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I woke up today feeling much better after a couple days of being really down and out with a cold. And today, my morning sickness is so much better. My last pregnancy was honestly pretty miserable and the daily vomiting until month 6 was almost unbearable. I’ve been very queasy most of the past 6 weeks but experienced a day here and there of relief and it seems to be easing now. Thank you to those of you who have been praying for me to have relief! Your prayers have been effective and a great comfort and encouragement to me!
Even with sleeping 9 or 10 hours at night, I’ve managed to read a little bit.
I finished the first book of the Kristin Lavransdatter saga and am almost done with part II: The Wife.
I had forgotten how good these books are. Kristin is such an interesting protagonist.
I also started reading Anthony Esolen’s Ten Ways to Destroy the Imagination of Your Child.
Esolen translated my very favorite translation of Dante’s Divine Comedy and I’ve read several wonderful articles by him so I expected to like it. I love it. It’s a must read if you have children, would ever like to have children, or are interested in education.
I’ve only read the Introduction of this next book, but I heard about it when I was still working at the Center for Christian Ethics and the Director was leading a seminar on vice and virtue with the author.
Glittering Vices is great so far. We’ll be reading it with some other folks at a weekly dinner and book discussion at my parent’s house. The group actually started meeting last week but only Daniel could go because I was still wallowing in bed with that cold. But I’m excited about reading it. The cultivation of virtue seems like a good thing to be thinking about during Lent, hmm?
Benjamin is still loving to read books with Mama and Daddy. His current fave is probably Donald Hall and Barbara Cooney’s Ox-Cart Man.
Daniel tells me that reading this as a child inspired him to want to be a farmer, an ambition he is currently exploring, quite successfully I might add, in our front yard. I’ll have to get him to do a guest post on everything that he’s got growing out there.
Anyhow, this book is wonderful and it’s just the right length for Benjamin’s attention span these days.
Speaking of Benjamin, my little wild active man is being so sweet to Mama when she can’t run around due to first trimester queasiness and fatigue. And Daniel let’s him “help” in the garden after he gets home from work and during the weekend to run off some of that little toddler energy.
So, what are YOU reading these days?
I was working as a doula (childbirth and postpartum) last year, as well as counseling teen mothers. I haven’t done any work in that field since last May, and am taking a much needed break. (Maybe for a decade!) It is very emotional work, for me, as is raising 3 kids and facilitating learning for them, creating a peaceful home. And so, the kids win.
I love your blog; I covet your gardens. (We’re still in rent homes while Z finishes school, and I’ve had enough building up and tearing down without permanence.)
Do you like the book about destroying imagination? It seems interesting. I’m thinking of buying it.
I NEED to read some fiction. I just keep reading Wendell Berry and books on Jewish history and philosophy. I loved Heschel’s The Sabbath and Man is Not Alone.
I think I’m going to start Huck Finn tonight. It’s been awhile. I can tell that I’m reading too much non-fiction because my imagination is sort of flabby.
Benjamin looks wonderful, and I love your hair so long!
I’m really interested in doulaing but I’ve got a great part-time job working for a ballet company and Benjamin and this pregnancy are about all I can handle right now. I can only imagine with three littles how busy things must be!
Thanks! I’ve loved catching up with your family through your blog. I am really grateful that we are finally in a permanent spot after moving 7 or 8 times in 6 years. It is hard to be in temporary living especially with kids.
I LOVE the imagination book. Very critical of the current educational model which Esolen claims is set up simply to prepare children to be employees in a work force, not educate. Very interesting for parents who are thoughtful about educating their children. I think you’d really like it. If you read it, we’ll have to correspond about what we think. I’m still only two or three chapters in.
Oh PS We LOVE the Ox Cart Man!!!! It is a favorite here.