Motherhood: Always a Continuing Education

Whenever my babies used to look at me like this, I always felt they could see right through me. That somehow they could sense I didn't know what I was doing. But now I realize they aren't capable of such thoughts. They just want more cheerios. I've got them fooled for at least another 20 years. So now when I see this picture, I don't wonder about their glare. All I wonder now is who the hell is this kid? I think it's Oscar.

Sometimes I feel like I fell silent during the year 2008 when my boys were this age. Did Ella (2 years) and the boys (less than a year) consume all of me? Apparently not. I was reading one of my old blogs and I totally forgot I signed up for writing classes through Stanford's Continuing Studies Program. I took a memoir class and the next semester I took a poetry class. While that period of time was extremely stressful with the kids/house work, those classes kept my spirits up.

Want to read a silly poem I wrote while taking the class at Stanford? My homework assignment was to write a Pastoral Poem. It's about a kid named Steven who moves to the suburbs. I put Steven into everything I write when I don't want it to look like I'm writing about myself. He is always swearing. Now that I think about it, he reminds me of Owen.

I remember having so much fun writing it, reading it to the class, and then getting it critiqued to death. I love a good edit. I forgot to make the changes when I came home, though. I've since lost my notes. That was never the point anyway, to become a poet. I had good time with it and moved on. I wouldn't mind taking another writing class soon. For nothing else, to experience the exciting rush of working on something and the nervous energy while sharing it to the class. Love that feeling.

Happy Days on Arthur Ave.

We had the best time in the Bronx with our friends Nate and Kelly. We've known Nate since we went to college Hawaii. It's nice to be in the same part of the country again. My kids adore him--every smile in these pictures is because of his jokes. He and his wife Kelly took us to Arthur Ave., the real little Italy of NYC. The street wasn't overly stylized, the prices were great, and it had a warmth about it even in 20 degree weather. We walked to all the cozy speciality stores to buy mozzarella cheese, bread, meats, pasta and desserts.  Most of the stores were closed for the day, but it didn't stop us from having a great time and eating fantastic food. I can't wait to go back when the weather is warmer to pick up the best ingredients for a picnic.

Some pictures of the stores after the jump.

Shoe Sale Alert: Swedish Hasbeens

These Swedish Hasbeens are only $68 from Saks. Marked down from $230! Sizes are extremely limited so act fast. I just bought a pair for a cruise I'm going on with my sisters in April. I know it's the middle of winter and the thought of buying sandals seems crazy, but I had to. They arrived (size 10 of course) and feel amazing! Everything they say about this brand is true. I plan on wearing these to death come spring and summer. For now, I'll just have to admire them from a distance as I walk around in my snow boots and dream of warmer than 12 degree weather.

Playing Outdoors in the Winter: Giving it our best shot.

Our outdoor adventure from a few weeks ago. It's suppose to snow on Friday again. i wonder what we'll do. 

Winter Activity with My Family: Scooters

Our winter frowns. I found a batch of pictures with more than the usual amount of sad faces. Captures this chilly time of year perfectly for me.

And then there's this guy below always trying to lighten the mood. 

He's wearing the headphones solely for warmth. He forgot his hat.  

PS. We all own scooters. Rob inherited my old Razor scooter. I upgraded to this scooter. It's the only reason I get to work on time. The kids have all upgraded to Maxi's. Lately it's been our favorite/only outdoor activity. 

picture dump of our scooter adventure after the jump.

Celebrating Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Birthday in New York City

My kids came home from school on Friday with stories of MLK, reciting portions of his speeches, and information about segregation. Ella even checked out Martin Luther King, Jr.: Young Man with a Dream from her school library. I ended up ignoring my kids as I pounded through the book on Friday night. While it doesn't give the most rounded view of his life, it does have good information. The first three chapters describe Dr. King's past and how he's the descendant of slaves, sharecroppers, and farmers. To learn about his ancestors, I wanted my kids to see what it meant to be a slave in the United States. On Saturday we headed to the African Burial Ground and Visitors Center to gain perspective of their lives.

Approximately 15,000 free and enslaved Africans were buried in the six acre memorial ground in lower Manhattan. It was lost due to landfill and development, and rediscovered in 1991 during the construction of a Federal office building. It’s the largest colonial-era cemetery for enslaved Africans. They later built a memorial to honor the men, woman, and children who were buried here. Here are some of the pictures I took at the visitors center.

Highly recommend checking it out. Afterwards, we headed outside to view the burial grounds. We didn't last long. I had a hard time keeping my kids from getting too wild here. They could have easily ruined the sacred mood for the other visitors.

We quickly walked to Thomas Paine Park to view the monument Triumph of the Human Spirit. It is dedicated to all the unknown enslaved Africans brought to this country. The mood is lighter at this public park--filled with tourists, locals walking their dogs, and skateboarders. It gave my kids a chance to get their wiggles out. Turns out I needed to run around, too. I'm so happy Kendra captured the moment.

Pictures of the burial grounds, my kids, and a rare one of me after the jump.

Craft: Contemporary Art

A trip to the New Museum (pictured above) was the inspiration behind this craft idea . I was impressed by Rosemarie Trockel's beautiful yet simple yarn paintings on canvas. My friend Kendra Smoot noted that something similar could make an excellent craft project for the kids. I agreed, so last week I gave it a try using black and white yarn. My co-worker said the vibration of the two colors give it an almost hypnotizing effect. I'll take that as a compliment.

A child's version may not be so neat, but when set on a white canvas, can still achieve that stark and modernist aesthetic. It would be just as brilliant if it turned out like that red yarn sculpture in the picture. Either way, this craft is a great way to get children thinking about design. I posted the directions on Elizabeth Street earlier this week. But really? It's as simple as glueing yarn onto canvas. Try it and see what happens!

photo credit: NY Times.