Back Off...

It's very hard for me to accept that all people aren't generally motivated by good.  My work with young children, motherhood, and my Sagitarrian sign, I guess, make me hopeful that there's always something better just ahead.

So much was accomplished this week at school:  stalls mucked, water tubs cleaned, butterfly garden revamped a bit, seeds planted, recycling done, happy teachers and children in nature, a rabbit on a leash, good food in little bellies, and a former staff member who was ill re-joining us as a substitute teacher.  There was major positive movement on some huge projects including a new website and purchase of the school property.

And, unfortunately, in the midst of so many uplifting events, a couple of people put a big hairy damper on things.  I think that's just how it goes...for the steps we take forward, there is the requisite shedding of the old, both negative ways and negative folks.  You feel it and so do I.  Accept it, Leslie, some people are needy and truly unhappy.  Some people are desperate for attention.  Some people are jealous and manipulative.  There are those who don't have an accurate read on things, but assert their assumptions and make you feel insane.  I am just so sad to have to admit it's true.

I guess I've thought it polite to accommodate these folks.  I've spent most of my life being the "good girl" who doesn't step on toes.  I often stifle my own feelings to avoid conflict.  I feel my gut instincts, then ignore some of them. This week, however, was a time to set boundaries.  To say "I don't accept the weight of you, back off!".

We encourage kids to be healthy and to set boundaries, right?  We encourage them to express when their feelings have been hurt or another child interrupted their turn with a beloved toy.  Well, needy, negative, destructive people, I am telling the Universe that I don't have space for you amid the good work we do with only good intentions.  Despite the bitter taste you have left in my mouth, I can't resist wishing you peace, love, and happiness on this planet, but stay the hell away from me!

Enough said.  So, who wants to build a totem or a bread oven or a bottle tree?

Taking Time

Two resounding messages from my last year or so of work with Dio Miranda is the importance of both taking time to create and taking time to do nothing. It's is so easy to spend every waking moment multi-tasking and squeezing in more productivity, and yet so many beautiful realizations come in the quiet times.

When I first considered whether or not I was taking time to be creative, my answer was "yes"! After all, my work for the last four years has been about creating a business from the ground up with my sister. In the last two years, our creative work has specifically been about bringing to life the vision we have for the school and its grounds. As a woman-owned business, we have had the freedom to create our workplace. Though it has occupied a big piece of my life, this creative work associated with the school has probably not met all of my needs on a personal level. Is it important to find a way to be creative outside of "work"? I'm sure it is. I don't sew, knit, paint, or draw as a form of relaxation, though I want to learn all of these things. I am anxious to begin dipping my toe into this handwork when Janie and I begin Lifeways training this summer at the Austin Waldorf School. In the meantime, I suppose my greatest creative act is always working to make a home that is happy, (pretty) clean, and bright where wholesome, healthy food is abundant.

Now dreaming and taking time to do nothing, that's not as hard for me once the prescription is ordered! My greatest challenge, like all moms, is finding a few minutes of unadulterated slothfulness and not feeling guilty for them.

These are some of the things that I dream about and read about in my do-nothing times:

travelling and living abroad some day, somehow; taking steps to be debt free and able to retire while I'm still young; yurts; rvs, specifically airstreams and big travel trailers that I can park somewhere for an escape; simple, magnificent, seasonal food; one or two seasonal crafts to do with my children each month; how to swing a kettlebell; natural play grounds; working efficiently and not reinventing the wheel (4 Hour Work Week); reading Dr. Mercola's health website; looking at magazines and ripping out pictures for my idea binder; reading about grain-free eating and anything else I think is good for me like having a big garden and building an outdoor oven; reading all the blogs that I have links to on this blog; and, facebook (why, why?)

Do you take time to be creative? Do you take time to do nothing?

See You Later Alligators

In case anyone has the illusion that the owner of a preschool has the answer to every child and family question, and that her own family skips through fields of lavender giggling each weekend, let me be the first to tell you that's not the case.

This year, one goal I have for my family is to find more time to be with one another in a positive way. My kids are now 10 1/2, 7, and 4 1/2. They have responsibilities at home. They can do a lot for themselves--actually, it's amazing what they can do. My husband and I still do a lot for them, too, willingly. We don't have chore charts, though our chores and routines are well known to the children. There's no allowance, as I think that doing your part in the family should come from a benevolent place, not just to get a five dollar bill. That may change some day, but for now that's my stance.

