It begins...

A friend recently forwarded an email to me titled "The Invisible Mother," a short essay comparing the tireless and often thankless job of a mother to the builders of Europe's great cathedrals. Both give their whole lives for a work they will never see finished, both make sacrifices and expect no credit, and both are fueled in their passion by the faith that the eyes of God see every detail. The writer of the essay was inspired by the thought that our endless efforts in motherhood, invisible as they may seem, are worth it and can make an enriching life.


For many of us, the way we choose to hold our invisibility at bay is by creating something tangible. For me, my days often end with knitting - my love of fiber and the need to do something relaxing end up producing something I can hold and look at. Nobody will know how many times I swept under the high chair that day, or how many toys I picked up, or how many times I tried to coax a "please" or "more" or "sorry" out of my 5 year old. But a darling, handmade infant hat? That you can see.


I start new projects every day, and my 10 year old does the same. In this process of creating (and yes, often not finishing our projects!) we connect with each other and a bigger picture of ourselves in the process. My plan for this blog is to share the projects that excite me and bring some accessible proof of my existence in this invisible world of mothering!


So, this blog is dedicated to the mothers out there whose days are filled with the minutia of tasks that build our children and our families. I often tell people that I haven't decided what I want to be when I grow up. But for now, I am the builder of a great cathedral. With every shoelace tied, lunch packed, and forehead kissed, I build.


And I can hardly wait to create something new...


Thursday, March 3, 2011

Not in "Italy" Today

Brynn and I went to check out a couple of Moms Day Out programs this morning, at the suggestion of her PT and Speech Therapist. We want to get her in a "school" setting once a week to prepare her for starting preschool next year. The first place we visited had an opening for her age level, but when they discovered that she was a special-needs kiddo, they told me it would be a hardship for the teacher to have her there. They were very nice about it, and I understand how it would be disruptive to have a child there who can't follow directions or sit still in a chair at snack and art time. But wow, I think that was the first time a door had been shut on us in our journey of helping Brynn develop. I will admit I shed a few tears in the car at the thought that my child wasn't wanted, and I know it was only the first in a long line of those moments, but it hit hard this morning and was a painful reminder that our journey has landed us in an unfamiliar place - definitely not Italy.


So, I smothered Brynn with love today. And instead of wallowing in chocolate, I took us shopping for clothes and yarn! Brynn has some new spring outfits that will look darling on her, and I found the perfect yarn for my baby sweater project at Knit Wit. The colors were perfect, the weight was perfect, it's a cotton blend like the pattern called for, AND it's washable! It's a Classic Elite Yarn, called Pebbles. Yay!
Yesterday, I finished updating Brynn's birthday scrapbook - CHECK! I'm liking it a bit more, and she LOVED it and wanted to look at it over and over. I finally finished her "birth" page as well, and it turned out cute. Very pink, but cute. I do cherish my perfect angel!
I also finished inserting all the photos in our family album, and have added the "comments" through September 2010. Just a few months left to comment on, pictures to add from Christmas in Iowa, and then I can CHECK it off YOCL!


OH! And Casey (my new Craft Storage Dresser Unit Thingy) had babies! They arrived via stork yesterday and are ready to build. 
Happy Birthday to Me - two white, wooden file cabinets for my craft room!  One will house all my Girl Scout files and piles, and the other...well, it's full of possibilities! I just might have to rearrange in here - gotta have the optimum crafty setup! So again, my craft room "after" pictures will have to pend a bit longer...but oh you will be jealous and amazed at the end!


AND, I delivered all 50 Project Linus fleece blankets today - DONE and CHECK! So of course Brynn won't nap again today, but that's ok. I should also tell you that the 2nd Moms Day Out program we visited was very welcoming and had no issues with Brynn being developmentally delayed. Oh yes, I signed her up on the spot! She starts on March 22, and I'm warning you in advance, I will be a total basket case that day. I will have to throw myself into something very crafty as a distraction. 


Meanwhile, the sun is shining...er...it was a minute ago! The temperature is getting warmer, and the sick feeling in my gut from this morning is dissipating. I may not be in Italy, but I got it pretty good here in Holland. :)
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3 comments:

  1. KathyMarch 3, 2011 at 11:03 PM

    That new yarn is gorgeous. Your new craft room is coming along so nicely, and your experience finding Brynn just the right place to go play once a week made me remember that nature knows best how to organize. The 'welcoming' program sounds just right, and knowing Brynn, I'm sure she'll have a fun time exploring new toys, books, and faces.

    I love your blog. I love you.

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  2. KathyMarch 3, 2011 at 11:03 PM

    Oh, and I PROMISE to get the Christmas pictures online this weekend. Geeze. :)

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  3. Christy Z.March 4, 2011 at 11:50 AM

    Ugh - sounds like a yucky morning. Glad you are feeling better now! You will find the right place for her...

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