Recycled crayons, a Valentine's craft

I've been craving color as the winter drab rolls right on into February. Motivated by the recycled crayon projects I've run across online, I thought the boys would enjoy the process of peeling, breaking, melting, and coloring with their own penguin shaped crayons. With Valentine's Day just a week away the timing was right for us to make a few batches to wrap up with notes of love for their friends.

Our crayon collection was down to the nubbins so we went out and bought a box of new ones. 

The next order of business was to peel all the crayons. I picked at them for a while but Roscoe discovered that teeth work really well. After some trial and error we found that soaking the crayons in a cup of water was the nearly effortless solution, most of the wrappers pulled off triumphantly in one piece.

Next we sorted all the naked crayons into color groups and (the best part) broke them into little pieces.

We used a silicone ice cube tray in the shape of penguins. The boys filled each bird with a small handful of pieces. Then we placed the mold onto a baking sheet and into a 250 degree oven for about 11 minutes.

We kept a close eye on them and when all the little bits were melted we carefully removed the tray and then let them cool for a good ten minutes before transferring them to the fridge for the last five. I recommend waiting until they're cool before popping them out of the mold--I tried to remove the first set when they were still slightly warm and some of them cracked. It also would have been nice to have two molds in order to efficiently alternate baking with cooling.

Now we just need to wrap them up and send them on their way to good friends in time for the big day.

Rice Socks, and Valentines

I've been putting together a "bag of tricks" for my labor support clients to include a wide range of comfort measures from aromatherapy to massage. It's been on my mind to craft homemade rice socks for lower back aches and belly cramps and we were free yesterday afternoon so we decided to get down to it.

The socks we picked out are so February and the other things we grabbed while we were out were Valentine's Day inspired too. I think these rice socks would make sweet valentines for friends and grandparents.  We made a few mini versions from children's tube socks and they were the perfect size for little guys and gals. Maybe a gift tag: "You warm my heart," would be just the thing.

We used four pair of women's tube socks, and three 5lb. bags of white rice. Using a measuring cup, Roscoe and Merritt took turns pouring between 2 and 4 cups of rice into each sock (4 cups filled them to their brim), while I held open the mouth.  Then I secured each sock with a knot.

We made four big rice socks for belly and back, and two smaller rice socks to go around the neck for weighted heat applied to the upper chest. One to two minutes in the microwave and you have a warm, cozy, and festive heat pack. You can freeze them too!

a (birth) love poem

The sun is setting.
The curtains glow floor to ceiling
with the last rays of the day
that came before the night
in which I will become a mother.

Out there the light fades,
and the people call it a good day.
In here the work is just beginning to take shape;
we know we will be changed.

The labor molds us as we move through it.
The effort to not resist
but to open up,

let go.
To embrace this pain as work
and love.

My being,
the baby inside this body,
this man at my side.
We share the work going down tonight
in this homey space.

We're in motion.
This will forever be our beginning.
It is ours.

Moved by a power
so loud and thunderous,
so proud and real,
it calls me back to myself.

Delineating an even stronger version of who I was
before I was Momma.

Reminding me that courage has lived here all along
and challenging me to engage with such intensity I feel I may break.

But instead I bend.
I make more room.
I call for help.

Buoyed by love from the ones I chose
to journey with me,
I'm surrounded by it.
Filled with it
as this miracle moves through me.

Firm, even, pressure
like cool sheets on warm skin,
his hands conform to these fatty hips and thighs.
Rhythmically he smooths out even the most powerful surges
with confident strokes.

It is dark now.
The contraction peaks
then fades away like a shadow in the night.

We labor on.
One contraction at a time.
We can do anything
he and I.

Meyer Lemon Mousse

It's the middle of Winter and after a full week of flu and unhappy fussing we were in need of a little sunshine. I usually save this recipe for February, a special Valentine's Day dessert, but I grabbed a pretty bag of Meyer lemons during our last grocery trip and felt compelled to use them up before week's end.

Lately, the kids have been adamant about helping me in the kitchen. When I begin lining up my ingredients, setting the oven, and rummaging for my tools, they come running. The feet of their little wooden chairs can be heard from across the house, sliding and scraping the floors as the boys push them from the playroom right up to the threshold where they both struggle to heft the legs up and over before slamming the slatted chair backs against the stove front to claim their cooking space. 

I've shared freely with the boys my love for food and making from scratch far before their memories will recall, but I know it all by heart. Preparing family meals and snacks happily consumes a large part of my day. The boys' involvement has been a product of both strategy and necessity. It slows down the process to have two bodies and four extra hands in the mix, but the food we create together always tastes the best. And an added bonus: Roscoe and Merritt are far more likely to eat the food they helped to prepare.

