Tangled Thoughts

My Dear Elias – Year 3

Christina

March 27, 2026

My Dear Elias,

I sit here, listening to you sing to yourself during nap time, or, “quiet time” as you tend not to sleep during nap-time much anymore. Most days you sing or do ‘cribnastics’, your take on gymnastics in the crib. I’m thinking back over this past year, and honestly, it feels like more than just one year. Two has been a big year for you, for us. A lot has happened, a lot has changed and you have grown, so much this year.

Looking over your pictures from the year it is so crazy how MUCH you have grown! And changed. You went from basically a baby to a very big boy. I watched you carefully too, because I knew how much you were going to change this year, but boy was I wrong in just how much! Daddy reminds me that you getting bigger is a very good thing, but I can’t help but cry just a little when I realize just HOW fast you have grown!

Choosing Joy

Christina

1 comment

February 25, 2026

I’ve been struggling lately, with the simple fact that I cannot get a minute of time to myself. I can’t even do a load of laundry without everyone losing the plot two seconds after I dare to go downstairs. Everyone can be playing nicely together and the second I disappear, they sense I am gone and stand at the top of the stairs screaming for me. I never understood why mothers complained about not being able to use the bathroom alone, but alas, I now do. I open the door to tiny faces staring at me with tears, like I just left the country for sixty years. But alas.

The struggle is real. And lately, I will admit, I have not been finding joy, in being a mother. Don’t get me wrong, I love my boys to the ends of the world. I would do anything for them and would not trade being their mama for ANYTHING. But the joy that is supposed to be found while being a mom? Yea. Hasn’t been happening. I’ve been grumpy. Short. Snappy. Struggling. I go to bed praying, begging for forgiveness.

Lessons from a Broom

Christina

no comments

February 5, 2026

A few weeks ago we stumbled upon a kids sized broom and mop set at the second hand store. The item instantly became a “need” to a certain two year old, and since I really had no reason to say no (I mean, I had PLENTY of reasons just none that were justifiable), we are now the proud owners of a mini broom and mop set. These things normally run around $40 and since it was only $4, I decided to say yes for once, with the strict instructions that if the broom or mop hit anyone, they would be returned to the store.

Actual photo of said broom the day it came to live with us, joining us for a birthday lunch outing.
AKA: Broom in the wild.

My Dear Hans – Year One

Christina

no comments

January 24, 2026

My Dear Hans,

Everyone talks about how special the first-born child is, yet there isn’t a whole lot on how special the second one is. I get it, the newness of a first-born is pretty special. When we left the hospital with your brother, we were terrified. We half joked that the nurses really should be coming with us. But with you? We were ready to get home. Not because we had any idea what we were doing, but because we knew that somehow, we’d be ok. We were ready to jump in and learn. Sure, we were still terrified, but somehow just a little more certain in our terror.

Happy Fall!

Christina

1 comment

October 31, 2025

The other week I drug all my boys through the pumpkin patch then out to a corn field with a “Pinterest perfect moment” in mind. It only took the promise of a sucker and feeding the cows to get the oldest one to cooperate (after a chat with daddy behind some bushes). The sun certainly wasn’t in my favor and my camera is almost twenty years old (!!) but I don’t think we did too bad! Sorry boys, it won’t be the last time I drag you out to get pictures!