If We Were...

Characters on the Simpsons, we'd look like this! =)

Me


Ben


Evie

Day 1

Ran/walked 2.5 miles
Swam 200 yds/meters

Only 90 days left til T-Day! =)

I get by with...

A little help from my friends. Truer words have never been written. I don't know how I would survive if I didn't have good friends and family around to support me. I have leaned on all my friends and family to some degree many many times in the last year or so. And I am sure I will lean on them again.

I just hope that I can be as available, open, and supportive to my friends and family as they have been to me. I want to be the breath of fresh air, the sigh of relief that my friends have been to me. So here is a tribute to my friends and family that have been my support system in this crazy new phase of my life.

Benjamin, holy cow, did you ever think we would be here!? I am as always, forever grateful and honored to have you as my best friend, my life partner, and the father of our most amazing daughter.

Evelyn, you are truly amazing. I think the greatest gift in life that I have received is you. I hope I can raise you to see family and friendship as the true blessing and gift that it is.

Moms and Dad, without you I wouldn't be who I am today. I thank you for that and also for supporting me. I never knew how much I needed you or wanted you around until now. Thank you!

Paul and Stan, you guys are awesome! You both taught me how to be rough and tumble and how to not take shit from people. You also taught me what it means to be a diplomat and how to get what I want without pissing anyone off. And you continue to teach me what is cool and hip.

Grandma, you are the only grandparent that I have ever really been close with. You have taught me so much about my family and what it means to live a long full life. And thank you for always cooking special food for me because I am such a picky eater. =)

Jen, you are my bestest friend ever. You have stuck by me for over 10 years! You are the sister I never had, a soul mate and a life long friend. We don't speak often but I always feel better and more balanced when I talk to you. I miss you and I can't wait for you to be state side again.

Karen, you are a new member to our family and to my friend circle. But you are wonderful! You are so thoughtful and easy to talk to and be with. You have a wonderful heart and an amazing capacity for empathy and compassion. I love that you are in my life!

Angie, what can I say, I love you, if I were gay you would be my girlfriend! You are so loving, so funny, so sassy, a great dancer. You have an amazing mind and unparalleled organizing skills. You kick ass!!!!! I still wonder why you would want me as a friend, but you keep hanging with me so I just count myself as lucky!

Despi, you are me if I were smarter and ballsier. You are extremely smart and creative, and motivated. And you're super fun and crazy. When I am with you I feel 10 times cooler just by association. And you are caring and thoughtful and wonderful!

Heather, you are the first true friend I have had since I moved to Georgia 2 years ago. You were at Evelyn's birth, and you made me feel relaxed and confident enough to birth her with almost no pain, and definitely no regrets. But you've been more than just a doula to me. You've listened to me talk about my biggest fears and my guilty feelings. And you've been my friend that I can always depend on to make me laugh and see the humor in the most difficult situations. You've been my go to person for emotional and physical support for a year and counting. I am so glad you are in my life!

And to all my other friends and family, thank you for supporting me too! I am who I am because of the friendships and family ties that I have with you. Thank you!!

Triathlete? Me?

We'll see in October. I just agreed to train for and attempt to do a triathlon with my Dad (aka Gramper aka Steve97a) and BigBro (aka Paul) and his wife DocRom (aka Karen). I am really excited! It is a sprint triathlon. Here are the details:

Swim 400 yards approx
Bike 13 miles approx
Run 3 miles approx

Yeah, it looks intimidating now but compared to a full triathlon it is way easier. I am not worried about the swimming. I used to swim competitively and I love swimming, so it shouldn't be too bad. The biking shouldn't be so bad, I am a bit rusty but you know what they say about learning to ride a bike. The running scares me. I know it's only 3 miles, but I hate running and I am really not good at it. I have run a 5K (3 miles) before, with minimal pain/struggle. But I had been training for 2 months before I did it. I guess I will be training a lot longer than that for this event so I shouldn't be too worried.

So anyone out there have advice on good running shoes and training methods?? Anyone??

Her Future Is So Bright...

She's gotta wear shades!


(Do you see those top teeth??)

A Pictorial Weekend Recap

We picked fresh green beans and yellow squash from Grammy's garden. I have never picked and eaten my own veggies from my family's own veggie garden. It was so awesome! And this is just what we ate for dinner, there is a lot more left to eat =)


Evie gave fresh green beans a try...


