Sweet with a side of Bitter...

When Adam and I decided to get married, and to have our wedding in November, I pictured everything draped in bittersweet. I love it and am mesmerized my it's intricate vining, although I read now that it's strength can choke other plants, and that it's berries (which can mistakenly look quite yummy to a certain one year old I know) are poisonous. I guess that must be the bitter part. I collected it this year, for pretty outside decorations, and to remind me that is the bitter that makes sweet so much sweeter.

A Little Perspective....

The kids and I took an outing today to the local ski spot and rode the chair lift to the top of the mountain to investigate what brave foliage made it through Saturday's wind and rain. The woman who sold us our tickets said that it would take 15 minutes to get to the top of the mountain, and without this perspective I would have had no sense of time.

Lately I have been actively practicing living more presently; trying to experience the moments that I am in, rather than planning or worrying about those that await. This is more challenging for me than I think it should be, but today was like a karmic gift for my work.

When the chair lift scooped us up off the ground, time stopped mattering. Greta said it felt like a gentle giant's hand carrying us, whereas I thought it was more like we had hopped on the back of a bird and were experiencing it's flight. The views were breathtaking, the company was perfect, the moment was present.

We stopped at the top of the mountain and poked around in soggy moss for a while before hopping back on and seeing what had been behind us the whole way up. It was really awesome! It was just the perspective I needed.

Standing for Tolerance...

As November 3rd draws nearer, many yards in our neighborhood, along with churches, and public properties, don political signs. This sparked a question from Greta on the way to school today about Question 1. She asked me what "Stand for Marriage" meant, which is the slogan that the Yes on 1 campaign uses to defend their belief that marriage should remain by law between man and woman, and would overturn the referendum voted on in Maine last November making gay marriage legal. I paused briefly to try to organize my thoughts about this matter before explaining it to her in appropriate seven year old language, and then dove right in! Parenting a child that can read brings with it a whole new set of challenges. I told her simply that some people believe that men should only marry women and vice versa, and that others believe that if gay couples want to get married they should have the same rights as couples that aren't gay. I was prepared to tell her about the benefits of marriage legally, but had not to, she'd already formed her opinion. "So the people who say they stand for marriage, don't really stand for it at all" she said nonchalantly scuffing her feet along the ground as she walked, "they only stand for their kind of marriage". My heart swelled with pride. She is viscerally tolerant. This nation could learn a lot from my little girl!!

I will be proudly voting No on 1 this election, so that my children may grow up in a world that's more tolerant and kind, just like them.

Coffee Break...

Simon and I went out on a coffee and cookie date today. Fall budgeting has eliminated eating food out, and most times I don't miss it, but today I got that itch to sit in someone else's dining room for a while, which led us on a meandering walk to the local coffee shop in town. We sat near the window through which Simon identified truck, car and jeep, while I sipped my hot coffee and took in the people around us. The woman fresh from exercise class, reading the New York Times and eating a bowl of soup. The couple in hiking boots with maps spread out on their table planning their next leaf peeping jaunt. The older lady next to us that complained that her tea was bitter, but absolutely loved the name Simon, "a proper name", she said to me more than once. Simon ate half of his chocolate chip cookie and happily packed up the rest to take home for Greta, and I felt rejuvenated from the coffee and the perspective that being among other people doing other things gives me. It was a very nice date.

TGIF with an apple theme.......

The library has been a steady resource in my parenting "bag of tricks". It's consistently available in a not consistent climate, full of our most favorite things in the world, and always free (save the occasional late fee!)! I take Simon to story time on Friday mornings where I sing "The Wheels on The Bus", and listen to the librarian read picture books, while he romps around the room stealing tractor books from other unsuspecting toddlers. We often go as a family one afternoon a week and take turns looking at the adult books while the other entertains the littles in the children's room. I daydream of becoming a librarian when I grow up, and have been known to practice my own "story time" routine at home with sometimes reluctant participants (picture Adam).

This past Friday afternoon we attended "The Great Maine Apple Day Party", at our local library. A very sweet, and very under attended celebration of the currently very abundant fruit. Greta listened to the information presented, colored her apple picture, and played the games by the rules, while Simon did shots of cider and got really crazy. It was a nice way to spend a misty afternoon, and a good reminder to check the library's calendar of events for upcoming fun!

