ten thoughts on a wednesday |28|

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one.
yesterday afternoon, i impulsively decided to take moses to the tate modern. i hadn’t been there for ages and I knew mo would love running around the galleries and seeing all the interesting art. i am a big fan of modern and contemporary art (obviously some artists/pieces more than others) and it felt good for my soul to take in all that creative creation (as much as i could while chasing my little boy around!). there’s an installation in the big main hall of the museum right now that is a huge ball swinging from the ceiling above really colourful carpet. that was definitely a hit for moses! {all photos in this post, except for the ones at the end from lumiere london, i snapped yesterday at the tate modern!}

two.
i am now twenty seven and a half weeks pregnant. about this time is when they say your baby is viable - i.e. if it were born, it would be very likely to survive. and it’s just a relief to be at that point! i can’t believe we are approaching the third trimester. i am feeling mostly good, except that i am often so tired and i’ve also been experiencing a lot of sciatica pain, which is no fun. but i really, really love being pregnant. 

three.
the other day i was struggling to get moses’s coat on (man, that boy is a wiggly worm!) to go to the store, and then struggling to get home pushing the buggy and carrying a huge bag of groceries - and i just thought to myself, “okay, so how exactly does a baby fit into this scenario?!” it’s going to be an adventure! i was able to babysit a friend’s four month old the other day and that was good practice :) i’m trying to relish this one-kid chapter before the page turns to my next life chapter. i’m excited for what’s ahead.

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four.
i’m reading the book how to talk so little kids will listen and i am really enjoying it. it's giving me great ideas on how to work with moses and also, hilariously, how to work with ian. haha! the first chapter is all about acknowledging emotions (even if they seem ridiculous or way overblown) and i think it’s chock full of awesome advice for any relationship, not just parent:small child. 

five.
i’ve been listening to oprah’s super soul conversations podcast and it is so so good. there are so many little nuggets of wisdom in each interview! i need to start jotting down notes as i listen because I’m sitting here trying to remember a few of those nuggets to share and my sludgy mom brain isn’t pulling them up. 

six.
i’ve been getting to yoga classes at least once a week and i’m totally drinking the hippy dippy yogi koolaid. no matter what i feel so great - mentally and physically - after a good yoga class. last night the instructor had us set an intention for our practice and the first thing that popped to my mind was “cheerfulness.” as i flowed through my vinyasas i reflected on how i feel like cheerfulness is a big part of my identity, but recently it hasn’t been a bit part of my life. i recommitted energy to the part of myself that is naturally cheerful and decided to choose that and show that a lot more. i feel like it’s really valuable to ask yourself what characteristics make up your identity and then reflect on if you are exhibiting those characteristics on the regular. 

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seven.
wow, i am so grateful for lack of physical pain. there’s nothing like being in a lot of pain to make you think, “why didn’t i appreciate the crap out of not feeling this before i started feeling it?!” both moses and i are feeling a lot less pain than we were last week - hooray. there’s still a lot of unknowns and some genuine hardship around moses’s continued recovery from surgery, but overall things are just sooo much better and we are so thankful! 

eight.
i’ve recently come to understand that i am a “best case scenario” kind of person and ian is a “worst case scenario” kind of person. his mind often naturally goes straight to the most dire possible outcome and my knee-jerk reaction is “oh, it’s probably no big deal.” in a way i think this makes us a really good team - we balance each other out. marriage is a crazy ride of discoveries, compromises, adjustments. i am so very glad to be on that ride with ian. he is an extraordinary human in so many ways. 

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nine.
moses’s vocabulary is increasing rapidly! the other day he brought me a book about an owl and clearly said, “owl.” i was like, “huh? i’ve never taught you that word or asked you to say it!” my favourite new thing that he says is “mo” when i ask him what his name is. and i adore the way he says “woooooow” at anything he notices that he thinks is cool (which is a lot of stuff :) ). when he says “popcorn” he always whispers it, which is just so cute to me. 

ten.
last weekend, lumiere london returned! we went to see this amazing series of light art installations throughout the city two years ago and were bummed when they didn’t do it last january. it was back for 2018! this time we only got to see like five (of the dozens and dozens) of installations (it’s all just a bit trickier with a toddler in tow!), but we loved what we saw. the facade of westminster abbey was lit up incredibly like it was two years ago and it again just blew my mind. a bit of creative and vibrant light and colour in the midst of the january blues is just fantastic.