Gramper came back from a business trip and Evie helped him do laundry.


Grammy came back from a trip too, and Evie was very happy to have her grandparents back!


Oh yeah, and Evie got naked for the camera, Baby Gone Wild!


And here is Evie and I before bed.

Gourmand - My French Nickname

When I went to France after high school my host family called me a "gourmand". At the time I was a little offended, I thought they were calling me fat. It turns out that gourmand is a word that the French use for "lover of food". They were just pointing out the very obvious truth which is that I am a food lover. In order to further my food loving ways and to have some company in my food fests I give you a food meme. I was tagged by Clare's Dad to do this meme. Here are the rules:

1. Link to the person who tagged you.
2. Include the state and country you live in.
3. List top five favorite local restaurants.
4. Tag five other people and let them know they’ve been tagged.

I am in Georgia, USA. Here are my Top 5 Picks =)

1. El Kiosco, Mexican Restaurant. I am a huge, HUGE, fan of Mexican food, in almost any form. I could eat Mexican food everyday for the rest of my life. So of course I have to have a local Mexican restaurant that I can call "home". This place is very close to our house and the service is always great. The food isn't the best I have ever had but because of proximity I end up eating here way more often than any other Mexican restaurant.

2. Roma's Pizza. This is the best pizza I have had this side of the Mason Dixon line. Ben and I both LOVE their pizza. It is New York style big thin slices of pizza and we eat way more of this stuff than we should. I guarantee we will both gain about 10 lbs in the next few months because we will be going to this place for all our dates. =)

3. Waffle House. This is a chain restaurant but it is mostly in Georgia and it is truly a staple in this state. I love hash browns and eggs and bacon. This place has no atmosphere and OK service but man they sure do know how to make some KILLER hash browns! The overly air conditioned, dingy, faded yellow decor is worth braving for those hot, crispy, cheesy, oniony potato strings. YUM!

4. French Market Grille. This is one of the nicest restaurants in town and for good reason. They have a very diverse and tasty menu. Their duck is to die for. And their chocolate mousse is by far the best I have ever had. They have a fabulous wine list and excellent atmosphere and service. This is where we take out of towners to prove that we aren't totally backwards here in the South.

5. Brusters Ice Cream. This is a Georgia original and oh my God! Thier ice cream is laced with crack, I swear! They make all thier own cones and ice cream and it is all delicious. My favorite items include thier hot fudge sundae and thier almond joy ice cream (chocolate ice cream with almonds and coconut). I have never been disappointed with any flavor I have tried, and they feature new flavors every month. We all scream for ice cream from Brusters! =)

So now that I have proven my gourmand status as well as my nerd status it is your turn! I am tagging Heather, Rich, One Hot Mama, Cara, and Dawn. Enjoy =)

Like Mother, Like Daughter

I LOVE her hair!!!!!!!!! =)

Pigtails


One Ponytail

Evie Got Me!

"Baby Blog" the new Mommy Blog?

What's Up?

Evie is 11 months today. Wow. She will be a 1 year old in one month. This first year has been interesting for sure. The first 6 months are a blurry kind of sad, tired, stressful mess in my mind. These last 5 months have been much better. And also very hard in their own way. Ben left when Evie was 6 months old. That was really sad and hard at first. We moved to the farm, that was quite stressful. I stopped pumping, that was difficult, painful, and stressful. But now, now that all that is done, and Ben is coming home. Everything feels good, everything feels sunny and happy and hopeful again.

I would definitely say that the 6-12 month age range is wayyyy better than the 0-6 month age range. I have really really enjoyed watching Evie become a little person. She just gets more interesting and fun as she gets older. I think I am less of a baby lover than I thought. I actually like toddlers more than babies I think. It is a surprise to me. I always thought I was a baby gal. Nope, I like kids when they can smile and sit up and laugh and walk. All that good stuff. But don't get me wrong, I was and will be again someday, all about my own baby while she/he is a baby. This Mom thing really is getting more and more fun. Today for the first time I got a visit from Evelyn while I was in the shower. Last week she couldn't walk by herself anywhere. Now, I have a shower intruder in the form of the cutest chubbiest little girl ever! =)

A Daddy Blogger's Solution to 16yr Old Boys with Bad Intentions

This blogger wrote this post in honor of being a Father to his daughter and I couldn't agree more with his thoughts on Fathers and Daughters. You might remember my post about the same subject earlier this month. Enjoy =)

Why Daddies Should Date Their Daughters
Here is the text of my guest post from Be A Good Dad. Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there!

