Wednesday, July 6, 2011

She Sleeps, I Blog

Her eye lids close. She snuggles her blanket and then silence. That's when my domestic stop watch starts and my maternal marathon begins. I love lists. I'm a big "things to do"er. So when my baby hits the hay, it's game on for me. I feel like I've always completed my best work when I was under the gun. Deadlines were never an issue for me. I always loved the challenge. Since becoming a Mom, I've found the same guidelines apply. Except I can never be sure when my sleepy lady is going to stir so when she's down, I'm on. I'm a list master.

When my daughter is awake, it's a mystery as to how I get anything done. Between her screaming, nursing, laughing, pooping and crying some more I perform an intricate dance of duties while tip toeing around her each day.  Dishes here, laundry there. Before I know it, 5 PM is home and so is my husband. The heat of watching my little sweets is set to simmer while I try to focus on my other half while fixing dinner. Some days are just a blur. I honestly could not tell you what I did last Tuesday. Everything just sort of swirls together in my weekly itinerary.

I thinks that's why I blog. It helps keep me mentally "there". I'm not sure where "there" is exactly. But I know when I'm "there" writing as I have over the years, I feel like I'm connecting to myself again. Just me. I'm not dealing with a screaming 4 month old who laughs when she pulls my hair or a husband who tells me the same story about work each day, I'm the creative me I've always been. She was just hanging up in the back of my closet I call life.  

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

An Organic Revelation: Tapping into my Green Self...AGAIN?!

I have never been a tree hugger. Ask anyone that has known me long enough and they can testify to this. I kill any plant I look at, I eat garbage food, it's brutal. I wish I was more "green" but I'm not. I've never been a vitamin taking, organic shirt wearing, flax seed eating person. Never. Recently though I have found that all I want to do is read as much information as I can on healthy alternative living. Things like cleaning with homemade solutions, the healing properties of essential oils, or learning about the health benefits of fruits and vegetables. It's weird. It was just like I woke up one day and decided I wanted to at least try to live a greener life. Not to saving mother earth or whatever but to become a healthier and well rounded wife and mother.

This whole thing reminds me of my 3rd year of university. I had this monumental shift in my dietary mind during my summer off. I realized I needed to change the way I ate and so I became a vegetarian. It lasted for a year and a half before I fell off the wagon shortly after getting married. But I felt great. I missed eating meat sure and I got mocked by all my family and friends but I was so much more conscientious of what I was putting into my body. I had more energy and my mind even felt more clear.

Since becoming parents, Steve and I have changed a few things. First off, we have decided to compost. In grade 3, I had a greenhouse project that I worked on with my class. In that year I discovered a plethora of facts on the environmental properties of composting. We received our green bin from our township 2 years ago but never got on the ecotrain along with our neighbours. I think we just didn't care. But now we have our own compost bin and try our best to keep on it everyday.

Secondly, we have decided you use cloth diapers with our daughter. I can't take any credit for it really, one of my girlfriends got me interested in the whole notion. But Steve and I found it appealing. It was a bit of an expense at first but in the end we calculated that we'll save $2000 in diapers and wipes over the next 2 years. Natie doesn't seem to notice the difference but our wallets will. I think this change was strictly financially motivated.

Anyways this new thought process I'm undergoing kind of makes me feel like I'm going through a mid-life crisis, but I'm gonna try to press on. If the outcome leads to a healthier family both physically and financially then what have I got to lose?