This morning, after a rainy, cold week, my kids certainly had a bit of cabin fever. They fought, they pinched, they laughed, they cried, "he" hit his sisters with a stick, "she" raced to spite her sister by turning off the tv first, the other "she" pretended she couldn't put on her clothes though she makes a mean cup of coffee and can expertly scramble six eggs. My cabin fever met their's, as well as a back yard to rid of puppy poop, and a husband who had a couple hours of work to do... I'm sorry to say it was a recipe for disaster.

No going to pick out paint for my daughter's bedroom, no making rice crispy treats, no reading library books for as long as they wanted me to. All of my plans for us were suddenly destroyed by my desire not to fight my way through it.

Maybe I failed, but I had no patience left. No time to explain why I made what I did for breakfast. No time to discuss again why some people eat rabbits. No time to convince them that they were going to crack their heads open jumping from the furniture to the concrete floors. (Did I mention that my four year old son tried his hand at shaving yesterday with me just steps away? I am a bit rattled.)

So, I called my mom. I told her I couldn't take care of my kids today, if she and my dad didn't have plans and could help me out. I dropped them off after a tearful discussion about what kind of mom I want to be to them when we are together. I told them to make a plan for how to pick up their dog's poop diligently and that if they could just keep their rooms relatively clean, we would have more time for the good stuff. The happy times.

I miss them and they are fine. I am, too. Maybe we all just needed space. Maybe I need to do this more often instead of trudging through the hard times trying to make it "fun".

~Leslie

Organizing Ideas from Magazines...(Clutter Buster!)

I don't currently receive any magazine subscriptions, but I have received several gift subscriptions over the last couple of years. Add these to the few magazines I can't resist at the check-out stand a few times a year and those passed on by friends and family members, and it could be over-load!

I should mention that I am a very visual--I would much rather work from pictures than words! I usually read articles and books quickly, but pictures or very short notes are what I would go back to time and again.

I am in the habit of keeping a a file folder titled "house ideas", for lack of a better category, on my desk. When I see a project or picture in a magazine (or online) that inspires me, I chuck it in this folder. Periodically, I add the contents of the folder to a 3 ring binder where the ideas wait for action. My loose categories in the binder are: outdoor projects, indoor projects, outdoor decorating, indoor decorating, and food (usually recipes).

So...I'm hanging on to two years of Mother Earth News and Natural Home, but otherwise, I'm clutter-free in the magazine department!

Today I condensed an entire box of magazines into a one-inch binder, with room to spare!

Category: Outdoor Projects...keep a permanent marker handy to mark the project you wanted to remember!

Category: Food

Category: Indoor Decorating

~Leslie

Ridin' Bikes

One of my greatest joys as a parent was riding my new (used) bike with my girls to school today. We had to leave by seven to make the mile-long ride to their school. We had to arrive early for Olivia to be at her safety patrol post by 7:15. Iris had the idea of securing their small flashlights to the front of their bikes with some zip ties. It was a great adventure, and a very positive way for all of us to start the morning. Somehow, when the girls want to, they can get ready quickly and be on time! We plan to continue this ritual as long as the weather permits.

Surrounded by Life

Every day, I am surrounded by life. Emerging skills and the will to learn and survive. Children learning to crawl and pull-up. Children learning to put on their shoes and recite their ABCs. Children proud to fill their water bottles and set the lunch table. Little people, lots of them, all under the age of 5.

Sometimes I wonder what they will look like in 10 or 15 years when I see them in the grocery store or in the newspaper? I can already tell which of them will be taller than me or smarter than me. It would never occur to me that any of the children I know would lead anything less than a long, healthy, happy life...

I consider myself very "real" when it comes to children. I delight in them. I find them funny, but I don't kid myself that being around children is always pleasant or easy. It is incredibly hopeful to work with children. I'm always that lady smiling at the sticky toddler in the grocery store, helping a child up a playscape at the park, and admiring new babies everywhere.

