Born in the Bathroom, The Path to Enlightenment

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Happy 7th Birthday, Adara!!!



Today is Adara's 7th birthday!!!!!

"I am so glad I am in seven-- this is the oldest I'll get in a year, until I'm eight."

"I like my brother because he's eight."

Here's Adara's Top Ten list about having been 6:

1.) Getting to play Blockus with 6-year-old rules.

2.) that I got to be in the hospital (Feb./March, 2012)

3.) Learning how to read.

4.) Learning how to ride a bike.

5.) Waiting for my birthday.

6.) My 6th birthday party.

7.) That I went to Cedar Point.

8.) That I got to go to a baseball gmae.

9.) That I love my mom.

10.) That I got what I wanted for Christmas.

Tuesday, May 31, 2011

copy and paste: Osho on Relationships and Living Partners

copy and paste: Osho on Relationships and Living Partners

Monday, June 28, 2010

"The Water Makes my Heart Happy!"




Oh, this warm, creative being-- Adara! How many memorable quotes are uttered every day. And yet I've let three years go by without officially recording any of them (in notebooks and memory of course), but it has been an incredible journey for this young blossoming artist.

Today we swam in Turtle Pond for the first time. And how she loved it, as she said herself, "The water makes my heart happy!"

Here she is pictured with a lovely sunflower she drew, but then insisted on carrying everywhere (which rather wrinkled it), and because she was so fond of it she drew a heart on it. I have been intending to submit a Mother and Daughter: Artful Reflections of Each Other and the World for the Open Studios in November. I think she is incredibly prolific. She is a conduit for creative spirit in every spare moment, and she would serve others well by sharing this creative artistry with them. Plus, I have always found and believed that spontaneous art is often the most beautiful, because it captures a fleeting moment and impression in a way that studied art does not always manage (though there is much to be said for skilled and developed artistry which brings its own gifts and depths to the viewers).

Friday, July 27, 2007

Adara Aphrodite

Of course it's been too long. So let me just pop right in before they're already off to school, and I failed to record the whole of their toddlerhood. Adara. What can I say about this loving little one? Well, let me say that first. Love. That seems to be her theme. (Maybe it's a Libra thing; being ruled by Aphrodite bestows some special gifts, after all.) She is the one who tells everything and everyone she loves them. The cats, kittens, the flowers, the trees, family members, friends, large and small bodies of water, her house, her dolls, the characters in books (remember she showed an early proclivity toward this by kissing the characters in books)...the list goes on and on. Today she got down and attempted to hug a puddle of water- which she had been playing in, and had clearly bonded with- when it was time to go. And, of course, she told it she loved it. But if, as Mr. Emoto implies in The Hidden Messages in Water, all water on earth is connected (and even comes from elsewhere in the universe) and that if one directs positive messages toward it (namely those of love and gratitude) that the water will carry and reflect that- then, well, then Adara is certainly doing her part to make the world a better place.

Even when I get mad at her, or I'm reprimanding her for some transgression, she will pause, quell her rebellion and say earnestly (and maybe, at times, coyly?) "Love you, Mama." And what parent can resist that? Instant melt and forgiveness. I dare say that will be one of her strengths. And it says a lot for effective dealings with one's fellows (and human nature). For Aenaon never takes that tone. He ups his rebellion in the face of confrontation. He's even taken to spitting and yelling "No!", which only infuriates me further. (I fear I am more like Aenaon in nature and/or temperament; definitely in my innate sense of rebellion, and wanting to do things my way.) But I must say, that when presented with these two very different responses the "love you" way, changes the whole scenario and emotion entirely, and the "No!...[and I'll spit in your face way]" definitely ups the aggression level. So, perhaps Hobbes was entirely wrong. And that, even when we, as human beings, appear to have a natural proclivity toward warring with one another, that it's really more about defense and response than it is about our nature, and true desires, per se. But most of us, when we feel threatened, defend harder, and it's the rare few who can tap into their love at that moment, and diffuse all the tension in the situation. Perhaps we'd all like to, but those of us with higher testosterone levels, and/or more adrenaline tend to "flood" and not be able to step back from the confrontation, and think about the greater good, and our higher goal and purpose and connection, here, as human beings on this earth.