Our first date was to McDonald’s. It cost me $6.

She had pancakes with syrup and drank orange juice. I had a sausage mcmuffin and drank a small coffee.

As we ate, she would occasionally load up a fork with a bite of pancake and feed it to me across the table. She has a big heart, and you can see it in little things like that.

After we finished eating, we sat in the booth and talked. We tackled some of life’s big issues, like why the man at the next table was wearing a hat, and the types of things bunnies like to eat. And we fiddled with trivia, like why the air gets cold in winter.

Eventually, we got back in the car and headed home. But before all was said and done, I got her to commit to a second date with me.

My daughter is a great date, and I don’t think I’m too bad myself. I enjoy dating her, and my desire is that this will bear fruit years from now.

You see, there are things she needs to know about how she’s supposed to be treated. If I don’t teach her those things, some greasy sixteen year-old boy will when she’s a teenager. And I’m not having that.

I date my daughter so that she will know we have a one-on-one relationship. That I care for her as the unique individual she is. That she exists not as just one of my kids, but as my cherished daughter.

Here’s what I think she needs to know:

The source of her beauty rests inside her head, in the space between her ears, just behind those magnificent blue eyes. What makes her attractive is the sweetness and humor that pours out of her heart.

There are two parties to a conversation. I know from experience that talking isn’t a problem for her. But the person she’s with should be engaged, offering their thoughts and getting her to elaborate on things she’s said.

She should feel safe when she rides with someone. A car is a tool to get her from Point A to Point B in a safe and efficient manner. It’s not an amusement park ride. Just because it can go 120 mph doesn’t mean it should.

I could go on. But that’s a glimpse of the behaviors I’m modeling to my daughter on our dates. These are the things she should expect, years from now, when she begins to date boys her own age.

If I expect her to be as strong as an oak tree then, I need to plant the acorns today.

If you’re a dad of a daughter, make a date with your little girl. Take her out for breakfast or to a yard sale or to the hardware store.

It doesn’t cost much, but the payoff in the future will be huge.

Power Outage

We had a wicked awesome storm come through tonight and our power was out for a few hours. It was really cool! It reminded me a lot of a lazy summer I spent in France with a farm family when I was 18. Tonight I opened all the windows and I read magazines by candlelight, very la vie boheme =). Evie didn't even notice the power outage! Her life really isn't that affected by power. She can play in the dark the same as in the light. So what is your favorite memory or past time during a power outage??

Happy Father's Day!

I am taking my Dad, Evie's Gramper, to Waffle House for dinner for Father's Day. He picked it!! How classy are we? =)

My Wild Friday Night

While these two svelt dressers went to a fancy ball...



I hung out with these five...





And we had a BLAST!!! I thought watching Evie and 4 other kids would be really hard but actually it was surprisingly easy. I think I got lucky because everyone was tired but not cranky so bedtime and such was really quite smooth. I'm not saying I'm gonna have 4 more kids. But tonight did give me hope that I *might* be able to handle another kid of my own someday. =)

Am I a Southerner??

