There’s something about a baby learning to walk that creates a culture of wonder and affirmation in a home.
Yay!! Seven steps?! You’re incredible!
Holy cow! Come look and see what Ada’s doing!!
Girl!! That’s some pro-level walking right there!
We’re practically throwing a parade (complete with confetti!) as an almost-one-year-old Ada confidently cruises along on her tiny feet.
In the middle of one of those celebrations last week, I glanced over at Maeve. She’s almost three years old. Wasn’t it just yesterday that we were cheering her on as she took those first wobbly steps? Nowadays, she’s scaling stairs, running around parks, and jumping on trampolines like a total champ.
It’s not that watching Maeve put one foot confidently in front of the other ceased being wonderful. Instead, I ceased wondering.
Maeve walking just became part of my everyday and quickly became something I took for granted. But there’s a host of other incredible daily occurrences that I don’t pause to wonder at.
The fact that my lungs bring oxygen into my body and dispel carbon dioxide.
Pouring boiling water over roasted beans makes coffee (Praise Him).
Planting microscopic seeds into warm soil results in towering tomato plants in barely any time at all.
Sweet Maeve reminds me of the wonder of the little things when she looks out the car window on an evening drives home and exclaims, “AH! A pink sunset!! MOM, Jesus loves me!”
Every little thing is a gift, if only I recognize it instead of trampling over it in my hurried, busy rush. So this is your encouragement to stop and marvel at the daily things that have become so regular that you’ve ceased to wonder at them.
Alrighty, now onto this month’s naptime notes, with fair warning. The girls and I have are battling a winter bug that has turned us into snotty, coughing messes. Full nights of sleep have been hard to come by and naptimes have been fitful.
In other words, I’m gladly accepting any offers of sympathy caffeine.
What I’m listening to on repeat this month:
Honest Wage by Penny and Sparrow. I’ve loved this song for a long time, but recently thought about the lyrics through the vantage point of the older son in the parable of the prodigal son. The lyrics have such a depth to them.
The Discernment of Spirits – Setting the Captives Free with Fr. Timothy Gallagher. My spiritual director asked me to revisit St. Ignatius’ rules for discernment and I’m enjoying listening to Fr. Gallagher’s commentary on each of the fourteen rules. Believe me, the wealth of spiritual knowledge in each episode is worth the hassle of navigating the slightly confusing website they’re hosted on.
Something I’m reaching for every day:
This $19 tube of chapstick. Ever winter, my lips are cracked and chapped. So when Joseph and I went to Chicago in January to celebrate our five year wedding anniversary, I vowed that I would *not* have chapped lips the entire time. After scouring the internet for the best recommendations, I landed on this emu oil chapstick.
At first I balked at the idea of paying that much for a tube of chapstick, but I’m here to report that it’s worth every penny. I’m actually reaching for it multiple times a day as we navigate fool’s spring, second winter, and the spring of deception and all the dry air that comes with Midwest weather this time of year.
A tiny shift that is making all the difference:
One of our family goals in 2022 was to move our TV downstairs. We’re not big TV watchers as a family, and what we really enjoy doing together is listening to (and dancing to!) good music. Joseph is a self-professed audiophile, so our set up doesn’t disappoint. After lugging the ridiculously heavy entertainment center down to the basement, we reorganized our front room into a listening room, complete with two sets of speakers and some new bookshelves.
Moving the TV downstairs has helped us have more intentional evenings listening to music, reading books together, or just settling down for a night of good conversation. I love that guests walk into our home and the first thing they see is our book and music collection. It’s such an accurate representation of the way we spend our time in our home together.
Maeve, our Daniel Tiger superfan, was slightly disappointed that the TV was moved “Down, down, down stairs,” but is relieved that the show still makes an appearance on my laptop as the designated dinner-prep babysitter, so all is well.
The books on my bedside table:
The Five Wounds by Kirstin Valdez Quade. Amadeo Padilla is playing the part of Jesus in the Good Friday procession. But just as he’s zeroing in on the final preparations, his teenage daughter shows up pregnant on his doorstep, totally ruining his meticulously constructed plan for personal redemption. I’m listening to the audiobook via Libby and it’s the perfect Lenten listen. It also has a slight Flannery O’Connor vibe, which I’m loving after reading Wise Blood last year with my book club.
The Lucky Few: Finding God’s Best in the Most Unlikely Places by Heather Avis. Heather and her husband Josh wanted to grow their family, but adoption and Down syndrome were not in their plans. But after adopting three children, two of whom have Down syndrome, they discovered God’s grace in the must unexpected places. I first discovered Heather’s story when she was interviewed on a podcast I was listening to. I also loved reading Heather’s book for kids, Different - A Great Thing to Be! to the girls this month.
Les Misérables by Victor Hugo. It’s been years since I read Les Mis so I decided to pull it off the shelf this month. I was instantly reminded of the sheer goodness of the character Bishop Charles-François-Bienvenu Myriel. What an embodiment of mercy. Les Mis is about 1,500 pags, so I don’t know if I’ll re-read it in its entirety, but I’m enjoying the snippets I’m able to sneak in during naptimes.
The books I’m reading (and re-reading!) with the girls:
Bee-Bim Bop! by Linda Sue Park. The rhyme of this book just bounces and it’s so fun. It’s the story of a Korean-American girl making bee-bim bop (which translates to mix-mix rice) with her mom. Maeve, our fastidious daughter, was a fan of how quickly the little girl cleans up the mess that she makes when spilling the water in the kitchen. Not only was the story read and re-read, it also inspired many bee-bim bop dinner nights for the Langrs.
