1
June
2007
One of my fondest memories of elementary school was sitting at those small tables at lunchtime and opening up my lunch box to find a cup of boysenberry yogurt (Does anyone make this any more?). I would take the cup, turn it upside down on a plate, and with my fork, poke holes in the waxed paper bottom. Then, like a cup of custard or flan, I would pull the cup off to reveal a nice neat yogurt mound with those sweet purple berries oozing down the side.
Today, as the parent of a toddler, I wish for those paper yogurt cups for more than the enjoyment of opening them. Now whenever we eat yogurt, we must find a place to recycle those darn plastic cups. When plastic cups first came out, they had plastic tops. These, at least, could be reused. Today’s yogurt cups — plastic with foil tops — are useable only for starting plants from seed or mixing paint. In the yogurt industry’s attempt to use less plastic, they have inadvertently made their products more likely to be sent straight to the recycling, or worse, the landfill. A return to paper yogurt cups would mean an end to the growing pile of little plastic cup accumulating in my house and around the world. It would also mean the return of the joy of eating yogurt with the fruit on top!
Posted: Environment, Motherhood
2
March
2007
Before I comment, I want to point out that I’m one of the very lucky at-home parents with a daughter who takes three-hour naps every day, like clockwork. However, within that three hour period I try to do the following: update my blog, take an hour long stationary bike ride, prep for dinner, write in my journal, read, catch up on email, prepare for one of the meetings or classes I chair or teach, and (if there’s still time) nap. Today I’ve prepped for dinner and had lunch. I have one hour left. I haven’t written in my journal in days and the bike is calling, but so is the couch for a nice nap. The rain is falling hard outside the window and I think the couch has won. ZZZZZZZZZZ……
Posted: Motherhood
13
February
2007
Staying home with a 22 month old feels like a constant job of catch up. I try to catch up with the dishes, catch up with email (and THIS BLOG!), catch up with folding laundry, catch up with small projects like recycling, gluing broken china, changing light bulbs, and of course there’s the constant catch up with cleaning up after my child. Although she loves the “clean up” song* and will do a pretty good job of cleaning up her stuff, she makes messes faster than she cleans them. Having a bi-weekly house cleaner ensures that the dust doesn’t pile up for longer than two weeks and forces me to make sure the entire house is clutter free before they get here. But as soon as they’re gone out come the crayons, chalk, books, and wooden blocks that create the ongoing obstacle course that is my house.
*Clean up Song: It turns out (from googling the song in hopes of finding a clip) that the one we know is the BARNEY clean up song! I thought by never having TV we’d avoid Barney — but no such luck. It’s a great song though, and it works!
Posted: Motherhood
28
August
2006
It’s hard to believe that the world would be a better place if all parents worked outside the home and left their children in childcare. Having the privilege to spend my days with my child, I get the privilege of viewing the world through her eyes and I believe this helps to remind me of how sacred every little thing is. I’m constantly amazed by the pleasure my daughter takes in the smallest things and I love her games and her newfound language. Most adults, including myself, have forgotten what it means to play. My daughter is teaching me to have more fun doing nothing and to laugh at silly things. If more of us could do this, I believe the world would be a better place.
Posted: Motherhood, Uncategorized
25
August
2006
This week I had the pleasure of having 2 visitors, Esther’s cousins, 4 and 2 1/2 years old. Having three kids was total chaos but also exhilarating! When they left this morning, I experienced the same sadness I remember when I would be left off for the plane or bus going back to college when my younger siblings were still at home. The profound quiet following constant chaos is quite sad, actually. There is a certain adrenaline rush that goes with juggling multiple children of different ages, not unlike the high after an arduous group bike ride or a night of constant emergency as a hospital chaplain. (After a summer of chaplaincy training at Mass General 1998 (99?) I could see the allure of being an emergency room doctor or nurse or an EMT.) Pushing beyond your limits is fun!
Of course it was also nice to pass my neices back to their grandparents this morning and have some time to sit down with my blog, but I must remember the high they gave me. It’s easy to say those parents with lots of kids must be crazy, but maybe, just maybe, the joys really do outweigh the difficulties.
Posted: Motherhood, My Life
10
July
2006
Just when I think I have time to write a brief entry into my blog, I hear a little voice on the monitor as Esther wakes from her nap. I was expecting her to sleep another 1/2 hour. For those of you wondering why I don’t blog more, here’s why: Babies don’t ever behave as we wish they would and they get in the way of our “adult work.” They are new human beings doing just as they are intended to. That is, reminding their parents that when you’re a parent your life is not your own. Waking, sleeping, reading, writing, exercising, eating, and more must happen when baby is not in need of care. Fortunately, Esther wakes up slowly, chatting with “Bear” and “Cowbunny” for a few minutes before she started calling for mom. Oh…. there she goes! Maaaaammmmmmmaaaaa!
Posted: Motherhood, My Life
3
June
2006
Parenting teaches patience, or so I’ve been told. But gardening seems to be a better teacher. Every day I go out and look at my garden to see what is new. I thrill at the new buds, leaves, and flowers. But I also find myself wishing certain things were farther along. I end up pruning at inappropriate times, overwatering, and picking unripe strawberries. Gardening is an art form. Letting the garden come into its own is a lot like trusting that our children will come out ok if we do our best (hopefully even if we don’t). Yet, even now, at 5:00 a.m. in the pouring rain, I’m wishing the rain would stop so I can get my hands dirty. Patience, Rachele, Patience!
Posted: Motherhood, My Life
3
June
2006
Global Climate Change has brought Boston a lot of rain this spring. Now that I’ve started getting into gardening, rain has become a blessing rather than a nuisance. It’s so wonderful to be able to know that with each little raindrop, my new seedlings are growing roots and leaves. Being a mother of a human being is the joy of my life, but I also feel motherly instincts towards my plants. Yesterday I finished my “bean pole harp.” I can’t wait to see the peas and beans gently twining their way up the taut strings. They’re so cute!
Posted: Motherhood, My Life
1
May
2006
I recently created a chart of my week so I can see how much time I actually have. Most often it seems that all I do is childcare, but when I look at my newly prepped vegetable garden, the piles of branches from recently pruned trees, bags of leaves, and newly planted flowers, I know that I have done a lot. Gardening during nap time is becoming my speciality. My next goal is to find other projects that can be done during the 1 to 2 hour time slots available throughout the day (blog entries among them!)
Posted: Motherhood, My Life
12
April
2006
I started a blog in order to record my thoughts about motherhood, etc. A major problem with full-time motherhood is not actually having enough time to get things done. I woke up this morning when Esther cried at 2:30 a.m. I tried to get back to sleep but kept thinking about all the things I had to do, so I just got up and started doing them! I organized files, worked on finances, checked emails and now am writing here. Perhaps the stay-at-home parents who don’t also have a huge yard in need of pruning, raking and planting, a house in desperate need of renovation, and a partner who’s work hours run from 8:00 to 8:00 most days can accomplish the normal tasks of cooking, shopping and cleaning and still have time to play with baby, but I could use a few extra hours. Can I continue to get by on 5 hours of sleep? Probably not for long, but it’s nice to see the sunrise out my office window!
Posted: Motherhood, My Life