After 11 months of struggling to find the key to a good baby photo, I discover props! Obviously no photo pro, but one step closer? Every month I hype myself up about sitting Emerson down and capturing the adorableness that I fall in love with many times a day. This has become more and more of a daunting task each month as she’s learned to roll, scoot, crawl and eventually walk. Hundreds of extreme close-ups, blurry frames and severed limbs later, eureka! I finally found a way to end this frustration — a good prop! I handed her a delicate and unfamiliar object to study and enjoy while I snapped to...
Mental Health
I soaked up some sun this morning during Emerson’s nap and finally got around to reading the August issue of Parents magazine. I came across an article, “Lessons From a Zen Mommy,” outlining a philosophy that struck me as valuable to women with and without children. Bethany Saltman’s zen tactics seem simple yet intentional. Could this be my new path to relaxation and happiness… “Do What You’re Doing While You’re Doing It – Stop multitasking.” “Leave No Trace – Take responsibility for yourself and your mess.” “Take Just the Right Amount – Limit acquiring too much stuff.” “Practice Patience – Don’t beat yourself up over things.”...
27 Years Ago
For as long as I can remember, birthdays have made me feel more uncomfortable than celebratory. I’m not afraid of getting older, so this strange feeling has been hard to explain. Finally in my 27th year I understand why. Maybe it’s the ‘mother’ in me, but I strongly feel that it would make far more sense to celebrate the people who created us in the first place. I am here today, the person that I am, because of my parents. They nurtured and taught me so that I could do the exact same in return for my own child. I don’t know who I would be without their great love....
Make-up Make-over
It’s easy to forget how good it feels to actually look NICE after months of minimal make-up and negligent hair styling. I recently noticed I can’t stand looking at photos of myself unless I’m sporting a hat and over-sized sunnies. While I’ve accepted a curvier figure with open arms, dark circles and frumpy hair are within my control. So why have I let these things go? It’s far more enjoyable to lavish my attention towards Emerson while completely avoiding any indicator of what I actually look like. Luckily my family loves me no matter what, but if all it takes to love myself a little more is some under-eye highlighter,...
Tulip Time Tom-Foolery
The great Dutch phenomenon of Tulip Time is among us. After months of speculating over weather conditions and the health of the sacred tulips, it’s time to shine-up your wooden shoes and join the festivities. While I look forward to food vendors lining the streets with their colorful stands so that I might enjoy a variety of fried foods and bratwurst galore, I’ve adopted a more local attitude now that I live in the heart of the action. Instead of going directly home from work last night, I made the poor choice of stopping at Wal-Mart first. By the time I finished my shopping the Klompen Classic 5K race had...