by Heather
I have a soft spot for this contest entry from Damselfly because I played Mary at the church Christmas pageant for several years (although always with a doll… and always as a distracted teenager) and I think it’s pretty darn fun to ride donkeys too (that’s a story for another day)!
The holiday season is here, along with a great opportunity for your family to be part of a re-enactment. For example, many churches celebrate Christmas with re-enactments of the manger scene, complete with a Holy Family (Jesus, Mary and Joseph). If your bambino is small enough, your family might be just what a local church is looking for in a baby Jesus.
When a friend’s friend was looking for a young baby to be Jesus in a recent portrayal of the first Christmas (yes, it was a few months early), she asked my family because our son was around one month old. The re-enactment crew dressed us up in ancient-looking clothes — and as Mary, I got to ride a live donkey! All eyes were on our baby as people came and looked ahead to the holiday season. The photos will be fun to share with our son when he’s older.
She suggests that for the rest of the year, we should be on the lookout for local groups that participate in war re-enactments or other historical event that have local significance.
Don’t forget to take lots of photos — that’s the cardinal rule whenever costumes are involved. Thanks Damselfly!
by Whitney
Take a photo of your baby looking at himself in the mirror. You will not want to use a flash, so open all the blinds to fill the room with natural light.
Stand behind him and try to get both the real baby and the mirror image baby in the frame of your photo.
by Whitney
Mother Shock: Loving Every (Other) Minute of It is a collection of essays about the first year of mothering, comparing the experience to the culture shock one experiences when travelling to a foreign country. I like the analogy a lot and I think Heather will like it even more since she and Alec were on a very long around-the-world trip when they launched their career in parenthood.
The essay I liked the most in the book is the piece from where the author drew the subtitle “Loving Every (Other) Minute of It”. She explains that when people ask new mothers how they like motherhood, we feel obligated to say “Oh, I love every minute of it.” She provides examples of minutes you might not love and encourages you to make your own list. Mine might include
- Realizing there is poop on a book we like
- Calling a friend to cancel plans because someone is napping
- Hearing a cough over the baby monitor and feeling helpless to do anything to fix it
- Waking up early every single day, holidays and weekends included
- Plugged ducts
You get the picture. The point is that it doesn’t mean you don’t love your baby if you don’t love some things that come along with the package. This is a very big job you’ve taken on and it’s all consuming. The author reminds us that when we are asked how we like work or our new hometown, we are not expected to love every single thing about it. It might be more accurate to say you love much of it, most of it, some of it, or every other minute. If you relate to this, check out the book.
by Heather
Gather some friends together for a BBQ or potluck. The easy thing is that by distributing the responsibilities, you’ll have less to worry about. And more fun all around. Easy rules to a sharing-the-load:
- Assign jobs and give yourself an easy one. The goal is to keep your butt out of the kitchen (Unless being in the kitchen is your thing… then delegate childcare to free your hands!)
- Find a good location.
- Outdoor meals generally mean less clean up before and after. If you choose to dine al fresco, bring plenty of sun protection (hats, sun blocks, tents).
- Your house means you’ll have all your usual amenities plus a place to put the wee one down for a nap or bed.
- A friend’s house or yard make it that much easier to cut and run.
- When in doubt, eat beforehand
I have a soft spot for this contest entry from Damselfly because I played Mary at the church Christmas pageant for several years (although always with a doll… and always as a distracted teenager) and I think it’s pretty darn fun to ride donkeys too (that’s a story for another day)!
