February Naptime Notes

Olly olly, charcuterie, and revisiting books I avoided in high school

For months, I’ve let perfectionism stop me from writing anything. I’ll sit down to write a blog post and the lack of time I actually have available as a mom to two girls two and under stops me from even starting a first draft.

As much as I’d like to be able to sit down and write long form essays (or even medium-length blogs!), that’s not the season I’m in right now. I’m barely able to read through longer essays without being interrupted by cries for help from my toddler on the potty. So, in an attempt to kick my perfectionism to the curb, I took stock of the things I enjoy reading in this stage of life to see if I could find some inspiration for how to share my writing in a more casual way.

The newsletters that I RUN to open anytime I see them come across my inbox are the ones I get from Tsh Oxenreider, Claire Swinarski, and Kendra Adachi. They’re fun, conversational, and full of recommendations that help me discover new favorite reads and listens. Meanwhile, the blog that I refresh at least weekly is Cup of Jo, where readers flock to the comment section to share their favorite tips and advice as well as find in-person friends in their cities.

So I’m going to take a shot at just a few notes that I scribble speedily during the rare coordinated nap times and start this small newsletter of my own just for fun.

Some months the nap times will be plentiful and this will be a cohesive collection of thoughts. Other months, nap strikes and night wakings will hit and you might just want to send me a pity espresso after reading through my ramblings.

I’ll let you be the judge of my children’s current sleep habits for this month’s inaugural installment of naptime notes.

My go-to order is a vanilla latte.

What I’m listening to on repeat this month:

My favorite band, Penny and Sparrow, released on a new album and it’s been playing non-stop through our house this month. Check out Olly Olly and make sure to listen to the song I’ve been singing along with the most: Adeline.

I’ve also loved listening along to Drink With a Friend, hosted by Tsh Oxenreider and Seth Haines. Their recent conversations on social media fasts and writing to stay sane were fantastic.

Something I’m reaching for every day:

Our butter bell. We eat bagels every morning for breakfast around here and I’ve spent years slicing portions of butter out onto plates and heating them up in the microwave for a quick ten seconds to achieve spreadable butter.

Then I remembered that we have a butter bell. No more microwaving butter, just toasting and munching. And since we use it every day, there’s no risk of moldy butter.

A tiny shift that is making all the difference:

Sundays are meant to be leisurely, but going to the 11:00 am Mass presented a lunchtime conundrum.

Do I get up at the crack of dawn to make lunch so that everything is all ready by the time our hangry family comes home from church? I could, but that means making breakfast and lunch before 8am and that left me cranky.

Do I attempt to get it together enough to meal prep on Saturday night so that Sunday morning is more laid back? Sure, but by the time Saturday evening rolls around, I’m ready for a cup of sleepy time tea and early bedtimes for everyone.

There are probably a plethora of answers but the tiny shift that we’ve decided to make to restore leisure in our Sunday mornings is . . . charcuterie.

Quick, simple, throw-it-on-a-cutting-board-and-call-it-a-day. I love picking out some unique things from the Aldi fun aisle to make Sunday special and the girls are delighted at a meal that consists solely of snacky things. Last week, we ate cheese adorably called “Honey I'd Rather Bee at the Sea,” a sweet and creamy cheese rubbed with Utah wildflower honey and sea salt.

Everyone wins, no one is hangry.

The books on my bedside table:

My Antonia by Willa Cather. When I was in highschool, the Seton Homeschool curriculum my mom used gave us a choice between My Antonia or The Prince and the Pauper one year for an English assignment. I chose the later since I’d watched the Wishbone’s Prince and the Pauper before - or was it Prince and the Pupper? Over a decade has passed since that less-than-magnamious choice, but a friend of mine recommended Cather and this prairie novel recently and caused me to rethink reading it. I didn’t think that kids growing up in the red grass of Nebraska could be very interesting but I was dead wrong. Cather’s mastery of the imaginative art of a novel is fantastic, and I found myself counting the hours until the girls’ bedtimes so I could sit down and enter into the story uninterrupted. It has earned a permanent spot on our bookshelf.

The Palace of Illusions by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni. I only got through the first few minutes of this episode of one of my favorite podcasts (What Should I Read Next with Anne Bogel) when the guest recommended this retelling of the Indian epic myth, the Mahabharata, with a focus on Panchaali’s experience as a heroine. I think it might be just the thing to snap me out of my book hangover, but I’m only on chapter five.

