Today's lunch -- and a question for YOU

A favorite lunch around here -- avocadoes with grape tomatoes, some olive oil and cider vinegar, with a touch of fleur de sel and freshly ground pepper.

My parents and in-laws always express a teensy bit of surprise and admiration about how "well" my children eat. I'm not all that surprised ... children always seem to like what's familiar to them, and we've always fed them lots of fresh vegetables and fruit. They are both little veggie eaters now. (Especially Elisabeth -- James likes meat, a thing she'd never had at his age. How the standards have eased with that second child. Hee hee.) Oh, my little gourmands.

I also have a request of you all. It's pretty important, so pay attention and do leave a comment!

I have been asked to speak/lead a session/whatever it's called on creative outlets for mothers at an upcoming parenting conference. I'm going to talk about carving out time for creating, blogging, and different forms of creative expression. Clearly my strengths (if you call them that ... I struggle a bit with being too modest sometimes practically all the time) lie in the "fiber arts" (sewing, knitting, dollmaking, etc.), but I'd really like to talk about other creative outlets, too. From writing to photography, from dance to gardening, from music making to cooking ... what are some of the ways all of you mothers express your creativity in your daily life? What I'm looking for are just examples of things to do (not specifically how you fit them in, though that would also be lovely!) that I can weave into my talk, and I know you all are the perfect people to ask. So fire away! Think about it, and let me know!

Comments

[ramona]

oh, and I forgot: writing lists and collecting ideas in a sketchbook

[bex]

Hmmmmmmmmm, I do get little snippets of time here & there to craft.
But everyday? I think that would have to be singing. It happens in our house all day everyday. It really helps to change the mood, with transition & just gets the positive vibes going. I'm in no way a "good" singer but I think the more you do it the better you become & the kids love it...Xxx

[Jody]

Creative outlets ...

The first is my store, Ditto Kiddo, which I opened when my middle child was 4 months old. While it's a full-time job I can bring the kids with me and it does provide income. Creatively ... I get to play with clothes doing displays and merchandising, I get to play with other grown-ups talking about kids and grandkids, I get to play with ads, a lot of creative thought goes into making the store more profitable and/or more functional, and so on (feel free to ask if you want more info ... I've had the store for 8 years so I don't give it much thought anymore ... it's just life). Maybe the best thing is that at the end of the day it's really an extension of ME and it's all MINE (or ours!).

Second is sewing and playing with fabric. I love to sew and mix and match colors and styles. As an added bonus I've been able to teach the kids embroidery and most of them easily use a sewing machine.

Cooking ... from reading the ads to finding recipes to grocery shopping on a self-imposed very tight budget to cooking each meal ... often it feels more like a delicate acrobatic balancing act and not a daily chore. And what fun to try new things and learn new techniques!

And so much more ... storytelling, schooling, arts and crafts, home decorating ...

[Lisa Clarke]

I am a polymer clay artist in my spare time :-) Besides the obvious enjoyment I get out of making small colorful objects, another great aspect of my craft is membership in the local polymer clay guild. On the first Sunday of every month I get to spend a few hours with like-minded individuals (mostly women) making things, sharing techniques, and having grown-up conversations. Time like that is really rejuvenating.

[Tonya Richard]

It's funny what you said about your kids and food, mine are the same way. They love almost any vegetable, especially if it is raw. During Christmas time, my dh's brother's family was here and I was cooking for them. Well, while preparing the meal, I had cut up bell peppers for the crawfish etouffee. I had extra, so as I usually do, I cut them all up for the children to eat. My 4 year old, Samuel, LOVES bell peppers. You would swear you were giving the kid pure sugar. So, he takes the bowl over to his cousins and asks them if they want some. They looked at him like he was crazy, in his mind he was sharing his treat. : ) My SIL thought he was joking, she was shocked when he put down a whole bell pepper by himself. Of course, this is how I eat, I think our children do as they see. Oh, and avocados are a favorite in our house, as well.