Photo Challenge 8- Emergence

Emergence

It's a vocabulary lesson and a photo challenge! :)

And we're back.....

I took a blogging break this weekend. I was tired, had a headache, and nothing to say that was nice. Yes, nothing.

It started with a playdate that took a sour turn on Friday (Lil'Bug has discovered the amazing hurtful power of name calling) and the weekend went into a downward spiral from there. I maintained my "gentle" well into Saturday but then I was too tired and started yelling and crying too.

Sunday morning my dearest let me sleep in and played with kid ALL morning. That was so awesome. We recovered nicely and this week has started out lovely. My sister surprised us with a lunch treat to a gaming place that is like Chuck E Cheeses without the scary animatronics. Lil'Bug is surprisingly accurate with the water sniper game. No, really. I mean, she's 3! As a young girl I had good target accuracy too, but not until at least 6 or 7.

So then we came home and dearest headed off to band practice. Lil'Bug and I watched a movie (The Last Mimsy), she took a bath, and after she helped me get a ham roast in the oven. Delightful.

She confided in me that she is really worried about being a big sister. She is worried that I won't come help with her nightmares anymore and that she'll have to give up her toys. I reassured her, I think.

Anyway, I'll post the photo challenge and some stuff in a bit.

Tagged by CenterDownHome

If I were ...

... an ice cream flavor, I'd be Apple Mint. I read about Apple Mint ice cream in Redwall. They make it with mint leaves and real apples and real cream. I would love to get the Kitchenaid ice cream bowl for my mixer and then try this out. It sounds creamy, fresh, and yummy. Most people would crinkle their noses at it for its weirdness. Yup, that's me.

... a fried food, I'd be a Natchitoches Meat Pie. Never heard of it? I hadn't either until our honeymoon in New Orleans. It's a pastry crust filled with spiced ground meat (pork and beef), red and green peppers, onions, and stuff- then deep fried. Cajun, filling, and suprisingly compact.

... an extreme sport I'd be a house painter on a three story Victorian house in tornado season in Iowa. Yup. Done that. Doubt it is a sport? Try it and then get back to me. In fact, the season's coming up and I have extra paint brushes....

... a retail store, I'd be an antique and oddities store. Does that count? I could spend hours wandering the isles of places like that.

... a vegetable I'd be a kohlrabi. These little veggies are hardy, will grow almost anywhere, and look like they are from Mars. Yup, that's me!

... a fruit, I'd be a raspberry, still warm from the sunshine and wet from the morning dew. Not over ripe, just a little tart, and full of seeds.

... a building, I'd be an old historic stone church with twisting spires and hidden alcoves. I'm still exploring all of my own mysteries, faith, and beauty.

... car, I'd be a 1971 VW Super Beetle. Parts of the axle duct taped, high maintenance, good gas mileage, and really fun to drive.

Not tagging anyone, but I'd love to know some of these things about all of you!

Evolved

Today served as a reminder for me as to how far I've come.

10 years ago I thought breastfeeding a 1 year old+ was yucky, co-sleeping was dangerous, and the no vaccine crowd was a danger to our society. I was the one who made nasty comments in public about people who did these things.
10 years ago I preferred boxed food and felt a little sick even thinking about food from someone's garden let alone eating it.
10 years ago there was no way I was changing my name when I got married. Hyphenated maybe.
5 years ago I had a closet full of harsh cleaning chemicals that I used without gloves.
5 years ago I put down my pen and camera and pursued a career instead.
4 years ago I was still pretty sure that food labeled "organic" was a scam and it was the same food as the other but with a higher price.
4 years ago I was warned away from La Leche league when I probably could have used their support more than most.
4 years ago I trusted most advice anyone gave me.
4 years ago I didn't know how to change a diaper.
3 years ago I worked full time with a newborn baby in daycare 9 hours a day 5 days a week.
2 years ago I worked part time with an infant then toddler in daycare.
2 years ago I started to help in our garden and kitchen.

Now I prefer fresh food even over organic produce, even better picked right off the vine in my own back yard.
Now I understand what pesticides and hormones and preservatives in food did to my body.
Now I understand the importance of community and finding support for my choices.
Now I can change a diaper (though I have not in almost 2 years), kiss a boo boo, and change a load of laundry at the same time.
Now I work at home and not when I should be present for my family.
Now I question what we use as cleaning aids in our home and on our bodies. I am working to not have anything in our home that would kill us or our pets or our garden.
Now I seek out my own answers, co-sleep, breastfed a 2.75 year old who weaned herself, I vaccinate but question when it is necessary.
Now I homeschool.
Now I can cook to feed my family and understand the basics of kitchen chemistry and have only a 5% chance of starting a small kitchen fire.
Now I honor the commitment made to my husband and family by taking his name and making it my own.

It did not happen overnight. It did not happen upon the birth of my first daughter. It is still happening now. I am evolving into the mother and wife that I want to be and finding all the best parts of me once left abandoned. I am working towards gentleness for my family and myself.