I like her.

I can't help it. I know Nikki McClure is really popular and everywhere I look and if for a moment I forget how that usually bugs me and turns me away I am honestly impressed and moved by her paper cuts. I love how simple the images are, how not simple the process must be, turning each corner and making delicate shapes with a blade or many different blades; how slow and thoughtful this handwork is. Also, I am drawn to parents who create and parent well at the same time. Bea has the book, "Awake to Nap" by her and on the back it says something I like very much,

"I made this book while my infant son napped. I could only cut the pictures while he slept so the pictures are small and quick gleanings from my new life as a mother.  The dining room table became my studio.  I would put down my pencil as lightly as possible so as not to disturb the baby, hoping for a few more moments of work before I, too, had to take a nap.

The alphabet was never finished intentionally; the naps were too short and life too thrilling to justify going all the way to Z. I no longer had the attention span and neither did my baby. We were too awake."

I love how we must incorporate our little ones into the lives we already had or the ones we want. It has to be the greatest example a parent can set: doing what you love and if a creative something is tugging at your shirt, take those moments in between everyone's needed naps and in between chores or forget the chores, just play the damn guitar.

Here is a fun interview with the talented Nikki McClure.

Watch Miranda July talk for two minutes about being a new parent.

The little things

The following pictures might show you how things move around here. I like the way this family thing is going. Many of these pictures were taken by Kenny. So, you may see some of his perspective too. Have you read how the sun's poles are currently switching? Amazing. I'm still trying to understand how to wrap my brain around it. On to the little things. Please note the two amazing quilts that Bea alternates playing on. The sweet hand stitched pink quilt is by Great Grandma Elaine and Great Great Grandma and the amazingly detailed bee themed quilt is from Great Aunt Judy. Lucky girl.

Half a year

My brain feels scattered like when paper flies in the air and then gently sways and rocks to the ground. So, it's a pretty good scattered though I don't get things accomplished the way I used to, with a brain like this and a baby. A baby, the girl of my dreams, Bea is six months old! It was half a year ago that we welcomed her into this chilly world and now, mid summer, she's eating sticks and tasting clover. She's so close to getting on her knees for the rock, right before the crawl. That girl wants to get around. When she nurses I watch her busy kneeding hands and then her long gulps as the milk comes in. Then she dozes, drinks, dozes and I think that I will not be able to watch this girl in this way for very much longer. I'm drinking it up and storing it for a day when she's older, swinging on the monkey bars (if she's that kind of gal). 

Her half birthday, it really does get better and better.