What I love Wednesday

The perseverance of forsythia
Jack's voice when he talks to our cat
Choosing fabric
Being in the kitchen with Mom
Watching the male cardinal share a seed with his mate

What I love Wednesday

What I love Wednesday

1. Old Glass Bottles especially in Shades of Blue
   
2. Yellow Raincoats
3. Vintage Fabrics
4. New Magazines
5. Babies Waking Up and Babbling
   

Perfection

It is amazing what a short trip at the end of February to somewhere warm can do. It was a perfect long weekend watching Jack explore on his 2 little feet all that his life so far has to offer. I really think we all needed it more than we knew. And on its heels is the hope that Spring really is right around the corner.

Trying to catch some sunshine

February is a hard month. I remind myself on sunny days to be thankful. It may not be warm out yet but at least you can pretend from the inside.

Valentine Time Out

I sometimes forget how enjoyable it is to cook dinner together, take time to set a table, light some candles, dim the lights, savor every bite.... We enjoyed our Valentine's dinner. It also gently eased us into a couch slumber - which is always nice.

Wednesday and What I Love

1. Freshly laundered sheets to climb into at night - especially when they can be hung out in the sun to dry
2. Family pets curled up for afternoon naps
3. The sound of someone getting home from work...tires on a stone driveway, beep of a remote lock, keys thrown on the counter
4. The hope of an election year
5. A haircut
   

Little Miss Busy

Throughout my days spent at home with Jack - I continually find myself trying to busy myself. I guess it is partly my task oriented personality. Leaving a full time job to become a stay-at-home Mom was a big transition, bigger than I myself expected. Now that I am in this 2nd year of being at home.... I find at times it is still hard to convince myself that I am accomplishing something everyday (i.e. raising a child).  On days when we are in the house all day - I so often find myself looking around and trying to figure out what I can get done that day. Deep down I know, I should just get down on the floor and hang out with Jack instead of always trying to do, do, do. It is so hard for me to turn off that voice. I think it may partly be a family curse. So far 2008 has been pretty rough though. I have been reminded alot , not so gently, to slowdown. We have been a house of sick people....all of us have fought bouts of the flu and most recently a stomach virus. Of course with sickness comes a whole new set of challenges and ways to keep busy. 

One Old Sock

Well Jack started walking this week. It is not just one or two steps - its like 10 cruising steps across the kitchen. He still looks so funny being alittle guy and all. I think it has opened up his world. He seems sillier... more proud. It is Friday and we have been completely trapped inside listening to the rain. It is not even suitable weather for Abbey to get a walk.

It is the kind of day I give Jack goldfish to eat off the floor. Still - it is fun to watch what keeps him busy. While folding laundry - I gave him a lonely baby sock that somehow found it's way in to the load. This little sock became many things... He rubbed the micro-suede chair with it for awhile - fascinated by the pattern it left behind. Then he stuck it in and pulled it out of his shape sorter, he carried it around for awhile as he did some other things, next he found the toaster in a cabinet and stuck the sock in there a couple times (not plugged in of course) and then he rubbed it on his head for about 5 minutes straight. One little old blue sock.

Monday, Monday

Normally on Mondays I try not to plan anything. I think of it as the day to slowly transition to being Mommy by myself again . However, since the sun was shining today and it was going to be over 40 degrees - I decided to meet up at the park with a friend and her son. Jack wasn't very into it at first. Not wanting to be put down and, swings - he gave a big fat "No" too. However, I reminded myself not to push him (or compare him) and we sat together with a shovel and played in the sand. We watched the other kids, climb, slide, run. Jack slowly began to get more comfortable - we then sat on a bench for alittle - him beside me like a big boy. After a little while he got down and held on to the bench, practicing his standing. Even deliberately letting go and balancing. Very proudly. Before I knew it- he was walking on his knees (his latest way to get around) ... right over to a playset a little ways away. It was then that he became very busy, holding on to things , pulling himself up and walking around. A smile the whole time. I always think he is just like Jason but these are the days I see alot of myself in him.

Saturday Night's Alright

I spent Saturday night with my 3 best friends. Overnight. The first overnight trip since before I gave birth. That is 14 months to be specific. I thought I would have the best night's sleep imaginable... I slept the worst I have in years. Felt like I was laying there wide awake waiting for sleep to come even though I was soooo tired. I guess I missed the guys.

Regardless. There is something about sitting around with the girls that know you best. Laughing, looking through magazines, snacking, laughing some more.. that makes you feel human again and not just like a Mama. Perhaps its because these people knew you when you had braces, were getting over a (many) broken heart(s), were obsessed with Nintendo, snuck out at night, learning how to drive, figuring out your way through college, caught up in live music.....

I came home a better Mama. And Jack , for the first time ever, gave me an official, very long hug when he saw me.

Sometimes all you need is the inspiration

I just read a great article about 'mommy bloggers'. At the end she notes the following:

Or as the anonymous author of the blog Bub and Pie puts it: "I go through my day in a kind of 'compose post' mode, where I'm actively selecting words to describe my children — their beauty, their quirkiness, their inner lives — and that process helps me to see them, to be mindful of who they are." Writing gives me a way to step back from my life and really see it. To watch my kids and feel the gratitude flood through my veins. To connect the dots so I can tell the story the way I feel it, even though, my God, there are a million true ways to tell any story.

I have decided that as Jack gets older it is going to be harder to tell all the funny / simple/ amusing happenings in his first person. Not to say that GrowJack won't go on - eventually maybe he will be able to keep it up himself. But I think its time for this Mommy to use her voice. For the mundane, the excitement, the craziness, the monotony that ensues as the days go by.

And I used to actually like to write. So here is my best shot at my Mommy blog and my reminder to slow down , enjoy and just breathe.