything Sad is Untrue -- it looks incredible. I'm waiting (approx. 3 weeks) for it on the Libby app, but am wondering if I should just buy it.
I started that one, and then it got returned to Libby on me... So, maybe it's worth listening. Someone suggested that it was really great on audio, so maybe it would be a good road tripping book.
I stumbled across your words this morning and they were such an encouragement. Big changes lie ahead for our family, many still unknown, and as someone who always fights change with every fiber, I resonated with your timely words! Thank you.
I'm so glad they were encouraging to you, Jane. It's so hard to not fight the change, but it takes a lot of energy to fight things the whole way. Sometimes I'm just too tired, and oddly, maybe that's not such a bad place to be.
Great read + sending love and patience for the move! Moving is such a big deal and I feel like all the work of it all is not appreciated enough! Especially the more invisible work like tending to emotions and building new relationships and figuring out a whole new life routine.
I also read that piece on Substack Notes and was laughing and nodding hard😁
Thanks, Amber. Yes, it's all these tiny little details of wait a second, where do I forward the mail and which utilities and how am I going to grocery shop in which town and on what day, and who do I go see when I throw my back out moving boxes... 😅
“ “GOT GO FREW IT!” he yells gleefully. It’s his favorite line.
It’s my least favorite line
I would like to go around, underneath, in between, above, below, to the side, in a circle… anywhere but through.” — I never thought of it this profoundly. Now that you mention it, I feel the same way.
Go frew it. Littles carry such wisdom! When did we grow away from seeing life this way? Great words to ponder. I always enjoy receiving your writing...it always hits home to my mom heart. We moved to North Carolina nine months ago and we love it. If you're moving to the Charlotte area would love to show you around!
We'll be a little further east, but I'm always happy to hear positive stories and that people are loving their locations :)
Annelie I loved this more than I can say: the beautiful writing, the reference to going on a bear hunt, the way I can relate to not wanting to go frew it! So good! 💯
A non-trashy light read I would recommend is the laeticia rodd mysteries by Kate saunders or a good kids chapter book!
Thanks, Kym! And no worries about the name :)
Argh I wrote your name wrong im so sorry Annelise! 🤦🏼♀️
Can I ask which book your storybook alter ego comes from, because just from the picture, I can tell I need that book in my life. 😅
yes!! It's one of our very favorites, called, "The Seven Silly Eaters" by Mary Ann Hoberman. I gift it frequently. The illustrations and story are just so charming and relatable and funny.
Thank you so much!! That definitely sounds like one we need in our home library. :)
“because it turns out that sometimes grace shows up not when you think you need it, but when you actually do.” WOW.
Also The Awakening of Miss Prim— read predominantly while pacing with a newborn in a carrier.
This is the kind of book endorsement we need more of! (I can definitely think of a few that I have read that way haha)
Some easy reads: I often turn to Georgette Heyer, who wrote Regency romances in the 1920s. They’re wholesome and funny, and often more about a whole family or at least a broad cast than just the couple.
I also read a lot of LM Montgomery recently. Her Pat of Silver Bush books are less known but good, and there’s always the Anne and Emily books. Generally, I often find classic children’s books, or classic YA like Montgomery or L’Engle, etc to be good choices for this kind of reading need—easy but still rich.
Yes, I do love L.M. Montgomery for this sort of reading. I actually don't remember if I've read the Emily ones before -- maybe I should give them a go. And I'll leave to check the other ones out too, thanks!