Recently, as I tickled the tummy of an acquaintance's son at a function at my girls' school, he took a spoonful of granular medicine in a matter-of-fact bite just before he began chomping on a ZBar. He had amazingly chubby fingers, front teeth a mile apart, and strawberry blond hair. At the same time that I admired his energetic presence, I wondered why he had taken that medicine? I didn't want to intrude, but his mom volunteered that he had a disease that affected his digestion, and that would likely take his life before he turns 40. She shared the sequence of events that would transpire and ultimately shorten his life. She was so full of love as she spoke about him.

Should I comfort her or say "I'm sorry"? Every response seemed wrong as I listened intently and watched my own healthy children munching cookies and lemonade. She is obviously full of courage. She doesn't need me to feel sorry for her. Could I ever be as accepting and talk frankly about it if one of my own children had the same fate?

I listened, and my heart broke. I wanted to cry, but I didn't want to shame myself or her.

And then it occurred to me that the best way to honor the boy and his mother was to just be the "me" I would have been with him before I knew... I tickled him and I was silly with him as he played chase in the school gym with my kids and his siblings. I got over my shock and respected his life force by not withholding my affection and my "I'm gonna get you"s.

I think about this little guy often, and about his mother a lot. My kids consuming a pesticide-laden grape now and then doesn't seem like the end of the world anymore. I wish for my little friend to be surrounded by life, for however long his life may be. And when I see him again, I'm going to make him laugh...

~Leslie

Mornings with Iris

Iris is my "middle child". I've been warned about how hard this position is in a family. I'm not sure what Iris thinks about it, because aside from going through a developmental bump that makes her a little mischievous now and then, she is a most pleasant child. She didn't event resent the arrival of her baby brother. I mean, she was absolutely lovely about it.

I have my opinions...maybe it's because she is a Sagitarrian. Maybe it's because she was born during a very happy time in my motherhood when I could work part-time and maintain a cheery little house in Richmond, Virginia. Maybe it's just her apparent understanding, patient, generous role in our family.

As a plump little baby, Iris nursed every morning somewhere between 2:30 and 3:00 a.m. As she grew into a toddler, this is when she would plead for a bowl of cereal, which we would appease. And, now, most every night, Iris comes back to my bed. At 6 1/2, her long legs can be found in my face, or her toes are felt wiggling against my bottom. She crowds me out. Sometimes, I get up. Then, as she has for years, she finds me. (Iris is perceptive AND she has good hearing. You can't turn on a lamp or close a door without her knowing. She even knows if you hold your body still and open one eyelid...I've tested her repeatedly.)

Iris with coffee and toast she made for her dad, with his choice of jam or butter.

A friend told me to try to find 15 minutes with each one of my children each day, and the guilt of this often-missed task weighs heavily on me (when I remember it!). Finding fifteen minutes when you have three children can be hard, and Iris must know early morning is the best time to catch me...I've come to cherish all the quiet early morning moments I've had with her. Our "fifteen minutes" before everyone else in the house comes alive.

Iris, I love you, and I like the strong cups of coffee you brew for dad and I. You lived in a Cinderella dress for two years, you have knuckle dimples, your hands are always warm, and I am quite sure that some day, at 3:00 am, I will long for you to wake me up just as you do now.

It's All About . . . ME!

When my oldest daughter was born, my husband and I arrived home from the hospital shortly before the doorbell rang and in walked my sister and my parents, fresh from the airport. What a joy it was to have my parents see my new daughter, and to have the support of family for two weeks as a brand new mother. Laundry, food, and cleaning all taken care of by my parents and my husband. My sister was a huge help, too. Then, all of that wonderful support went away! My husband and sister returned to work, and my parents returned to West Virginia. I finished my maternity leave joyfully with my daughter, but quickly realized in those first weeks how little time there was to take care of myself as a mother!

I would lay my daughter down for a short nap and run around the apartment gathering laundry, then fill and start the washer just before she needed me again. I would nurse my daughter, then hurry to replace fluids and quench my thirst by pouring myself a glass of water. I would put her in her swing or carseat, and quickly make myself lunch or begin dinner. I remember thinking, "I don't even have time to paint my toe nails!". Such is motherhood--all too often placing your children or your spouse before yourself.

