saturday mornings November 29, 2008

it’s one of those rare mornings in which alex and daniel are both still sleeping, and i am completely free to sit on the couch with my second cup of coffee, stumbling across all kinds of interesting things on the internet.  this time, while looking for patterns and ideas for handmade christmas gifts that are actually useful and not cheesy, i found an entire circle of “liberal mormon” blogs by mormons who care about their faith, and also care about social justice and the environment and intellect.  so intriguing.  actually, they read like many of my friends’ blogs, except that most of my friends (and myself) believe that Jesus is God, and not just our “elder brother.”  anyway, living in the midwest i’ve had little exposure to mormon culture, but i have found that mormon housewives have all kinds of ideas for frugal, creative living – which i will be needing in two short weeks!

i’m getting really excited about the transition to being at home.  the great thing is that it’s a decision both daniel and i feel a deep peace about, and  it’s clear to us in a lot of ways that for now, this is the best decision for our family.  so, here are a few things i’m hoping to accomplish.  any tips from those of you who are doing these things are welcomed and requested!

1. plan and cook weekly menus that are healthy, tasty and economical.
2. plant a garden in the spring and actually maintain it.
3. keep our house clean.
4. cultivate relationships with other women and provide alex with healthy peer interaction.
5. master the art of cloth diapering.

and, with that, baby is awake! happy weekend!

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thankful November 27, 2008

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Originally uploaded by amy joy

happy thanksgiving from the foxes! we’re off to have meals with our family. here’s hoping and praying that you have a joyful day.

seven years ago, i had one of the most relaxing, beautiful thanksgivings ever, albeit nontraditional.  usually my favorite part of thanksgiving is being with family, but then i was living in india and got to jump waves in the arabian sea with my friend amy rose at a sweet little resort on the edge of mumbai.  we ate seafood and curry and the young man in charge of atmosphere played  a lot of paul simon and pink floyd.  i was nearing the end of six intense, incredible months in mumbai – a city that claimed its own small piece of what i call home.  it was there that i watched footage of the world trade center burning from halfway around the world, and now i’m on the other side of the globe watching the mumbai burn, and it feels eerily similar.  the biggest difference is that i had never seen the world trade center in person, but as i watch CNN tonight, i see the steps of the oberoi hotel where i ate dessert once or twice, and the burning building that is the taj hotel, where i sought air conditioning on humid, touristy kind of days, after taking the train to victoria terminus (a train station that was also targeted). i see the streets that i walked on, and i think of my girls who are still in the city, and i am speechless and i pray.

more playing November 19, 2008

Photo 15

Originally uploaded by amy joy

it’s the peaceful moments like these that have been a little rare in recent days. if you’re on facebook, or see me on a regular basis, you probably know that i resigned from my job last week to stay at home with alex. my last day is december 11. it has nothing to do with the job itself – i love my coworkers and clients and the actual work. and it has nothing to do with how alex is being cared for by her grandmother and allison – we have the best alternative caregivers ever. but it has everything to do with the fact that on work days, i’ve been lucky to have 2-3 hours with her being awake, and the fact that every time i thought i could handle working and being a mom, i would find myself in another emotional upheaval. i always said that i would primarily be at home with my children until they were in school, and somehow i found myself working. the thing is that i can always go back to work, but i can’t get this time with her back, and even though my staying at home is a bit of a risk for us, and a step of faith, it’s one of those gut-level, instinctual decisions that have never failed me in the past. i’m realizing more and more since becoming a parent that you can think and plan and assume you know what your response will be in a situation, but really, it’s a day by day process of surprising yourself with your choices. does that make sense?
anyway, i’m so, so grateful for a husband who is supportive of me being at home, and who works his butt off every day to take care of us, and who is going to be happy to have a house that is a little more clean, and a few more dinners ready when he gets home.
so, if anyone has good connections for private health insurance, let me know!

playing around

Photo 9

Originally uploaded by amy joy

i have this nifty built-in camera/web cam on my laptop, but i’ve never really used it. the other day, i decided to try it out. if nothing else, alex was intrigued by seeing our faces on the screen.