Ready, Set, GO!

Things I'm looking forward to:

1. Singin', Twirlin' and Dancin' at Satchel's music and rhythm class this morning.
2. Splashin' at Satchel's Aqua Tots class on Sunday because Dada had a second surgery on his wrist and can't get it wet.
3. A tribal gathering in November with FOUR of the most - awesome - inspiring - mamas in the whole blogging kingdom at a cozy little cottage in the mountains...where there will be laughter, good eats, and hopefully a spontaneous dance or two. Nina, I'm ready to dance around the table with you! You know that scene in Amelie when she melts into a puddle...well if she were bursting into a cloud of rainbow colored confetti, that would be me right now.
4. OH! and the library book sale tomorrow!

And judging by the lack of responses to the Genius Hair Giveaway, I'm guessing that my little family must have the smartest hair in all the land!

See you Monday...Have a good weekend, everyone!

*Back again...seems we have a winner: (drum roll) Meet genius, Isaiah! Thanks for playing, Nancy!

Genius Hair Giveaway

"What I've got you've got to give it your mamma
What I've got you've got to give it to your pappa
What I've got you've got to give it to your daughter
You do a little dance and then you drink a little water
Give it away, give it away, give it away now" - Red Hot Chili Peppers

I have the kind of hair one learns to accept. It looks different every day. It goes where it goes, does what it wants. People often ask, "Is that natural?" To which I reply, "Do you think I would deliberately do this to my hair?" If I had a dollar for every time someone asked me that question, I would be Oprah and giving away cruises to everyone I meet.

Someone once told me that I have genius hair, the kind of hair you see on Einstein, or Dylan, or fill in the blank___________. It's even more wild when I wake up in the morning. On a good day, my husband will remark, "You're looking mighty smart this morning". He's a fine one to talk...his hair stands straight up like a troll doll in the morning.


Satch has inherited genius hair.

That said, I'm going to give away a kiddie compilation cd of Satchel's most favorite grooves to the first person who comments with a photo link to a good example of "Genius Hair"...the only rule is that it has to be your own family genius, someone you know personally or a famous genius.

*OK, I just came back and changed the title of the post and added a quote after the fact because I like the sound of giveaway better than contest and then those righteous lyrics started swimming 'round my head causing me to do a spontaneous interpretive dance!

Eat a Lime

I'm always on the qui vive for cool kids music, and I stumbled upon this AWESOME video on you tube...oh how I wish to be in that mini mosh pit with Satch! The song is from this album. While you're at it, check out Captain Bogg & Salty's port o' call.

Most Alive Monday

"I hear in my mind
all this music" - Regina Spektor

One of the most alive choices we've made recently was to sign Satch up for "Music Friends" with Greta Ehrig to nurture his love of music. Here are some scenes from our music class last Thursday....














 Satch is obsessed with stringed instruments and Greta let him touch her guitar...this was his face afterward.

Satch received his first temporary tattoo for being such a good little rocker. He kept looking at it the whole way home. His joy was palpable!








*I've decided to make at least one "most alive choice" each day and post my favorite each Monday. This, of course, is to motivate me to consciously "live juicy"! I hope you'll join me and share your "most alive choice" in the comments section.

In and Out of Weeks and Through a Day

My wee boy was a bit under the weather yesterday post story time Tuesday at the Barnes & Noble germ pit....oops I mean train table. What do you do with a cute, albeit cranky, boy when you run out of ideas? Turn to page 7 in "Unplugged Play"....idea #4, "The Tunnel Tube".

We made our own variation using a mail tube, two feather pillows, a foot stool and every ball we could find in the house, including those that belong to our cats. We rolled the balls through the tube and caught them in a basket. Satch came up a few ideas of his own like....

listening to secrets through the mail tube...












and looking for mama's camera through the mail tube.

This morning Satchel and I on our way to "Music Tots", a mommy & me sort of jamboree..."Let the wild rumpus start"!

See you back here on Monday. Have a good weekend everyone. (In case you haven't figured it out already, I've decided to make every weekend a three day weekend. That's one of my most alive choices. Speaking of which, how come nobody's forking over their photos?)

A Cookbook of Creative Play

"Play is not trivial. When children play, they're doing important work." - Fred Rogers

Most people who know me could tell you that I'm concerned about, among other things, the effect that this electronic age has on children. More and more data keeps surfacing about the damaging, not Einstein producing, effects of what is being marketed as educational videos and toys. They can actually rewire the way our children think. The American Academy of Pediatrics now recommends no more than 2 hours of high quality television or videos per day. So I wondered how can I keep Satch entertained when I run out of ideas.

