Soul Carving

       I was invited to a Cookie Swap with friends from my neighborhood. It came in the midst of several other party plans, so on the morning of the event, I realized I still had not prepared the requisite 2 dozen treats and recipe to share. I didn't feel like baking and doubted I'd have the time to anyway. And with a house full of children, I didn't want to rush to the store for ingredients. I purused the pantry looking for inspiration. The night before, we had hosted our annual Campbell Christmas Concert and still had lots of snacks left over. I saw two bags of pretzels and wondered if I still had any candy melts stashed away with the cake decorating supplies. Sure enough, I found an unopened bag -- green. I thought I could work some magic with these and the half-eaten package of candy canes. An hour later, I had a festive tray of treats to share, and several children munching happily on a pile of rejects. Sweet success.       ...

       Days pass too quickly with a newborn in the house. Baby is already 2 months old, and Richard's first father's day as Daddy to 8 munchkins has come and gone.         I knew I'd need to keep things simple for our traditional father's day photo shoot. I didn't even end up adding any clever catchphrase to the finished print this time. Featuring so many little faces didn't leave much room for a punny slogan.         I thought I was being efficient when I decided we'd take the pictures outside at a park during our regular outing to the library. We wouldn't be making an extra trip because we already had books due, plus, we'd be able to do it without Richard seeing -- something harder to do now that he works more often from home.         But that morning with laundry to fold, a kitchen to clean up, and text messages about potential scheduling conflicts flying back and forth, I was begi...

   The birth of my eighth child is now less than a month away. My body is swollen and at times aches from the precious load it bears. More and more frequently I find myself pausing duirng the day to catch my breath, both literally as well as figuratively.  Ascending the stairs -- pause -- gently massage my belly as I slowly and loudly exhale, like blowing out the candles on a birthday cake.   Hearing the sudden spurts of joyful laughter from my 2 year old as Daddy or an older sibling tickles and plays with her -- pause -- focus in on this one moment and savor it.  The atmosphere of our home feels pungent now, ripe with wonder and anticipation.    Many things are different this time around. We opted not to have an ultrasound this time. That alone has heightened our anticipation tenfold! It's our first time using a midwife instead of an obstetric group. She comes to me, making prenatal visits in my own home. What a perfect fit -- no need to...