Henry and Kathleen’s mom at Heart Heal Hope chose me for the Honest Scrap award. If you get a chance, go take a peek at Sara’s absolutely beautiful children.
The rules are:
Choose a minimum of 7 blogs you find brilliant in content or design. Show the 7 winners’ names and links on your blog, and leave a comment informing them that they have won the Honest Scrap award.
Here are my 7:
Klepsydra
Between the Snow and the Huge Roses
After Iris
Inanna Journey
I Won’t Fear Love
Still Life with Circles (Okay, Angie just got this award from someone else, but I’m tagging her again anyway because she deserves it!)
Little Birdie, Little Bunnie (Though I sometimes struggle around live babies, I am a sucker for cute baby pix!)
Then list at least 10 honest things about yourself. Here are my 10:
- I am a lazy type A. I love order, structure, and organization, and periodically go on an organizing “binge”. And I totally enjoy organizing other people and their stuff. But then I’m too beat/careless to do the maintenance. So walking into my house, my type-A-ness is not in evidence.
- My husband is the only man I’ve ever been with who I genuinely respect and admire. I feel bad saying this – I did date some sweet guys. But Brian is the one who has taught me about real partnership.
- I am super afraid of heights and won’t take an elevator higher than 12 floors.
- I did not get my driver’s license until I was 26.
- In college I was the only white chick in our school’s Asian folk dance troupe.
- My maiden name is very Jewish but both my parents are Presbyterian.
- My life absolutely stops for major sporting events: Tennis Grand Slams, Winter and Summer Olympics, any playoff series involving a Boston team.
- I once took a trip to India and almost did not come back.
- I once flew to Colorado for a Thanksgiving weekend and almost did not come back.
- Becoming Lilly’s stepmom is the toughest, scariest job I’ve ever taken on because it requires me to solidly BE HERE and not run away. That’s new for me, and I’m actually proud of myself for making this choice. Because it is totally the right one.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Another thought on Lilly: We had a tough day yesterday. I was having an extra bad day, just really struggling along under the grief weight. And she was pushing a lot of boundaries with me. Nothing really terrible, but finding places to resist everywhere - room cleaning, tv watching, lunch, soccer camp... Tough day and I called Brian for advice multiple times and by dinner time we'd gotten through it and all was well.
Then she called me Mom. Twice. Once was a slip of the tongue. "Ha! That's so funny, I just called you mom by accident." Second time was a joke, sort of. Brian was firing up the grill for some outdoor Jiffy-popping and it was being fussy. Worried about the flame he sharply ordered us to stand back. Lilly scurried to me and, all drama, squeaked: "Mommy!" I just hugged her.
I think she's just experimenting. And I kept my response very low key. It's not important to me that she call me Mom, and we've never even brought it up to her. But I would like her, eventually, to think of me as one of her parents, and not as a friend-type or auntie-type. So, it was just nice. And interesting. After holding my ground all day and soccer-momming her around under tough emotional circumstances, I really earned my stripes. And briefly, the title of Mom.
8 comments:
Yep, life stops here for major sporting events, too! We're sports mad here in Melbourne.
Nice to learn all this about you.
Fun to read. (((((hugs)))) on number 10. Wishing you the best as you make your way as one of Lilly's parents. Peace.
the title of mom is yours. It's nice of Lillie to give it to you, too!
Much love
Ines
Oh the boundary pushing. Well done to you for getting through that. It must have an extra layer of complicated with Lilly and it sounds like you dealt with it brilliantly.
Loved reading your list and thanks for passing the scrap to me! x
Oh I'm loving reading these honest scrap lists.
Asian folk dance sounds really fun.
You should be so proud of number 10. I love reading about your relationship with Lilly. You've more than earned that title. xx
What an awesome list. I have to say, it sounds like you are doing an amazing job at number 10. It sounds scary and exciting, but you seem to be handling it with grace. Beautiful.
Thanks for the nomination. I love getting hit again.
Trying this again . . . It's been fun reading people's lists. I think I'm a lazy type A too. Look forward to reading about your evolving relationship with Lilly.
I like the 'lazy type A' thing - I think this is me. I've always thought I was type A but my house is a mess and I never manage to pay the bills on time. Yes I (used to anyway) excel at a detail orientated job and go on organising stints.
I imagine being a step Mum must be difficult but it sounds like you're doing a great job.
Just found your blog and I'm busy reading from the start. I'm almost three months out from losing our Matilda.
Maddie x
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