Things That Make Me Happy

What Takes Me Out of My Happy Place

Okay, truthfully, I'm going to start with something that frustrates me like crazy: putting Caleb to bed. That is right, I absolutely hate it. I feel myself almost getting angry because it takes more than an hour a lot of time even when I know he's tired! I set him in his crib, and he stands up again, and again, and again, and again, and . . . well, you get the point-- argh! Patrick sometimes holds him down and has success with that, but I'm not much good at it, and either way, it doesn't always work either. Sometimes, now I've started to leave after I've laid him down from standing up five or six or seven times. And then he just stands in his crib and cries until I think he's going to make himself sick (the longest I have left him is ten minutes). At first, it sort of seemed to make him tired enough that at least he'd finally relax and go to sleep, but now when I come back in and lay him back down he just stands up. I am going out of my mind! I thought I might ask the doctor for suggestions since he is supposed to call me Monday with some results on blood work Caleb had done, but I'd be interested to know if other people have had similar problems and what they have done. I am going out of my mind.

What Puts Me In My Happy Place

Two quick points 1.) This is another list. Sorry if you hate them. 2.) These are not all equal in worth and they are not in any sort of order.

1. Going to the Temple: Since we've been married, Patrick and I have been able to go to the temple every month. I doubt we'll be able to manage that once we move and the temple is more than 5-20 minutes away (5 to Provo, 20 to Timpanogos). Also, we have been fortunate to have aunts and friends who have been so kind about watching Caleb so we could go together. We went today, and it felt so good to be in such a beautiful, peaceful place.

2. An Adventurous Baby: Since pretty early on, Caleb has been a mover, and now he is into everything. Even though I joke about the messes he makes, they don't bother me that much. I love how curious he is. I love watching him explore. I think it's fun that he climbs the entire flight of stairs, that he tastes all the rocks in the rock garden, that he opens and closes the drain while taking a bath, that he puts his hand under the faucet when it's running, that he knocks things down just because they're there.

3. Writing: Aunt Mickie called a few months ago to tell me about the BYU Writing and Illustrating for Young Readers Conference. I went to the afternoon sessions of the conference and felt really enthused about writing. I won't say how successful I've been about doing it consistently since then, but I learned a lot and I was inspired by all the authors who are moms while also being successful writers. Many of them gave good tips on how to manage it. And I felt like, if they can do it, so can I.

4. Houses Growing and Changing: Since marriage, Patrick and I have laid silent claim to houses that were going up near where we lived. There was one right next to our old apartment that we watched go up and felt some possession of, and there's one nearby here with a round room on the second floor that has a steep, pointed roof. (Disclaimer: I don't know much about architectural terms.) We love that room even though we've never been in it. We like to think about what our house would look like if we were to build one. There's something very refreshing about a new house. It's like a clean piece of paper-- very hopeful--waiting to be filled.

5. Walking in the Rain: Today, what made me think about making a happy list (which I know I've done before) was that I went walking with Caleb in the rain while Patrick was at work. I put a cover over the stroller and then went walking over around the park and around our neighborhood. It was a warm (slightly dusty) rain, and quite a few people were out so that two different women visited with me a little bit and were very friendly and kind.

6. Books: Recenlty I've read Larger-Than-Life Laura and Heartbeat, two middle-grade books which had good messages and didn't absorb too much of my time and energy (which is a plus). Although, before that, Patrick and I got into the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, and it did absorb a lot of time and energy, but it was fun and somewhat educational as well.

7. Packing: We're not leaving until the end of July, but since we'll be out of town for two weeks before that, I've already started loading stuff in boxes. It might be a little premature, but I am enjoying it. It's nice to get things done before your stressed about it. And it's nice to be filing down our stuff and making friends with DI. And it's nice to watch our lives get simpler and simpler as I pack away more and more of our stuff and our house begins to look like we're leaving, which we are. And I'm happy to say that I think "unpacking" will also be something that makes me happy once we reach Virginia.

8. A Fresh Start: I am so excited for something new! I have loved my time here in Utah, but I am so ready for a change. I am ready to be around new people in a new region of the country with new weather (where the rain doesn't smell dusty), and a new stage of life for our family, living in a new apartment, and making new friends (though I love the friends we have), with new adventures ahead. I don't kid myself that it will be completely easy, but I still think that all-and-all it will be a wonderful thing for me personally and for us as a family.