This lemon mousse is smooth and mellow. It is cream heavy but has an airy mouthfeel because of the meringue mixed in. We serve it for breakfast with eggs or french toast, as a sweet mid-afternoon snack that stands alone, or a quick dessert.

Meyer Lemon Mousse

*Modified from Ina Garten's Fresh Lemon Mousse

       

Gather:   

• 3 extra-large eggs, separated

• 3 extra-large whole eggs

• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar

• 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest

• 3/4 cup freshly squeezed Meyer lemon juice (7-9 lemons)

• Sea Salt

• 2 cups heavy cream

In a double boiler (or heat proof bowl), whisk together the 3 whole eggs, 3 egg yolks, 1 cup sugar, the lemon zest, lemon juice, and a pinch of salt. Bring water in double boiler to a boil and simmer, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon for about 10-12 minutes or until the mixture is thick like pudding.

Take off the heat and set a aside for 15 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap directly on the surface and refrigerate for 1-2 hours, until completely chilled.

Place half the egg whites and a pinch of salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on high speed. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar and continue to beat until the whites are stiff and shiny.

Carefully fold the beaten egg whites into the cold lemon mixture with a rubber spatula.

Place 1 cup of cream in the same bowl of the electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (no need to clean the bowl) and beat on high speed until the cream forms stiff peaks. Carefully fold the whipped cream into the lemon mixture.

Do the same with the other cup of cream, but this time add 1 tablespoon of sugar and a 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Use this as a garnish or as a second layer atop the mousse as we do.

This moment now

Woven through last week's New Year 2013 posts, a shared sentiment emerged among my momma blogger friends. In our own words we shared hope that the new year will bring opportunity for implementing, exercising, and appreciating greater peace and presence in the moments that make up every day. I sense it is an ideal we seek in order to create calm and to soothe our own anxieties, that if we can learn to be present we can somehow protect ourselves from the relative pain and suffering inherent to our role as mothers.

The built-in community that exists in this online space is part of what draws me to write here: validation and comfort knowing that my struggles are not mine alone. My experience is extraordinary to me because it is mine, but it is otherwise ordinary.

I feel what other mothers feel what I feel.

For me being present centers around conserving my energy. To feel deep stillness, joy, and appreciation in the moments that are perfection in the way I imagine it can be, but also when the opposite is true. That I can have greater clarity and awareness of my own needs. That I can be better tuned-in to this moment in order to meet my boys where they are and JUST BE, without judgement. Even if the moment is brief.

To feel the static of Merritt's wispy baby hair against my cheek or the pinching grip of his tiny fingers in my arms as he holds to me as we fervently dance across the hardwood floors.

To breathe in the sweet vinegar sweat left in Roscoe's damp hair after a good long nap.

To cut through the chaos of the 5 o'clock witching hour to meet eyes with Roscoe, raise my brow and elicit songs of peeling laughter. 

To accept with undivided attention his invitation to watch him move his cars to and fro, even when I feel I don't have time to stop moving forward my own weighty cargo.

Does fear drive my impulse to want to catalog in my mind the warm weight of his body in my arms, the pitch of his 3 year old voice, the cadence of their steps? We give everything to our children and yet there are no guarantees for their health or safety in this world. There are no assurances that when they reach adulthood they will love us, or feel loved by us, in the ways that we hope they will.

On the other hand, pining for the power and capacity to do it all, do it well, and to make the journey look easy-as-pie, all the while managing to avoid shifting into auto pilot, appears like fallout from the "parenting is a skill to be mastered" norm that constricts as it empowers the parenting of our generation.

Either way, I am motivated with intention to move through our daily rhythms with energy reserved only for what matters most. We know this is not forever, let's hold on tight to the good stuff so we can carry it with us into tomorrow. Save the stress, feelings of hurry, and anxiety about what comes next. Save the shame of not having been perfect in the past.

This moment right now is deserving.

This moment right now is enough. 

Happy New Year. It's 2013!

2012 was a pretty incredible year. It was full of adventure and the highlight was reconnecting with the people and places that matter most to us. We settled into our Richmond life after the big move at the end of 2011, and I focused the last half of the year on getting my birth work off the ground.

If 2011 was about establishing rhythm and routine, then 2012 was most definitely about settling in and finding joy.

For the upcoming year I'm not brimming with an ambitious to-do list. I'm feeling right at home and so full with all that I have right here in my lap. 

If anything, I want to keep a strong focus on the experiences and people that bring true pleasure and delight to my heart, which means that I need to continue to practice setting healthy boundaries for myself around work, and home, but especially in the relationships I share with those I love most.

