corner view: improvising

Posted on December 8, 2010 by Cole | 7 Comments

…with my parenting and discipline techniques these days.

Trying to explain to a 4 year old that Momma does know a few things and she should listen- well it’s hard. The line between wanting her to behave and not wanting to crush her spirit- it’s more like a ripple in a pond. One minute you see it, the next you end up searching for it. So……I’ve decided to go with magic. Have you heard of the Elf on the Shelf?

The story goes like this- Santa sends out scout elves around the holidays each year. The elf that flies to your home watches the children during the day and each night he flies back to the North Pole to report to Santa for his naughty/nice list. Then after he is done he flies back to your home and lands somewhere else. Each morning your child has the delight of going to look for the elf to see where he is. This of course also means that said parent needs to remember to move the elf or else you may have some explaining to do to little ones. The only rule is that children cannot touch him. If they do he loses his magic and won’t be able to fly back to the North Pole to tell Santa all the good things you’ve done.

Meet TJ, who turned up at our house about a week ago. Someone….has been been trying very hard to mind her manners this past week. And while it’s still hard and we’ve had some earnest tears when reminded that TJ just saw x, y or z. She’s also recovered more quickly and been big on letting me know the list of nice things she has done that I need to be sure to inform TJ of.

Boy I’ll be sad when he flies back to the North Pole for the last time on Christmas Eve…..

See what’s going on around the world:

jane – ian – bonnie – joyce – kim – kay – trinsch – ritva – francesca – state of bliss – cabrizette – isabelle – janis – kari – jgy – lise – cate – otli – dorte – b – sophie – mcgillicutty – sunnymama – daan – ibb – pienduzz – kelleyn – ninja – sammi – theresa – cherry b – juliette – shokoofeh – cole – grey lemon – lucylaine – lynn – skywriting – anna – dorit – conny – l´atelier – kamana – anne marie – rosamaría – victoria – tikjewit – juniper – annabel – andrea valerie – merel – soisses – mlle paradis – cacahuete – wander chow – barbara – emily – tally – nadine – don – flowtops – susanna – tania – dana – ingrid – tzivia – lollipop – mari – mezza

corner view: rain

Posted on December 1, 2010 by Cole | 11 Comments

See what’s going on around the world:

corner view: take a different perspective

Posted on November 24, 2010 by Cole | 9 Comments

Try embracing ability rather than fearing disability.

In this country most children with Down syndrome are typically able to get the care and love they need to thrive. This past week there was a disturbing story going around Facebook of an infant with Down syndrome in Arkansas. He and his twin brother were intended to be adopted at birth. Sadly only one infant went home. The other was given a DNR order. Since then, advocacy groups have stepped in and the DNR order has been lifted. Please join those of us in the Down syndrome community as we pray for the continued health of this little darling as he waits for a homestudy-ready family in Arkansas to step up and bring him into his forever family and that he gets the medical intervention that is needed in order for him to live.

Thankfully, this story is the exception here in this country. In Eastern Europe and other parts of the world this isn’t the case. As November draws to a close and with it National Adoption Month; I thought I would take this week’s corner view as an opportunity to share a wonderful organization with you. An organization that takes a different perspective on the value of the lives of children born with Down syndrome in countries where that is seen as a burden rather than a blessing. Reece’s Rainbow is a non-profit organization that helps children who have Down syndrome (and other disabilities) internationally find their “Forever Families”. During November and December they sponsor an Angel Tree where you can see pictures of some of these sweet children and donate to their adoption fund. This money will go towards the costs of funding an adoption for one of these sweet children. If you donate at least $35 before December 15, you will receive an ornament with a picture of the child you donated to on it.

I wrote about this topic last year. And as I went through my archives this year to look at it again I was tickled to see one of the little angels from this tree, Mallory as one of the pictures I had high-lighted again. Dear Sandra and her lovely family have joined the ranks of forever families and brought her home just this past season. You can read about their journey here in adopting Mallory and Peach. There are so many lovely families that have given the gift of a forever family and a chance at life itself for these children. Jennifer’s, Lisa’s, Lacey‘s and Michelle’s to name a very small few.

Visit these blogs, consider adoption or donating to one of these sweet children. Let your heart and eyes see how different life can be if you just choose to see it that way.

