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March06
all photos?
I don’t usually do those all-photo posts but hell, there’s a first for everything. Here’s what’s been going on around here in pictures.
February16
low expectations
At this point in my life I am loving low expectations.
A few weeks ago, Zoe’s teacher emailed begging for help with their Valentine’s party. This is not something I really enjoy doing (despite having a million college credits in early childhood ed) but her email was so desperate I caved and offered to help. She asked me to bring a craft – something like fun foam (like I know what the fuck that is?) would work well. I proceeded to procrastinate wildly and ended up with a plan to “swing by” the craft store on the way to school on Valentine’s day. Ha.
Of course, there was a whole shitload of Easter crafts and very slim pickins on V-day stuff. So I cobbled together a bunch of weird foam things with sticky backs and took them in to preschool, cursing myself for being such a ridiculous procrastinator and for giving this craft zero thought. But, I could provide the alpha moms with something to snicker about, so hey! bright side!
As it turns out, the helpers for the party were me, a couple of bewildered looking dads and a foreign mom with a thick accent. Everyone seemed pleased with my stupid craft and there was a general feeling of “this is fine” which was fantastic.
This is fine. I think THIS IS FINE is my new gold standard.
This experience made me love Zoe’s preschool even more. What I love the most about it is its total average-ness. In this age of “is my kid going to the BEST preschool?” and “my kid has a preschool INTERVIEW next week” and “they’re directing their own learning at this preschool!”; I love the normal, run-of-the-mill preschool. Nice ladies, show n’ tell, circle time. I don’t want awesome. I don’t want frills. I want a place where a stupid craft is just fine.
I think we’re overdoing this parenting thing. Not that this is news. Helicopter parenting. Generation Me. How to Land Your Kid in Therapy. ETC. We are seeing that trying to give our kids the best of everything isn’t really helping them out much in the long run. Parents calling to follow up at businesses where their grown children have sent resumes? Gross.
I’m trying to focus on the beauty of low expectations both in my kids’ lives and in my own. If you have low expectations, you are often surprised and delighted and rarely let down and disappointed. Most things are fine. Not everything needs to be awesome. I let go of my iPhone a few weeks ago and the new stupid phone I have is just fine. Junie doesn’t need to wear the $40 perfect-for-growing-feet-that-she’ll-outgrow-in-two-seconds shoes; the Target ones are just fine.
The best part of this is that I think it comes naturally to little kids. My kids are perfectly happy playing in the laundry basket.
This is Fine. Should I trademark it?
January09
our own arrow of time
When I first saw The Arrow of Time I was so in love with the idea I knew we had to do it, too.
This is our third year – we take our photos right around the new year.
I love seeing how much the kids change in just a few years. Josie goes from kid to teenager. It’s funny how I go from sort of pleasantly plump in the first picture to pregnant and so-swollen-I-look-like-my-head-might-explode in the second picture to sort of hipster lesbian in this year’s picture. I swear I’m not a hipster lesbian. Hipster lesbians (even the ones who live in the ‘burbs and drive mini-vans) probably still go to rock shows. I got the Phil Collins Hits CD in my stocking.
January07
ah, fuck it
I don’t think I put this on my new years resolution list but I was going to try and do a 21 day vegan/no-bad-carb thing this month as sort of a cleanse. Low booze, no sugar, no bread, etc., because everything around the holidays was so over-the-top sugary/boozy/bready.
I think 21 days is too long because it is January after all. It felt really good to get everything back to normal there and eat in a nice and clean way for a few days. BUT – January and February are, in my opinion, the lamest months out there. Seems unfair to take away some of the things that make life fun during that time. For example, Travis and I are going to see Sherlock Holmes today (our first bit of alone time in probably 3 weeks) at the fancy eat-in movie theater. What, I’m supposed to order a fruit plate and drink water? No, thanks. I’d like to at least have a beer FOR THE LOVE OF GOD.
