Welcome to Carrots! I'm so glad you're here. This is where I share thoughts on liturgical living, faith, parenting, culture, and an extra dose of Jane Austen. You can sign up for my email newsletter here to stay in touch, or look me up on Instagram!
These are the crazy eyes of a woman who decided on a Wednesday to have a garage sale 72 hours later. It was intense and we still haven’t fully recovered. But the stuff is OUT OF MY HOUSE and we made a little bit of cash so…win?
The other earth-shattering news in the Stewart home is that Baby Gwen discovered that yes, indeed, she CAN climb onto the couches. Climbing down, however, is a tad shaky. So now I can live in terror for the next month of my life when she masters the dismount.
At Carrots:
I’m a little blown away with the response from this post from Tuesday that’s been viewed over 12K times in the past three days. That’s pretty huge for Carrots! Reading the comments was also fascinating. Folks brought up a lot of logistical considerations (size, cost, etc) when inviting children to weddings. That wasn’t my hang up, though. I just didn’t want kids there because I didn’t think they belonged at weddings. But I was 20 and had a lot to learn.
And it was fun hearing your thoughts on The Giving Tree after I posted that I no longer enjoy reading it to my kids. This is a great piece sharing two perspectives on that title.
On the Homestead:
The Sungold tomatoes are ripe and wonderful. Even R2-D2 can’t say no to a warm from the Florida sun bite of heaven. (And Benjamin also tucks him in a night.)
I forgot how much I love 12-24months! Gwen is almost 13 months and, although I love the sweet newborn days, this is where I think it really gets fun. (But waking up after 6am would be VERY COOL, m’dear.) Oh and thanks to everybody on the Carrots FB page who shared weaning advice. I was feeling ready to wean Gwen and asked how folks go about doing that (Benjamin and Lucy both self-weaned). I was feeling touched out and ready to be DONE. However, after following some of your advice (don’t offer, don’t refuse) I realized that I had been sticking to my early routine of ecological breastfeeding and offering ALL THE TIME. No wonder I was feeling touched out! She was nursing 8-10 times a day! So now we’re down to two feedings a day max just because she doesn’t ask for it more than that. It’s helpful in getting her back to sleep after her 4am waking and then anytime she takes a tumble or is upset. Feeling far less overwhelmed and will probably just keep this up until she decides she’s over it. So thanks!
Links I Loved:
Celebrating Baptism Days: Surviving Our Blessings
Judging the Mom of Many: Mandi Richards for A Knotted Life
The Double Edged Knife: Guilt and the Small Family: Molly Makes Do
Am I Enough?: Barren to Beautiful
Women Swiftly Running Out of Things that Aren’t Sexy: Bad Catholic
And I’ve really been diving into this wonderful blog of homeschooling inspiration (and more), Amongst Lovely Things. It is beautiful and I’ve been so in love with the new book Teaching from Rest from Sarah, the blogger behind Amongst Lovely Things.
And be sure to give some love to my friends and sponsors:
- Streaming Video, Films, and More from Ignatius Press
- Drawstrings
- Sewing School 101: Simple Tips to Get You Stitching by Nicole Bennett
I’m so grateful for wonderful sponsors who help keep the lights on around here at Carrots! You can find out about sponsoring a giveaway or advertising with me on my advertising page or contacting me at haley.s.stewart@gmail.com
Happy Friday!
Lots of love,
Haley
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Interesting, I have never looked at The Giving Tree as a story about motherhood. I live in a country where it is a given (or at least used to be when I was a child living in a small village) that trees are living things and I always read the story literally – about humans using and abusing the nature their life depends on. We wouldn`t have any oxygen to breathe without plants and yet, all that many people see in trees and other nature is how to make money to buy lifeless objects that decay and stay around for hundreds or thousands of years to clutter the Earth. I picked up The Giving Tree in a book store a few months ago, reread it on the spot and that`s the message I saw in it.
After a couple of readers shared some different articles with me this week about it, I was surprised at how many different interpretations there are. So maybe that’s the merit in the story? Thanks for sharing your take, Ingrid!
Thanks so much for sharing the article on the giving tree. I loved reading both perspectives. We have a copy of it and it still gets read even though it does strike a nerve with me. After reading the article it kind of makes me want to read it more! It seems a shame not to read a book where there is so much to talk about with our children. I think it would be fantastic to read it to them over the years and then talk about it. What do they think of the boy? What about the tree? I think this book could lead to so many useful discussions with out children about selfishness, giving, relationships, love and lots more. Also, I just came across your blog and it’s great!
Aw, thanks, Maggie! I’m glad you’re here. And good point about taking the opportunity to talk about interpretations with children!
I enjoyed your blog post on Tuesday Haley. I have regrets about my wedding too, mostly just my own stress LOL. But I admit that I was pretty baffled by some of the comments, people who mentioned that if the kids were left off the invite they were offended by their exclusion. I have always assumed that the couple would have loved to have my children present, but couldn’t because of space or cost limitations. Sometimes that means I can’t come, which is sad, but I have never had such hard feelings about it. I guess it’s easy for me to think the best since I don’t think I have ever attended an adult only wedding or reception.
I like that take on The Giving Tree. The book doesn’t seem as sad to me now.
Yes, very interesting take on The Giving Tree. But I admit to the second perspective resonating with me more: giving someone everything they ask for isn’t the same as loving them well. But definitely more in the book than I thought there was!
I’ve really been loving Amongst Lovely Things, too…when I read her, I feel calmer all over.
Thanks for sharing the link, Haley.
Agreed! It’s like drinking chamomile tea
The Giving Tree was one of my absolute favorite books as a kid… next to Charlotte’s Web and the Chronicles of Narnia. It’s a beautiful story.
Country Girl’s Daybook: Jesus, Photography, Fashion, & Food
I didn’t read it as a kid, so maybe it doesn’t have the nostalgia that makes it more enjoyable or something. Love love love Charlotte’s Web and Narnia, though
You like the 12-24 month stage?!?!? Im in awe and shock and admiration. 12-18 months is the most challenging time for me- at least it has been for 3 kiddos. We’ll see what happens next time
Oh yeah, I totally love it. It’s after the nursing every hour newborn stage which physically exhausts me and before the emotional volatility of 2.5-4. I super love 12-24months. It’s pretty much all exploring the world and learning to communicate and all the fun personality without the boundary pushing. LOVE. Age 3-4 is what makes me feel like I want to pull my hair out.
As an adult (nor as a child but I don’t really have a memory of it) I never looked at The Giving Tree as a mother/son relationship. That certainly gives me something to ponder. When I have read this to my kids I always imagine it being a story of God giving to us even when we don’t deserve it because He is good and bestows graces on us…I am sure that this analogy has many weaknesses too. What do you think?
Hmmm, I didn’t really think of that interpretation. I guess it seems to me that the tree isn’t giving the boy what’s good for him, just caving to his incessant demands because it’s a dysfunctional relationship, haha. I don’t think it’s how God bestows grace, because God says no when it’s something that we shouldn’t have and his grace often flows in ways we aren’t expecting or asking for.
There are obviously issues with this analogy, I guess I just don’t mind the book. I read others strong reactions and am trying to figure out why I don’t feel this way.
God certainly says no when something isn’t good for us but he also says yes and then we can still mess things up. Maybe giving the boy these things could have been inherently good but the boy never really “got it.” Additionally, God’s grace comes in very unexpected ways at times and often even against our own will, but that is not always the case. Sometimes things work out just as we’d like because our own will is aligned with His…isn’t this what we should be seeking….
Maybe I think of trees as male and therefore likening the tree to the mother doesn’t fit….
Obviously, I need to keep thinking!