Here are just a few of the sweet angels needing forever families:

: Victoria

: Trenton

: Sophia

: Noah

: Nikita

: Nellie

: Natalya

: Hunter

: Cyril

See what’s going on around the world:

corner view: anything goes

Posted on November 17, 2010 by Cole | 7 Comments

This week’s theme was anything goes. Perfect for this little collection of odd shots I’ve had the pleasure of taking this fall. I’m pretty routine in the things I look forward to shooting- my kids and flowers. I don’t venture out from those happy little shots very often at all. And when I do, usually I’m not too very fond of what I get. But these shots really made me smile. Mostly because I can hardly believe they came from my camera! We’ve started having little playdates in a park in our town that has a sweet boardwalk through a wooded area that empties out into one of the local lakes. The water level below the boardwalk really varies week to week. About a month ago there were a few feet though that attracted some happy little fish and voila- these images blessed me!

See what’s going on around the world:

corner view: autumn

Posted on November 10, 2010 by Cole | 6 Comments

Ahhhhhh… autumn….I love this season. Always have, the cool crisp air, the comfortableness of sweaters and fleece and scarves and mittens! The savory stews and delicious breads and pumpkin-everythings! Lovey, well he’s not much of a proponant for autumn. He’s really more of a winter and summer kind of guy. To him everything is dieing. But that’s just fine. It means it’s just my job to keep us looking at the leaves and feeling snuggley! It’s nice that the temperatures here in South Carolina range from 40 and 70 degrees; perfect for perfectly crisp play dates and park dates and nature walks and baking and stewing. I grew up in much colder weather, where by now you would be waking to a daily morning frost, happily puffing out your breath in little clouds as you crunch through the fallen leaves and…snow! Now that we’ve moved south though I expected to bemoan not getting regular seasons. I thought they would all just fade into each other. Not true! The seasons actually match up to the calendar markings! It’s fall here from mid September through December. We finish raking our leaves by Christmastime and get treated to brief snow days in January! I will say it seems after living here for 7 years that the weather is a tad more geographical than seasonal. If we want snow we drive to the mountains. If we want sun and sand we head to the coast.

Well this season I’ve been able to play with a new camera with a much better macro-focus then in previous years. And what better way to practice, than looking up to capture the last leaves rainbowing before they make their descent to our little forest floors. Just be careful under the oaks. Either those acorns have a mind of their own, or those squirrels are taking matters into their own hands. Here’s a few from last months bounty of color that I was able to capture after dear Cyrena explained a few of the logistics of operating our new camera obscura!

See the seasons of the world:

jane – ian – bonnie – joyce – kim – kay – trinsch – ritva – francesca – state of bliss – cabrizette – isabelle – janis – kari – jgy – lise – cate – otli – dorte – b – sophie – mcgillicutty – sunnymama – daan – ibb – pienduzz – kelleyn – ninja – sammi – theresa – cherry b – juliette – shokoofeh – cole – grey lemon – lucylaine – lynn – skywriting – anna – dorit – conny – l´atelier – kamana – anne marie – rosamaría – victoria – tikjewit – juniper – annabel – andrea – valerie – merel – soisses – mlle paradis – cacahuete – wander chow – barbara – emily – tally – nadine – matilda – don – flowtops – susanna – tania – dana – ingrid – mary – hinke

corner view: famous

Posted on November 3, 2010 by Cole | 2 Comments

Well, we’re not. It’s fortunate for us that this topic fell in our holiday highlights week post-Halloween! We got to spend our holiday in the presence of Snow White! As I mentioned yesterday there were a number of costume changes before arriving on this one. My fashionista could not be hemmed in by the idea of being just one thing for Halloween. As sweet as this is, it does give me some envy of all the mommies enjoying the 1/2 off post Halloween costume sales around the country planting the seed in their little’s mind for next year. It didn’t work for me a month a head, so no way would it help us out a year ahead.

And Snow White ran into sweet Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz…

But really folks, that’s about all we have to say about the famous folks. For more famous ideas:

jane – ian – bonnie – joyce – kim – kay – trinsch – ritva – francesca – state of bliss – cabrizette – isabelle – janis – kari – jgy – lise – cate – otli – dorte – b – sophie – mcgillicutty – sunnymama – daan – ibb – pienduzz – kelleyn – ninja – sammi – theresa – cherry b – juliette – shokoofeh – cole – grey lemon – lucylaine – lynn – skywriting – anna – dorit – conny – l´atelier – kamana – anne marie – rosamaría – victoria – tikjewit – juniper – annabel – andrea – valerie – merel – soisses – mlle paradis – cacahuete – wander chow – barbara – emily – tally – nadine – matilda – don – flowtops – susanna – tania – dana – ingrid – mary – hinke

corner view: pondering

Posted on October 27, 2010 by Cole | 3 Comments

This week’s Corner View subject was what are we thinking about these days. Those who follow our little story along would probably say I could have just left off with the photo above. What’s in my head is fairly self-evident when you look down to the two little starfish shaped hands I’m typically found holding.

