I'm back, sort of

I haven't done well keeping this up. Obviously.  As I was explaining to a dear friend today at coffee, I have some hang-ups that circumvent my blogging success.  a.) I am overly concerned with how well written I am, even in such a casual setting, and my current place in life affords me little time to reflect and write, much less edit and b.) I do not want to blog about uberdomestic life, menial complaints about naptimes missed, dishes waiting, discipline challenges. Which is what is most likely to happen.  I guess I want my life to add up to more than that. And then, as I think about it, I know that it does add up to more, and yet those things are probably enough. They denote a life devoted to the creation of 2 wonderful human beings, who will eventually hold their own in a world that needs their help. Elliott is already learning to reduce (much more important than it's sister R, recycle, who gets so much more attention). She's aware to not let the water run while she brushes. She's asking the big questions about God and Jesus. She is starting to show compassion to her sister and friends. She's on her way to awareness.

There's so much in our lives right now that keeps me busy and distracted. I don't want to lose touch with the precious friends I have sprinkled across the country, so I now vow (brown cow) to keep up this blog, to not be concerned with how well spoken I sound--for if I can't ramble on to you, then to whom? I will try to keep this up as a snapshot of what's going on here.

As I steal this moment, Seth is upstairs bathing the girls, and then it's bedtime. Elliott goes right to sleep almost anytime we put her to bed. Fiona is more of an enigma. She loves to nap, still hammering out 3 good ones a day, but bedtime is not really anything she's interested in. She likes to stay up until the grownups give up the day. She's my evening partner, which means I don't get those quiet moments of reflection at the day's end. She also wakes up as soon as I get out of bed in the morning, which obviously implies I don't get them in the morning, either. But I love that little bundle more than anything!!! She's just delicious, all smiles and drool and chortles.

Elliott is ever the entertainer, learning her letters, making Fiona laugh, obeying most readily for extrinsic rewards much of the time, but we're getting there. She's creative, expressive and sensitive, and I'm just trying to hone her, instill in her a desire to do right.

There's more to say, but already last night is gone, and a new day has begun. I am a person who likes to sit down and stay seated until the task at hand is complete, and my current state of being doesn't afford me that luxury. So, I learn anew to roll with the punches.

More to come--thoughts on school for Elliott, an eminent trip home to Northern California, Fiona's first Christmas, the wonder of sharing daily life with another family here in Nashville (very unamerican, but a lot of fun), and always, pictures to post. Soon!