I was out a little late last night, trying to set up credit card processing for Coosh's POS (my apologies to Strickle Chick for keeping her hubby out late too.) When I came home about 10:45pm, Sandra was folding laundry and watching A&E's adaptation of  Emma.

She paused the video immediately, and made me watch a brief exchange between Emma and Mr. Knightley. In the clip, Emma was admiring a portrait of the young Mr. Churchill when she exclaimed that he was the "very epitome of manly excellence."

Mr. Knightley responded "Apart from his disinclination to exert himself, and do what he knows to be right."

"Mr. Knightley," Emma said, "isn't is very unfair to judge a person's conduct when we do not know his situation. He may be unable to do what he truly wishes."

"There is one thing a man can always do if he chooses, and that is his duty."

Funny enough, I don't believe this dialogue is in the actual text of the book. Despite that, I do find it very much in line with Jane Austen's view of proper manhood.

Labels: fun, life, reflection

This past week I was getting ready to go to a Mom's Tea for Adah's first grade class. It was after dinner and I was in the bathroom, [actually] blow drying my hair and putting on make up. Ranen came in and started playing with the items on the vanity. Then I looked over and noticed him looking at me. Then he said, in almost a whisper, "Mom, you're pretty." We don't really talk about being pretty in our house; we try to talk about our hearts and how they make us act and how we should act. Flowers are pretty and pictures are pretty. I was taken aback. It was very sweet and very Ranen. I hope in the years to come that my prettiness, in his eyes, comes from how I act and treat him and others; and not whether I have make up and my hair done! (Because that only happens once in a blue moon!!)

This photo is for my dad, because, yes, I have finally caught a smile on camera.

From September

At the end of the day, it's often hard for me to see what I've accomplished with all of my energy. Life changes: are the children fed, clothed, well rested? Mission accomplished. Today, I purposely set out not to worry about what I did or did not take care of. I visited a friend (very important!), and was the apple of my son's eye because I followed him around as he pretended to be both Dora and Boots at the same time. He wore only a pair of Elmo underwear, some huge pink galoshes, and a red Hello Kitty backpack. It was quite a sight. At the close of the day, while he was sitting on the toilet (ahh, the foreshadowing), I made him belly laugh by rhyming "bottom" with our cat's name "Autumn." The sweet sound of humor.

Adah is enjoying first grade. Kaniel is almost two months old. The sound of time fleeing before me is eerie. I turn around and it is scurrying out the door, often laughing at me. I can only hope I'm remembered for those days (sadly, too few) I let the house go to ruin and play Bandu with Adah and Ranen, follow Ranen around the house in search of the water on the map, and make random potty jokes.

Labels: adah, Kaniel, ranen, reflection