My own mother stayed home with my sister and I until I was a sophmore in high school, when she began working outside the home part-time. How she worked in the home, though! My parents virtually built my childhood home themselves, so my mom had two little kids in tow as she gardened, canned, cleaned, line-dryed clothes, layed oak hardwood floors and much more! From the time my dad left for work until he returned at night, she was on her own with us! I stopped napping at two or so (I won't allow that with my own children!!!), and she didn't have any space from us to take care of herself or to accomplish tasks. To this day, she will offer to take the screwed up piece of meat or will put off something for herself to take care of someone in our extended family. So...as a mother, I somehow unconsciously decided I would do all my mom did and work part-time or full-time, too. I fashioned my own form of motherhood, largely isolated from other mothers, largely burnt out, ignoring my own needs to relax or pursue personal interests. I was largely ineffective, but hey, I was there for my kids, wasn't I?

Early this year, at age thirty seven and having been a mother for nearly 10 years, I began to feel really unwell. I could detect a definite change in my health--I felt really old. Heart palpatations, depression (who ever knows how to rate its intensity), a lack of joy, resentment, and weight gain despite routinely neglecting my own nourishment. I knew I had to do something to literally save my life, as I knew ignoring these symptoms and feelings could shorten it. I didn't want to band-aid my situation. I wanted to find a way to fix up "all" of me. My sister and I were finally bright enough to begin working with one of our clients, Dio Miranda, who is C.H.E.K. practitioner. These last couple of months have been amazing! I have been open to where this journey leads me, with the only expectation being that I would surely feel better. There has been analysis of what we eat, how we eat, and how we feel afterward that I have come to appreciate. There has been exercise, first to heal and meditate, but now with more intensity for just 30 minutes per day to begin losing weight and developing cardiovascular wellness. Mostly, there has been a lot to think about as a result of the gentle questions Dio asks or kernels of truth he places in my mind. My truths are:

~I can't give what I don't have: to my family, my job, my business, to the children I serve
~no one is responsible for my health or happiness but me
~I am the heart of my home--its nutritionist, accountant, business manager, social events planner. I need to invest in me to "do it all"!
~other people have done little to me, I have allowed undesirable things in my life by having "flexible" boundaries, by being too polite, by being (gasp!) nice and unselfish!
~forgiveness is mostly for my benefit--"let it go"
~I deserve 30-60 minutes each morning to take care of myself before I attempt to take care of my family or my other responsibilities. Moreover, this is a requirement for my health!
~I should make a plan to determine exactly the parts of my business that bring me personal joy and do those as my work
~I need to make time to spend with my spouse, and each of my children individually--it's not fair to lump them into a "wolf pack" that needs all of me at once.
~the world gives me so much good when I think the best of people and when I believe my experience in the world is a positive one
~I am super-duper powerful! I have the power to create just what I want.

Hmm...I don't know what to say except I am a woman and a mother in transition. I can't go back and re-do a decade of my life, but I certainly can make changes in the way I go about things. Please don't get me wrong, either. It wasn't all bad! I think my three kids have had a great life because of me--it just wasn't necessary for me to lose myself for them to be happy!

Each woman has to find her way in motherhood, but I would certainly encourage all moms to luxuriate in books and laughter, in friends and personal interests, in music and art, whatever it is that is a selfish pleasure--any piece of the woman that was before she became "Mother".

~Leslie

There's a new rooster in town and his name is........

REX GOLIATH!

I'm not a wine expert but enjoy a nice glass of wine every now and again. I typically drink white--Chenin Blanc is my favorite but have ventured into the reds lately. There are a myriad of choices out there and I usually try to buy local Texan wines. I have, however, fallen in love with a brand that has a price [HEB had the Cab on sale for under $6 during the holidays!] that can't be beat! Met Rex Goliath......

We enjoyed the Cabernet Sauvignon over the winter break. The merlot is great, too! You will most likely enjoy a taste of Rex Goliath at the January Evening of Indulgence! You won't want to miss out, ladies.

Happy New Year, Blue Moon!

Of all the commercialism that surrounds just about every holiday in our country, I do admit to liking the hype of "The New Year". It truly is a time to lighten up after the gluttony of the holidays, and each day is longer since we are on the Spring side of the Winter Solstice. I can't remember the last time I attended a flashy New Year's Eve party, and I don't even remember if I ever really wanted to.

