write feed play read no. 1

The tagline of this blog is write feed play read for a reason- these are the four areas of family life that I spend the most time on.  Periodically I'll check in to write about what we're eating, playing, and reading right now.  My Instagram feed (@ashlieelizabeth) is usually based around the same concepts, so be sure to check there, too.

write:  I've been taking time to actually write, beyond my normal free association here.   The effect is similar to taking all the serotonin-inducing drugs, spinning in a sunshine meadow, and winning the lottery.  I forget how happy I am when I take the time to do what I love.  I've been working on all kinds of projects: little scenes from a fiction story that I daydream about during my night class, blog posts to submit to other publications, my first LinkedIn profile, even communication for parents and professionals at work has been doing it for me.  Some of my projects will show up here soon!  

feed: As a family, we've been eating healthier.  There are still days of take out and Goldfish are never leaving this home, but I've been purposely trying to put more whole food into our lunches, and get away from weekends being Ramen-fests.  Elliott is super into hummus, black olives, and strawberries.  Milo still prefers yogurt and peanut butter sandwiches, but he's also letting me give him avocado and mix pureed squash into his mac and cheese.  I just discovered that 40 spices hummus is delicious with sweet apple slices.  I rely heavily on a weekend evening of chopping and portioning out veggies and snacks to make packing lunches and cooking dinners easier.  

play: Play kind of sucks right now, because we're burnt on our indoor toys and spring is a tease.  We've gotten out a few times, but it's very wet and icy, and periodically still freezing cold.  Milo has started hollering "PARK TIME" as we drive around town.  Both boys are into our play food, and coloring is a big hit, even though Elliott loves to eat the crayons.  We have a visit to The Eric Carle Museum planned for this weekend and I cannot wait.

read:  Lots of book stuff lately, as the library and bookstore are sure bets no matter the weather.  Milo loves train books and it started to "read" along with me on books with repetitive text (think Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you see?)  He also loves to grab whatever novel I'm reading from my bedside table and flip though it singing, "read mama book!"  Milo is potty training, so we have Leslie Patricelli's Potty and the classic Everybody Poops in the bathroom.  Elliott is VERY into books, it's painfully adorable to watch him and sit and flip through for long stretches of time.  He likes books about people, books with textures, and books with flaps.  When he sticks out one finger to touch the illustrations, I have to restrain myself from wringing his neck at the cuteness.

I just reread Good in Bed by Jennifer Weiner and forgot how much I love it.  I shot through another Madeline L'Engle (The Arm of the Starfish) in one sitting, and I'm still plodding slowly through Clash of Kings from the Game of Thrones series.  I have The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin next to my bed, but I don't know if I'l finish it- it's a reread.  Lastly, I'm indulging myself and rereading After the End, a post-canon Harry Potter fanfic with adult themes written in an entirely believable universe.  Swoon.

That's what we're up to!  It might be one of my favorite lenses through which to check out this little life!  What are you reading and eating and entertaining yourself with?  I'd love to hear!