Falling in....

The onset of cold weather means that wool and fleece have once again become part of our daily uniform. It also means that big pots of soup are started early in the day keep the kitchen toasty and smelling yummy until dinner time. Pumpkin soup, corn muffins, wool hats, dark evenings, early bedtimes.... for now, I am enjoying the comforts of fall.

All in our places, with sunshiney faces....

I love mornings. Particularly fall mornings, all crisp and new, with long shadows and crunchy leaves that have blown off their bows overnight. I love packing Greta's lunch while both kids chat through breakfast in sleepy voices with their morning hair. And the coffee, the yummy strong coffee that I love. Most mornings flow smoothly from said breakfast into dressing, brushing, packing book bags, tying shoes, zipping jackets and so on. But there are always the exceptions, and this morning was one of them. It felt like we were lurching around in circles getting nothing done and stepping all over each other's toes in the process. I heard my voice annoyingly repeating orders over and over to deaf ears.

Simon protested breakfast and begged instead for the popcorn that I was popping for Greta's snack. Greta was sidetracked and even with reminders in groups of three ("please go upstairs, put on clean clothes for cool weather and brush your teeth") that usually keep her on track, she. moved. very. slowly. and came back downstairs not dressed or brushed ten minutes before we were set to leave for school.

Deep breaths. I know how tormented I feel when I lose my patience in the morning and send her off to school for the day.

Deep breaths. The phone was ringing. Simon was eating popcorn out of a paper lunch sack wearing nothing but blue socks. Greta was stomping up the stairs (very slowly mind you), and muttering something about "so mean, so, so mean", and I was breathing deeply when I spilled half the contents of a family size box of Cherrios on the floor while trying to snip off the box top for Greta to bring to school. Simon cheered and with squeals began to jump on the pile of breakfast cereal mashing it into crumbs with his socked feet.

Greta was back downstairs in a skirt and tee-shirt looking quite pleased with herself, when I reminded her that it was 33 degrees outside!!

We were all back upstairs, Greta stomping, Simon crying, and me throwing myself a little internal pity party. Through clenched teeth I breathed deeply and flew through Greta's bedroom setting out pants and sweater for her to wear and carried flailing Simon into his room to begin the wrestling match called getting him dressed. We were late. She was yelling at me, over Simon's wailing protest, about "stupid pants" and "stupid sweater". But soon, we were all dressed which was one step closer to putting the morning behind us. I ushered them into the bathroom to brush teeth and hair to the soundtrack of.....

"My stool Greta, move Greta"

"MOM, he hit me!"

"MOVE Greta, MOVE"

"MOOOOOM, Simon just spit toothpaste in my hair"

........ Inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale.

Coats, hats, mittens, all of them the wrong ones, were struggled into, and we trailed out the door like a pack of mangy dogs, teary eyed, shoes on the wrong feet, and my precious coffee spilled all over the front of my shirt. We were not far from the dooryard when I remembered that it was library day at school. I quickly assessed whether or not I could bear the guilt if I didn't remind her that she had forgotten her books, nope, couldn't do it.

She ran and jumped back through the yard and up the stairs into the house where the door had been left wide open, yelling "I know just where they are..... I think..." I checked the time and decided that walking to school was no longer an option. She came back outside with her two library books falling out of her unzipped backpack to find me whisking Simon from wagon to car seat and scrambled into her booster. The gas light was on and Simon was loudly expressing his disappointment about the change of mode of transportation, but we were all dressed, lunch was packed, teeth were brushed and library books rescued.

By the time we reached school, I was aware of all of the aches in my neck from clenching and resisting the urge to yell at both of them and tell them how ungrateful they were acting. I resisted telling them how everything that I do, every. single. thing. is with their best interest in heart and mind, and when they act like this it makes me want to take all of their stupid pants and stupid sweaters to the Goodwill so that more deserving children could have them. The children who listen the first time, and don't have crushed Cheerios glued onto their socks.

Greta was trying to get out of the car, snapping me out of my in-head rant.

"Child lock Mom, child lock, the child lock's on, I can't get out Mom!!"

