Babies Love Comics Crafts and Art

A few weeks back I was a guest on the Lean Into Art podcast (in full disclosure its my husband’s podcast).  I love being a guest on LIA, I love talking art and creativity with the Lean Into Art community.  We had a ton of fun, but wow did I get a case of the rambles and a case of the “ums”.   I need more practice!  Anyway, near the end of the podcast Rob was sharing the upcoming Art Sound Off challenge and I blurt out - I should do that!

Yep I need another commitment, ha!  But here we are and I’m really excited about giving this a try.  Art Sound Off is a daily audio journal where you reflect on your artistic process (and so much more!).  So without further ado - here is my first Audio Journal Post (I promise I’ll work on those “ums”)!

Things have been busy around here, the girls are back into the swing of school - the honeymoon period is over.   We’ve been dealing with a bit of change and loss and quite honestly they have been a bit on edge lately.  I’ve noticed with all the re-direction, conflict resolution, mediation, and negotiation I’ve been doing with the kids lately - I’m exhausted!

So I ask myself - what do I do to recharge myself?  And the answer has been interesting (to me anyway).  There are the obvious things, get more sleep, get more exercise, go shopping.  But if I dig deeper - yes those things help, but if I sit with it, if I meditate on it.  How do I re-charge.  I start to wonder…  What if I didn’t spend so much of myself?  Would I be sitting here needing to re-charge?  What if instead of re-charging I just didn’t spend so much.

I have a lovely meditation app on my phone that I use from time to time and one of my favorite features is the reminders.  I have the reminders set to show up 3 times a day and one of today’s reminder was so spot on I took a screen grab of it - and later took time to sit.  

“Imagine getting to the end of the day, having not taken even on single moment to pause, to listen, to be present.”

Wow, thanks Headspace.

My oldest child has always understood boundaries and rules pretty well.  Don’t get me wrong, she’s a negotiator that one - but safety boundaries she got.  A stern voice saying don’t put that knife in your mouth (don’t worry I mean butter knife covered in something yummy like peanut butter or frosting) she would stop and set down the knife - eyes wide.  Then she would being her negotiations, not picking up the knife again until a solution has been reached.

My youngest, not so much.  She is going to test every boundary, push each one to the limit, find the edge and ride it.  Don’t put the knife in my mouth? okay how about if I lick it? how about if I put it in my mouth but I smile while I do it? no? okay how about if I just yell “no, I’m not doing that” at the top of my lungs (while doing just that).  She is a sweet and adorable child and at times like this its really hard not to laugh.

But as I sit back and reflect on their days, what went well for them, when did they struggle - I am reminded of how much they need good solid boundaries.   Just as child development has preached for years, children given clear boundaries are more secure.  It helps them to understand their world.  And believe it or not this is something I struggle with - A LOT.  I have a degree in child development, an advanced degree in psychology, training in play therapy, and lots of experience with children.  Yet when it comes to my own babes - I struggle, struggle, STRUGGLE setting boundaries and saying no.  

I’m not sure why I’m embarrassed to admit this, but I actually practice saying no.   I practice.  And what better place for a practice session than Target, with everything shiny and beautiful and displayed at just the right level.  Today I needed 3 quick things at Target - no really just 3.   We ran into Target for 3 quick things and came out with 4 (pretty good for a Target run).  I got to practice my “no” skills at least 34 times.  They were not going to give up and worked the hardest at the check out.  I held to my no and they didn’t get anything extra.  

Sometimes I feel parent guilt (shocking I know!), guilt that we don’t do enough cool things.  We didn’t go to the State Fair (and wow, EVERYONE went to the fair), we didn’t go to the Renaissance Festival, we didn’t go to this event or that concert and the list goes on.   Truth of the matter is, we don’t enjoy taking our kids into large crowds.  Neither my husband nor I relax and enjoy.  We are constantly worried about losing one of the kids or the crowds just end up overwhelming one of us (never the same person and nearly impossible to predict LOL).

That’s why quotes like this one are good for me. Joy comes to us in moments - ordinary moments.  We risk missing out on joy when we get too busy chasing down the extraordinary.  - Dr Berne Brown, Daring Greatly

This weekend we went to the farmers market and explored a new park near our home.  We had adventures and laughs.  JOY.

Screw the guilt.

Last weekend we had a happy birthday celebration for our home.  It has been 1 year since we’ve moved in and we all have an incredible amount gratitude for our home.  We moved from a tiny city house to a larger suburban home.  We debated and debated and debated (like 4 years of debate) the move but found a home that was close to lakes, parks, paths and still near-ish to the city.  We felt very cramped in our city house but constantly reminded ourselves that we needed to be happy where we were. Space, material things, etc... are not going to make us happier.  And as much as we believe that, I have to admit this one thing has led to a significant lifestyle upgrade for us.  We have space to do big creative projects.  In the old house the kitchen table doubled as the project table - art projects, lego projects, etc… had to be completed or cleaned up so we could have a family meal.  We have many fond memories of the old house but the list of things we love about our current home is endless.  So we made a cake and the girls got to decorate it. YUM!  

