ex(PR)essed

I’ve moved! It was time, so I’ve packed up my blog and relocated it at http://bethexpressed.wordpress.com/.

Won’t you please join me there? Oh, and feel free to invite your friends over too.

(Forgive the mess…I’m still settling in.)

I took Adele to the playground on Sunday afternoon after her nap. She was excited to swing and she showed great courage by going down a big slide all by herself. For awhile it was just the two of us, and then a dad showed up with his daugther and they started playing hide and seek. No biggie. But then, a roving band of middle school-aged kids showed up and drama ensued.

Adele was sitting amongst three older kids on the swings when the conversation turned a little too foul for this mama’s taste. These young kids were talking about how one of the other girls had spit on them, about someone else’s boyfriend, and then started using language that I won’t repeat and would like to cleanse from my and Adele’s ears. (You understand, right, that she’s at an age where she repeats almost everything.)

So, undecided as to whether to say something directly to the foul-mouthed, unsupervised kids or to simply leave, I opted to pluck Adele off her swing and head for home. (Much to her dismay, by the way.)

This situation has been bothering me all week for several reasons, but mostly because I don’t like the fear I felt at the moment and even now. I am afraid for my daugther to grow up in this messed up world. I am afraid that she’ll want to go to that playground to play with her friends some day, and I won’t be able to forget what I witnessed on Sunday. I’m afraid that girls will talk about her and be mean. I’m afraid she’ll get her feelings hurt or, worse, get her heart broken. I’m afraid that I won’t be good at demonstrating forgiveness and grace when inside I’m seething because of whatever wrong has been done.

This is yet another element of parenthood that I am unprepared for. I seriously feel like I need to quit my job and spend 24 hours a day on my knees because without the all-consuming grace, love, and protection of the Father, I don’t know how I’ll ever be able to watch my baby grow up.

This world is so broken.

I think this might be my favorite scrapbook page to date. I’m pleased with it for several reasons: it uses colors that perfectly complement the photo, which, I think, is absolutely adorable; it mixes punches, ribbon, and a variety of patterned papers in some cool layering effects that help add texture to the page; and the subject of the journaling (cloth diapering) is probably “unexpected.”

The journaling: Through the generosity of others we were able to invest in Bum Genius cloth diapers for you. We chose cloth primarily for environmental reasons. For months you were too small to fit into the cloth diapers, but once you started wearing them regularly you also started getting terrible diaper rashes. By September your rashes were so persistent and severe that the doctor advised us to discontinue using the cloth. We were so disappointed. But, you are so much more important than any goal or ideal we had, and we know this is just one of many parenting curve balls we’ll face.

Last week I ordered a “grab bag” of scrapbook paper from Scenic Route Paper. The deal seemed too good to pass up — 1oo sheets of paper for $14.95 plus three sheets of free alphabet stickers with every order. So, I placed the order and waited…not so patiently. A few days later I got notice that my order had shipped, and I was most anxious to see my loot!

Yesterday when I got home there was a box on the counter and sure enough it was mine! I could hardly wait to sort through the paper, and, when I did, I wasn’t a bit disappointed. I think there were a total of seven sheets that I knew without a doubt I would not use. The rest–all 93 sheets–are superb! Just thumbing through the stack totally inspired me, and I’ve already used a few of the goodies in the album I’m working on of our Florida trip (see below).

It was truly bliss in a box! What a treat on a cold, rainy Thursday night.