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Starting to get busy….
It looks like my “lazy” dayz are coming to an end. I am going to have six months of pure busy, completely immersed in the things I love. Photo sessions galore, meeting and working with amazing LGBTTQA youth, dog shows every few weekends, and with only a few more months till Summer – I’ll have the wee girlie home with me all the time. It’s exhausting thinking about it. LOL
This won’t be a pace I could keep up indefinitely, but with a concrete end in sight? It will be one amazing time. For a while, it was all on the horizon… but as of this weekend, it’s happening now. I’m exhausted, laying in bed next to my baby girl, but given a little time I know my body will get used to this new level of busyness. For now though? I’m happy to be laying in bed rather than laying in snow – like I was doing earlier today. LMAO Anything for the shot, right? It’s not the first time I’ve been in snow up to my neck to get the photograph I wanted, and it won’t be the last. 😉
Absolutely Enchanting!
I had actually planned on blogging about some pretty big things that are going on right now politically. There’s some big stuff happening that both lactavists and internet users should both be aware of… but you know what? I need tonight to just recharge. So I do hope you’ll forgive me.
Instead of taking the time to blog, I chose to sit and look at my beautiful, amazing, incredible, creative, loving, rambunctious, stick-to-it kid. I know I’ve said it before… but as a co-sleeping momma I think about it often. I am so grateful for these night time moments. When I can just lay beside my awesome daughter, taking everything in. She recharges me. She sometimes drains me too. LOL But she always gives me so much more than she ever takes away. I’m a lucky mommy. And she is my joy.
Sleeping Beauty
So… it’s a short blog post. But I’ve got more important things to do. Like snuggling with my sleeping girlie.
From: Mom
My mom made me a quilt last month. I love it. It’s beautiful and means so much to me.
From: Mom
I’m so bad…
Okay… I’m getting really bad. Another post with several days worth. Jeepers. This is becoming habit. Just been really busy lately. Busy being Mom, and busy getting a new domain up and running. Still a long ways from launching, but I’m excited about it. Won’t be any work at all once it’s up, but right now? It’s sucking every minute of my time that isn’t devoted to being mom. So… Please bear with me. Hopefully I’ll get back to the daily posting soon. I actually really miss it. It’s come to be part of my nightly routine, and my nights feel a little off when I’m not able to log on to share. 🙂
April 23rd – A great day, with more great days ahead. All strung together in a somewhat stressful, but really good week. Lots of work done, and lots of time devoted to just being mom. Which meant I was exhausted, but I was feeling really good. 🙂 Also found out that I won a draw for a bunch of great gardening stuff – so super excited about that. LOL Want to check out my gift basket? Head on over to http://treadlightliving.com/blog/?p=368. So can’t wait for everything to arrive. 😀
Me! 😀
April 24th – Hard work paid off as Mom’s surprise 50th birthday party caught her COMPLETELY off guard. So the stress of coordinating everything was totally worth it. Took Mom and the wee girlie out to lunch at New Island Sushi… the food there is AMAZING, and the staff are super nice. Mom loved it, and Lily-Ann did really well with her chopsticks (her first time). Then we hit Village Green (a thrift store/charity shop), a local park, a used book sale, and home for the surprise. I missed out on the decorating while I was keeping Mom busy, but Auntie Kathie, Riki (my oldest younger sister), and Dad did a great job. It really was an awesome day… and seeing mom so happy made EVERYTHING worth it. 😀
And… okay… I know. Lots of photos from this day I could have shared… but seriously. The food at New Island Sushi???? SOOOOO worth sharing in any way I can. 😀
Sweet Potato Roll
April 25th – Today is actually Mom’s birthday. Offered to watch everyone (two of my sisters are still at home and need an adult present) so that Mom and Dad could go out to supper… but Mom wanted a “do nothing” day. So we all just hung out at the house and watched the snow. Yes. More snow. But thankfully this snow melted the instant it hit anything. Another really great day. 🙂
Watching the Snow...
April 26th – Just a lazy day at home. Kinda chilly out… but not so chilly that it kept us inside. Here’s a basket full of “treasures” the wee girlie gathered.
Treasure!
April 27th, TODAY – Another chilly one out. It wouldn’t have been bad, except for a really cool wind. Spent some time playing in the front yard, just the girlie and I. Spent some time in the back yard, the dogs, Damon, the wee girlie and I. Then headed to the Library. 🙂 It’s library day.
Thought this pine cone was pretty… and was surprised to find one clinging to the tree out back.
Pine Cone
busy week…
Well… it’s been a busy week. Not so much because I had a full schedule, as there should have been plenty of time to get everything done that I normally do… but it was super busy in that the wee girlie needed me a lot more than she usually does. I think she may be gearing up for a developmental leap, and just needed a ton of mommy time. It didn’t seem to matter what we did or where we were, she just craved the one-on-one… and who am I to say no when she needs me? She wasn’t trying to be bothersome, or just being a pest, she needed mommy time – so I obliged. I figured everything else would wait. She’s only going to be my little girl for so long. Every time I blink she’s a bigger kid who needs me less and less… one day soon I imagine she’ll be telling us to leave her alone. LOL So yeah… if she needed a bunch of extra mommy time this week, you bet I was going to oblige. 🙂
So… here are our pictures from the last several days. I am sorry I didn’t get them posted promptly, but I was busy being mom.