1. Have you ever gone muddin'?
no

2. Have you ever lived on a dirt/gravel road?
yes, I do right now.

3. Ever been swimming in a lake or river?
many times

4. Ever been to a bonfire party?
yep

5. Have you ever driven a tractor?
no.

6. Have you ever been on a horse?
oh yeah.

7. Ford or Chevy?
neither, thanks

8. Kissed someone in a pick up?
I'm sure I've kissed Ben in my Mom's pick up truck at some point.

9. Whats your favorite country song?
If I Were a Carpenter, Johnny Cash and June Carter

10. Ever done 90 miles per hour down a dirt road?
No

11. Worked / Lived on a farm?
Doin it right now for the first time ever.

12. Been to a rodeo?
yes and it was a blast, for the most part.

13. Do you own cowboy boots?
yes

14. Do you have a cowboy hat?
yes

15. Have you ever said git r done?
probably, as an insult to someone.

16. Country skyline or a city skyline?
both

17. Can you name a rodeo star?
no

18. Do you think tractors are sexy?
no

19. Ever rode a 4-wheeler?`
no

20. Are you from the country?
no

21. If so, are you proud of it?
no

22. Gone hunting?
no

23. Gone fishing?
yes

24. Is your heart in dixie?
I think so, eek!

25. Been on a hay ride?
oh yeah.

26. Have you ever line danced?
in middle school we had line dancing AND square dancing class

27. Camped under the stars?
yeah

28. Have you ever been cow tippin?
no

29. Do you drive a pick up truck?
no

30. Fell asleep in a hay stack?
no

31. Own a pair of overalls?
only when i was a kid. I loved me some osh kosh b’gosh.

32. Drank Moonshine?
no

33. Include the word "yonder" in your daily vocabulary?
yeah probably

34. Ever shoveled manure?
no

35. Milked a cow?
no

36. Plucked a chicken?
no

37. Been to a race?
no

38. Know all the words to at least one David Allen Coe song?
no, who is he?

39.Have you ever made out in a back of a pick-up?
nope


Ok Dear Readers, what do you think? Am I a Southerner? And tag you're it Cara and Heather!! =)

7 Things That Rock!

1. Evie is walking and crawling better everyday, every hour even! We have to have another baby so Ben can see this stuff, it is AWESOME!

2. The MOMS group I just joined with Heather. It is a lot of very rich housewives with time to kill but still, the fact that there is a kid friendly activity everyday of the week is freakin awesome!!

3. Ben will be home in less than a month!! KICK ASS AWESOME!!!!

4. Did I mention the Evelyn walking by herself thing? Oh, I did? Well it is that freakin cool!

5. And Ben coming home, did you hear about that? Oh. Well it ROCKS my socks off!!!

6. I am losing weight again, and it is really easy. This easy losing weight thing has never happened to me before. I am gonna revel in it while I can.

7. The sun is shining, all my loved ones are safe and healthy. It is just one of those moments when I realize that I am the luckiest person. These moments of clarity are few and far between but oh so awesome! =)

One Month

In exactly one month Ben gets on a plane to come home from Africa.



YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YIPPPPEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Another Video of Evie Walking by Herself

Evie Walks Alone!!!

Holy Shit!! Evie walked by herself tonight for the first time!! We were at Heather's house when it happened. I'm pretty sure that those girls have been egging her on for quite a while ;) Check her out!

No Strawberry Picking

Well, we didn't make it to the strawberry farm today, we're gonna try to go next week possibly. My dentist appointment went great, I have good teeth, according to them. Also my doctor's appointment went great as well, I lost 20lbs since my last visit in December. Yay!

So is anyone actually reading this blog anymore? I know the logging in thing sucks. Leave me a comment to let me know you are out there :)

Busy Day

Dentist appointment, doctor's appointment, and then stawberry picking at the strawberry farm. Whew! I'll post pics later =)

Art and David

One of the most recognized sculptures in Western art is this one.


Michelangelo's David 1504

This is truly a wonderful sculpture on a few levels. Michelangelo wanted to make the perfect man, he wanted this sculpture to encompass everything that is good about a man. And many would say he succeeded with flying colors. What is interesting about Michelangelo's David is that it is timeless in it's portrayal of male beauty. There has never been a time period (that I am aware of) when having a muscular virile looking male body was bad or unappealing. If you ask me I think David looks a little to young and girly for my taste, but that's me. I prefer an older, darker, and bigger and better looking ideal. But I can definitely see the appeal of this sculpture. The other levels of this sculpture are it's proportions. Michelangelo made this sculpture to go high up on a facade of a church (I think) and so he made the proportions all different so that when people looked up to it it would look in proportion. If you look closely at this picture you can see that David's hands and head are huge! Looking at the sculpture from way below his hands and head would look like they are in proportion. This play on proportion was very adventurous for a Renaissance artist. Another interesting thing about this sculpture is the story it represents. The tale being told is that of David and Goliath. The story is rather understated in Michelangelo's sculpture. The only reference to the story is that David is holding a rock in his left hand and a slingshot in his right hand. But it is very understated and easy to miss these minute details of the sculpture.


Bernini's David 1623-1624

Now here we have Bernini's Baroque version of David. And this David is much more real. Bernini's David is more real because we are seeing David as he is about to slingshot the rock at Goliath's head. The story is the subject of Bernini's David. In typical Baroque style there is a lot of movement, an off center focus, and we are seeing an action at the height of its excitement.



