I done this

Yesterday was perhaps my most productive day ever as a temporary SAHM (stay-at-home mom to those not within the SAHM community).  In summary:

--made a chocolate pie

--made mini-quiche

--made two oven-bake clay hand and footprints of Theo

--swiffered

--did two loads of laundry

--went to the store

--did many, many dishes

--did several pumping sessions

This productivity was prefaced by a conversation I had with my friend Jazmin where I could not for the life of me remember what I had done the day before (after thinking really hard, I realized I had eaten fish tacos).  It was followed by a conversation with my friend Paulina about working vs. not-working (she doesn’t want to work), in which I adamantly defended the value of work (the structure, the working towards something bigger than yourself, the people). 

This epiphany has only come to me after almost three months of being at home.  I think it’s safe to say that I’m finally settling into my home life, but at the same time I do see clearly now how I value my professional life.  I think if all employers provided daycare within their building, then America would be a much happier place.  I want to work, but I’d also really like to take Theo with me so that I could visit him during lunch and get him immediately after school.  Today, I read this article on Salon about the pitfalls and joys of unstructured time for a professor on sabbatical.  She signed up for idonethis.com, which of course inspired me to do so as well (it’s free if it’s just you).  Everyday, I’ll get an e-mail asking me what I did, I will respond and my tasks will be logged into a calendar.  I’m excited to look back at my calendar at the end of the summer.  I’m hoping it will be filled many times with things like “went to beach”, “ate fish tacos”, “played with Theo in pool”. 

Mother’s little helper!  (I mean, my son, Theo)

I did many dishes yesterday and this is the scene I looked at.  I realized it made me really happy and decided to take a picture.  The items are: (Theo’s body/hair wash, fake flowers (no watering required!), container for herbs, bell I got on my post-collegiate European vacation with Paulina, cactus my mom gave me 6 years ago (still alive!), elephant planter with succulent).

Diaper days/nights and new favorite picture

I took in two movies within the last 24 hours with my baby.  Diaper Days has a sister named Diaper Nights and last night I saw Bully, with two other new moms.  We sat in the theater, sniffling and clutching our babies, terrified of the process of growing up.  We all know that kids are mean, and I think that meanness and the corresponding alienation gets amplified with social networking.  The most devastating part of Bully (for me) was when Tyler's dad articulates that the only reason why he is still living after the suicide of his son is for his other children.  It was so brutal and stark to hear a parent indirectly give weight to the life-altering power of parenthood and how it comes to define your person hood.

Today we saw Chimpanzee, which was unimpressive and irritating.  I like seeing the rainforest footage, but the anthropomorphizing of the chimpanzees was completely absurd.  One group was called a "gang" and "thugs" and had ominous music play when they were featured.  The other were the "good" group, even while hunting and killing their monkey cousins.  To take any kind of natural world dynamics and ascribe morality to them is just ridiculous.  Good and bad requires some higher level of consciousness that is only present in humans.  I don't like seeing animals made out to be "bad" because they are fighting for food and survival. 

And finally, here is my new favorite picture of Theo.  A student made him that hat!