I thought I would check out Bobbi Conner's new book, "Unplugged Play" to see if I could find some answers. What I found was SEVEN HUNDRED AND TEN imaginative answers! I wish I had this book a year ago. The ideas are categorized by age group (12 mos - 10 years) and then by type of play, i.e. solo play; parent and child play; playing with others; and birthday party play. And I just love the Appendix which includes, "The Well Stocked Toy Cupboard", a stock list of items to have available, most of which are household items that many of us already have on hand.

I am seriously inspired! Thank you, Bobbi.

Bobbi Conner is the author of, "Everyday Opportunities for Extraordinary Parenting" as well as the creator and host of an award-winning national radio show "The Parent's Journal".

A Big Sky with Pretty Little Stars

"It's a big world baby
and you're little for a little while" - Renee & Jeremy


I confess that when I first heard the song, "It's a Big World", I thought it was a new Aimee Mann tune and I began spinning my wheels trying to find it for purchase. I soon learned that this beautiful piece was written and performed by Renee Stahl & Jeremy Toback, and is just one of a dozen twinkling musical stars on their album, "It's A Big World". This beautiful album is now a permanent fixture in our cd changer. The vocals are soft and melodic and the lyrics are soulful. This is a cd to listen to before bed or naps or anytime you want to snuggle in and center yourselves. It is obvious that this album is a gift from the heart and not just another "kiddie set". To quote the artists, "while we set out to make a record for our little ones, we really ended up making a record for ourselves and other parents like us".

The whimsical album art by Hsinping Pan is a nice touch too!

In short, if "Doodlebops" make you break out in hives and "Wiggles" aren't a part of your musical lexicon...if you and your children enjoy pure music, real instruments, inspired lyrics and gorgeous vocals...then go grab yourself a copy of "It's a Big World" and chill!

(No D-bops or Wiggles spinnin' in our crib!)

I'll try to get a player up and running soon so you can hear a sample....

Feeling Nostalgic

As promised, here's the new studio window with the new and improved sign. I don't know what it is about that label tape thing , but it sure brings back memories.

Most Alive Monday

"Something opens our wings. Something makes boredom and hurt disappear. Someone fills the cup in front of us: We taste only sacredness" - Rumi

My flowery summer window has been faded by the sun...

so my most alive choice was to have some artsy mama fun and redecorate the studio window with some giant flying Monarchs and a sign that looks like an over sized red border label. But...now that I'm looking at the photos, I don't think the red border label is edgy enough so I'm in the process of creating a new sign that looks like a label tape from one of those old hand held clicker label maker thingers from the 70's. (I had one when I was a kid and I labeled everything that wasn't nailed down) Stay tuned for new photos...

This morning, as I walked downstairs to pour myself a cup of coffee and saw the pile of dishes in the sink and the 2 loads of laundry that need folding, I realized that the chores will always wait...the muse isn't always as patient.

I've decided to make at least one "most alive choice" each day and post my favorite each Monday. This, of course, is to motivate me to consciously "live juicy"! I hope you'll join me and share your "most alive choice" in the comments section.

Loo Yoo Too

"Diti nice"
"Yes, Zetti is a nice cat"
"Mama nice too"
"Thank you, Satch, you're a nice boy"
"I loo yoo, mama"
"I love you too, Satch"

Have a good weekend, everyone. I'll be back here on Monday.

Reflection

"Every tree and plant in the meadow seemed to be dancing, those which average eyes would see as fixed and still" - Rumi



The karmic boomerang is flying once again! This book arrived from Shana (Thank you from the bottom of my poetry loving heart!) so to keep the energy flowing, I sent this book out to Margaret.

Please note that all this... the above photo, the previous post, and the abundant generosity that seems to flow in every direction, is another example of why I am the luckiest person alive!

On This Night

In a little while the evening ritual will begin. Satch will help put on his pajamas before going to the window with Dada to look for the moon. We will all kiss, hug and say goodnight. I'll curl up beside my son until he falls asleep.

Six years ago tonight I was covered in ash, powdered cement and fiberglass and sleeping on the floor of a school gymnasium in Bayonne, New Jersey.

Bushwhacked!