Blue Hat, Green Hat by Sandra Boynton. Oh my goodness, this book is sure to make your toddler roll with laughter. It follows the story of a silly little turkey who has a tough time figuring out how to put his clothes on. Maeve laughed out loud on the first reading, and she’s a bit of a tough crowd.
Jamberry by Bruce Degan. I have a distinct memory of reading Jamberry as a child at a story time that included squishing berries in a giant kiddie pool as part of the fun. The pictures are vibrant, the rhymes are adorable. It was fun to take a trip down memory lane with the girls while reading.
Yellow Kayak by Nina Laden. This book is just beautiful. The yellow, pink, and turquoise colors used in the illustrations are enchanting, and I loved the short, often two word sentences on each page. It captured the attention of both Maeve and Ada (when Ada wasn’t trying to eat the pages, which apparently she thinks are delicious as they are gorgeous).
Trucks Galore by Peter Stein. An old trustee. We’ve loved Trucks Galore for about a year now, and it’s easily our favorite Peter Stein book. Maeve can almost recite it word for word and, in typical Maeve fashion, adores the line “Hey you, trucks! Clean up that yard!” which she shouts at the top of her lungs at every reading.
A braggable thrift store find:
For years I’ve been scouring the aisles of countless thrift stores for a set of pasta dishes. White, wide rimmed, just enough to elevate a weeknight spaghetti to something slightly fancy. I finally landed upon the perfect set while on a morning thrift store date with Joseph a few weekends back. I may or may not have meal planned an entire week of noodle dishes to break them in. They haven’t disappointed!
I also tracked down the perfect replacement for my beloved Eddie Bauer jean jacket. Years ago, I bought it from my friend, Sarah, and it quickly became a closet staple. However, after both of my elbows busted through the growing holes in the arms, it was time to retire it. After scouring Mercari, I happened upon the exact same jacket that’s in significantly better shape and I’m happy to be back to my jean jacket wearing self, jacket arms intact once again.
A few conversations to tune into:
Prayer, fasting, and almsgiving are more than just the pillars of Lent. They’re also incredible tools for healing. Sister Miriam James Heidland, SOLT, joined me on the Letters to Women podcast recently to talk about her new book, “Restore,” as well as her own journey of healing. Listen in here.
Find yourself wishing that the year of Saint Joseph wasn’t quite over yet? I loved sitting down with art historian, author, and tour guide Liz Lev to talk about the way that artists have depicted St. Joseph in art throughout the years and what that teaches us about the history of Catholicism. It was a fascinating conversation and I loved discovering new images of St. Joseph that I’d never seen before reading Liz’s new book. Check out our conversation here.
You, too, can speak fluent toddler:
Or, alternatively, phrases my kids used that had me rolling this month
The Newt: A blanket fort precariously balanced over your crib, a great place to play on cozy, winter days. Or, a giant IKEA box that makes the perfect reading nook.
Oh my doodness: An exclamation for when things are just outrageous or hysterical.
Baby ass’: Translation - “Baby Ada’s”. Inherently hilarious, but the hilarity is amplified by about fifty times when this phrase is SHOUTED across the room at other toddlers who are trying to take “baby ass’” things during play groups or at the library.
A quote I’ve been thinking on:
“When motherhood is overwhelming, we run to social media. Yet scrolling through perfection and fantasy, death and suffering, fighting and cancelling, guilt and condemnation, I realize: maybe it’s the opposite. Maybe we’re overwhelmed by social media, so we run from our motherhood.” —Laura Wifler
A poem to leave you with:
Gerard Manley Hopkins has come up in a variety of conversations with friends lately, and he’s also been mentioned on one of my current favorite podcasts (A Drink With a Friend), so I picked up The Gospel in Gerard Manley Hopkins: Selections from His Poems, Letters, Journals, and Spiritual Writings and have been getting to know him a little better.
There are a few poems of his collection that struck me, but Pied Beauty was one I kept returning to and am committing to memory this month.
Glory be to God for dappled things – For skies of couple-colour as a brinded cow; For rose-moles all in stipple upon trout that swim; Fresh-firecoal chestnut-falls; finches’ wings; Landscape plotted and pieced – fold, fallow, and plough; And áll trádes, their gear and tackle and trim. All things counter, original, spare, strange; Whatever is fickle, freckled (who knows how?) With swift, slow; sweet, sour; adazzle, dim; He fathers-forth whose beauty is past change: Praise him.
I loved learning that Hopkins made up the word “brinded” for this poem, as well as the simplicity of that last line.
Praise him.
That’s all I have for you this month!
In His Sacred Heart,
Chloe
p.s. Your turn! Tell me about a book you’re reading in the comments below 👇🏼
p.p.s. Weird favor alert! If you like reading this newsletter, could you forward it to someone in your life who would love it too? Thanks in advance!
I finished Scott Hahn's Lord, Have Mercy last night.
Tonight I will start his Hail, Holy Queen.
Just finished: The Life of the Blessed Virgin Mary From the Visions of Ven. Anne Catherine Emmerich.
Reading: All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr.
Reading: Letters to Women by Chloe Langr (I gifted it to myself last year for Easter and have been savouring one letter per week durring Adoration)
Next to read: Stories of Karol, The Unknown Life of John Paul Ii, by Gian Franco Svidercoschi