The differences between Michelangelo's David and Bernini's David perfectly illustrate the differences between Renaissance and Baroque art. Where Michelangelo's David is perfect, classic, and static. Bernini's David is passionate, dramatic, and dynamic. I prefer Baroque art and therefore Bernini's depiction of David. Both are stunning though!

Which David do you prefer?

9 North

9 North is the place where little kids with psychiatric problems stay in our local hospital. As you already know I teach art to the terminally sick kids at that same hospital once a month. Today was my first time teaching for the kids at 9 North. It was a great experience. I think the kids really enjoyed having something to do besides stare at the walls of their rooms. We made sculptural chairs out of pipe cleaner and then decorated our chairs with beads and feathers. I was really impressed with the detail these kids put into their chairs. They each named their chairs and talked about their work, unsolicited. It was really cool. But it was also really sad, really really sad. I had to count exactly how many pairs of scissors I had and how many pencils I had, to make sure the kids didn't steal them and use them to hurt themselves. One girl was cutting her finger with the scissors while we were sitting there. She wasn't trying to draw blood she just thought it felt cool. These kids were between the ages of 9 and 15. So young. And they got there for drinking a bottle of Windex because they were depressed, or because they beat up other kids, or whatever. The bottom line is that something in these kids lives is wrong, as in someone or someones are hurting them. Emotionally, physically, sexually, whatever. A baby doesn't come into this world and want to hurt herself or others. Those kinds of behaviors are a serious cry for help. I pray that I can protect Evelyn from whoever or whatever causes these poor kids to feel so bad that they want to die or hurt someone else.

RIP Grandpa Miller

I got really sad news tonight. Benjamin's maternal grandfather passed away this morning. It's very sad. I tried to get a hold of Ben but was unable. I have already called the right people to try to get Ben home for the funeral next weekend. I don't know if they will let him come home, but I really hope so. He was an amazing man, an artist, a soldier, a family man, a devoted husband, a grandfather, and a great grandfather. Evie was his first great grandchild and Evie is named after his wife, Evelyn. This is such a sad night. Here are some pics of Grandpa Miller from when Evie and he first met last October.











We love you Grandpa and we know that you are somewhere happily reunited with your daughter and looking down on us.

Ain't Life Funny Sometimes

I have to say that I am feeling so much better about myself and my friends and life in general. Thank you all for commenting on the blog or calling me to let me know that you care and love me. I really really appreciate that.

Yesterday was a really great day. I went to the zoo with two of my friends and we had a blast! Between the 3 adults there were 12 kids!! We had our hands full and it was so fun! Here's some pics =)

















Evie and Heather's son have always gotten along very well but after yesterday we think they might be making a love connection. Check them out.

On the Defense

That last post really came from a defensive place for me. I am feeling judged and unaccepted and angry and protective. I want to follow all the things I said at the end of the post, about open mindedness, reserved judging, etc. But I am having a really hard time not judging. And I am pretty sure that my judgement is coming from a place of fear. I am terrified of being a bad Mom, and I am scared of being rejected. These fears are soo big inside me that I think everyday about not having more kids because then I will finally be able to escape the fear. By not having another kid, I (and Evie) will grow out of this ultra judgy and scrutinized stage of parenting. But that is not true. There will always be the fear of judgement, the fear of rejection.

I don't know what happened to me. I used to love being in the "weird" crowd the "alternative" crowd. But now it seems to me that even within the "alternative" crowd there is the same crap. I think that most of my feelings are different now for two reasons.

First, now all this stuff doesn't just affect me, it affects Evelyn. I feel an unreal need to give her everything, friends, social acceptance, all of it.

Second, none of my friends from before have kids yet. I am all alone in this parent ocean, without any of my old friends to make me feel okay, and "normal".

So clearly, I have issues. Ha! I am laughing at this statement because it was just as true last year as it is now. Sure it has taken on some new forms, it has changed into different clothes, but all the same issues are there. Fear of rejection, fear of abandonment, fear of not being able to protect myself or my loved ones. All these issues have been present in my life since I was 7 years old. There is a strong correlation between me at 7yrs old and the status of my parents marriage,(ie. disintegration).

