Distasteful car rides and single parenthood spells

               Piper does not enjoy long car rides (more than 15 minutes!), and particularly ones with no adventuresome end for her in sight. Perhaps, as an "attachment baby" she cannot yet fathom a half hour to an hour of total disconnectedness. Without understanding the reasons, facing backwards and away from her parents or friends, with only her flashing mirror and heap of toys in her lap for solace does indeed seem singularly unloving. We little understand the necessity of safety measures when we are small, and often when we are old, too. How will she cope someday in the long stretches of American roads? The more I consider the matter, the more I am convinced that we must work to find residence within walking or short driving distance of Whole Foods and Trader Joes, and a library :)

This is about the only "holding device" aside from the sling that she can "tolerate with equanimity". Piper in America, Nov. 2013.

Yesterday, Monday, Chris was finally home all day after a weekend of overnight shifts at work for "Mock One" testing phase of their big current project. I found it particularly hard to serve a shift or two of quasi-single parenthood. Solo, around the clock care of a nearly 1-year-old is difficult in the extreme! In my exhaustion I find myself praying for mothers who do not feel they can cope. How in the world is my sister-in-law Mandy managing with an infant and a 3-year-old on her own while Evan is away in the Middle East??? She is a superstar!

I was grateful for a few hours of company from my dear friend Jenn as she worked on crafting another pinata for Piper's party on the 21st. During this time, I made three meals for the three of us, and fed myself and Piper, but got not much more done. By God's grace, all other days of the week, I have a helpful, willing, and fun partner who is able to read and put on a dinnertime "show" for Piper, take her out for walks while I sit finally do 10 or 15 minutes of my own "work." Even if this revamped thesis never gets published (Oh Lord, help it not to be so!), it has been a blessing of great magnitude for my sanity to keep my mind active in the realm of philosophy, arts, literature, and theology by this project of publication attempts. I look forward to the day when I might serve my community by teaching these. Until then, I will pray for joy and wisdom in caring for Piper and serving my friends. It does not come naturally to me to spend time with children, though I have always loved and been grateful for the simplicity, openess, and trust of the "childlike." It is perhaps the element of physical semi-helplessness in children that is so exhausting!

Children, or at least, Piper, really does crave her dad's time and attention! Here they are a few months ago working together on assembling the new charity shop bed for the guest room.