I hopped out of the car like her chauffeur (first cook, then maid, then chauffeur) opening her door and helping her don the straps of her over sized backpack. "Have a good day Mom", she said and then arched into tiptoes to kiss me, "And thanks for reminding me about my library books. Bye Simon!!" She blew a kiss through the window at her brother, and off she went.

Mysterious. Like a different species altogether than the one that had stomped around my house minutes ago. The tension in my back and neck faded as I watched her lope off toward school. Parenting is an all consuming, thankless job most times, but when there is a small gesture of appreciation it can adjust the tone of the day quickly. I changed my mind about taking all of her clothes to the Goodwill, after all, she is just a child, and headed home with Simon to rake up some of those crunchy leaves.

Dad's Day Off!!

Today marked the second full day off that Adam has had since our move to Rockland. Most days he leaves for work before the kids and I are out of bed, and oftentimes doesn't come home until after we've had dinner. We miss him in day to day life but are so grateful for his determination and dedication to his work. To celebrate our day with him, we did what Adam loves to do the most, we ventured into the woods along rock and root and bubbling brook for a hike. The foliage was afire, the kids in good spirits, and we didn't see another soul along the way. All in all, just what Adam needed to relax and enjoy his time off with his family.

Fostering memories....

My sister and I have always been very close. We share the common history of our childhood, making her the only person in the world that really "gets" me, and I her. My kids call her Auntie now, but when Greta was a little younger she would sometimes slip and call her Mom. It was an honest mistake, we talk alike, look alike, and ever since Greta was a baby, when I was tapped out by her or she by me, Auntie was there to offer respite, quite like a second mother would.

In early August, a baby was placed in the foster care of my sister. Being a single foster Mom is like mothering on steroids. Added to the everyday (and night) care of an infant are the court ordered visits, the full time job, and the strength it takes to love with her whole heart, not knowing where and with whom the little one will grow up.

Greta finds humane solace in the idea that when a child isn't being cared for properly, someone like her Auntie is there to help.

We had the pleasure of a visit from these lovely ladies this weekend. From soccer games to magical beaches, from pumpkin hunts to just plain lounging around and eating good food, it was delightful, and we can't wait until they come again.

Out and about, all the usual places......

Greta's school is closed today for students, and again to observe the Holiday on Monday, which leaves us with a precious mini vacation. We packed into the car this morning with the recycling, the trash, the outgrown summer clothes and the library books. It is so much fun for me to have both of my kids along for these daily "adventures"! Goodwill and their stroke of genius!

I Love This!!! I didn't park here since I am neither, but the concept makes me happy. Now, if Hannaford could get it together and offer Mom's a place to nurse comfortably they'd be really progressive.

"Wink's place", the official swap shop at the local dump (with great doors, the picture does it no justice). I think the hip people call this freecycling. Scroll down to view Greta's score!

Greta and Simon do some bean bag snuggling after Story Time. The other mothers were envious of my help. "you are so lucky", they said. Yes I am.

Who could possibly pass these beauties by. Greta certainly couldn't.

Have a nice, long, relaxing weekend!!

.... where my thought's escaping...

Our new home is bigger than any house we've lived in together. One of the benefits of this is that the clutter is now distributed more evenly giving the effect of a more organized life. The drawback is that winter is coming, and old homes are inevitably trickier to heat efficiently. Even now, the cool fall mornings seem whisper winter's song. Slippers, sweaters and hot meals are the comforts that have kept us toasty thus far.

We have "neighbors", but have yet to become very neighborly with them. The two houses that sandwich ours are occupied by older women living alone. Friendly and fastidious, they keep mostly to themselves.

We have a small side yard shaded by crab apple trees, where lives our trusty picnic table. We do a lot of outdoor snacking, but will have to wait until spring to do any serious open air dining, since evenings are cool and dark now. Greta and Simon kick the soccer ball around, and practice their cartwheels (Greta mostly, but Simon puts in some concentrated effort too!) after school, and we are far enough from the road so that I feel at ease.

A month ago, I was worried that the houses size would impede our intimate family moments. Now that life has been lived in these rooms, with it's silly laughter and it's real tears, I know that the closeness that we live by has little to do with the size of the area that surrounds us.