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.
I also put together the treat bags - filled with the chocolate lollipops we made...
Today was cake day! Rowan wanted plain white cake - we made one large sheet cake and used various sized bowls to trace the circles we wanted with a knife. And at the end, Rowan decided she wanted a 4th tier on top to make it taller. The little top tier is only about 2 inches across!
Next, I thinned some frosting into a glaze and did a light coat on the crumbly sides then stuck them in the fridge to set (thank you, Tabby, for that wonderful tip!)
I did my best to decorate it exactly as Rowan had envisioned - little pink flowers and green squiggles. She chose an orchid to place on top and is putting her finishing touch on the cake here.
Ta da! Pretty stinkin' cute, people!
After Bun-Bun's dress was done, I had time to finish the latest Afghan sweater and get it blocked, and although I have started another one my interest is starting to wane a bit. Time for a different project, methinks. After seeing photos of my mom's latest lacy scarf projects, I might have to do something light and delicate for a change of pace.
Brynn's final day at her Day Out program was today - the kids assembled to give us a little choral show at 1:30. Bless her heart, Brynn couldn't really sing along or stand in line like the other kids, but she was fascinated by the entire process!
And oh dear, the banging has just begun right over where she's napping! Our roofers showed up today, and the new roof is finally emerging. Here's a peek at the state of our back deck right now.
I turned Brynn's white-noise maker on high this afternoon in hopes she might sleep through it...keep your fingers crossed for me!
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ReplyDeleteOh. My. God! Do you hear Janice's voice from "Friends"? That cake is exquisite!! And the flower, the doily, the stand! I mean, HEATHER!! The guests will be thrilled, and I can only imagine how pleased Rowan was. You sure as heck better be proud of yourself for making a little girl's dream come true, not only in having the tea part with her teacher as guest, but serving up those cookies, cake and candies, so craftily and beautifully constructed! WOW.
ReplyDeleteThat picture of Brynn with her Day Out group just made my heart sing. :) Kiss, kiss.
Love Bun Bun's dress and the vest, too! I think you would LOVE making Taygete. It's a fun knit, right down to the 300th picot stitch. HA!
xoxoxoxox
Make that party, not part! Geesch.
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