This year I want to focus broadly on just six things in order to help guide my energy:
Writing, Marriage, Friendship, Work, Health, and Home.

WRITING

First, my writing is so very important to me. I regret shoving it to the side over the last 6 months, although the excitement and demands of building MamaBorn have rightfully taken much of my attention. I'm very excited to have the opportunity (a gift from a generous friend) to attend the Motherhood and Words writing retreat in Mid-February, and hope to take pure advantage of my blog here to share a more intimate portrait of life from my perspective and to experiment with new styles of writing as I continue to hone my craft. I am also looking forward to attending BlogHer '13 in Chicago come July.

MARRIAGE

Over the Summer, while walking with a girlfriend on a narrow path deep in the woods of Corolla, as we connected over our children and dreamt up elaborate plans for communal life (in another life), it dawned on me that the intention I devote to mothering is equally deserving for my marriage. The tides swept out sometime in the middle of last year and there we were, Andy and me, two people again. So we ran with it and prioritized date nights, bi-monthly maintenance therapy (highly recommend!), and made a more conscious effort to carve out time for each other when not in our respective parenting roles. After two back-to-back babies, we needed it, and we want more of it. So that is a definite for the upcoming year.

FRIENDSHIP

My need to nurture friendship and to lean on and learn from my girlfriends for encouragement and perspective seems greater now than ever before. With time we have become geographically removed from one another, which demands logistical planning and extra commitment to connect in person. As the boys are growing older and as their need for physical attachment wanes, I find myself with a lot of freedom for time and space away from home. I cherish the grounding effect that comes when I have the opportunity to connect deeply with people who understand me in the ways I need to be understood. I hope to regularly indulge myself in their love and acceptance all year long. Beyond the usual get-togethers, a few weekend getaways will be something to look forward to.

WORK

Over the Summer I transitioned my career from a programmatic role in public health to a birth educator and professional doula serving families in my community. My work now exists as a simple extension of who I am as a woman, mother, and lifelong learner. MamaBorn is everything I believe about birth and mothering and life, all rolled into one birth services concept that already feels like home sweet home. While frightening at times (I won't lie!), for me it has been an exercise in courage to follow my truth, and at the end of every day I'm left energized and affirmed knowing that I am right where I am meant to be! I'm excited to continue to grow my brand, advocating at the grassroots level for informed choice and birth rights, and especially to walk with women and their partners through the fragile and life changing event of birth. So inspired by life and birth I recently made a pact with a few close friends to delve into the world of ink. My first tattoo is on the books for 2013!

HOME 

Our home, our home. We are not loving the place in which we live at the moment. We're renting. We're busy. We're not all that invested in upkeep. We're feeling cramped for space. We have 8 months left on our lease. I'm under the impression that a few investments in comfort and convenience could go a long way as far as every day goes, not to mention the positive effects of yet another effort to declutter these tiny spaces! More interestingly, in a few months we will have to make a decision to either sign on for another year, or to look for a new place to live. Although living in the city has turned out to be pretty great for many reasons, we're ultimately craving more nature space and privacy. We've become increasingly unsettled about our living arrangement and it is because the way in which we are living (as lazy renters in a home not well designed for the way we would ideally use our living space) is out of sync with our core values. We spend a majority of our time in and around our home, it feels crazy not to be in love with it. We've continued to scout for properties to build on but haven't found anything near perfect. A change in attitude about our current place or a move to new digs on the other side of the river is in order.

HEALTH

This one has most to do with the food we eat. I want to continue on our path to eating good food from animals that led good lives, and to finesse our locavorism. Back in the Fall I committed to an 8-week Paleo Challenge that highlighted for me the benefits of eating a diet free from grains and sugar. I've found it more difficult to get on board with some of the other tenets of the philosophy, and have found that I favor more those supported by the Weston A. Price way of eating. All to say that implementing an eating philosophy that jives with our consumerism mentality in a way that still leaves me inspired and having fun feeding my family every day will be something to look forward to. With equal impact, exercise continues to be a daily source of positive energy. No pregnancies are planned for this year so I'm looking forward to becoming faster, stronger, and more mobile in the upcoming months. I haven't identified any concrete performance goals yet but last year I made huge gains in skill and strength and hope to continue the trend. I would like to run a race this year; another marathon would be a major training commitment so I'm thinking a half marathon might be a nice challenge. My post baby weight-loss saga continues, and to sum up my bottom line excerpted from a post I wrote earlier last year: "I have a desire to experience my life with my boys, through my body, feeling it all, and without regrets. I don't want to hide in this body. I want to live in it. And I want the freedom that comes with that." Pretty simple, I think. This year is the year.

