As you may have already gleaned, Mamas, summer is much savored here at ANMJ, and as such, it is with great gravity that I now report to you this horrifying news: summer has nearly reached its apex and August has commenced, marking the heart-wrenching transition to <gah!>: fall. Fortunately, kickin' boots, fabulous layers and cozy sweaters will compensate for the lack of popsicles, short-shorts and general free time. Pool-time will be replaced with productive-time and you may once again begin to feel a sense of renewed <yay> purpose.
But let's face it, as fun as it is, summer leaves mamas with a whole other set of anxieties. It stretches out before us, begging for activities in the absence of school, and smiting us with the summer runaround of pick-up-and-drop-off, from camps, play dates and activities, with little free time left in between. It's left me panting for breath, in fact, and it is the inspiration for my favorite quote of this week, if not all time (a la my Auntie Edie):
"BREATHE. Don't GASP."
And gasping for air is what I've been doing for the past several weeks. We've had our house on the market (rushing out with two work-from-home parents, three babes and a dog–leaving it clean to boot, cruel joke–is not an easy task). Add a stomach bug (vomiting and all else), loads and loads of laundry, traveling husbands, birthdays, and a bevy of other fun stuff, and I'm looking forward to fall, school, and anything else that can help structure this madness I call my life.
As such, I've realized I seriously need a blackberry gin fizz. Like, NOW. To quote the great Smitten Kitchen, "The fruit isn't 'infused;' it's just there. . . I think you know what needs to be done."
J.Crew's new scrum-delicious, perfectly perfect coral orangey red lipstick might help as I try to look human running out my door with a trash bag, an infant (in a) car seat, two preschoolers and a scruffy, overly barkilicious dog.
And pantyliners are my new and most ingenious (I think) addition to the diaper bag. Sounds crazy, right? But if you have a four-and-a-half-year-old who hasn't worn diapers in more than two years and you need to make it home in 30 minutes of traffic with a stomach bug, they really come in handy.
Big Kisses,
– M.
What Annie came to know, is that in a group dynamic of the old therapy ways, where you all sit around and ‘share’ your story, the story wasn’t being told. But, put them in a room doing art, without rules, just giving them the supplies and a few words, incredible things would show up. The body and unconsciousness would be doing the art!