Why the hiatus?

I'm not quite sure why I quit blogging, it was of course the convergence of several things. I started sewing Easter dresses for Anna (2 of 4 are completed and would you believe it poured rain most of the day here in our desert). Then from there the weather warmed up and we were outside more.

Ironically, I quit blogging the same week we got Internet in the house. I was overwhelmed by the many beautiful, inspiring, thoughtful blogs out there and the tedium of Facebook (which I've mostly given up on because it's too addictive for me). It happened that I no longer had "built in" computer time where someone would watch the kids and I would go to the coffee shop (and post my entries). As it is, every time I sit down I check my now narrowed list of blogs... and then I still end up blog hopping and internet surfing. A funny thing this internet.

But for myself I would like to start writing in it again because I find myself composing entries in my head and it's driving me crazy.

February

I love this one. Joachim loves grinding grain -remember Ben's sour dough from last spring? he's still making it- and we had a about 40 lbs of organic wheat from my mom. It's my mom's grinder (maybe it's mine now) and my dad used to tease that it sounded like a jet taking off which is pretty accurate. Also it's seal is gone so it sprays a fine dust, which is why Joachim is operating it outside with ear wear.
The lite-brite, a very fun and satisfying hand-me-down for dark winter nights.
My parents got Anna a cake decorating kit that suited Joachim perfectly. Joachim decorated this "just because" cake all-by-himself.

And these were our V-day cards. Apparently it is a thing to send your cards to Loveland, CO and have them stamped with a special cancelation stamp and sent to your love. Our grocery store had a big cardboard box they collected cards in and sent on a truck to Loveland.
If you are Orthodox, you may recognize the above left drawing as an attempt at the seal stamped on prosfora (or cross bread as Joachim calls it). Baba always has one for Joachim after church and so Joachim chose to draw for him as his favorite association.
Above is a picture of Uncle Jonathan and his cat... I love the whiskers.
These we experimented with the hole punch and ribbon... Joachim punched at random and then threaded at random (and I mounted with precision). We also did some on the sewing machine which is one of his favorite things. When I get the sewing machine out, he always asks if he can sew designs on paper.

Barista

Recently I was thinking about my life as a barista, I worked at four coffee shops in three states and I enjoyed each one of them (except Starbucks, actually). I loved the relationships I had with co-workers and customers. It was easy and fun.

Recently I've thought some about my college degree and what little good it is to me, Ben is about to pay of the last of my student loan next year and I'm a bit embarrassed about it. I don't regret college, but sometimes I marvel that they will actually let you graduate with a Humanities degree that does absolutely nothing.

At the time I was told what an important piece of paper it was and how jobs just wanted to see that you committed to 4 years of higher education, but I can honestly say only one job I ever had cared about that piece of paper and to be honest it does me little good in my day to day life of parenting and running a household, (or not running one depending on the day.) I do look back on it differently and the phrase "marketable skill" keeps resounding in my head.

Still, it afforded me a lot of adventures and for that I'm very grateful and have no regrets.

I'm sort of in the market for a part time job now with no real prospects, but, hey, I'm a modern "stay-at-home" mom and that seems to include some sort of cottage industry that I can produce to supplement my husband's income.

I'm jealous of all those moms I know that have some skill they can do on the side or when they feel like it to bring in a little extra cash. Hair cuts, icon painting, music lessons, a nurse, professional photography, blogs!, making jump ropes to sell in a high end children's catalogue and so on.

So far I can sub in a small school district already flooded with subs and I'm putting my resume together for a school related job so it can be "put on file" should any positions open.

Well, "comparisons are odious," to quote Will Campbell, and I have to decide regularly not to measure myself by others, either below or above.

A touch of nostalgia, the last coffee shop I worked at until I was 8 months pregnant with Joachim and I am still pictured as the barista in the virtual tour so check it out at Agia Sophia (click on the picture of the first floor).

Things are so different with kids, it's funny to me to reflect on those last unknowing months before my life really kicked into gear.

goddaughters

This is actually going back to January when we watched out Goddaughters for a day... needless to say interesting to go from being parents of two kids to four of equal ages.