But the truth, the reality of my life today is that I have a lot of friends, old and new, and they are not judging me, they are not rejecting me. They are embracing me, they are learning about the new me. Their concerns, questions, inquiries are not coming from a place of meanness, they are coming from a place of love. A lot of my friends just want to know me better, because I have had this big life change. My defensiveness is coming from my lack of self confidence, not from anywhere else. As with most of these things, I suspect that now I will feel better. Now that I have figured out where these feelings were coming from, now I will be able to rest, I will be able to see my friends and relax.

Major Lessons: My Rant About Parent Wars

I have learned A LOT of lessons in the last 11 months or so. I used to think that breastfeeding was a natural and wonderful experience. I now know that for me, lactating was horrible. Not just the pumping thing, which did suck, but the hormone thing that goes a long with lactating. I didn't feel like myself again until I stopped lactating. And I really like feeling like myself. I used to think that formula feeding was bad, poison, evil, lazy on the part of the mother. I now can see the many advantages, and disadvantages of formula feeding. After experiencing both lactating and formula feeding I have to say that both ways really suck (no pun intended). My major lesson learned from all this: having a baby is really hard, no matter how they are fed, it is really, really, backbreakingly, hard work. HARD! Judging other moms based on their feeding choice is just stupid. We are all suffering here, all of us. None of us are sleeping through the night, none of us are feeling or looking like we did before the baby came. The superiority crap that we pull on each other is such a waste of the valuable (ie. scarce) brain power we have at this point in our kid's life.

Another lesson I learned. Cloth diapering is not cheaper than disposable diapering. It can be but I don't know anyone IRL that has actually saved money on CDing. If you only use prefolds and covers, exclusively, then yes you can save money. But if you are like the vast majority of other people in the CDing world then you become an addict. You hunt for the next big/cool diaper and you spend way more money than you should on a poop catcher for your kid, who really, could care less. I know all this because I was a CD addict. I think the addiction is directly related to the lactating hormones, really. Because ever since I stopped lactating I have lost interest in CDing. Probably it has to do with how bad formula poo is, but still I think there is some correlation between CD addiction and lactating. My major lesson learned from all this: it is just a poop catcher for your kid, let the judgement go. We are all Moms and we are all suffering through cleaning up shit all day, ALL DAY!! And again I say, the superiority crap that we pull on each other is such a waste of the valuable (ie. scarce) brain power we have at this point in our kid's life.

And the final lesson I will share is that of humility. I am humbled, everyday, by the sheer mindfuck that is being a parent. I have had my highest highs and my lowest lows in the last 10.8 months. This is hard, really unbelievably hard for me. I love my daughter more than air, but goodness gracious, I sure would like to breath easier sometimes, ya know? I guess my lesson learned here is that no matter what choices we make as Moms and parents, we are all in the same boat. And really, when you think about it, don't you want as many friends as possible in this boat? If you do then I suggest a strict diet of humility, open mindedness, and reserved judgement. Don't alienate the other Moms around you because they made different choices than you. Embrace those Moms, they are real Moms too. Even if they formula feed and use disposable diapers and whatever else you think they are doing wrong. Just freaking love a little more and judge a little less people!!! For fuck's sake!

Floaty Contraption

I got Evie a cool new floaty contraption to use when we swim. It is really nice for both of us! Check it out =)

The Zoo

The last time I went to the zoo I looked like this.



And I was with Ben.



This time should be very interesting. Now Evie is older and I am going with our friends. I think it will be a blast! =)

Art and the Ladies

I realized tonight that I never talk about art on my blog. I talk about teaching but I don't talk about the art that I love. So here are some art pieces that I love. The theme of this post is the Ladies. By Ladies I mean women that are strong and powerful or women that are not empowered or strong and how subtle both ideas are in most art that features females. I'll explain why these women are strong and powerful (or not) as we go.

Disclaimer: I love art, I have an Art History BA. But, I am only an expert on my opinion, so go easy on me. And feel free to leave your 2 cents about my thoughts or the art work.

Nike of Samothrace


This piece is really interesting to me. Here we have an incomplete piece of art. This sculpture used to have a head and arms (presumably). What strikes me as powerful and strong in this piece is the pose. She is standing in the classical S-curve that was popular in Greek/Roman art. The s-curve creates a sense of movement, of motion. This sense of motion gives us a narrative. Is she just landing? Is she about to take off? Many questions pop up. The bottom line for me is the beauty of this female form. The seductiveness of the very thin and clingy fabric around her body. The belly button and slight curvature of the skin on the belly. What is strong and powerful about this piece, to me, is the beauty and motion. She is autonomous, she can fly away, she doesn't appear trapped, she feels free and relaxed. I love that!