Satch and I took a nice stroll in the rain to the post office. As I placed the parcels on the counter I froze when I heard a newscast reporting a terrorist attack and evacuations. The mail clerk must have seen all the color drain from my face because she immediately said, "They're re-playing the original broadcast....we're you there?" "Yes", I replied sadly, "I was there". I couldn't find the words for what I was feeling. It's not as if I've forgotten...every year at this time the nightmares start. I wake up hearing sounds so real that it takes some time for me to realize it's not really happening.

I really didn't need that sort of reminder...it was like a whack in the face!

Georgia On My Mind

Last September I photographed this radiant family in upstate New York.

Yesterday they came all the way to Virginia for me to photograph them again...one year later!

Welcome to the world, Georgia!

Most Alive Monday

Fortitude and Fiffer Feffer Feffs....
Last week, before we left, we built a fort in the living room and read, "Wolf" by Sara Fanelli and Dr. Seuss' "ABC book".


The "vegetarian feast for my peeps" on Saturday was a smash hit! Here are some highlights:

• A beautiful sunny day surrounded by shiny happy people whom I love and good eats.
• Two of my friends brought very symbolic treats...Holly & Charlie brought cupcakes from Magnolia Bakery (the best cupcake EH-VA!) and Diane brought Tate's chocolate chip cookies from the Hamptons (my most favorite cookie in the world).
• My oldest friend, Nancy & her tribe brought Satch a stack of wonderful books, including "Owl Moon" that was on his wish list.
• Baby Sanai graced us with her radiant presence. I held her and basked in her light while her parents ate their food.
• My friend Renee and family came with a giant platter of yummy fruit and her delightful children happily experimented with a new toy that I'm reviewing. More on this later!
• My munchkin friend Jenny, who is no longer a munchkin but a teenager, stopped by wearing a necklace that she made herself! (She was joined by her mom & mom's fiancé...and brownies!)
• Josette and Nor popped in with little Mila and brought Satch some awesome Ella Jenkins recordings!
• My mom made her famous cookies and flitted about on the outskirts despite my pleas to join us...so I made a joke of it and told everyone that I locked my mother in the house.
• I only scorched 4 veggie burgers on my mom's gorgeous grill. My Asian slaw, roasted new potatoes and salsa were BIG hits!

Sunday, we visited my aunt and her daughters whom I love so very much. Cackie presented me with a box of goodies she uncovered from grandparents basement. I'm still a bit overwhelmed by this gesture which included my grandmother's Kitchen Aid mixer; vintage buttons, my grandfather's old railroad lantern (he was a conductor on the Long Island Railroad); some amazing artifacts that once belonged to my late father; and two vintage polaroid cameras that produce this and this! There was also a bag of gifts for Satch from Cackie J (since childhood I've called the two Carol's in my life "Cackie") and Rebecca...this excellent book and this excellent book, this sweet little mouse finger puppet and this cool contraption! I was so blown away by it all that I left Satchel's beloved digger behind, so my aunt drove to the restaurant where we were having lunch to drop it off so Satch wouldn't freak out.

(sigh) beauty all around...

*I've decided to make at least one "most alive choice" each day and post my favorite each Monday. This, of course, is to motivate me to consciously "live juicy"! I hope you'll join me and share your "most alive choice" in the comments section.

Wash Dry Fold

We're headed to Long Island to visit Satchel's "Nomah". We're having a little vegetarian bbq (at my childhood home) on Saturday as a way to get to see all our friends at one time and in one place. Some of my peeps are driving out from NYC. I'll see you back here on Monday. In the meantime, I'll leave you with this article..."Raising Generation PAX". Have a good weekend, everyone!!!

E I E I O

We took Satch to Frying Pan Farm to a jamboree where we grooved and pet some really sweet animals.

Satchel was very excited to hear the cows moo. Satchel insists that the cows say, "moooon". He had so much fun that we brought him back there the next day and we got to milk the cow.

By the way...you may have noticed that I did some tidying up around the ol' blog and rearranged the furniture. I never customized my template when we switched over to new blogger because doing so would delete all the goodies in my sidebar. I just don't want to have to fix blogger glitches so I'm doing everything all "old skool, yo"! In addition to the usual navigation tools, archives etc, I've added a script to my template that will index my posts by subject which you will find under "Life in Chapters" (labels/tags).