My strongest memory of New Year's Eves past is being 3 months pregnant on 12/31/99, and though I didn't think the world would fall apart as we welcomed 2000, I do remember wondering what the world would hold for my first child, due that June. I don't think I knew how much motherhood would change my life. . .and I'm going to be real, I desperately love my children but all of it hasn't been great. Count me in as the mother who neglected self for family, which served no one in my family well . . .Duh!

37 . . . my new age. I've only been 37 for two weeks or so, and more than any other time in my life I feel the importance and promise of a new year. I don't feel like I'm getting old and dying, instead I am excitedly overwhelmed by all the things that I know now that I didn't know when I was younger. How do I put all of this new information together in my now distinctly adult life? How do I make our school all that I see it being? How do I develop the self-discipline to achieve the things on every level that I wish for myself? After all, I have learned time and again in my life that with a kind heart and the right intent, I have the power to make things happen. Waiting for the universe to notice what you need or want just hasn't worked for me. It does take work and diligence to make things happen. So, here I go. . .

The following is an excerpt of a newsletter from Ellen Shapiro (www.repattern.com). Some of her information is from Ton Pascal (http://www.dreamyourlifepositively.com/blog.html).

Only once in every 20 years, the blue moon appears on New Year's Eve, as it will this year. On a plain physical level what is happening is that the moon is out of phase with the days. For it to make its completecycle it's about 29.5 days. It doesn't coincide with our month, and that's why it is out of sync with our Julian calendar. It's the occurrence of two full moons in one month, which happens every two years, hence the popular quotation "once in a Blue Moon" which means 'not very often.' On average, there will be 41 months that have two Full Moons in every century, so you could say that once in a Blue Moon actually means once every two-and-a-half years.

On December 31, 2009, we have a Blue Moon Lunar Eclipse. On a spiritual level it is as if it asks us to 'flash forward' into the next two years to see what we can see. This is the most important New Years Eve we have ever been gifted in a long time. No matter how much you do not believe prophecy from time and earth, it will still affect your energy field and your choices.

This New Years Eve 2009 create an I AM TEMPLATE, an energetic road map into the next two years. Command the energies into a direction that serves the better good on all levels of your life. Ask the Light/Angels/Divine Spirit/God to release what still pushes your buttons and pulls your strings. Release the pettiness between you and others, the green-eyed energy that sucks your light. Release the anger that drains you of your strength, just keeping it alive. Release the expectations you have of others, as they ride their own horse of a different color.

The I AM TEMPLATE consists of an eternal circle. First, draw the large circle repeating the words I LIVE IN A PLACE OF PLENTY. Second, on the inside of the circle place everything you plan on creating in the next two years. Put down all of your dreams, aspirations, wants, needs, as well what you want for the planet. On the outside of the Circle write everything you are choosing to release. Release all that does not serve your highest good any longer. Be specific in those releases.

On New Years Eve bless the 'I AM Template' and then burn it, releasing its ashes like a sacred prayer on smoke.

Wow--where are the matches? (Laughing!)

~Leslie

Sprout Organic Baby Food

Emma Grace didn't spend much time in the baby food arena--she wanted big girl food and fast. For the time that Emma Grace did eat baby food, I tried a new product that wasn't available when her big brother was at this stage--Sprout.

Many of you may know of Tyler Florence. He's one of my all-time favorite chefs! He is the creator behind the Sprout organic baby food line. What is so special about Sprout? All the fruits and vegetables are roasted to bring out the natural sugars and flavor of the foods. You can tell the difference! They have unique flavor combinations that babies will love! I will admit that I would buy my favorite varities and if Emma G. wouldn't eat them, I would! They are that tasty!

There aren't a lot of options when it comes to high-quality organic baby foods. As a working mom, I didn't have time to buy organic fruits and veggies and prepare them for my little one. My mom did take the time to make Emma G. some homemade goodies, but alas, it's very time consuming even for grandma! Each food comes packaged in a convenient ziptop package that makes it easy to throw in a diaper bag or backpack and go! The price is right, too. The pouches are $0.99 cents at most retailers and I often found them on sale at a two for one price.

