Noooo....Do Chapter Books Say The End?

At the library today, while Little Sugar and I played with a chunky wooden puzzle and she flung one book after another from the big basket of board books, Big Sugar ventured over to the chapter books.  She's 4 years old, if I may remind you.  And this isn't the first time she's been over to those spiraling racks full of tons of titles in various series.  She came sauntering over to us once and again with title after title: Abigail the Breeze Fairy, Louise the Lily Fairy, Pearl the Cloud Fairy.  Sensing a pattern?

And so whether it's because of My Little Pony, or Tinkerbell and all her flying friends, my daughter is in love with fairies and all their magic dust, special spells and yes, even the evil monsters that come with them.  I don't know how I feel about that.  But I do think it's something special that she's serious about these (albeit mini-) chapter books.  She's becoming a big girl!  Yeah yeah I know we parents are always saying that.  But really, she's turning down the big, colorful drawings and familiar characters she's always known for beige pages with lots of tiny words and an occasional line drawing here and there?!  

I can see it now: she and I huddled together in the soft glow of a bedside reading light--me reading in a calm-mommy reader voice, her actively imagining the scenes I relay.  A new kind of bonding for us both that can continue even into her double-digit years, and dare I say, even into adolescence *gasp*. Suddenly I'm enthralled by the prospect of bonding with the teenage daughter who's somehow just right around the corner.

But I snap out of my fairy fantasy when I realize my teeny tot is standing there jumping up and down in her purple pants and purple barrettes, crying out: "Igottagopee Igottagopee!"

We'll take the books home, and we'll have big girl storytime, and she'll be my big girl, tween, and my teenager too.  But not before I help her get to that potty.

Can't sleep...I'm dreaming!

Been up since pre-dawn, thinking, exploring and enjoying the uptick in my heartbeat over the thought of expanding my writing.  I feel like I'm really onto something here.  I think back to conversations I've had with other writers--there's nothing like that space of exploring and imagining and sharing together.  From a recent conversation with a fellow mom writer who struggles with questions of "filters" and sharing, to past writing groups I've done through the Writing Project, the times I've heard "ooh, that's publishable!", and the joy I found in autobiographical creative writing courses, I'm recognizing a valuable pattern.  There is a part of me that comes to life only when writing.

In writing I am able to be me, wholly individual and at the same time, able to share, interconnected with those around me.  I am able to reflect and simultaneously to create--a beautifully reciprocal feat.

The possibilities abound.  On my horizon lies the writing I'll do this summer with my group in the Writing Project, alongside fleshing out this blog--perhaps importing some of my previously unpublished writing and certainly continuing with new reflections.  I'm excited to discover (meetups, local and online spaces for writing, books, blogs) and create (here, this summer, maybe even a mom writer group??).

Writing--a gift that's grasped me, a gift I long to share.

The Beauty of a Simple Day

The funny thing about being a stay at home mom is that I feel most like a stay at home when we don't stay at home.  Today was one of those days when I was able to breathe in the beauty of being a sahm, and I felt it most when I was out with the girls, had gone to preschool storytime at the library, then to Big Sugar's gymnastics class, and then out for a little shopping.  It was as we got out of the car, heading into Ross, that a wave of "Wow.  I LOVE this life" hit me.

Something as simple as holding N in one arm, and holding Big Sugar's fingernail-bitten hand with my other hand as we stared ahead at the looming giant of a store, the automatic doors opening occasionally to release a senior citizen and their family member, or another mom with a small kids like me.  Something about that moment made me blurt out, "I love spending time with you and Little Sugar, Big Sugar.  Isn't it fun for us to be together?"  She agreed with a "uhm-hmm."

Her full reply didn't come until later today, when at a random moment she offered, "I like going to stores Mommy, it's so fun when we go together."  And while I am in no way trying to create a life bent on consumerism, there was something special about us being able to be out when most people aren't, to be able to be flexible and somewhat spontaneous, not caught in traffic, not caught in a web of scheduling, but just out and about.  Together.

Good Mother's Day

What a nice Mother's Day we had.  I put the Sugars on the neon-colored clothes I previously swore off.  Not sure what it is with this neon trend, but it's kind of growing on me.  Neon yellow leggings for Big Sugar and a lighter neon yellow sweater and tutu skirt for Little Sugar.  Not something I'd have imagined them wearing a couple years ago, but I guess that's how trends work.  Here today, gone tomorrow.

Church in the morning, lunch at Macaroni Grill, and then an afternoon at the bookstore, where I bought a cookbook.  Which is funny because I hardly ever but anything at the brick and mortar bookstore.  I had only gone in there to see the Pioneer Woman cookbook in person to decide if I wanted to buy it on Amazon.  But while there, I came across a deal.  Oh, how they get me!  They were offering a Martha Stewart All-American cookbook for $12.99 with any purchase.  I'm not a huge MS fan, but the pictures and easy ingredients lists had me hooked.

And after some sleuthing, I realized they did mean with ANY purchase.  So I got Big Sugar an I-can-read book about Jesus and took home that $40 fully-photographed cookbook for $12.99.  The brick & mortar paid off today!

Oh, and Pioneer Woman?  She'll have to wait til I plow through some of the dishes in the hefty book I brought home today.  Have to show Honey that I'm serious about this cooking thing!