Manet's Dejeuner sur L'herbe


This piece is awesome because it has many levels happening within it. The women in this painting are both empowered and stripped (literally) of their power simultaneously. The woman in the foreground is empowered because she is looking directly at us (the viewer). Typically female nudes are submissive in that they do not look at the viewer. They don't engage with us, they shy from us, they look away or to the side. Looking someone in the eye is actually an aggressive thing to do, it shows power and confidence. This woman is gazing back at us, she is engaging us and challenging us. So she is powerful, she is calling us perverts because we are staring at her nakedness. The woman in the background is a direct opposite. She is a bathing (almost) nude and she is not engaging us. She is in a cowering position and she is looking down and to the side. Manet wanted to juxtapose these two nudes to show the disparity in what was/and is really going on in Art with all the naked women. He was making an obvious point which is that looking at a naked female is pervy. No matter what the context or how you "dress it up" you are still looking at nudie pics of chicks. I just love the subversiveness of the piece, love it!


I think I have bored you enough for today. I'll try to do this more. Talking about art is really fun to me. =)

Ben

Keeping Record

For those of you keeping track Evie now has her 3rd and 4th teeth!! She just cut her top two teeth!! I thought she was getting sick again because she has been sleeping a lot and she's been fussy with loose stools. Turns out it was just her cutting those top teeth. I know that all kids do this, but man it just made my day!!! =)



p.s. Evie watched the Wizard of Oz for the first time tonight, she loved it! Now I know she is really my girl. I LOVED WOZ when I was a kid. I dressed up as Dorothy for Halloween. I collected memorabilia while I lived in Kansas. I was a bit obsessed really =)

Surfing

What Not to Wear

If you really know me and you really love me you will do me a HUGE favor. You will nominate me for the TLC show What Not to Wear. PLEASE please pleaseplease please!!!!!

I LOVE this show, it is my favorite show on TV by far. I love Stacey and Clinton and their witty cutting critiques of people's wardrobes. And I almost always agree with their tips/outcomes. I think I am pretty stylish for what I have to work with but I KNOW they would pick me to pieces. But it would all be worth it because I would get a free one week trip to New York, $5000 worth of clothes, a new haircut, and a makeup lesson!!! GO to the link and nominate me people!!! =)

Meme

Where did meme come from anyway?? Anyway here's another one. Oh and if you stumble across this one, consider yourself tagged!!

What were you doing 10 years ago?
10 years ago I was in my freshman year of high school. I was in a new area at a new school trying to make friends. I met my bff, Jen, yes we have the same name =)

What were you doing 1 year ago?
I was working full time for Enterprise car rental and I was very pregnant. I worked until July 3rd, Evie was born July 20th. I haven't gone back yet and I am still debating whether I will go back part time at some point.

Five snacks you enjoy
1. Lance peanut butter crackers (6 packs a day, I know it's a sad addiction)
2. Tortilla chips & salsa (only at Mexican restaurants)
3. hummus and pita bread
4. almonds
5. trail mix granola bars

Five songs that you know all the lyrics to
1. Ms. Evelyn, original song written by Ben
2. I get made fun of for not knowing the correct lyrics to songs...
3. twinkle twinkle little star
4. most of the songs on Paul Simon's Graceland
5. most Beatles songs

Five things you would do if you were a millionaire
1. Pay off ALL of our debt!
2. Put money aside for Evie's college.
3. Buy land adjacent to the farm and build our own house.
4. travel, travel, travel!
5. Help out those less fortunate

Five bad habits
1. Spending vs saving.
2. addiction to blog reading/Internet surfing
3. forgetting to go outside and enjoy the world
4. diet coke addiction
5. not taking my daily vitamin

Five things you like doing
1. Hanging out with friends
2. spending alone time with Ben
3. Travelling
4. shopping
5. playing with Evie

Five things you would never wear again
1. baggy, over sized clothing
2. high heels (except for special occasions)
3. tapered leg pants
4. spandex
5. bikini

Five favorite toys
1. skip it
2. merry go round, they don't put them on playgrounds anymore =(
3. Ben
4. the computer
5. art stuff

Good Times

It is so wonderful to have a friend. I am totally loving the fact that I have a friend to hang out with. Yay!

