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, April 4, 2011

Spoke Too Soon

Just when I thought the flu was behind us...Brynn starting fussing about 20 minutes after I'd put her to bed last night, and no amount of rocking or singing was helping. I stood up to walk her around and she proceeded to throw up all over her book case, floor, self, and toys. DUDE.  Brad heard the might Yack over the monitor and came flying up the stairs to my aid. Oh man, did her room REEK. What the WHAT? *sigh* Baking soda and vinegar have been my companions again today. The carpet still looks ick, but at least it doesn't smell anymore. And a few of the books and toys just went straight to the trash.


But she's been fine since (on only fluids again) and is taking a really good nap. So...I have been cranking out the chores. I finally pulled out the pieces to the second file cabinet and put it all together.  Which means I could put away all the Girl Scout craft stuff from our meeting and clear the surfaces of my craft room! Ta da!
And since my poor little "Barf Vader" commandeered the evening, I didn't get to weave in the pajama cat ends until just now. Kitty is blocked and air drying!
I also spent some time today preparing for our April Daisy meeting (how soon they approach!) and am in good shape there. We have guest Brownies coming to lead the girls in earning a badge, so I don't have a lot to prepare ahead of time. I can start focusing on our final meeting in May and our "Bridging Ceremony." We're going to make a big deal out of our little Daisies "bridging" to Brownies next month. We're going to walk down the bike path to Arrowhead Park where there is a nice bridge crossing over Indian Creek.  I plan to give each girl a Daisy flower on one side of the bridge. She will get to walk over the bridge, toss her flower into the water and let it go (or keep it if she's too attached!) and then cross to the far side where she will receive a brownie (ha!) to eat. Should be cute. Once all the girls have bridged, we'll go play at the park and party hardy at our final gathering of the year. Then it'll be time to start planning Day Camp activities - woo hoo!


Oh, and can I just say, HOLY HAIL last night, Batman! As Brad and I were cleaning up vomit, it sounded like someone was throwing baseballs at the front of the house. We checked all the windows this morning and none were broken, but all the screens on the west side of the house are shredded and full of giant, gaping holes. Very attractive. There goes more of our tax refund...


I will leave you with a prudent photo of Brynn - it was taken over a year ago, but here you have it. :)
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1 comment:

  1. KathyApril 4, 2011 at 10:38 PM

    Ooo, that's a good looking file cabinet! I can hardly wait to see that pajama bag all stitched up and full of a nightgown. :) I found a cute pattern for a teddy bear head pajama bag in one of my Debbie Bliss books. Maybe I'll make one for Brynn! :) ( And if she yacks on it, I'll make sure it's fully washable. Ha!)

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