Well, needless to say, I learn so much about myself, and life, and love and human nature through my relationship with my children. And it's no simple stuff, either.

Well, that's it for now. There will be more to come. I promise!

Saturday, December 30, 2006

I meant to post this to Adara's page!

How fast it all goes by. Adara answered a question for the first time yesterday. I asked her, "Do you want this?" as she was squirming and whining, and she stopped and said, "yeah".

I wish I could describe how beautiful the children are to me. It is impossible to really tell of the love that is inspired by one's children. And as fast as eveything is changing in our lives- the love only intensifies in its own recognition. I've found a daycare arrangement that will ensue on Tuesday- and I think it's the best possible arrangement, given the circumstances. It will really only be thirty-three hours a week. And I can walk to work from there (and look lovingly at the house from the fourth floor hallway of the school). Conceivably I could even hang out for a portion of my off-period, which further decreases the hours they're on their own in the daycare. The woman who runs it is just opening on the 2nd, the day I need to begin. And Aenaon and Adara will be the only toddlers. She will have her four month old daughter, and a three month old. She's only taking the four of them for now (but she's licensed to have six). I think everyone will do fine. Like everything, it will take some time to get used to, and to build strong relationships, but I feel confident it will happen.

The children fared pretty well on Christmas. It's wonderfully fun to watch them enjoy the whole process- the excitement of giving and receiving, of unwrapping surprises, of enjoying family and feasts, the anticipation of Santa Claus- and the fruits of their unwrapping labor. I think pretty much everything was a hit with them. (It's probably an easy age to please, of course.) So far they've done well spreading out their time playing with everything (and have not yet tired of anything) which is great! Aenaon got a train set he really loves, and a singing/dancing Pablo (the Backyardigan). They both enjoy the tent and tunnel which are now set up in our playroom (formerly a dining room). The portable desk and crayons and markers and coloring books, etc. have already gotten a lot of mileage. So it works out well for both parent and child- and we're all enjoying it.

Well, that's all I have time for now.

Happy New Year!!! (If you subscribe to that establishment (as opposed to the Spring equinox, for example...)

Sunday, November 19, 2006

Doin' the 'Stein

Every child develops in his/her own unique way. Adara's approach to walking is quite distinct from Aenaon's. He was someone who started off, literally, running. And once he started to walk, he never went back to crawling (until Adara started crawling, that is). And Adara, as with everything else she's done, started off gradually. Now she's walking quite a bit, but rather than being the "drunken sailor" Aenaon was (stumbling from one side to the other), she does the Frankenstein, and holds both of her arms out in front of her and, well, walks like Frankenstein. I tried to capture this on the computer camera, which is no small feat. Here's the best shot I could get (just to give you an image).
Other things she's been into lately:

kitty litter (that includes trying to eat it)
more kissing
eating more junk food and less nutritious food
climbing out of her crib (which must be more like falling out- I don't imagine she hangs off the side on her way down)
playing with kitty
hanging out with any new person she can
vehemently shaking her head 'no'
drinking from a big kid's cup, unassisted

new words (or distinctive attempts):
diaper
cat
pooh
uh-oh
hi
bye
balloon
ball

Wednesday, November 15, 2006

Don't Look Down for Long

Adara is walking more now, but still not exclusively. She is something, though. Quite a sprite. Full of kisses and laughter, charm and determination. She knows what she wants. But she loves you through the whole process. She lets out whatever emotion presents itself and quickly moves on. If her desire's been thwarted, she'll turn away from you, and lower her head to the floor and play dead for a moment or two (she's done this for months, really, but it's becoming more distinctive now). Then she'll get over it and move on (by either repairing the intially disappointing situation, or being satisfied to entertain a different one).

Our Adara. I'll post a picture tomorrow.