I cried at the Mizzou Homecoming parade last month. Holding Hap, watching him experience Marching Mizzou play “Fight Tiger” for the first time, this sweet look of excitement on his face. It was more than I could take. So much had to happen to get to that exact moment, and as we watched the parade together, all of it flooded back at once. Mizzou Fall 2007, making lifelong friends and finding my footing as a freshman. Mizzou Fall 2015, arguably one of Mizzou’s hardest seasons of all time, but my first Fall back in Columbia as a working professional. Mizzou Fall 2017, my first football season with Zach — a new relationship, yet one that already fit like a glove. And now, Mizzou Fall 2023, bringing our beautiful boy to experience one of our favorite places, a place we hope he’ll love, too.
A few minutes before the parade kicked off, Hap was restless, we had just spilled his sippy cup, and I was a bit *frazzled.* The parade couldn’t start soon enough, and then of course it did. Going from survival to pure elation in the span of about 10 minutes tickled me, though, because isn’t that motherhood in a nutshell? Moments of struggle immediately followed by moments of intense happiness like no other?
I’m thankful for the rollercoaster. I’m also trying to do a better job of remember no moment of the rollercoaster is forever. The toddler fits and the what feels like never-ending barf clean up will pass. But so will Hap’s way of saying Pa (always a whisper!) the way he makes a sweet, breathy “ahhh” sound when he wants a drink of water.
Up and down we go, storing up the memories along the way.
eating
Gosh, it’s been so long, y’all!
The meat sauce in Pioneer Woman Lasagna — I’m not actually recommending the entire recipe. I mean, it’s *fine* lasagna, but I think I’ve made better and the cottage cheese was not for me. I am, however, recommending the homemade meat sauce in the recipe. It was delicious, quick, and super easy. Looking forward to having it over spaghetti soon.
Caro Chambers’ Creamy White Turkey Chili — Ok so this is behind a paywall, but it’s worth the trial to get this recipe! Hap and Zach both absolutely loved it. Blending one of the cans of beans makes it extra creamy. I did take the chili powder down a notch since I’m feeding a little mouth, too.
reading
Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann — I finally listened to this one knowing that I wanted to read the book before I ever saw the film. I still haven’t seen the film (and I think I’ll just wait until it’s streaming, since it’s about 3.5 hours), but the book is as well done as everyone says it is. I also can’t mention this book without mentioning In Trust, a podcast from Bloomberg Financial about the Osage Nation’s mineral rights. I learned just as much about the Osage Nation from the podcast as I did the book.
It Was an Ugly Couch Anyway: And Other Thoughts on Moving Forward by Elizabeth Passarella — I just love Elizabeth Passarella’s writing. Good Apple was one of my earlier Benediction recommendations and Passarella’s second book holds up (although I do think I loved GA just a tad more!). I love a displaced southerner, and I love reading something from a believer who isn’t writing *about* their faith, if that makes sense?
loving
Podcasts I’ve been listening to while I drive two hours a day — If I’m not traveling, I’m typically lead baby chauffeur to and from “school.” Hap goes to school four days a week and while it has been a huge blessing to our family, it’s roughly 30 minutes door to door.
Zach will take the pickup if I’m looking to start dinner since our tiny dictator likes to eat around 5:00-5:30. But all in all I’m spending a lottt more time in the car. Aside from my usuals like The Popcast, The Lazy Genius, and Bad on Paper, all of which I’ve mentioned here before, here are three others I find myself listening to pretty much every week:
A Day in Her Life with Ellie Rineck — If you enjoy watching people’s #OneDayHH on Instagram (which was this week!), you’re going to enjoy this one. Ellie interviews all types of women (working moms, SAHMs, working single gals, and everything inbetween) and literally walk through a day in their life with them. It’s fascinating and encouraging.
NPR’s Up First — I posted this funny in my stories the other day I loved how many of y’all also listen to it! This is a quick, digestible amount of news every morning.
The Bright Method Podcast with Kelly Nolan — Kelly’s podcast and Instagram account are a treasure trove of helpful strategies for working women! I’ve implemented some of her suggestions in my day to day when it comes to calendaring/scheduling.
Ok, hopefully I won’t wait quite so long to meet y’all here again. I’ve missed this corner of the internet! If you have a podcast I should be listening to on my drive, let me know.
Wishing you well,
Mollie
Family Secrets (podcast) by Dani Shapiro is awesome. She has a great voice/way of asking questions and the stories are quite something.