We’ve had a busy time over here: we have successfully embarked on potty-training. It’s been an over a week sans diapers with remarkably few accidents (only 2?) even during our very busy weekend and long drives. Now we rarely have to ask him if he has to go — he’s been confidently heading to the bathroom of his own accord. He successfully made it through a friend’s birthday party, church, and a play date without any accidents.

I have to admit I’d been dreading potty-training, but so far, this has gone much, much more smoothly than I’d expected. We aren’t out of the woods yet and I know there will be setbacks, but I’m still relieved.

(pun intended).

We’ve had a handful of hilarious toddler quotes:

Michael: *walking over with his underwear in his hand* I need a new pair.

Me: Oh no! Did you have an accident?

Michael: *giggling* Nope, I’m just pretending.

(Little stinker)

Michael: *putting a bowl on his head* I’m a lamp!

Michael: *sighing happily* My bum-bum is beautiful.

Me: Michael, please stop crying —

Michael: I’m NOT crying! I’m WHINING.

Michael: Ooh I have SPICY burps (after drinking a sparkling water)

Michael and Bea had checkups recently and are both statistically confirmed as tall and rambunctious. Bea has sprouted tooth #5 and is working on #6 and #7. She continues to prefer crawling, though she’s shown us she will walk multiple steps if under a bit of duress. Her new phrase is “wiggle wiggle wiggle” — it makes Jake and I laugh every time we hear her say it. Whenever someone says “duck” or mentions ducks, she promptly begins quacking. Waving at people is one of her favorite things to do. She continues to use her voice at the top of her lungs, and her favorite foods have expanded to include mozzarella and veggie straws.

And she has the biggest toothy grin.

In garden news, my pea plants have finally poked their heads above the earth, but nothing else in my raised beds is prepared for spring. We had a few days of colder weather, crazy high winds, and rain, but my plants seem to be doing ok. I still have one bed to clear and two beds to fill with compost, but the weather and our schedules haven’t really permitted garden work. I’m hoping that, by April, I’ll have all the beds finished and the rest of my veggies planted. Our chickens have also resumed laying regularly, for which we’re very grateful.

As the weather has warmed up, we’ve spent more time outside. Michael has been driving his little Jeep almost daily and loves it when we buckle Bea in beside him. Bea is obsessed and tries to climb back in whenever we take her out. We’re impressed with how adept Michael is at driving: he now can back up and turn with very little guidance. We have the ability to stop the car remotely if there are any issues, but we don’t steer it for him anymore. And he’s only crashed once in recent days!

In making news, I blocked my finished blue shawl, and it really bloomed into its lace and shape. The pattern is Open Skies by Andrea Mowry — I loved its simplicity and beauty. It’s a lovely shawl to wear in the chilly mornings as I finish my coffee. Since it was knit out of a worsted weight yarn, it’s very warm and squishy. Michael loves borrowing it and running around the house like a shawl-superhero.

I cast on a new shawl just for fun: Pressed Flowers by Amy Christoffers. It felt like the perfect spring pattern. I’m knitting it purely from leftover project yarn and handspun. It’s a bit lower contrast than I’d expected, but the soft muddy look is growing on me. Also, the texture is a lot of fun.

I’ve realized just how much I enjoy wearing shawls. They’re so cozy and versatile. I guess I have fully embraced my aesthetic being a mashup between a hobbit, a crazy professor, and a grandmother.

I took inventory recently: I have 8 knitting projects, 2 spinning projects, 3 sewing projects, and 2 quilting projects — all in various stages of completion. Even though there’s nothing technically wrong with it, I feel a little sheepish when I see how many things I’m working on at once…but I like being able to hop between multiple projects as the mood strikes. It’s how I work best, especially in this stage of life. And I do finish all of them eventually.

When we’re younger, we’re often taught the virtue of singular focus: how good it is to sit down and focus on one thing at a time. And there is virtue to that! But right now, as a sleep-deprived mom of two young kids, I’m finding my joy in flexibility — in dancing from project to project as my free time and brainpower permit.

Flexibility has been on the forefront of my mind lately, as we deal with a teething and potty training and all the other challenges of parenting, on top of life’s challenges.

For those of you who don’t know, Jake stepped down from his role as both choir director and treasurer/parish council member at the beginning of this year. It was a difficult decision, but the right one for our family. Both of those jobs on top of his full-time position as a data analyst/accountant were just too much. It’s been so lovely having him home and present on the weekends and standing with us during Liturgy. We also transitioned to a new parish to help us all recover from the burnout that had developed. We’re so grateful for those who supported us through it with kindness and understanding, both at our former parish and our current parish.

