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...


Monday, March 14, 2011

Mousy Bits and a Pinata

It's spring break! 1.5 days until we leave for Iowa, and I'm frantically knitting up auction items. I finished the duck feet booties...
...and have been cranking away at the mousy bits. I've got all the pieces knitted for each mouse, and now need to sew and stuff.
I got Brynn down for her nap, and was all ready to start sewing mouse seams when Rowan declared that she wanted to make a St. Patrick's Day pinata to take to Iowa!  I asked if she had ever done paper mache at school, and no, she had not. How can a 7 year old never have done that??  So, we found a balloon, whipped up some pasty batter, and got to work.
Oscar was quite enthralled with the gluey smell and came to investigate. Rowan and I got the balloon covered and now it's drying - hopefully in time for some painted decorations before Wednesday morning! Rowan has raided her candy box and found quite a stash to share with her cousins. Pretty cute.


Now, time to deal with the mousy bits!
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1 comment:

  1. KathyMarch 15, 2011 at 6:59 PM

    LOVE the knitted stuff and am intrigued as to how those mouse bits get formed. The duckie booties crack me up!

    A Pinata! What fun. I read all the rules, too. :) :) Hope it dried okay. Put it in front of a FAN.

    Drive carefully and see you in less than 24 hours. Can hardly wait.

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