Rubbing Shoulders...

We have the extreme privilege of being friends with the Baby Rock & Rhyme librarian at Wellington Central Library. Sarah Carey (from our small group)leads the group every Wednesday morning and we rushed out the door (i.e. ran 1 mile in skinny jeans and boots pushing the boys in a double non-jogging stroller) to make it this morning. It was really fun and I think she is pretty famous. She actually led a session, playing ukelele, with one of The Flight of the Conchords members in attendance. Both of the boys really loved it - and I think it will be come a weekly thing. Charlie has been listening to books on CD before bed and he was devastated to return the Francis and Frog & Toad CDs. He was actually crying quietly to himself when I put them in the dropbox. Sara helped him find a few new CDs and that made him feel much better!

Preschool Story Time at the Library

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Major Mama

We just finished an extremely intense week - coupled with my iPhone out of space for new photos and my Hunger Games obsession - I don't have new pics of the boys. That being said, I'm having SO MUCH FUN with them - I just find that I pinch myself - they are so cute, and interesting, and funny, and interactive....  Promise pics and videos soon! 

As I mentioned, we just finished a pretty crazy week.  In Virginia, we ran a "hostel" in our home, with visitors staying with us very regularly.  I realize that I really miss that!  We have a 3.5 bedroom apartment, so it's not tiny - but we don't have a dedicated guest room.  Anna, our friend and babysitter, is living in Wellington (from UK) for 1 year of ministry training.  Her parents came to visit her and stayed with us for 1 week last week, so I fixed up the boys playroom with our queen-sized futon.  It wasn't fancy, but I think it worked, and we really enjoyed hosting again.  It was really great to get know Anna's parents and we are looking forward to planning a trip in their direction some day (they live near "The Hundred Acre Wood" from Winnie the Pooh!).  We have a few more visitors coming over the next few months, so we'll hopefully improve our hosting capabilities!    We also had a gathering of 30-40 people for our church small group dessert party.  It was great, and I feel so continually thankful for the community of friends God's given us here in Wellington - wow!  

On top of all of the happenings of the past week, Jason was SUPER busy with "bigwig" visitors (Kiwis don't use the term - is it an American thing?) to Wellington, and was working a lot.  I can tell I'm pretty spoiled because I can feel the weight of responsibility and work when he is not here.  I have friends that say they like when their husbands leave for a bit because the husbands can be like another child.  That's not my reality - Jason is so amazing and we are a really good team together.  I take it for granted, until he's not there.  On Sunday, Jason brought his guests to Wairarapa (Wine Country) while I braved church without him.  Liam takes a dedicated nap from 10am-noon so Sunday mornings are pretty challenging.   We made it, but it was EXHAUSTING...  In some ways, I'm looking forward to him dropping that morning nap. 

I went  to dinner with Jason's work visitors, and it was nice, but I realized how removed I am from his work.  We always worked together in the past, and although I'm working 4-6 hours a week, I'm doing different things from him, and I realize the chasm has grown between his professional life and me.  I'm dorky enough about his work, that I can carry on a conversation, but I'm not nearly as interested as I used to be.   That being said, I was recently promoted to Major in the Air Force Reserves.  This happens about once every 4 years that I get to out-rank Jason.  It's fun, I'm not going to lie, but perhaps not as cool as it sounds.  I find that I somewhat cling to my identity in the Air Force - made apparent by how I introduced myself to his co-workers by my job in the Air Force. 

At one point, Jason's boss asked me what I do during the day.  It was a harmless question, but I was really at a loss for words.  What do I do all day?  What do I do all day???  I'm not sure what I sputtered out (something about skyping and playing with the kids), but it did get me thinking - what exactly do I do?  Having thought about it some more, I basically perpetually do laundry, dishes, cook, wipe poopy bottoms, play with the boys, do puzzles, take them for walks and runs, go to museums, the library, parks, swimming lessons, grocery shopping, errand running, I do our finances, try to blog, skype, try to meet with friends where I can...  I don't know... I don't know how to concisely wrap that up into a nice sentence and make it sound a little sexier...

At the end of the day, I pinch myself that I get to be with these boys all day.   I'm thankful for the 4-6 hrs I work a week, but I think even without that, I really love being home.  I really hate to get wrapped into a stay at home vs working mama discussion.  Each mommy has specific circumstances and is wired in a specific way that may make the outcome different.   As mommies, we have enough "mom guilt" regardless of working or staying home, so we hardly need to heap criticism on fellow mommies.  It just makes me cling to God more as I realize my own frailty and weaknesses. I'll never be a perfect mom, but I love to run to God in my weaknesses and He gives the grace and strength to raise these boys. 

Here is a scanned copy of some important paperwork I needed to send back to DC for my promotion. Unfortunately we ran out of paper and all I had was the back of my Children's Church lesson...

Mockingjay Reflections (The HG Part 2)

*** **** Spoiler Alert!!!**** Please don't read below if you plan to read any of the books -I didn't say much if anything, but I loved the twists and turns of the plot and don't want to ruin it for anyone! ***

I finished the Mockingjay before dinner and I loved it - loved it, loved it. I think I might even say it was my favorite in the trilogy. I really want to call my mom and Ashley in the US but it is 5am there and I just don't think they'd appreciate the call!

4 Quick Thoughts:

1.) Blame lots of Russian literature and film, but I liked that the ending was bittersweet and filled with melancholy. I really, really liked it... It was the perfect ending and I found great closure to the trilogy.

