Friday, July 30, 2010

Monday, July 26, 2010

Intro to Parenting

Most days I think I'll be learning about parenting until the day I die and it still won't be enough time! I don't know it all, incredibly far from it, but I have learned a few things in the last 5 years or so.
Tonight I fully realized that putting kids to bed should ideally be a slow, winding process. Bed time processes that start suddenly and end after 10-15 minutes virtually guarantee that my boys will be up and out of bed within 5 minutes of my (or April's) departure from their room. Bed time goes best when we go slow, taking time to unwind from the day.
It's great for my boys, but it also does April and I good to end a crazy day of parenting two energetic, growing little boys in a slow, deliberate way. Quick bedtimes rob our family of intimate times that can't be replaced. Go slow, parents.

Sunday, July 25, 2010

Where This Blog is Headed

We don't live in Africa anymore. The last 9 months have been quite a ride, and today we find ourselves living in Memphis, Tennessee. I'm not going to get into the details of why we left Africa, at least not right now. It would make sense to change the title of this blog from "The Emerson's Journeys in Africa" to something more appropriate to our current place in life...but I'm not going to do that. This blog is going to stay exactly how it is; the only thing that will change will be the content I post.

In the past, this blog was mainly to inform supporters about what was happening in our work in Togo. Well, we no longer have supporters and we no longer work in Togo. Instead, I'm now going to use this blog to sound off about anything and everything that my mind ponders on a daily basis. Some of it will still be about Africa, but much of it will not. I might do flashbacks, or flashforwards, or even alternative realities (LOST, anyone?). Who knows. I may be compassionate, I may be controversial. Regardless of the content, I hope to provoke myself and others to deeper thought about what ills this world and how to heal it...or maybe just laugh together about something stupid. We are still healing from some wounds, and laughter is often the best medicine :)

Peace!