Thanks for being my friend Heather!!

Fathers and Daughters

My friend Rich wrote a very touching and sweet post about his feelings for his daughter. I left him a comment in response but I want to elaborate. The gist of my comment was this. The way a daughter is treated by her father is directly related to the way said daughter will expect to be treated by her husband/life partner(s).

The window of opportunity for Fathers to influence their daughters self confidence and self worth never closes. Seriously. I am finding this out still. Even though I am grown up, married, and a mother. The way my father treats me, the words he comforts me with, the compliments he gives me, the way he treats Evelyn. All of it still shapes me, my confidence, and my sense of worth. I am really really lucky. Our relationship was not always so supportive or open. My teenage years were spent largely shutting out my dad, we did not speak or see each other. It was really hard. Really really really hard. I remember feeling crushed because my best friend got a rose from her Dad on Valentine's day. At the time I thought I would never speak to my Dad again, I thought he wouldn't walk me down the aisle for my wedding. But, by the grace of God/Allah/Goddess/etc we patched our relationship up. We both made a lot of effort to come back together. To try to begin to trust and share again. And I am so glad for that. I never knew what a difference having the support of my Dad meant to me until I had it in my life again. He loves me in a way that no other person does. That love means so much to me, especially now when I am separated from my Ben and trying to do all this on my own.

So to all you fathers of daughters, keep telling them you love them, keep comforting them, keep yourself available to them. Even if they don't seek you out all the time, just letting them know you are always there for them is HUGE. We daughters are a sensitive lot, we need lots of love and attention.

Classic Dame

Your Score: Myrna Loy

You scored 28% grit, 23% wit, 28% flair, and 40% class!

You are class itself, the calm, confident "perfect woman." Men turn and look at you admiringly as you walk down the street, and even your rivals have a grudging respect for you. You always know the right thing to say, do and, of course, wear. You can take charge of a situation when things get out of hand, and you're a great help to your partner even if they don't immediately see or know it. You are one classy dame. Your screen partners include William Powell and Cary Grant, you little simmerpot, you.

Find out what kind of classic leading man you'd make by taking the Classic Leading Man Test.

Link: The Classic Dames Test written by gidgetgoes on OkCupid, home of the The Dating Persona Test

So which classic dame or classic leading man are you??

Face Plant

Evelyn did her first face plant today. I'm sure it's not the last. She fell face first onto my parents hardwood floor. She's got a nice bruise/bump going on her forehead. I guess we can officially call her a toddler now, even though she is only 10 months old. She most definitely is toddling around. She has the strength and motivation to walk solo, all she is lacking is the coordination. For now she "surfs" on the furniture around the house, walks in her walker, or uses me and her grandparents as human walkers.

I am really glad she can't stand up and walk on her own yet. It's nice for me because I can still sit her down and walk away to take a shower or pee and know that she is (relatively) safe. Once the walking starts I'll have to put her in the play pen or her crib so I can do those things. I don't think she is going to like that.

So anybody have better ideas for keeping a toddler safe while showering and using the bathroom?

Private

If you are reading this then you are one of the chosen few. =)

Seriously though, I am going private for a few reasons:

1. It is smarter. I can share more freely and openly without worrying about hurting anyone's feelings.

2. I won't get cyber stalked or otherwise harassed by people I don't know.

3. I love my husband. His names is Ben. Because I am now a private blog he will have less nightmares about the safety of me and Evie. Don't misunderstand. He'll still have nightmares about it but this will at least take the edge off.

And for you shrewd readers out there you may now make jokes about our names and our coupling. ;)

You know you need a date with your husband when...

It's been 4.5 months since you were both on the same continent.

Yup, Mr. E has been OOC (out of country) for 4.5 months. Four-and-a-half-extremely-long-lonely-solo-months. So yeah, I would LOVE to go on a date with my sweetie. I NEED a date with him. He'll be home in July and I am thrilled, to say the least!

Do you need a date with your husband/partner??

Anytime on Friday June 1, write a post on the following topic:
“You know you need a date with your husband/partner when… [you fill in the blank]

Make sure to link marriage.eharmony.com and parentbloggers.com somewhere in your post, and send the link to your post at parentbloggers@gmail.com.