September Lessons

Over the past year, I've been inspired by Emily Freeman's "Things I Learned in..." posts, so I decided to write something like that to wrap up this month of blogger-lite. :)

Without further ado... What I learned in September:

I love babies. I mean, I really, really, really love babies.

Even with all the challenges associated with caring for a newborn, there's just nothing like that warm, bubbly, overflow of love you get when you're holding a little baby. If that sounds like an alcoholic talking about cocktails, it's probably because I'm totally addicted. That's why I have five children, friends.

I really do write best in the early morning.

Now that my toddler is sleeping later than she used to and my infant is still waking me up between 5:30 and 6 for cuddle/nursing time, I'm back to my old writing schedule. And I love it. For the first time in almost two years, I'm plunging into the drafting of a novel and actually getting somewhere. It's the best. [I mean, the accomplishing, not the novel. (I wish.)]

Everyone should have an eight-year-old before they have a baby.

Wouldn't that be the greatest? Seriously, it's sooooo much easier having a baby now than any other time. Eight-year-old girls are apparently hardwired to enjoy holding babies, making lunches, reading to their other siblings, and folding baby clothes (not the other laundry, sadly). Plus my eight-year-old has a super power for getting her little brother to sleep. It's amazing: one second he's crying, the next she's informing me that he's sound asleep in his bassinet. Magic.

I always thought it was boring to "write what you know," but I was totally wrong.

See, I just thought what I knew was boring. But as you all showed me in your comments on my post about big families in literature, I actually have some experience in a way of life very intriguing to much of the world. So that's what I'm writing about: a big family. And it's so. much. fun. (More about this in another blog post, methinks...)



THIS is what I know really, really well: life with lots of girls.

"Farther" refers to distance, and "further" refers to ideas.

I know I learned this before, but I just couldn't get it to stick in my brain. Imagine how frustrating that was for a grammar Nazi  nerd. Luckily, my husband knows a thing or two about grammar, and he finally helped it stick in my head as he taught the difference to our daughters. (On a side note, I remembered--not exactly learned--that I find a good command of the English language very attractive.)

Bowling is fun. And I'm really bad at it.

We went bowling for Zoe's 6th birthday. Sadly, almost all the bowling alleys around here have closed, since everyone seems to think pretending to bowl on a video game is the same thing as actually bowling. Or maybe it has more to do with the fact that--like me--most people are awesome at bowling in video games and really stink at the real thing. But isn't there something therapeutic about heaving the balls down the lane helter-skelter and hearing that distinct grating roll as they land in the gutter? I think so.

See this picture? Mark held Gabriel most of the time we were bowling, and he still beat me. (Also, he should win some sort of super dad award, don't you think?)

So what did you learn in September? I'd love to hear about it!