April 14 – We went shopping. Lily-Ann bought a new pinwheel for the front yard. This was right after we put it into the ground. She had to inspect it to make sure it was working well, and looking just as it should.
Inspecting her Pinwheel
April 15 – Have found several of these little bugs hanging out on the wee girlies play center the last few days. Thought I’d snap a shot of one. See if anyone can identify it. It’s an odd looking little thing… probably about 1/2 cm long. They just sit there. I’ve never seen one moving. Any thoughts?
BUG
April 16 – We rode home (me on my bike, Lily-Ann in her trailer) after our collective kitchen group finished up, and realized there wasn’t too long until Daddy would be home. So figured we’d just stay out in the yard. We pulled out the bubbles and the sidewalk chalk for the first time this season, about which the wee girlie couldn’t be happier. She LOVES both. So here’s her first chalk drawing of the year. She was writing a message for our neighbours who might happen by during a walk or bike ride. 🙂
Sidewalk Chalk!
April 17 – The wee girlie had a sleep over with her Grams on Friday night, so I snapped this picture with my blackberry when we picked her up on Saturday. She has her very own playground. LOL Years and years ago my mom ran a daycare, and still has the kid-friendly yard to prove it. It was designed for a half a dozen kids to all be able to share… lots of space, lots of things to do… but now, it’s all for one. 🙂
Her very own playground.
April 18 (today) – We took our bikes out (Damon’s, mine, and the wee girlie’s bike trailer) and headed to the grocery store. First day with t-shirts and shorts. It felt great. On the way back we took a detour and hit the park. We stayed for quite a while, and a few different families came and went while we played. We even pulled out some of the groceries and had an impromptu picnic… nothing fancy, just some raw veggies, fruit, and other yummies. 🙂 It was a really nice afternoon. And I’m glad it was one we got to share with our whole family (rather than just Lily-Ann and myself). It’s always nice to have Daddy home for outings that don’t always start off special, but end up that way because we’re together. 😀
Up to Something.
Amber & Ainsley
The wee girlie and I headed out just after an early lunch to meet our dear friends Amber and Ainsley at the park today. Amber is my most trusted friend, and Ainsley is one of Lily-Ann’s favorite buddies. It just kinda worked out that Amber and I met, and met again (a couple of times) before becoming friends. By chance we are on the exact same page as one another on pretty much everything, from politics to parenting. LOL And we both had baby girls three months apart… (just before becoming good friends). Fate kept throwing us together until we took the hint. 😉 So it’s super awesome that, through our friendship, Ainsley and Lily-Ann have a built in buddy. 😀
Anyway…. I took my camera along with us to the park. Only snapped about ten pictures, and two of my favorites happen to be of Amber and Ainsley. Look at Amber’s face. Nothing more wonderful in the world than the way she is looking at her baby girl. You know that wee girlie is treasured and loved beyond measure. 🙂 Lovely!
Amber & Ainsley
A good mom?
The Lentil Ladies (our collective kitchen group) met today. We made all sorts of wonderful dishes: curry with cauliflower and sweet potatoes, tomato soup (from scratch), and wonderful organic filo pastry apple desserts. But something happened that made me stop and think…
Lily-Ann was wearing her baby doll (whom she calls “baby suzie” and who is sometimes male and sometimes female depending on the day you ask her) in a sling I made for her. When she plays with her doll she wears her constantly – like I wore her. One of the mom’s in our group commented to me that “She’ll be a good mom some day.” This filled me with great pride, because I understood what was behind her words, but also made me grieve a little too.
Lily-Ann will be a good mom, if that’s the path she chooses. And my friend’s compliment means the world to me, because she knows our children learn by example. But, the idea that someone would assume for my daughter the role of mother does bother me. What I hope for her is strength, compassion, love… And while these traits can be found in the best mothers, they can also be found in the best business people, the best artists, the best politicians, the best teachers, the best activists, the best of us.
Seeing a girl child holding her doll close to her heart brings about dreams of the future and what it holds… and for many all they see are stereotypical gender roles. Instead, I see a girl with endless possibilities. A person who is not afraid to love, openly, outwardly, fully. One who will hold children close, for they are precious – but that doesn’t mean she’s destined for motherhood.
With passion I see her building with blocks. With enthusiasm I see her painting. With zeal I see her “cooking” for anyone who’ll sit for even a moment. With joy I see her performing song after song for us, her captive audience. I see her doing all these things, taking on all these roles and so many others… and then I see her stripping down and declaring that she wants to be “nekkid” and doesn’t want to wear anything but a legwarmer and a bracelet. 😀 She is, after all, only two.
So… I implore you… next time you see a little girl playing with her doll, don’t assume she’ll grow up to become a mom. She may become a boxer. She may become a novelist. She may become a mechanic. She may become an architect. An engineer. A vocal coach. A custodian. A playwright. Just because she’s a girl, don’t box her in. She has enough on her shoulders just trying to grow up, without having to grow through your expectations.
And you know what? There’s no reason she couldn’t grow up to be ALL these things… AND a mom. 😉
Okay. I’ll get down off my soap box. Here’s todays picture. Nothing special. Nothing inspired. Just a girl, taking a break from play, having a drink of water. Just a girl with endless possibilities.
Water Break
TD 365 