The books I’m reading (and re-reading!) with the girls:

Nana Upstairs Nana Downstairs by Tommie DePaola. This is easily my favorite DePaola book, so it was so fun to introduce it to the girls, who lovingly call their own grandmas “Nana” and “Nana Mimi.” It was just as delightful as I remember it.

Bats at the Library by Brian Lies. A librarian leaves the window open and that means it’s bat night at the library. The story is charming, but the illustrations truly make the book.

How to Make An Apple Pie and See the World by Marjorie Priceman. This book is definitely the reason we’ve been snacking on apples more frequently around here.

Ten Apples Up On Top by Dr. Seuss. This book not only wins the ‘most likely to be re-read’ award, but also the ‘most quoted’ book. Every time I clean the floor, Maeve, our almost-three year old shouts “Look out! The mop! The mop! The mop!” We’ve rechecked this one multiple times from the library and had fun discovering a copy at our local thrift store - so it’s here to stay.

Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin. I love when we bring books home from the library and revisit them as my girls get older. When we first read this book, Maeve was so tiny that I didn’t even know if she was listening. Now, she repeats the page back to me and points out all the colors.

A braggable thrift store find:

There are a few brands I always look for when I go thrifting, which is usually on Tuesday nights after the girls are in bed and Joseph is hosting small group at our place. My eyes are usually peeled for my favorite leisure wear pieces by Athleta or Zella, and I love a good Anthropologie dress.

But a few weekends ago while browsing the homegoods aisle of a local thrift spot, I came across some holiday Starbucks tumblers that I could resell. Although I think I just might keep them - they’re both adorable and practical.

Want to browse my thrifted finds? My friend, Sarah, and I have a Poshmark closet we run together called Dacy’s Book Boutique which you can browse here.

A few conversations to tune into:

I usually interview women over on my podcast, which might seem obvious given the show’s title, Letters to Women. But this past month, I hosted both Amanda and Jonathan Teixeira on the show to talk about money, generosity, and relationships. Give it a listen here.

I also sat down with Rebecca Martin and Mary Beth to chat with them about their new Catholic wedding planner published by Our Sunday Visitor. Rebecca was the editor for my first book, Created for Love, as well as my second book published by Our Sunday Visitor, Sisterhood: Giving and Receiving the Gift of Friendship, so it was a delight to sit down and talk about a book she has authored alongside Mary Beth (who works as OSV’s acquisitions editor). We talk about the importance of planning for a wedding and preparing for a marriage and get into the nitty gritty of the first year of a new vocation. Check it out here.

You, too, can speak fluent toddler

Or, alternatively, phrases my kids used that had me rolling this month

No naps me: Shouted at the top of your lungs in an attempt to communicate with your mother that in fact, you are too old for naps and refuse to take one, despite your irritability and rather drowsy eyes. Emphasis on “meeee,” said in a whiny tone to prove your point.

Bath bath car: When your parents buy a new car and the first thing that they do is take it to the car wash, said car is forever referred to lovingly as the bath-bath car.

Nippers: Fuzzy shoes that keep your feet warm at night.

A quote I’ve been thinking on:

We learn about death as we comb our hair in the morning and find that our hair is getting thin; when the tooth that has been aching for a long while leaves us. When our skin wrinkles at the corners of our eyes…when each year they come with flowers to which are slightly suggestive of the cemetery to celebrate one less year to go. By becoming familiar with death we learn to become familiar with life. It’s like making a conversion to the dimension of the eternal, as when we look at the negatives of a film to get the picture.

Venerable Madeleine Delbrêl

A poem to leave you with:

A friend (shout out to Greg) recently shared the poem “Gold Leaves” by G.K. Chesterton, and I keep thinking on it. “The year and I are old” is a line that I’ve been sitting with lately and it pairs well with the above thoughts on death from Venerable Madeleine Delbrêl.

Here’s the whole poem:

Lo! I am come to autumn,
When all the leaves are gold;
Grey hairs and golden leaves cry out
The year and I are old.

In youth I sought the prince of men,
Captain in cosmic wars,
Our Titan, even the weeds would show
Defiant, to the stars.

But now a great thing in the street
Seems any human nod,
Where shift in strange democracy
The million masks of God.

In youth I sought the golden flower
Hidden in wood or wold,
But I am come to autumn,
When all the leaves are gold.

That’s all I have for you this month!

In His Sacred Heart,

Chloe

p.s. I’d love to get to know YOU better - what are you listening to this month? Drop it in the comments below! 👇🏼