Mom to Mom: Jen Lemen

Did you ever have an encounter that gave you goosebumps and you suddenly realized that you have met one of your tribe, your soul sister? Well, that's what happened when I met Jen. (Now...if I could only meet her in person) 'Nough said!

Mom: Jen Lemen
Of : Madeleine (9)
and Carter (6)
Where: Maryland
Blog: Jen Lemen
and minti (parenting advice)


1. In what ways has becoming a mother changed you?
Becoming a mother helped me become incredibly focused. I had one of these laid back single lives where I worked just enough to pay the bills and spent the rest of the time lying around, analyzing various boyfriends and wondering which book to read next. Having kids brought that kind of quiet and reflection time to a screeching halt--I learned that time was a luxury and that I would need to mine all the meaning and creativity out of each moment if i was going to make it without losing my mind. That kind of mindfulness over time helped me understand how much storytelling and art mean to me and how simple things like the work of mothering can be a portal for a rich, creative life.

2. What is one tip you would like to share about mothering?
I think mothering reveals the places where you could use a little mothering yourself. I try to use those little "I cannot do this" moments as a sign to seek out support and encouragement from someone who's been there and who isn't afraid to tell me I'm still the best mother for these kids even though I don't feel like it at the time. Sometimes I need that push to stick with the challenge and not shy away because some of my soul furniture is getting knocked around. I think, too, that you can't underestimate how much energy it takes to keep little people alive--physically, emotionally, spiritually. To do that well, you really need to be actively engaged in taking care of yourself.

3. What is your creative outlet/medium?
There's no doubt I feel most creative when I'm riding my bike, talking to strangers, driving long distances, sitting by the ocean, wandering around big cities or having heavy/deep/real talks with my kids. Those little adventures usually find their way into the cards, kits and books I create for my Etsy store. I've found the best way for me to tell a soul story is through simple line drawings filled in with ink and watercolor. That is my chief creative outlet.

4. How do you find time for creativity? (tell me how you juggle, mommyhood, art, and guiding new souls into the world as a doula)
Over the years, creativity has taken over a large portion of my waking hours. My kids are growing up in and out of my studio with ten different projects strewn all over every table in the house, so in my case, the more appropriate question might be, "How do you find time for your kids?" :) I rely heavily on the little rituals we've created--a regular pizza outing with Carter and bike riding adventures with Madeleine--in order to keep the space open for honest, soulful conversation. My kids still crawl in bed with me most nights, and I can't emphasize enough how this kind of physical connection keeps us close.

I still have to push constantly for the time I need to finish big projects--especially when my house is the prime time destination for every latchkey kid on the block--but the reality is, once I named my creative life as my "work", I have more time than most women I know.

My doula practice has definitely taken a backseat as I've prioritized my art--I just don't have the time to do art, doula work AND kids well right now. Even so, I'm thankful for those years where birth was the thing for me. I learned so much about what women can do when they own their choices and have the confidence to be honest about what they really want. I didn't know that kind of courage was an option for me in my own births, and I suffered for it. Doula work showed me what kind of creativity is possible, even in the most challenging circumstances.

5. Why do you blog/journal?
I blog as a way to work through my process as an artist, dreamer and mother. I blog as a way to be honest about how much I struggle sometimes and also how happy simple things make me. I blog as a way of finding out again and again that I'm not alone, that something great and loving is holding us all. I blog as a way to offer hope and beauty to strangers. I blog because I believe in the power of the people and that even one tiny voice can make the world a better place.

6. Which blogs do you frequent?

This is definitely an incomplete list, but here are a few I keep coming back to:

Magpie-Girl (Rachelle Mee Chapman)
Notes to Self (Kyran Pittman)
Cool People I Know (Stephanie Roberts)
Superhero Journal (Andrea Scher)
Maypapers (Tracey Clark)
Wish Jar Journal (Keri Smith)
Horse Pig Cow (Tara Hunt)
Chookooloonks (Karen Walrond)
Surfette (Lisa Stone)
Sage Said So (Sage Cohen)

I really love to read the blogs of people I've met or know in real life--that's almost essential for me to stick with a blog longterm.

7. Who are some bloggers that you would like to meet? I've met lots of my blogging sheroes over the course of the last year (thank you, Blogher!), but I would still love to meet Susannah Conway, Kelly Rae Roberts, Denise of BohoGirl fame, WannabeHippie, sarah jane rhee and La Vie en Rose. I suspect these women are my soulsisters.