Mother Movies

This weekend was my first mother's day! Last year I was still a mom to be, and despite having a little human rolling around inside me, I had no idea how much my perception would change once that little human was out in the world. To celebrate, I've come up with 4 non-chick-flic mom-centric movies that would make for some good late night viewing once your kids are in bed.

Brave (2011)
OK, maybe you can watch this one with the kids. Brave is one of the few Disney movies where a mother is present and active. In fact now that I think of it, it might be the only Disney movie where a mother is present and active. After accidentally transforming her mother into a bear, feisty Merida must work with her to break the spell before it becomes permanent. If you've ever had a huge fight with your mom you'll be able to relate.

The Tempest (2010)
This adaptation of Shakespeare's last play has Hellen Mirren as the main character Prospera. It's fascinating to see how much the gender swap informs the play's relationships. Her relationship with daughter Miranda transforms from patriarchal to protective. Her reluctance to free Ariel has a hint of empty-nest syndrome. Director Julie Taymor's trademark bells and whistles may put off some movie goers, but the great thing about Shakespeare is that it's all about the performances, which the top of the line cast more than delivers.

Oedipus Wrecks/New York Stories (1989)
Woody Allen's contribution to New York Stories could be considered a nightmare scenario. After a magic trick mishap causes his mother to disappear, Allen breathes a sigh of relief until she reappears in the sky above manhattan, and airs his dirty laundry! A short movie for the time strapped mama that might give you hope for the day your kids will listen to your advice, even if it takes a little magic.

August Osage County (2013)
A portrait of family dysfunction. You've probably never seen so many amazing actors as such unlikable characters. At it's heart, August is a look at finding the strength it takes to rise above such a hostile home life without becoming the person you hate. Definitely not a warm and fuzzy, but darkly funny.

In the Den

We're two months away from my daughter's first birthday! Party planning is underway albeit at a less frenzied pace than you'd expect since we're also in the process of finding a new place to live. We've had the hottest summer and coldest winter on record here and that really exposed the quality of our current apartment and it's lack of insulation. We're probably paying the same amour for gas and electric that you'd pay for a small house!

We're most likely going to have to downsize, which in the end should be a good thing since it will mean more money saved up over all, and a shorter wait till we have enough for our own house.

What's on Amazon

I discovered a cute little series where some really great actors (Jeremy Irons, Derek Jakobi, Joley Richardson) examine some of Shakespeare's plays. It's fun to watch the process these actors go through as they bring Shakespeare's characters to life by looking at the historical context of the plays and also aspects of Shakespeare's life that may have influenced his writing. My favorite moment is at the end of the Richard II when Derek Jakobi comments on his performance by his younger self in a BBC television production.

Hope you all had a great Mother's Day and don't forget your dads next month!

Getting ready for Lent

It's Fat Tuesday! I originally planned on making merry with pączki and gołąbki since it's also Saint Casimir's feast day and being half polish I wanted to delve into my culinary heritage, but because of the forcasted snomageddon I wasn't able to head out to the grocery store and had to peapod it. I'd fault peapod for not having some of the things I needed in stock but really the amount of things that don't make it to my door is about the same as the amount I forget when I go out myself. Only I got to stay home in my toasty 72 degree apartment! I call that a win.

So instead I'm going Italian and making some sausage and linguine with zeppolis for dessert. I'm not exactly sure if zeppolis are specifically a Fat Tuesday staple but they fit the criteria: fried dough and sugar. 

Lent has been regarded as a season of penance and self depravation, but since last year and this year I'm exempt from fasting (pregnant and nursing) I've been using it as an opportunity to do something charitable as a way of thanking God for everything I've been blessed with. 

Last year I donated to locks of love. Anyone who can grow their hair long should do it at least once in their life! The feeling you get from doing something so simple is so incredible. I'll never forget when I was at the post office to drop of my package. The postman noticed the address and my short 'do and said "Aww you cut your hair, that's so sweet." Instant good feeling warm and fuzzies! 

This year I'm back to my regular crochet program, so my goal is to crochet 40 granny squares in 40 days to make a blanket to donate to one of my favorite charities Project Linus. Stash busting, charity, and the opportunity for quiet meditation as I crochet each square, I'd say that's a good recipe for Lenten reflection and soulful decluttering.

What's on Amazon

I finally watched all of Caddyshack straight through. Previously I'd only seen the beginning, end, and a couple parts in the middle. Now I'm really looking forward to the summer! Although I'd only play golf with Rodney Dangerfield. 

In The Den 

I don't know if it's like this with most babies but my daughter got her first cold, three teeth, and started sitting unsupported all within 2 weeks! It's unbelievable!

She also hasn't been able to nap anywhere but in my lap on the boppy or on my shoulder. Although I'm getting pretty good at doing things with one hand and with my iPhone ( like this post), I'm really hoping this is just a phase that'll end soon. I'm trying to keep in mind that before I know it she won't want to be less than 500 feet away from me. 

