A Mom's Year

Creating a comfortable life one moment at a time

Kids’ Art Area / A Space to Create

One of the biggest challenges for me in blogging is to only post once a day! There are so many ideas to discuss, strategies to ponder, and books and projects and recipes to share. But this blog is meant to be a sketchpad for ideas and a place to organize thoughts and plans for living life a little more intentionally. After writing here, I’m supposed to be writing other things, too.

Which reminds me: I’m officially stating my intention to make a spreadsheet to track queries. It sounds simple, but you’d be surprised at how well I put it off. If you see me at the grocery store, feel free to ask if I’ve made the spreadsheet yet. And, even better, feel free to ask if I’ve actually mailed out any queries. I will look haunted and frazzled, but you’ll be doing me a kindness. (A query is a letter or email sent to an editor or agent that describes an idea for a magazine, book, or other publication. Writers send these off in hopes that an editor will love the idea and hire them to write it.)

So back to my original point. I usually know what I’m planning to write on any given day. And then I go visit other blogs and they trigger more ideas. Like today. I read this post on Design Mom and it got me thinking about how to incorporate spaces for kids into our homes.

After years spent tripping over toys, we’re pretty firm about kids keeping their stuff in their bedrooms or in the bonus room/playroom over the garage. But one thing that we let take up valuable real estate in the main living area is the art table and cabinet. I’ve shown lots of photos of kids working at the art table, but I don’t think I’ve ever officially written about how this space for creating came to be. And how glad I am that we have it.

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Motherhood Musings / Screen Time

You may have noticed that I’ve linked to Little Monster a lot lately. I first met the blog’s author, Lisa, when she was asked to answer the same “What’s the biggest chance you ever took?” question on Design Mom. Her response was funny and real—just like her blog. Little Monster is filled with gorgeous images and recipes and inspiration, but what draws me in most, I think, is that it takes me back to those early days when it was just me and Andrew and I was learning to be a mom. I was so overwhelmed and so in love.

And there’s also the books. I’ve only come across a few people my entire life who love Anne of Green Gables as much as I do. So when Lisa posted this, I knew she was a kindred spirit.

And that reminded me of Rachel Lynde and the catalogs.

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Weekend Links

{ image: mochatini via pinterest }

Just looking at this room makes me happy. I know some people would feel overwhelmed by the clutter. Would you? I’m not a fan of clutter, but books have never felt like clutter to me. My favorite thing in the photo is the Sound of Music record sitting on the floor. Do you see it over there by the flowers? My mother had this very album and passed it along to me. I’m pretty sure I wore it out.

I always have books on my mind, but especially so today because our elementary school is celebrating the culmination of its annual February reading contest. It’s a wonderful event and gets the entire school reading. Our school librarian puts together a special assembly on Dr. Seuss’s birthday to announce the winners and it’s so exciting to hear kids cheering for reading. This year, if the school reaches its goal of reading 375,000 minutes, then the principal has to spend a day on the roof. (The year that Andrew won, he got to smash a pie into the principal’s face. I think he may have smashed a little too enthusiastically, though, because no pies have shown up since.) I think our youngest three did a good job this year. Lexie won for the school last year, but her need to write her own stuff was at odds with her desire to read. A good problem to have! As for me, I’ll just be glad to go back to reading without having to record all the minutes.

Are you enjoying any good books right now? I love the new feature Tim installed on the left sidebar that shows what we’re reading around here. If you have book recommendations, please share. I’m always looking for ideas.

Here are some fun links:

  • A sweet post about sending a surprise gift here. And while you’re there, check out the Babar birthday party. So sophisticated.
  • After watching two movies set in Paris this week (Hugo and Midnight in Paris), I’m itching to go! While I save my pennies, maybe this post will tide me over. My crew would especially love #1.
  • Once again, we’re outgrowing our bookshelf space. Do you like any of these?
  • I usually give in and buy the holiday-cookies-in-a-tube. Do you know the ones I’m talking about? These might be a slightly healthier alternative.
  • Speaking of healthy, I’m on a mission to find the perfect granola recipe. Could this be it?
  • This outfit has me wishing for spring.
  • Free Hunger Games printable bookmarks. Lexie will love these.
  • Muppet Cake Pops! Genius.

I hope you have a great weekend. Maybe spring is starting to make an appearance where you live? If so, enjoy the warmth and please come back next week!

Can We Talk? / Parenting Taboos

I saw this video about parenting taboos by Babble co-founders (and husband and wife) Rufus Griscom and Alisa Volkman on Little Monster. Rufus and Alisa are wonderfully honest and made me laugh—especially when Rufus couldn’t identify his own eight-week-old son in a photo line-up. (If we’re being truthful here, I’m pretty sure Tim couldn’t have done it, either. But he’ll have to answer that one himself.) Like Lisa says on Little Monster, “As a new mother, I am always looking for honesty and answers when things happen that I don’t understand (which was everything!).” I hope you can take some time to watch the video. It’s a little long, but worth it. Just grab some clothes to fold or straighten out your desk while it’s playing.

Rufus and Alisa bravely wade into difficult waters, including coping with miscarriage and the isolation you can feel as a new mother. At one point, Alisa tells the audience that she asked her sister, a mother of three, why no one told her how lonely she would feel when all the visitors had left and she was home alone with her new baby. Her sister’s reply was that “it’s just not something you want to say to [someone] who’s having a baby for the first time.”

It’s quite a dilemma, isn’t it? On one side we have moms and dads who are afraid to admit their worries and fears while over on the other side are people who could help, but are afraid to say anything because they don’t want to seem negative. Or—maybe—they’re afraid to admit that life with kids isn’t always completely rosy for them, either.

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