Journey to the Center of Target
One of the most overwhelming tasks these days is my perpetual visit to Target. Target is one of the most daunting stores in The United States. You can buy pretty much anything there, which is why I dread setting foot in it. There are simply too many items that somehow make it into my shopping cart.Today was the day that I had to brave the red bulls eye. My son and I geared up our energies and set out to Target.At first when we arrived, he was not pleased.But then his attitude completely changed when he realized that he could help with the shopping. His help consisted of holding (and intermittently playing with) boxes of things.As usual, I purchased too many items to carry home, so they all had to go in the stroller; which meant that my son had the exciting task of pushing the stroller. He was thrilled. See for yourself:
A Baby Shower…With a Baby
Yesterday afternoon I attended the baby shower of someone I didn't know at all. It was a fascinating experience. I think this picture summarizes it best:Truly, it was all a blur. I knew none of the guests nor the guest of honor. And I think the most surreal part of the experience was that I brought an actual baby to the baby shower. The whole time I kept thinking I wanted to stand up on a chair, point to my son and say "Exhibit A! This will be your child in one year!"My boyfriend was my connection to this particular shower an he was off helping his friend (the male counter part of the guest of honor) during the majority of the event. So I was left to my own devices to people watch and eat West Indian and Spanish food.My son entertained himself by attempting to collect all of the pink and purple balloons. I attempted to make conversation with women I didn't know at all. I think he had the easier of the two tasks.The women wanted nothing to do with me. And believe me I tried. I was mentally and emotionally sweating by the end of this [...]
“The Now”
Although I don't like to admit it, I like routine. I enjoy having a schedule; knowing what my plans are for the upcoming day, week and even month. Having a child has allowed me to foster a shameless love affair with my calendar.Pre-child, I would have identified as more of a spontaneous person who occasionally dated routine; but never had a serious relationship with it. Well, times have changed and routine and I are officially in love.Where am I going with this? Today I received communication that threatened the course of my routinized life. So I reacted in the most appropriate way I could think of: I panicked.I promptly called my mom and asked her what to do."Mom! I thought I had everything planned out. But now XYZ just happened and I don't know what to do!" I exclaimedMy mom felt my fierce rays of anxiety penetrate through the telephone. She took a deep audible breath and responded:"You can't worry about XYZ right now. You have to focus on that you are doing at this moment. XYZ is going to happen regardless of whether or not you worry about it, so why bother? Focus on the now." "THE NOW." From [...]
Fear Itself
When I was riding the subway today, I let my mind wander (as I tend to do on public transportation) and I began thinking about fear. As a child I was afraid of many things: roller coasters, big dogs, large social gatherings, my parents never coming home when I was left with a babysitter, just to name a few.Then I thought about my son. What will he be afraid of?I want him to be able to conquer his fears as I never had a chance to do with many of mine. Although I am no longer afraid of large canines, I still will not get on a roller coaster and parties continue to make me nervous. I suppose conquering one's fears is a process and is multifaceted. One thing is evident, parental encouragement to face one's fears can only help alleviate them.What I realized (when I reflected back on my childhood) is that my parents were respectful of my fears; they validated the fact they were real (which was helpful and made me feel secure) but they did not push me to face them.This is not to say that it was their responsibility to help me face my fears. I [...]
“The Passion of the Hausfrau” – My Sardonic Companion
After I had my son, I virtually stopped reading altogether. I was barely sleeping and eating, so needless to say reading went on the back burner. The only book I seemed to keep reading over and over again was "Goodnight Moon," and it wasn't for my own benefit. I will say, though, that my son starts to beam each time I say "In the great great room there was a telephone!" The first line of this classic children's book.Recently, my friend Josina recommended a book to me that she really enjoyed."You must read this book, Sarah!" She said "You will love it!"The book she spoke of was "The Passion of the Hausfrau" By Nicole ChaisonI finally got it together and requested the book from the Brooklyn Public library.As soon as I started reading "The Passion of the Hausfrau," I fell in love with Nicole Chaison. She is the sarcastic yet sensitive and thoughtful voice that I could not find within the pages of "Goodnight Moon" no matter how many times I read it aloud to my son.Nicole Chaison epitomizes how I feel on a daily basis. I particularly relate to this passage:"The day started like any other. I awoke to [...]
A Trip To FAO Schwarz Story Time With Mint
Although I am with my son the majority of the time, there are days when I have to work. Today was one of those days. Instead of spending the day with his mama, my son had the pleasure of spending time with my best friend, Mint, who I have known since I was 12 years old.On this particular day, Mint took my son to FAO Schwarz for their Barefoot Books Story Time session which occurs at 11am, 1pm and 3pm on Tuesdays and is FREE! Actually, Barefoot Books Story Time occurs almost daily. See end of post for details.Since I wasn't there for this excursion, I think it's only fair that I interview Mint, personally, about their day together.1. How was the subway ride there?It was fun. I was guaranteed a seat! I loved that every time the doors opened at a stop, Ari pointed and said "AAh!" And then I would say "Not yet." And he would relax until the next stop.He also liked staring intently (menacingly?) at whoever sat next to me. 2. How did Ari react to all the toys?He seemed perplexed and slightly frustrated by the many toys in boxes. It was like the possibility of [...]