We're in the second half of her first year so I'm gearing up for her first birthday party, by which I mean getting a Pinterest board started. I've always had a jungle theme in mind, you know like Survivor. Great minds must think alike because Katy Perry stole my idea for her Roar video. 

I'm hoping I can exercise some photoshop muscles and create our own invitations to print. I feel some pressure since this sets a precedent for the rest of my child's birthday parties. It's an opportunity to show off some creativity and make some lovely memories. In other words pictures will be taken so it has to look nice! No pressure!!!

Christmas Miracles

My 5 month old loves the mistletoe. It hangs on the through way between our living room and den area and has a little gold bell that she never fails to look at when we pass under. I'm not sure if she's come to expect a smooch every time we pass under, but she's always delighted to receive one.

While she's too young to learn about Santa and elves and come to expect magically delivered presents, watching her ooh and aah over our humble decorations really brings me back to the simple joy of the season. I never get tired of watching her marvel at the lights or ornaments that we jingle at her. And although it's been snowing in the northeast, she's infinitely more fascinated by the curtains on the window than the white stuff outside. Future interior decorator?

All of the little discoveries that the new kids in my life make bring back memories that have been buried so deep in my brain. When my daughter sucks on her taggies hippo I can remember the taste and feel of satin versus cotton. When my 3 year old niece kicked the door stop expecting it to bounce back, I remember doing the same to the door stops in my grandmothers apartment and loving the deep "boing" sound they made as it waved back and forth.

I hope this nostalgia also brings understanding. When my baby is a toddler and getting in all sorts of trouble I hope I take the time to remember what it was like discovering the world for the first time.

What's on Netflix

I was really hoping The Lion in Winter was available for streaming. It's a great Christmas movie if you love great acting and medieval history. But alas, its only available on dvd.

Instead I watched Becket, in which a younger Peter O'Toole plays a younger Henry II. It's incredible watching Richard Burton as the archbishop of Canterbury and Peter O'Toole as the king as they duke it out in a classic "church and state" feud in what may be the original "bro-mance". Great acting, medieval history, a great movie to remember Peter O'Toole by.

On Postpartum Body Image

I just got back from my first shopping trip specifically for clothes since having the baby. I have to say it felt pretty good to pick out items that weren't maternity or nursing specific. When looking at the mirror however, I've still got a ways to go before getting back to my pre baby size. But I think I've done a pretty good job at being realistic with where I am and not getting too caught up with the extra flib flab here and there.

For one thing, I'm almost exclusively breast feeding (we started baby on some rice cereal for practice). Nursing is the true "eating for two", you need to consume around 500 extra calories a day to keep your supply up especially the first couple months. Along with that comes the added responsibility of eating the right things since whatever I eat my baby eats. If I ever forget to take my multivitamin I feel like I got hit by a truck so I'm sure if I started eating less nutritious food I'd feel even worse.

It's more important right now that my baby gets fed, so I don't want to take anything out of my diet that might affect my supply unless it was something that my baby was having trouble digesting. For now I'm still eating dairy and gluten, which I had previously eliminated from my diet with great but really drastic results (I lost something like 30 pounds in 2 months). Those are two of the most common foods that could cause digestive problems for babies, but we've been lucky and haven't had any issues on that front. 

I could make more time for fitness, but since I'm not working out as much as I should I'm also not lamenting that I don't have chiseled arms or abs. I'm not the 5 hours a day at the gym type, but I'll work on trying to fit in at least 30 minutes a day.

Being realistic and keeping your baby's nutrition in mind is probably the best way to filter anything you might get from entertainment news, or even a comment from a well meaning loved one (*cough* grandma *cough*). As long as baby is gaining well, it's better to keep on doing what you're doing.

I'm raising a daughter and I want her to have love and respect for her body. She won't develop that if I pick at all the flaws I see with my body.

It's important to remember that my body created a human being! That's pretty incredible! It took nine months to put together all those bones and muscles and organs and my body had to change a whole lot to make that happened. Right now it's making food for my baby to eat, so it's not going to be in default mode until she's completely weaned.

My goal is to be back to my pre baby size by my daughter's 1st birthday. It's totally doable, but I won't sweat it if I'm not exactly where I was this time a year ago.

Today on the Liturgical Calendar:

Today is the feast of Saint Lucy! It's most famous celebration is probably in the Scandinavian countries where traditionally a girl wearing a wreath of candles leads a procession.

I haven't planned any special meals for today, but the name Lucy comes from the latin for light so I'll be admiring the lights on the tree. She's also the patron saint of the blind and those with vision problems, so I'll be praying for an improvement in my prescription and saying a prayer for my niece, also named Lucy.