Library Run

About every other week we drop in on our local library to either pick up a stack of inter library loan books or just browse the shelves. I usually stock up on books for M to cycle out our reading. At the moment, he absolutely hates returning the books. He's convinced they are ours and those mean people behind the counter are stealing them from us. I continue to remind him that they were never ours, but that we are trading them for more.

Right now, we have:

The Great Doughnut Parade by Rebecca Bond
It's a cute tale about a little boy who ties a doughnut to his belt and takes off on a walk, gathering quite the menagerie of followers. It's a lyrical read...which of course is my favorite.

The Kiss That Missed by David Melling
I found this book to be a bit awkward to read...but Mr M loved the story line. The illustrations are great and this ended being one he didn't want to part with.

The Magic Hat by Mem Fox
So this book was both of our favorites for this trip...and I've promised him that we'll get it back! With great rhyming verse and appealing pictures, the plot is just the right amount of predictable for a child, and still interesting. Lets just say we've both been seeing this in our sleep, it was read so many times.

I also have The Continuum Concept by Jean Liedloff, which is a pretty interesting description of the authors time in the jungles of South America studying natural parenting. I think it will warrant it's own post at some point.

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Intentional

Intentional. The realization that this is my word for 2011 blazed through my consciousness as I stood in the kitchen watching DH and M. It's New Year's day and rather than being out creating memories, we've been recovering from a week long bug. By 5 pm I'd steeled myself enough to offer M a trip outside, so we bundled and headed out to face the cold. The wind was so bitter that after 15 minutes he volunteered to return to the warmer climate indoors (bless his little heart). After stripping his clothes and grabbing my phone for his new Sponge Bob game, he hurdled onto the couch with his dad while I started dinner. A few minutes later, I turned around to see:


What this picture missed, was how his arm was wrapped up and around his dad's neck with a palm gently craddling his face. I absolutely adore this and relished the moment...and that's when it hit...

Intentional. WHile we've tried to be very intentional about the decisions and choices we've faced on our journey through parenthood, our schedules are such that the days and weeks run together and are gone. I never seem to manage to write down those moments, memories, firsts, and milestones like I always planned. And I have a never ending list of great ideas for special times and experiences to fill up his childhood that never seem to happen. And so, this is the year to start living intentionally with respect to living...not just choices.

I'm pretty excited about it! Living intentionally really encompasses so many of the areas I've been contemplating lately. Intention moments, intentional reactions, intentional feelings, intentional contentment, intentional spirituality, intentional growth...and even some more mundane things like intentional meals (as in better planning), and intentional days (though you won't find me implementing the dreaded "schedule").

And since this is my first real post on my new blog...intentional blogging. So this year I plan on spending some time documenting my life and some of the topics near and dear to me. Hopefully it will be somewhat entertaining, and if I'm lucky, perhaps even thought provoking.

Happy New Year!

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