Whether potty-training, toddler tantrums, one-year old teething, sleep regressions, or difficult life decisions, it seems like the life lesson of this season is flexibility: learning to deal with whatever comes our way with calmness, acceptance, and prayer. It’s kind of like a dance — one that I’m not leading. I could be rigid and stiff and fight to go where I want to go, or I could bend and move with the direction I’m being led.

And only one of those makes a beautiful dance.

Our sweet, fiery, loud, hilarious, adventurous Beatrice turned one this week. My goodness, she’s such a joy.

I was really proud of the cake I made her: a simple yellow cake with cream cheese frosting (both delicious recipes from Sally’s Baking Addiction), decorated with blueberries and mint leaves. Sally’s recipes never fail me. I’m so glad my sisters-in-law introduced me to her website!

Like I did for Michael on his first birthday, I made her two things she can have as a keepsake: a little felt bunting she can hang in her room, and a birthday crown.

Her actual birthday was quiet and simple — we saved gifts and cake for the day after, when we could celebrate with family. However, we are very grateful for the family and friends who remembered her on her birthday and texted or called us to sing to her, belated or no. Even though she’s still little and may not remember her first birthday, both Jake and I realized how much it means to us when people remember and celebrate our babies.

Beatrice loves putting things on her head or around her neck: necklaces, towels, clothes — whatever she can find. She still prefers crawling to walking, and if she has something she doesn’t want to drop, she’ll clamp it between her teeth as she crawls. She’s as active as her brother, and loves to climb up on tables and the backs of chairs.

She’s got quite a voice, and she uses it. All the time. At max volume. And honestly…I wouldn’t have it any other way. I’m proud of my fiery girl, and I love her so much. May she never be afraid to use her voice.

We’re grateful for the beautiful weather we’ve been having — it’s allowed for more garden time. Michael has been hunting “good bugs and bad bugs” (roly-polys and centipedes). He releases the good bugs back into the garden and throws the centipedes over our fence.

I got one more garden bed weeded and cleared: one more to go! We’re past our last estimated frost date, so I’m excited to get more veggies in the ground. I’ve also got a robust compost pile started — I’ve been researching composting methods and hoping I can make enough to healthily amend our soil without having to buy it in the future.

Michael’s been assisting in making meals lately, and he’s a very big help. We really enjoyed pizza night: homemade pizza is one of our favorite meatless meals. He’s been very patient as I still recover from sickness — even after a round of antibiotics I’m still fighting a gnarly cough. It’s made our outdoor activities less frequent, but we’ve had some fun sensory bins in the meantime. Dry pasta, rice, ice, and pompoms are the current bin filler favorites, and pipe cleaners, pots and pans, and bulldozers are the favorite toys.

We’ve survived the first week of Lent without too much strife: I did, however, somehow manage to crack our kitchen sink by dropping a soap bottle less than 4 inches from the surface. It’s a nice three-way crack that goes straight through the sink. I put pictures below because I know I wouldn’t have believed it without seeing it. The warranty-covered replacement is back ordered til April, too. Thankfully it’s still usable for the time being, but I look forward to when I can use our sink without constantly checking for leaks underneath.

I’ve been spending more time reading: I’m finishing up Lloyd Alexander’s Westmark trilogy, which I’d never read before and am thoroughly enjoying. I read aloud the short chapter book The Dragons of Blueland to Michael in one sitting, and we’re now slowly making our way through The Princess and the Goblin by George MacDonald while Bea naps and he plays in his sensory bins.

As for making, I finally finished my huge comfort knit shawl. I currently only have a picture of it before blocking: it bloomed beautifully large and lacy after blocking. I also finished spinning 4 oz of a combo spin, and I’m working on the second bobbin now. I’m still working on a handful of other projects and I hope I’ll have a few more finished objects to show soon.

As I mentioned previously, for Lent I deleted all social media apps except Pinterest from my phone (I use Pinterest for a lot of recipes and crafting tutorials/ideas, and don’t get sucked into “doomscrolling” on it). I’m actually really enjoying my self-imposed break (and the accountability announcing it has given me, lol).

I’ve decided to pop on Instagram/Facebook again on Saturday evenings to share my blog posts and do a brief catch-up on faraway friends (the two things I appreciate social media for most). It’s a good balance; one I’m hoping to maintain even after Lent. It’s helped me reclaim my time for things I enjoy more: reading, knitting, and intentional play with the kids.

I don’t know if it’s my lessened screen time or Lent or what, but recently it’s been easier for me to find things to be grateful for in the midst of the chaos of life: baby giggles, dog or cat snuggles, an unexpected extra hour of sleep, toddler rain boots, the way sun comes through the living room window at 7:35 am, new music to listen to, morning lattes. The smallest things I might’ve passed over have become tinged with the golden light of gratitude. And I hope that golden light finds you, too, as we move onwards through this fasting season.