I was so excited about the quality, price and flavor of the Sprout foods that I sent an email to their customer service telling them so. Much to my surprise and delight, we received several pouches of Sprout food for Emma Grace. Some were new flavors that had just been introduced to retail. I sent correspondence thanking them for the samples and received the following response back. Needless to say, it made my heart happy! Tyler Florence saw a picture of my little carrot top. Very cool.

From: "Janie Mote"
Date: Fri, 24 Jul 2009 20:09:03 -0500
To: jillian@sproutfoods.com
Subject: Thank you!
Jillian,

We received the complimentary foods from you yesterday. Thank you—what a nice treat! My daughter, Emma Grace, enjoyed the oatmeal with roasted apples and cinnamon last evening. She usually doesn’t like carrots but ate the entire pouch of Sprout carrots this evening! I thought I would attach a picture of her enjoying her free samples. Again, thank you and we look forward to trying more of the Sprout Food line as it becomes available.

Big fans of Tyler and Sprout Foods-Janie & Emma Grace Mote

From: jillian@sproutfoods.com [mailto:jillian@sproutfoods.com]
Sent: Friday, July 24, 2009 8:22 PM
To: Janie Mote
Subject: Re: Thank you!

Cool! And guess what, I am having dinner with Tyler right now and his son Miles. Showed him the picture too. Thank you so much for taking the time to send us the photo. So glad you and Emma Grace are enjoying Sprout.
Very truly yours,
Jillian

My favorite picks are:
Roasted Bananas & Mango
Roasted Pears & Apricots
Sweet Baby Carrots, Apple & Mango
Baked Sweet Potatoes & White Beans
Summer Squash, Yukon Gold Potatoes & Parmesan
Roasted Apples & Blueberries
Oatmeal with Roasted Cinnamon Applesauce

A Trip To The Dairy Vault

With so many things on my "to do" list, I feel as though I'm a gerbil running around and around in one of those little wheels. Trying to get last-minute things done before my in-laws arrive this week means the wheel is spinning so fast it's a blur, and I'm a gerbil in a full sweat.

It was time to make a trip to my local grocer, HEB. I enjoy doing the grocery shopping as it gives me time to clear my mind and I truly enjoy reading labels, looking at new food items, etc. In typical Janie fashion, I left the house in a hurry, but was so delighted to find that I had been organized enough to throw my grocery list in my purse.

I like doing my grocery shopping on a Saturday evening. It's quiet, and to all my single friends out there, or those of you without kids, I hear you snickering at me. Grocery shopping on a Saturday night? You'll be there soon enough. Trust me when I say you'll want to do the grocery shopping and leave the kids at home with your hubby every now and then!

I completed my grocery shopping in record time--about 40 minutes. I watched as the tired checker scanned all my groceries, and I handed him my coupons as I ran through my mental grocery list making sure I had remembered everything. Candy canes requested by Isaac?--check. Wipes for Emma Grace?--check. Orange juice for Todd?--check. Baking supplies?--check.

The cashier gave me my total, and I reached into my purse with great pride to pull out my wallet. Another task done on my list. My hand began to move frantically in my purse. To my horror, my walled was not there! Here we go. I dug my iPhone out and buzzed my husband--my freckled cheeks on fire. "Is my wallet there", I asked? "Yes", he whispered trying not to wake up sleeping children--I hung up on him in mid sentence.

I explained to the weary checker what had happened, and he informed me that he could "suspend" my order. Further escalating the situation, a manager was summoned to my checkout lane and he told me that my groceries would be parked in the dairy vault, and that if I wasn't back by 11 PM, they would add insult to injury and restock the groceries that I spent 40 minutes gleaning from their aisles.


The dairy vault--is that where shoplifters go? It sounded so serious [I wanted to take a picture of said dairy vault but I don't think they would have let me in.....] I assured the nice manager that I'd be back in 5 minutes--game on, buddy!



