Thought this was such a cool printer.
Just entered the giveaway...http://tiny.cc/afb56.
What a lifesaver!
Monday, June 7, 2010
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
The Mommy Lens
Before I became a mother, people would always tell me that becoming a mother changes everything. I never understood that statement until I became pregnant. And yet, once my daughter was born that understanding grew even more. It grows every day. Everything I read, everything I see on TV or read online typically is viewed through my mommy lens. It’s where I’m at in life right now. I’m sometimes annoyed by it because I would love to take the mommy lens off at times and just be me. But, all that I am affects my daughter and I have to keep my mommy lens on in order to be the best and give her the best.
I recently read I Am Nujood –Age 10 and Divorced for the SV Moms Book Club. It’s the story of Nujood Ali who at the age of 10 was married off to a much older man. In this powerful memoir, Nujood shares every detail of her horrendous marriage and fight to restore the life she deserved to live. I appreciate the fact that Nujood’s focus throughout the book is her freedom. The monsters who would allow a child that age to be married, raped and abused will find their fate. But, the most important part of this book is the fact that a young girl with barely an education or financial wealth pushed past her assumed fate and found courage to write her own destiny.
As I was reading through the book, I kept asking myself where is her mother? Why has she not stepped in? Where is the mother’s love that will bridge past the cultural boundaries and control and stand up for her daughter? Why is her mommy lens not on? Those are easy questions to ask, but not too easy to answer.
I put myself in her mother’s shoes and imagined how debilitating it must have been to know your daughter was suffering and you honestly could do nothing about it. She had to voluntarily remove the mommy lens and allow her daughter’s fate to play out right in front of her eyes. With no recourse, she separated herself from the reality of her child and could only pray that things would change.
When they say that becoming a mother changes everything, they weren’t lying. I believe that every mother, whether they have separated themselves from their children or not, knows each child’s strength. Nujood had strength that surpassed age, gender or class. She had fight in her. She looked at the end of the road and decided to change course. She showed her own mother that we have control over our lives and as women, especially; we have more power than we think we do.
I don’t think our kids understand how much they challenge us to be better people. They make decisions and choices based on their own desires while also shaking our worlds. I can only imagine how Nujood’s mother felt once her daughter became the first woman in her country to win a divorce. She was no longer a victim and I don’t think her mother could remain one either. Nujood’s decision to change her situation may have just restored a piece of her mother’s mommy lens.
I recently read I Am Nujood –Age 10 and Divorced for the SV Moms Book Club. It’s the story of Nujood Ali who at the age of 10 was married off to a much older man. In this powerful memoir, Nujood shares every detail of her horrendous marriage and fight to restore the life she deserved to live. I appreciate the fact that Nujood’s focus throughout the book is her freedom. The monsters who would allow a child that age to be married, raped and abused will find their fate. But, the most important part of this book is the fact that a young girl with barely an education or financial wealth pushed past her assumed fate and found courage to write her own destiny.
As I was reading through the book, I kept asking myself where is her mother? Why has she not stepped in? Where is the mother’s love that will bridge past the cultural boundaries and control and stand up for her daughter? Why is her mommy lens not on? Those are easy questions to ask, but not too easy to answer.
I put myself in her mother’s shoes and imagined how debilitating it must have been to know your daughter was suffering and you honestly could do nothing about it. She had to voluntarily remove the mommy lens and allow her daughter’s fate to play out right in front of her eyes. With no recourse, she separated herself from the reality of her child and could only pray that things would change.
When they say that becoming a mother changes everything, they weren’t lying. I believe that every mother, whether they have separated themselves from their children or not, knows each child’s strength. Nujood had strength that surpassed age, gender or class. She had fight in her. She looked at the end of the road and decided to change course. She showed her own mother that we have control over our lives and as women, especially; we have more power than we think we do.
I don’t think our kids understand how much they challenge us to be better people. They make decisions and choices based on their own desires while also shaking our worlds. I can only imagine how Nujood’s mother felt once her daughter became the first woman in her country to win a divorce. She was no longer a victim and I don’t think her mother could remain one either. Nujood’s decision to change her situation may have just restored a piece of her mother’s mommy lens.
Monday, January 4, 2010
No Cleavage Allowed
Motherhood is full of humor. There's the hilarious faces that only a toddler can make or the occasional out of the blue comment that send you bending over in laughter. I love it when my 2-year-old announces that she's passed gas in front of everyone. I love how my daughter, like most toddlers, so easily speaks her mind. She points out the obvious and doesn't adhere to the typical social norms. That's one great thing about children. There are no limitations.
I found this to be even more true while reading See Mom Run. While reading these side-splitting essays, I started to think about my own humorous stories from motherhood. It seems that my most outrageous stories come from my daughter's music class. I remember one particular class when one of the students had a guest attend.
Our music class is usually set-up in a circle with every child sitting on the parents lap as we sing songs and play instruments. The kids are usually able to walk around, dance and explore the room. Well on this one particular day there was a very interesting guest and I've been racking my brain to figure out how I could describe her. But, only two words come to mind: large chest! It was hard not to notice her because she was wearing a pretty revealing shirt that revealed nothing but cleavage. So, while all the adults were trying not to focus on the elephant in the room, my daughter walks right over to her.
What's even more embarrassing is that she stares directly at her chest, points, looks at me and says, "What's that mommy?" I immediately look at my husband while the two of us desperately try to hold in our laughter. I politely look at the woman, apologizing profusely while pulling my daughter to my side. Well, let's just say this exact scene happened three more times. I know by the fourth time, the woman didn't want my daughter near her. But, all I could keep thinking was there ought to be a sign posted on the door of the music class that says, "No Cleavage Allowed!"
I found this to be even more true while reading See Mom Run. While reading these side-splitting essays, I started to think about my own humorous stories from motherhood. It seems that my most outrageous stories come from my daughter's music class. I remember one particular class when one of the students had a guest attend.
Our music class is usually set-up in a circle with every child sitting on the parents lap as we sing songs and play instruments. The kids are usually able to walk around, dance and explore the room. Well on this one particular day there was a very interesting guest and I've been racking my brain to figure out how I could describe her. But, only two words come to mind: large chest! It was hard not to notice her because she was wearing a pretty revealing shirt that revealed nothing but cleavage. So, while all the adults were trying not to focus on the elephant in the room, my daughter walks right over to her.
What's even more embarrassing is that she stares directly at her chest, points, looks at me and says, "What's that mommy?" I immediately look at my husband while the two of us desperately try to hold in our laughter. I politely look at the woman, apologizing profusely while pulling my daughter to my side. Well, let's just say this exact scene happened three more times. I know by the fourth time, the woman didn't want my daughter near her. But, all I could keep thinking was there ought to be a sign posted on the door of the music class that says, "No Cleavage Allowed!"
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