Life in Eden

Finished!

lifeineden — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 04:07:59 +0000

I completed my 365 project! I missed 2 days, but I was pretty thrilled with that. I decided that I would substitute in an image for those days, so there were still 365 images in my project.

I was relieved to be finished, convinced that was IT for me. A break was in order. Maybe a smaller project to keep me shooting for me. Then I decided to make a video as many of my friends had done. (be ready, it over 6 minutes long)

Then it was all over. But I kept shooting. Swearing it was not a 365 (or 366 as this leap year will be). But it has been 7 days now. I don’t seem to be stopping. I think I will make it another year. There will probably be a few more missed days than last year. But I’m pretty sure I’ll be making a video again next January.

Hair-raising Discovery

lifeineden — Tue, 17 May 2011 14:58:38 +0000

On the way to meet the biggest at the bus stop yesterday I made a little discovery.

The sweet part was that nearly half of it was made from our dog’s hair (I brush her outside).

Who knew that bark-y beast could be so useful?

Page One

lifeineden — Thu, 12 May 2011 13:25:50 +0000

Suddenly, the twins have discovered singing. Miss Peaches adores one particular song/story that she learned at school from an Eric Carle book. It is a repetitive narrative (aren’t all children’s stories?) about a string of animals and what they see, starting with a baby bear.

“Baby bear, baby bear what do you see? I see a red fox looking at me …” and so on. Miss Peaches can string together about 6-10 animals like this.

Yesterday in the car Mr. Plum decided to join in.

“Baby bear, baby bear, baby bear, baby bear, baby bear,” all at the top of his very big lungs.

“Mr. Plum,” I asked, “what do they ask the baby bear?”

“Oh Mom,” he said, “that’s on the NEXT page.”

I got more than a T-shirt

lifeineden — Wed, 04 May 2011 00:36:45 +0000

The weather was better, and worse than last year. It was warmer, but there was a lot more rain. But I didn’t mind, cause it was raining money for my cause. This year, thanks to fabulous family and friends, we raised $1257 by the time of the March for Babies walk (and there were even a couple late donations that pushed us further).

I’ll be honest, it was a crazy weekend, and once we realized that we were likely to get soaked it was hard to be excited for walking around a baseball track. But then when you get there, you see the other families — some with babies or toddlers, others with T-shirt in memorium. And we remember why we do this…

because we want more families to have the happy outcome we did.

Thanks you so much to everyone who donated this year, it means more than you could ever know.

Maybe I Need to Learn to Quack

lifeineden — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 18:41:29 +0000

Technically, I am of “advanced maternal age” and in some circles I’d even be considered “perimenopausal.” So why is it when a young woman in her 20s tells me that my son pushed a little girl, I feel like that 10-year-old girl in the confessional for the first time — with all my sins exposed?

I’ve joined our local YMCA to get in shape — okay, I really joined because they offer free babysitting. Plus, the twins need socialization. Apparently Mr. Plum needs quite a bit more, because this is the second time he has gotten a bad report. I know this is normal for preschoolers. I know that there are always new kids for him to meet and deal with each time we go to the Y. I know that with continued guidance, he will learn to handle things differently. But man, the SHAME! Maybe it is the catholic guilt of my youth, or the vicarious jewish guilt from my husband, maybe I’m just prone to it — but these encounters make me want to crawl into a hole. I feel all judged and then I ~~obsess~~ worry over it (obvious huh? since I’m writing about it).

Is it an inherent part of motherhood, to take on the trespasses of our children? I don’t think fathers feel such failure when their children make these type of mistakes. When I told my husband about the first incident with Mr. Plum, he asked if he had seemed sorry. When I said that yes, he indeed seemed regretful, my husband just said — good. And for him, that was the end of it.

Do you cringe at every (developmentally appropriate) infraction your little ones make? Do you worry the next step is a trip to the state pen? Or are you a mother duck, and it just rolls right off your back?

Just Wondering?

lifeineden — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 16:59:39 +0000

If you let the children get out crackers and eat them all on their own at lunch time … does this make you a good mom for teaching independence and self sufficience?

Horsin’ Around

lifeineden — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 22:36:06 +0000

Took a little drive through the surrounding farm country with the twins on a bitter winter day while we were waiting for their big brother to finish up an appointment. We’d done this drive a week or so before, and the twins know we pass several horse farms.

Plum: Horsies not movin’

Me: Mmmhm

Plum: Need battries

Me: What?

Plum (louder): Dey need battries

At that very moment we pass some horses

Plum: Der dey go! I turn ‘em on!

Me: You did?

Plum: Yah.

We pick up big brother from his appointment and he starts in on me again about the plan for when we arrive at home. As I sigh and begin to give him a hard time about nagging, his tutor says “NO negotiating with terrorists!” I agree and mention how I’ve got three of them. Once outside the oldest says, “she meant TOURISTS!” At which point I crack up and say, “no, she did mean terrorists.”

A Typical Exchange

lifeineden — Sat, 08 Jan 2011 22:53:47 +0000

Peaches: It’s not workin’ (as she taps automatic stamper onto the paper), It’s not workin’

Plum: Here, I get it, I get it (grabs stamper)

BANG, BANG, BANG!

Plum: Hmmm, not workin’, it broken.

The Blues

lifeineden — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 17:58:06 +0000

Come visit me over at The Creative Mama today, where I’ll be singing the blues.

Embrace

lifeineden — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 00:46:04 +0000

Change has never been a simple thing for me, and many new beginnings in my life have been surrounded with upheaval and turmoil. So at the beginning of this new year, I am picking One Little Word to help me welcome change — EMBRACE.

Embrace: (1) to clasp in the arms, to hug. (2) to cherish, love. (3) to take up especially readily or gladly; to avail oneself of or to welcome. (4) to take in or include as a part, item or element of a more inclusive whole.

I’ve been working hard to accept the things that come into my life, to accept the limitations of being a mother to young children, to accept the time it takes to affect change. But this year I want to greet my opportunities with open arms, I want to revel in what lies in my everyday, I want to jump in and see a difference. I think I am ready.

Ready to

embrace my creative side and declare it proudly
remember to embrace my oldest, because he still needs it
embrace my little ones before they aren’t little any longer
hold on to and embrace my family, near and far, as our time together is fragile
dive in and embrace new endeavors
embrace my body and the power that lies within it
seek out other like-minded individuals in my community and embrace budding friendships
nurture and embrace the love that created this wonderful marriage and life together
acknowledge and embrace my past, as it has made me the person I am today