Tonight, I will do bullets, because I have a million disconnected thoughts.
- The lentil soup I made tonight had the wrong textures of veggies and lentils. Or maybe just undercooked. Should I blend it? Sometimes easy recipes result in not-exciting dishes.
- It’s amazing that I managed to make lentil soup from scratch and eat it before baby E’s bedtime, on a weeknight. It took a lot of focus. I set the intention last night and got home as early as I could after picking up E. That 5:30-7pm window is so critical.
- I fell asleep while getting E to sleep (this happens often). When I woke up, I had another bowl of soup but this time added leftover farro. It was better.
- E is patient while I get dinner ready. Thankfully, he is still relatively entertained in his exersaucer (i.e., “the office”). I also let him crawl around as he is compulsively climbing things–the cabinets, boxes, my legs. Tonight he opened one of the cabinet doors where the pots and pans are kept, and I said aloud, “this is the beginning of a new era.”
- He waved back to my mom on facetime tonight.
- Is it me or is there a trend of brilliant articles on the penalties of motherhood in this country? After my last post, a friend sent me this article out of UC Berkeley on how the cost of child care is stalling the gender revolution. Then this article came out at the New Republic on the effects of motherhood on one’s career (spoiler: they aren’t good)–the title and subtitle are provocative: “Labor Pains: More women than ever are having babies at the peak of their careers. When will we stop punishing them for it?” Both REALLY worth reading. It’s outrageous that there isn’t better support for working parents in this country.
- It’s also outrageous that people aren’t vaccinating their children. I understand the impulse to be skeptical of the medical establishment. But vaccinations are necessary for public health and the risk of side effects is tiny compared to the risks of a nationwide epidemic. That study linking vaccinations to autism has been debunked a million times over. Can these people do three minutes of internet research? Choosing to not vaccinate your child for ‘personal reasons’ is needlessly putting your child in harm’s way, not to mention putting other people’s health at risk. I know that these parents must believe they are doing what’s best for their children, but it’s so hard to accept this when they are endangering everyone else’s children, especially those who are babies or immunocompromised or in treatment for an illness. This Onion article nails it. “Look, I’ve done the research on these issues, I’ve read the statistics, and I’ve carefully considered the costs and benefits, and there’s simply no question in my mind that inciting a nationwide health emergency by unleashing a disease that can kill 20 percent or more of its victims is the right one for my child.”
- I love Anne Lamott. Here’s a sweet piece she wrote for O Magazine: “Becoming the Person You Were Meant to Be: Where to Start.” I bet you know what she’s going to say!
- I’m still hungry. I think I’m going to have some Ben & Jerry’s Mint Cookie Ice Cream and call it a night.
- E is getting curls!
- Bonne nuit
the solo mama project 
My E is getting “curls” too.
Well actually we think that is what’s happening but his hair isn’t quite long enough to know for sure. And i wholeheartedly agree on the vaccine thing. It’s infuriating. I always aim
People to the recent pbs nova documentary aboit vaccines. Very informative. Ps still not pulling ourselves up or waving. And still doing the army crawl…or the worm as daycare calls it. It looks exhausting!
I watched the Nova special too. I didnt know if I could get through the beginning part about the baby with whooping cough. Thankfully he turned out ok. Very good info!
Thanks for taking the time to bullet your thoughts, which are always valuable to me! Lots of love to your pots and pans banging boy!
I don’t know you at all, but I wanted to tell you how much respect and admiration I have for you doing this on your own. I am doing it with a husband and two sets of grandparents constantly lifting up and supporting, and I’m still feeling overwhelmed. I was raised by a single mother, and I always took her strength for granted. No longer. You are the queens among queens, and you are an example to us all. Thanks for sharing your journey.
Ah! The piece from Berkeley cites a piece I wrote last June. I wasn’t aware that they cited us. So fun!! (despite the dire message, of course)
Which one?? Awesome!
I work at the California Budget Project. She cites my report on California’s subsidized child care system. Thanks for highlighting this report. We didn’t know about the media hit.
Loved this post. I consider myself to be a very progressive, informed and “organic” mama. That being said, I researched vaccines extensively when Sara was an infant and my research led me to believe that the harm in not getting vaccinated far outweighed the harm of vaccination. That being said, we elected to get Sara vaccinated- albeit, on a slightly delayed schedule. I also began getting flu shots for the first time in my life. Last year, one of Sara’s un-vaccinated classmates got a very bad case of whopping cough and was out of school for a month. Most of the kids in the class and several of the parents came down with very bad chest colds, due to exposure to the whopping cough and these chest colds lasted almost two months. I myself got pneumonia from this, all while training for the Nike half-marathon. It was an awful time for us and for many of our fellow preschool families. When it comes to freedom of choice and lifestyle, I am all for allowing people to make their own well informed choices for themselves and their families. Live and let live. However, when those choices directly impact the health and well-being of my family, I draw the line. There is a big difference making personal lifestyle choices and making choices that put others as risk. Okay, soapbox speech completed. Just had to say my piece.
Hmm….I just posted a long reply, but it seems to have disappeared. K- let me know if you got my previous reply. -C.
Got it! I have to approve it befote it appears. Thanks for the story and I am totally on your same soapbox!! xo
Baby curls are the best. I can’t bring myself to cut my little one’s off!