I hopped in my minivan and headed home. How fast could I get there? I pulled in the driveway, barely put the van in park, and as it bounced up and down from the impact, I jumped out and raced into the house to grab my wallet. I was greeted by my hubby and our 3 year old who was proclaiming that he was going to stay up ALL night. Ha! Funny, little guy! All night...."not possible" I say. Doesn't he know I don't have time for chit chat? "Your candy canes are about to be restocked, mister", I think as I bid Isaac and his father a goodbye. Six minutes. That's all the longer it took me to get to my house and back. I beat the clock. My buggy was pulled from the safety of the dairy vault, I paid for my groceries, and wheeled out of there as fast as my sneakers could take me.


A friend made the following comment on Facebook! when I recounted the events:

Oh Janie! I think you need a post it on your steering wheel. iPhone, wallet, money, keys, kids! Haha! That's just crazy!

Indeed, she may be correct.

My Morning Commute

I am thankful for my mere seven minute commute to work. I leave my suburban neighborhood, pass Home Depot, Whataburger, HEB, Bank of America, then make a left at the light and burst into the countryside. In the spring and summer, the sky is beautiful as I arrive at the farm. In the fall and winter, it's still pretty dark. Since public school resumed in August, I judge my tardiness by where I pass my daughters' principal on the road. She is headed to the girls' school adjacent to our neighborhood, and must live near our farm school. We're opposites. She's early for work no matter where I meet her, and I am usually late! I call it the "Adcock Clock" in her honor.

I have added another clock to my morning self-evaluation--the "Reindeer Clock". Each morning for the last several weeks, if I am on time, I meet a cherubic lady in a mini-van at the light just before my big left turn. She has antlers on her van. While we sit side by side in turn lanes, I hope she doesn't notice me reading my email or checking facebook on my iphone while we wait for green. She looks too responsible, and I feel guilty. Thank God I don't have our school signs on my van anymore! When the light turns green, we zip along together like synchronized swimmers down the four lane for about a mile before she turns right.

Do I want antlers on my van? I had a Jack Ball once and I felt like a joke. Maybe my kids would like it, but to be honest, they'd probably end up embarrassed when the antlers were still on our van on the Fourth of July.

Anyway, I knew I wanted to capture a picture of super-mom's antlers for you, so yesterday I slyly held my iphone out from my right ear. I was sure I looked like I was talking hands-free, and I snapped a picture, JUST AS SHE TURNED TO ME AND SMILED. What a doofus--"how will I face her tomorrow?", I thought. Sadly, the picture didn't even turn out. Today I was so late I missed antler girl, but I wonder how she'll look at me tomorrow?

~Leslie

The commuting deer van has antlers like these!

What should a 37 year old mother of 3 wear on her feet? The answer alludes me . . .

I have needed new shoes for a couple of months now. My daughters received their two requisite pairs of shoes to start the school year in August, and a couple of weeks ago they needed fashionable winter boots or they were going to die. My husband just purchased two pairs of shoes for my son (which we have to return because he has decided he will never wear them). He finally outgrew a couple of great pairs of hand-me-downs. Since I last purchased shoes, my husband has had two new pairs of tennis shoes and an expensive pair of work boots. I begrudge no one their podiatrical loot. But, I NEED SHOES. My tennis shoes are about four years old and out of date. I can't wear flip flops any more due to the cold and animal poop at the farm, and a pair of Target canvas hybrid ballet flats are just not me anymore, and they are worn out, too. Crocs--someone left a pair at school and I cabbaged them, but I am tired of looking like my feet belong to a clown.

I have done this to myself--placed myself at the end of the budget for too long. Admittedly, shoe shopping isn't as fun as it used to be . . .who knew that your feet would grow a half size with each child you bear? That, my friends, is in no girlfriend's guide to anything. The thought of wearing heels on a daily basis is not only laughably impractical in my chosen field, but also sounds just miserable. So, what are the cool moms out there wearing? I have walked in and out of stores for over a month. This quest for shoes has taken on a ridiculousness. Who am I? What do I want my feet to say to the world? Am I prepared for the maintenance of suede?

These are some shoes that caught my eye(s) this weekend--some made me want to gouge those eyes out. None of them are for "day to day" me . . . I should probably be wearing the shoes in the last two pictures (slip on tennis shoes and faux fleece lined Crocs), or maybe the smart black flats with just the suggestion of a heel. Buying Jessica Simpson boots in Texas seems like blasphemy. The search continues, wish me luck. Oh, and I won't stare at your feet, I promise.

~Leslie