It’s funny to think that a few years ago they were barely on my mind. I was more interested in- well, myself. Also food, gardening, travel, TV and books, music and live shows, the world, my family and friends that already existed in front of me. I’m sure to those without children my incessant and seemingly redundant stories must get to be a bore. I get that. It’s shocking how consumed you become with your own children and their world once they exist. And sadly it’s hard to explain how small your world shrinks and yet simultaneously, how full it becomes.

I remember being so surprised in the year after Zuzu was born that I had no interest in planting a summer garden. That was one of those coupley things that Lovey and I did. Not well mind you, but we did it and we enjoyed the time together. When that first year came to a close and indeed I had not gotten back into my BC (before children) routine even a little; I was disappointed in myself. It wasn’t like I wanted some rock-n-roll, of-the-moment lifestyle. But I found I had little energy or focus for all the domestic bliss-filled activities that had filled our hearts and days BC and had led me to think we’d make great parents. I was lucky to get fish-sticks cooked and the fruit cup drained let alone go fishing or grow a small fruit tree. I think it was even during this timeframe that a number of our precious plants that had traveled with us from the early 90’s gave up the ghost.

There was some talk of postpartum depression and anxiety and just plain ol’ exhaustion. I cut a lot of regular activities out of my routine and pared it back to basics. I needed to nurse the baby, pump milk, go to work, clean and feed the baby, take a few photos of her and sleep. I felt really fancy when at the end of a week I had managed a daily shower.

And then Zuzu started nearing age 2 and Lovey and I started estimating the life of our reproductive years and considering the difficulty we had getting Zuzu here, we figured we best start again now. Tired or not. The Quail managed to become more than a twinkle in our eyes right off. I hadn’t even managed to wean Zuzu or move her out of the family bed before I could feel the tiny kicks from inside. So out she came with all her mysteries and hidden secrets and off we went on a new research tangent trying to understand how best to nurture her and her stister. Our world became more full and yet even smaller and focused.

We worry that there isn’t enough “us time”. We heed the warning from everyone around us. To me this time with small children is intense and presses us forward so rapidly (at least in hind-site). But it’s just that- a moment in time. Moments that I already find myself sporadically wishing I could have back with each growing sigh of relief as a worry passes and we survive another day. But there are no do-overs with our blessing of new knowledge gained from our days We can only move forward with time. Now and hopefully forever more though, the definition of us- well it isn’t just 2. It’s all of us. How to find peace in daily ordinariness is what I ponder most resolutely now. How to continue to want what I have already rather than wonder what could have been, should have been, could still be.

Those other trains of thought and activity, they’ll find their way back into our lives eventually. The fish sticks will eventually morph back into some version of a parchment wrapped filet and the fruit cups will become more exotic, if not home-grown. Maybe our end results will be more basic but we can hope they will still hold some blessing ala Alice.

Perhaps the real difference in what I pondered a few years ago and now isn’t so vast. A few years ago I had the luxury of wearing my heart properly tucked inside my chest. Now, I am blessed with the luxury of it beating outside of me and all the beauty, worry and vulnerability that comes with that small luxury and privilege.

See what everyone else in the world has on their minds of late:

jane – ian – bonnie – joyce – kim – kay – trinsch – ritva – francesca – state of bliss – cabrizette – isabelle – janis – kari – jgy – lise – cate – otli – dorte – b – sophie – mcgillicutty – sunnymama – daan – ibb – pienduzz – kelleyn – ninja – sammi – theresa – cherry b – juliette – shokoofeh – cole – grey lemon – lucylaine – lynn – skywriting – anna – dorit – conny – l´atelier – kamana – anne marie – rosamaría – victoria – tikjewit – juniper – annabel – andrea – valerie – merel – soisses – mlle paradis – cacahuete – wander chow – barbara – emily – tally – nadine – matilda – don – flowtops – susanna – tania – dana – ingrid – mary – hinke

corner view: green

Posted on October 13, 2010 by Cole | 3 Comments

The question given was what is your relation with nature? Well- if I can eat it- I do. If It’s pretty I take a picture. If it’s both- well then Hallelujah! Happiness unfolds!