Moves are so hard! The comparison to labor hit me hard-I’m pregnant with my third and was just talking about how unready I feel for the physical work of it all-both birth itself and nursing/postpartum lack of sleep. He very wisely pointed out that’s exactly where I was last go around, and yet we still did it. My children’s delight/excitement for the adventure of their little sibling has been such a gift this pregnancy-like you said, they remind me to look for the delight and the adventure, and not just the muddy/rough/tiring parts. I’ll pray for you and the transition! Finally, good fluff/not trashy reads: 1. Midnight at the Blackbird Café 2. Brother Cadfael Chronicles (yes they’re murder mysteries, but very cozy ones with a nice faith focus/respect for faith and always a pair of two of doomed lovers that the good Brother helps get together) 3. Two travel books-Paris to the Moon and Love of Country: A Hebridean Journey (France and Scotland respectively) 4. Tooth and Claw-regency era/manners with dragons instead of people. Hilarious and fun
Yes, children are so helpful to remind us to see the world a little differently. And it's so easy to future trip and view our current reality alongside our future reality -- like I just always think that I'm going to be pregnant and have a newborn at the same time when I get really overwhelmed. But the reality is that things change so much along the way, and so it ends up being doable, still hard, but doable.
I needed this today, considering I am also trying to find the perfect order to pack boxes for our move and my husband is like, “Let’s just pack them already!”
This must be a very common dynamic 😂 There's something to trying to be organized, and yet, there's still no way to prevent the chaos from hitting, so at some point you just have to surrender to the mess of it all. But I fight it hard!
My daughter went to 42 weeks and 1 day, so I had to induce. My son came on his own at 41 weeks and 2 days. The going through, the waiting and endless feeling of transition, is so familiar to me. We are just "through" our latest move, but even weeks in there is much left to be done. It feels like it will never end. I just keep telling myself to eat the elephant one bite at a time. Solidarity, friend.
One bite at a time! Unpacking is slightly better than packing, but I think we often underestimate just how much energy it takes to have a new everything. Even the small things like you're brain getting confused driving to the store because there's no longer an autopilot route. It's exhausting!
I resonate very specifically with your post today! I’m 37 weeks gestation today… and I’m anxiously awaiting (dreading?) this baby’s arrival. Something about these last few weeks and the unknown of the date and labor and afterwards feels so disorienting. I’m thankful for your encouragement today, even just to “go thru it!”
Oh! congratulations and prayers for you as you wait for this baby. It's such an odd time and space, isn't it?
Non-trashy (though it doesn't look like fluff) read I'm waiting for (on recommendation from Nadya Williams) is the YA novel Everything Sad is Untrue -- it looks incredible. I'm waiting (approx. 3 weeks) for it on the Libby app, but am wondering if I should just buy it.
Thanks Carlos Greaves for keeping us real LOL...
"Everything Sad is Untrue" is amazing! Definitely a page-turner. Worth the buy :)
I was hooked from the sample on Libby -- what incredible storytelling.
I started that one, and then it got returned to Libby on me... So, maybe it's worth listening. Someone suggested that it was really great on audio, so maybe it would be a good road tripping book.
I also listened to that exact jj heller song in my university years!
It was a good album :)
I stumbled across your words this morning and they were such an encouragement. Big changes lie ahead for our family, many still unknown, and as someone who always fights change with every fiber, I resonated with your timely words! Thank you.
I'm so glad they were encouraging to you, Jane. It's so hard to not fight the change, but it takes a lot of energy to fight things the whole way. Sometimes I'm just too tired, and oddly, maybe that's not such a bad place to be.
Great read + sending love and patience for the move! Moving is such a big deal and I feel like all the work of it all is not appreciated enough! Especially the more invisible work like tending to emotions and building new relationships and figuring out a whole new life routine.
I also read that piece on Substack Notes and was laughing and nodding hard😁
Thanks, Amber. Yes, it's all these tiny little details of wait a second, where do I forward the mail and which utilities and how am I going to grocery shop in which town and on what day, and who do I go see when I throw my back out moving boxes... 😅
“ “GOT GO FREW IT!” he yells gleefully. It’s his favorite line.
It’s my least favorite line
I would like to go around, underneath, in between, above, below, to the side, in a circle… anywhere but through.” — I never thought of it this profoundly. Now that you mention it, I feel the same way.