What's on Your Mind?

That's what Facebook asks these days, in the space where you are invited to type a status update. Remember when it always said "Jessica is _____________" and then it was a newsworthy thing when they dropped the "is"? Interesting.

Anyway, I rarely have anything to "say" to the Facebook world. More often, I share articles I've found interesting than share a random thing about my day. This evening, though, I seem to be thinking in status updates, because more random thoughts are coming to my mind than I want to flood the "wall" with (is it still called a wall?) And since I feel a twinge of unnecessary guilt over not blogging enough, let me share these random thoughts with you.

I shared this on FB:
"Sometimes I feel self-conscious about mothering in public, afraid people think I can't discipline my children or that I let them run wild. But the flip side of that coin is people complimenting how "relaxed" or "patient" I am being. Somehow that means a lot more to me than praise for running a tight ship."

Yesterday morning, I took the three girls to the Farmer's Market while Matt helped lead worship in a women's prison. The peaches were amazing and the strawberries (as I expected) were pretty much devoured before we even got home. But after filling our wagon with awesome local produce, I felt like the excursion was over far too quickly, so we partook of the free water and coffee and just sat on the curb for a while, enjoying the live music and atmosphere. Between noshing on the berries (both straw- and blue-) the big girls began running circles around me and the wagon in which BGC sat. I was a bit worried about one of them (especially Claire) tripping over the curb and busting something, but otherwise, it was a no-stress situation. A woman commented, "You're such a patient mother!" and my internal response of "What? They're just running circles around me," sounded a little ridiculous, but nonetheless, I do feel proud of my ability to just relax and let my kids be kids. I guess it's because I have a pretty type-A personality in general, so my evolving natural proclivities give me some sense of satisfaction.

Which leads me to the second (and beyond) would-be status updates of the evening...

• I finally checked out The New Birth Order Book by Kevin Leman from the library. It's been in my Amazon cart forever, but I rarely buy books anymore (a shameful thing to admit for someone in the publishing business). I prefer to get them from the library if possible, though I still do order a Kindle book or even a hardcopy now and again. Anyway, I am a classic only child, a "firstborn on steroids," driven, organized, a list-maker, confident of the "right way" to do everything, older than my years, and more comfortable with older and younger people than with my peers. I'm now analyzing everyone I know. Matt and his brother are so close in age that both have a lot of firstborn qualities. My mom is a "functional only-child" being ten years younger than her brother. 
• I'm pretty sure the girls are going to wear out the batteries on their new musical Anna and Elsa dolls (a gift from Granna and Opa) within 24 hours.
• Pool + movie = accidental nap for two girls that otherwise gave up naps ages ago! This summer has brought a lot of damp-haired late-afternoon snoozes on our couch!
• During one such snooze last weekend, I indulged in a marathon of "19 Kids and Counting." I made sure Matt was asleep too, so he couldn't make fun of me. What can I say? I love big families! 
• Matt likes to put several kinds of meat on the smoker every so often, and then we eat off those birds and roasts all week. By tonight, I was really tired of the same beef and pork roasts we've had all week (and I was out of town two nights of the week, even) so tonight we had pork-sweet potato-cabbage-corn-couscous. Sounds weird, but it was good. Fortunately, Kate was taking a damp nap on the couch and wasn't there to declare it disgusting, and therefore Claire ate it. 

I could probably continue this brain-dump, but I'd rather go sit on the couch and read more of that birth order book. What's on your mind these days?