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happy wednesday! life is beautiful!

Comments

  1. Lumiere London looks incredible!

    You should teach Moses to put on his own jacket. It's a game changer, for sure. Put the jacket on the floor in front of him with the collar at his toes. Have him bend down and put each arm in the arm holes. Tell him to flip it up over his head, and when his arms come down, jacket is on. Daycare taught this one to the kids and I think it's brilliant. And a lot less trying on my patience ;) I hope my description makes sense.

    You are the second person to recommend the Oprah podcasts. I should really take a listen!

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    1. There's some brilliant videos on Youtube on how to teach a child to put a coat/jacket on like this.

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    2. Loved your moment of realization about managing with a 2nd baby. I so well remember mine. Same as the moment with the first pregnancy that I was going to have to get the baby out :). Intellectual knowledge is not the same as emotional insight ! Glad you're doing well. Photographs were a delight to see.

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    3. thanks for the jacket tip, i'll look it up!

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  2. I LOVE How to Talk so Little Kids Will Listen! I'm actually re-listening to it now. I basically listen to that, Siblings Without Rivalry, and Simplicity Parenting on a loop. Praise God for audio books!

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  3. Glad you are making it past some rough days! I have been meaning to tell you to check out the Brompton Oratory if you haven't been yet. It's just down the street from your church and around the corner of the V&A. My hubby's catholic so we attended mass there in Oct when we visited London. We chose it because it was near the LDS church and the V&A - our agenda for the Sunday we were in London. We went and walked around for about 30 minutes when they weren't holding mass, and then went back after the V&A for mass. It was really beautiful and so different from the parish church here in Philly. Take care :) https://www.bromptonoratory.co.uk/

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  4. As a lifelong devoted Mormon who recently left the church Super Soul Sundays has been a life saver. Everythings going to be alright. Such good advice at just being a good human.

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  5. Hi Charity, I've been a long time reader of your blog and have been encouraged many a times with your outlook and cheerfulness in life. Could you please share, what course (or direction) of study, you plan to embark on soon? I'm looking at options for a career change and need some inspiration. Thanks.

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    1. there's still a lot in the air (trying to figure out which of several paths in the discipline is right for me, etc) so i'm waiting to share broadly just in case things go awry :) but i will keep you posted as things solidify!

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  6. I had sciatica with my second pregnancy, the baby sat low and towards the back. It is hard to be cheerful or patient with the constant pain. I hope the yoga and all the walking helps relieve it a bit for you.

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    1. yes! yoga and walking (and running a mile each day!) seem to really be helping.

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  7. I think you should cite the artists! :)

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    1. ugh dang i definitely should have. i'll remember to jot down the artists of each piece next time :)

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  8. Love Oprah’s Super Soul Conversations! My favorite podcast right now.

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  9. I am SO sorry about all the pain you've experienced recently! And, this all was right in the middle of your little one's recovery. That's an awful lot to happen all at once! Your natural cheerfulness/optimism is reflected here on your blog again and again. Please be kind and gentle with yourself when life calls you to navigate some rough waters. You will absolutely continue to be your amazing, resilient self through it all, but sometimes, it takes time to pop back up again. much love. You're an amazing wife and mama

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  10. I'm curious as to your thoughts on this: http://protectldschildren.org/ It seems beyond inappropriate that an adult male would ever be in a position to ask a child questions about sexuality, especially alone! How do you plan to handle this with your children when they are older?

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    1. hi there. i hadn't seen that website before you shared it, but i've definitely thought about the issue. while i do believe that personal worthiness (including sexual purity) is an important part of spiritual life that *at times* should be discussed with ecclesiastical leaders, i am definitely uncomfortable with the idea of young people (especially girls) being asked probing sexual questions in a church interview with an older man. i think the church has some work to do on making sure this isn't a dangerous issue. i think girls should always have the option of having a woman (their mom or a youth leader) in interviews with them, and of course that unnecessary questions should be avoided. i believe that the vast majority of leaders that conduct worthiness interviews in the church are wonderful men that would never cross a line of appropriateness, but of course there are bad eggs here and there. when our children are older we plan to talk frankly with them about this issue and ensure they are never in a compromising situation by helping them be aware and absolutely certain that they should turn to us should they want someone else with them in an interview or should have have a concerning experience. we also of course will try to maintain relationships of openness and trust with the leaders that would interview our children.

      i hope that answers your query! thanks for your comment.

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