Here’s the ball–where? Here!
Open–shut. No! And sitting
in a red wagon.
Here’s the ball–where? Here!
Open–shut. No! And sitting
in a red wagon.
In my new life as a stay-at-home mom (at least until my sabbatical year is over and I return to teaching), I’ve found that podcasts have been indispensable. It’s not that there’s not enough to do–my daughter is walking now (and dancing, quacking and mooing) and as she interacts more and more with me and the world, we’re having a lot of fun together. But early on, when there was a lot more quiet, still time, and even now, when she’s asleep and I’m catching up on chores, I find that podcasts are a great way to let my mind play while I do something else.
Here are a few that I’ve been enjoying, in no particular order. All of them are available through iTunes. I’ve been using the Apple podcast app.
Are you listening to podcasts, too? What are your favorites? Have you listened to some of these? I’d be happy to hear your thoughts! I hope to get back to being more diligent about my blog now that the baby is sleeping through the night again (Hallelujah, and please don’t let me jinx it!) and the holidays are over. I’ve been tutoring privately during my extended maternity leave, and my tutoring schedule has been really busy too, but that is a good thing!
So I’ve been too long absent from my blog. My daughter (almost one year old!) has been teething for about six weeks straight (I think–I am losing track of time–maybe it’s been two months? Maybe it’s been forever?), and while I am content overall, I have not been getting as much writing done as I’d like. She’s been up once or twice in the night most nights, and has been racking up the teeth! At least I hope she can take some solace in her dental progress, though I’m not sure that’s her focus.
Though I still feel passionately about being a teacher, I’ve been settling into being a stay-at-home mom, and feel pretty happy in this role. I have also been tutoring part-time, mostly when my husband is home in the evenings, but my mom has also helped out. Life is a lot different for me this year compared to last year and then again the year before…
One of the things I’ve been really loving is singing, dancing, and moving along with Raffi. Anyone else remember him? His tender, creative, folk singing was a staple in my childhood, and I’ve learned that he’s still performing, and I now follow him on Twitter. Here’s a link to one of his songs on YouTube. We have one of his concerts on DVD and an album to listen to, too. My daughter LOVES him. She is entranced by the music and bounces up and down, sitting or standing. We clap, we stomp–she attempts to snap. We have maracas–it’s a good time! So, while I may not be sleeping as much as I’d like, I wanted to rejoin my blog with a little poem celebrating something awesome.
*
Poem for Enjoying Raffi with My Daughter
Bouncing, face alight,
she shakes her maraca, claps–
checks that I’m dancing, too.
*
On another note, for those upset about what we’ve been seeing in Syria, one of the ways to help is to donate to the White Helmets. I did, today–here is the link to their site: https://www.whitehelmets.org/en. The area for donations is near the bottom when you scroll down.
Poem for Little One’s First Halloween
Warm, fleecy unicorn
watches trick-or-treaters
and her silver horn
in the dark window.
Playing with Papa,
admiring Grammy’s light-up earrings,
waiting for her cousins.
Next year, she’ll walk with them,
taller, faster, in a new guise.
*
Haiku for an Empty Candy Bowl on the Porch upon Returning Home
We were not home, but
left candy out, knowing that
one child might take all.
*
Haiku from my Dog on Halloween Night
Too loud, too many–woof!
Or let me out to play–woof!
I’ll run wild, like you!
Your fluffy hair, sly eyes,
aggressive laugh, as you grip
the crib rail, standing
Baby monitor
breathes static. I listen for
each cough or whimper.
I can’t hear her breaths;
I have to have faith in them.
Good night, my baby.
Sleep interrupted,
a baby vents her just rage,
clinging to my arm.
Lately, I’ve been writing a lot of haikus.
I’ve always enjoyed them–I like the simplicity of the form, the way you can let this small piece of poetry that packs a punch just digest for a moment. I love books of haikus and other short poetry, where you get some blank space to frame that little morsel so that your brain can feast without distraction. A few of my favorite sources for short poetry:
And then there’s writing them. I love the puzzle of trying to express something within the haiku’s parameters, deciding on words, line breaks, and images, without stepping outside the bounds of 5-7-5…unless I really decide that I should.
Since my little one came along, I’ve been writing more haikus (or poetry using haiku stanzas) than ever before. Why? It’s easier to compose haikus than longer works while the baby sleeps in my arms. I type with one hand so that I can avoid moving so much that she wakes up and cries. This is a huge advantage of the haiku. Expect to see more!
Pot roast cooks while the
TV drones; my jaw clenches.
A fly, somehow, got
in, and it buzzes
and lands on the lamp, walking
its silent feet up
the shade and you have
asked me a question about
visiting down Maine
while our baby sleeps,
but suddenly stirs, her brow
furrowed, voice plaintive
until the nightmare
passes—she clutches my shirt
and releases it.