2.) Blame my love for ex-Soviet bloc revolutions, but I loved all of the boring background information about the districts. I love that Collins spent more time on the political story and the intricacies with government and power. I read some reviews that critiqued the book for opening so slowly and taking so long to get into the action, but I really enjoyed it. It truly was the "bigger picture" I hoped for after finding the first film so disturbing.

3.) The whole love triangle between Katniss, Gale and Peeta was a little annoying to me over the entire trilogy. I understood that Katniss was too focused on protecting her family and surviving to allow herself to love and choose between the two men who vied for her affections, but I think she tormented them unnecessarily. I think as women, we have a tendency to enjoy being pursued and desired, but her indecision was pretty painful to read. That being said, you have to give her a break given her circumstances. ;) Before reading the last two chapters, I couldn't decide who I really believed who she needed to be with, or even if she needed to be with either of them. The more I reflect on the ending, the more I really love the way it ended.

4.) I guess the book had more violence, but for some reason it didn't seem as disturbing to me. Instead of little teenage lambs being led to the slaughter (sorry to be graphic!) for the entertainment of the Capital the violence was at least for some purpose (albeit not entirely pure) - some necessary and greater good. I was just much, much less disturbed by it than the first book. Perhaps the first film seared scenes in my mind that were pretty graphic.

The Hunger Games are Evil

Okay - there was my catchy title... In all truth, I love these books, and I can't stop reading them.  I finished the first book last week, and then my coffee shop barista lent me the last two books in the series (we've actually decided to start a book club).  Lately, I'm not a huge reader, but these books are like the crack-cocaine or young adult fiction reading - I cannot put them down!  I feel like I've been a terrible mama - sneaking a chapter here and there while the boys play - I've stayed up until 1 or 2am a few night so I could get some uninterrupted reading.   I've been so immersed in them, that it's blurring some of my own reality.  I got a facial on Saturday (a Mother's Day gift from Jason) and I felt like I was in the Capital getting prepared for the games in the arena.   That's weird...
After watching the Hunger Games with a friend last month in the theater, I was really disturbed by the whole premise of the movie.  I mean the whole film revolves around teenagers killing themselves to a bloody pulp - WAY disturbing.   Many have commented that you actually don't "see" any of the real gore - but I think my imagination is 10x worse than any actual visual.   The image of a grieving mama sending her little 14 year old off to battle makes me want to die inside, whereas I don't think it had the same impact on me pre-mommyhood.

The film really focused on the actual Hunger Game, whereas I was more intrigued by the political situation - a autocratic government reigning terror and oppression over the twelve districts under it's thumb.  As a student of the Soviet Union, it's easy to draw parallels with Moscow and the Soviet districts it controlled.  The Hunger Games' books really flesh out the political story and obviously give a lot more depth than the film.  I loved following the revolutions in the former Soviet countries that broke out over the past decade - the Orange Revolution in Ukraine, the Rose Revolution in Georgia - and I find myself cheering for the rebels that face insurmountable odds as they try to defeat the Capital.  I'm about halfway finished with the third book so I should be done reading by tonight.  Unfortunately, Ukraine didn't fully realize all of the hope and expectation of the Orange Revolution... lots of solidarity in the fight, but one in power, corruption seems all too prevalent.  All that being said, these books would be so great for high school social science teachers.

Can't wait to finish Mockingjay (book #3) tonight...  I need to get back to reality!   Of course, the next book I'm reading in my book club with the nice coffee shop girl is Lord of the Rings.  I started it a few weeks ago and it's just great.  The other half of my mother's day gift was The Journeys of Frodo (LOTR map book) and The Atlas of Middle Earth (concordance on the origins of Middle Earth).  When did I get so dorky?   Please stop me if I start to learn Elvish or join the online Council of Elrond...

At the Park with Anna

Boston University

I was really shocked by news of the young students from Boston University who died in a car accident this past weekend near the Tongarario Crossing where we hiked just over two weeks ago.   Here is the article.   I think it probably especially resonates because we were just there and the students were from my alma mater.  I've reflected on my experiences living overseas young and the many times I probably was in more dangerous-than-I-appreciated situations.  3 words especially come to mind, "Driving In Turkey."  Around age 30, my perspective really changed.  I'm not sure if it's from turning 30 or becoming a mother, but I think I more fully realize how fragile life is.  After living most of my life feeling more or less invincible, it's really a stark contrast.  I know the Sunday School answer is that I'm not to fear anything in Christ and that heaven is my home, but I'm still grappling with this...   I had a lot of fear with making this move to NZ (and I think a good defensive driving course would probably serve me very well) but I really have sensed the Lord walking alongside me teaching me to trust Him and cast my worries on Him.  I also feel I have a renewed sense of appreciation for this life we are given to live.  It is such a gift!   All that being said, I pray comfort on the many grieving families tonight.
Oddly enough, today at swimming lessons I found out that Charlie's teacher  graduated from BU in 2006.  We talked about the horrible accident and talked a bit about BU.    I miss Boston in many ways.  We are attending a New Frontiers church in Wellington and this is largely because of the influence of our good friends, David and Betsy Hill, who've planted a church in Fenway.  Their church actually meets at a bar named "Church"  and they've really seen amazing things over the past few years.  Wondering if God will bring us back there again...