It was a box cake but the frosting was some of the best we have made!! It’s the basic recipe that I use all the time, but I used these exact measurements found here and wow did it make a difference!  Amazing frosting.

I also made banana pancakes this weekend.  They rocked.  My version was was modified from this modified version of pancakes from this cookbook (which I have an love).  I added protein powder and chocolate chips because, well I’m the mom.  Please enjoy this fascinating photo of my pancakes.

I was reading Cleopatra in Space to my 6yo.  I was trying to explain that Cleopatra lived a long time ago, before TVs, iPads, etc… She got very bright eyed and very knowingly said, 

“And there were no cones for dogs when they get hurt or sick. So when they got hurt they would die *snap* just like that.”

I just stared at her unsure of what to say to that.  A few seconds past and she said…

“What?  Dad and I saw a dog today with a cone on its head.”  

Uh? where has the time gone.  There are now 2 littles in my life (#truelove) and the baby who loves comics is now a little girl who adores comics. 

As spring approaches my desire to craft, garden, and create with the kiddos grows.  So I’m back and planning to share our outdoor creative time.

Spring spring spring - it has been so busy!  I decided I wanted Little Comic Lover to have a change this summer or experience somewhat of a "summer break."  She has grown tired or bored of her Montessori school that she has been in since 10 weeks old.  Who can blame her - right?  So in late April early May I started my hunt for a different summer experience for her. Yes I know most families have this all sorted out by February.  I was a little concerned that it would be slim pickins - but mostly I just felt like it was the right thing to do and I had a confidence that it would all fall into place.

I have to admit that the summer experience I have "put together" is not at all what I set out to do - but I am so very excited with where we have ended up.  

Little Comic Lover will take the entire month of July off from her Montessori education.  The first three weeks she will be spending at a wonderful nature-based education program.  Its a beautiful place I wish I could send her to year round (maybe next year if the finance gods allow).  She will be doing a 3 week camp complete with gardens, swimming, riding horses, caring for the llamas, chickens, goats, snakes and lizards.  They have a naturalist, art educator, music educator, animal specialist all on staff.  I'm so excited I want to go to the camp!!

I'm also nervous.  She has been in the same school since she was 10 weeks old.  This will be a completely new experience for her, not knowing the children, not knowing the teachers, having to make new friends.  I think it will be good for her but I worry about how it will go.  Will she assert herself when needed?   Will she ask for what she wants?  Will she ask for help if needed? Will she be fine but I'll be a wreck?

But mostly, mostly we are excited.  Yes I already told her about it.  I had to make a calendar to mark the days until "summer camp."

Oh and one last piece, the fourth week, after summer camp is over...  Little Comic Lover and I are spending the week together.  I can't remember the last time I took a full week off of work.

With all this excitement planned for the summer I hope to have some more regular blog posts and stories to share. 

Spring.  

Little Comic Lover spiked a low-grade fever this weekend and I took it as an excuse to lay low.  I think it was something we really needed.  She seemed to be feeling good but agreed that she was too sick to go to gymnastics - so either she was feeling sick or she too needed a weekend at home.

Even with her under the weather, we found time to do so many creative things: art projects, baking (yummy muffins), legos, playing house, paper dolls.  We took a wonderful Saturday afternoon snuggle nap together.  One of the best weekends ever.

I let Little Comic Lover pick a skein of yarn out of my supply to learn to finger knit.  She had little-to-no interest in finger knitting but really wanted to pick out her own yarn.  As she was taking her time selecting her yarn she found pom-pom makers - and a new project was born.  It was so much fun!  She could do most all of the project herself with just a little guidance getting it started.  She gifted her final products, one to our cat and one to Dad-dad.

We also made calm-down jars.  This is a project I first saw at family sponge and I have been so looking forward to making.  Little Comic Lover is a pretty calm kiddo and we rarely have need for time-outs.  But I think the jars of glitter are so beautiful.  We have also been watching the Tinker Bell movies on Netflix so we’ve been talking a lot about pixie dust.  By the end of the weekend we had made four jars - even Dad-dad got to make one to take to his office.

Below is an older post of mine, it's one of my favorites and I feel - worth repeating. My little one is no longer in a crib, in fact she recently outgrew her toddler bed.  Sigh, she is growing so fast.  Watching her sleep as well as helping her find her calm space to fall asleep are still things that fill me with peace, love and joy.

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