I declare the theme of 2013 to be about feeling inner peace and living in the present as I center myself and nourish my mind and body in the best possible ways.

What are your plans?  

Lessons in Love: discipline and mothering

Thank you to Laura at Navigating the Mothership for inviting me to share with her readers a snapshot of how discipline plays out in the Sears house with two little boys ages 1.5 and 3.5!

Shortly after Merritt was born Laura shared another guest-post I wrote titled Lessons in Love: learning to mother two, which focused on how I was managing the transition from 1 child to 2 after a preterm birth and a 28-day NICU stay. While that post touched on discipline strategies for the younger toddler, this post focuses on discipline for older ones because every day is uncharted territory, and because 3 year olds make 2 year olds look so easy.

Admittedly, discipline is a hard topic to tackle in a blog post. There are amazing blogs dedicated solely to this one aspect of parenting. I will do my best to share with you here some of the issues we face and offer some advice based on what is working for us right now.

Discipline is an ongoing challenge at our house in the way that it demands a high level of daily intention and regular re-evaluation of our methods. It's an iterative process. The kids' abilities and their understanding of the world in which they live changes daily and so my expectations and guiding approach to their behavior necessitates that I adapt my mothering to accommodate and facilitate their individual paths.

My husband and I take the long view approach to parenting. We have ideas about the kind of adults that we hope our boys grow into: engaged, empathetic, compassionate, confident, and self loving, among other traits. The challenge for me is to remain focused on those goals when I'm exhausted with the reality of daily caretaking and feeling pushed to my own limits by the near constant violation of social etiquette and common courtesy that characterizes the toddler set by virtue of their development. I see my role as one that can facilitate their growth and learning by using discipline as an opportunity to educate, not to reward, punish, or shame. To connect and build on the trust that we share, not to withdraw my love or attention in a show of power or in an effort to control.

I keep at the forefront of my mind the words of Alphie Kohn:

It may sound obvious, but we sometimes seem to forget that, even when kids do rotten things, our goal should not be to make them feel bad, nor to stamp a particular behavior out of existence. Rather, what we want is to influence the way they think and feel, to help them become the kind of people who wouldn't want to act cruelly. And, of course, our other goal is to avoid injuring our relationship with them in the process.

The way I choose to discipline my children is influenced by so much: my core belief about children and my understanding of their development, my own childhood experiences, and my strengths and weaknesses as an imperfect human being.

My approach to discipline has always been intertwined and woven deeply into my values on mothering. Understanding the physical, psychosocial, and cognitive capacity of the boys' development helps me to know what is normal and appropriate for their ages, and offers me the ability to proactively implement discipline in a way that empowers my parenting instead of relying on fear and reactivity as my guide; fear that my kids are going to be doing these things forever, and reactive to find a short-term solution to make it stop.

Recurring Discipline Themes:

Aggressive and/or inconsiderate behavior: 
Roscoe's imagination is wild and unbound. Since he was very young he has acted out his emotions and imaginative play in animal form. He is in character 80% of the day and appears to have little self awareness when role playing with such reckless intensity. At any given moment I can peek into his world by asking him what animal he is, a simple question that typically elicits a passionate narrative of predator and prey.

Behaviors like headbutting (I'm a bull!), spitting (I'm a fire breathing dragon!), biting (I'm a lion eating a zebra!), hitting in frustration (or because he is a viking slaying a dragon!), and otherwise using his body, facial expressions, and voice to intimidate his brother, or other children and adults in his vicinity are a constant problem. He does not easily respond to verbal requests or even physical restraint in efforts to bring him back into reality. Social settings in which cooperative play is expected are particularly difficult for me. My favorite author on the topic of child discipline, Judy Arnall, wrote a great summary article about how to handle this situation, and her description is more or less how we deal with Roscoe's aggressive behavior in public spaces. Sometimes I let my need for social connection with other adults supersede Roscoe's need for a change in scenery, and I am reminded that I should be more willing to abandon the activity at hand and pack up for home when transgressions are repeated and it is clear that Roscoe is not able to fully or appropriately participate.

Not listening: Pretty straightforward here! I've learned that preschoolers between the ages of 3 and 5 can be expected to "listen", which really means to do what we say within a specific arbitrary time frame that we set, less than 40% of the time. Considering how many requests I make of Roscoe and Merritt as we move through our day, guiding them through their routines, transitions, and activities, it is not surprising that I feel unheard much of the time.

Not sharing/taking toys from others: Roscoe is getting better at this, and we have always framed sharing in the context of taking turns. I allow him discretion to identify toys that he does not have to share--much like in adult life, there are some things that are ours and that we do not care to share in case they are damaged or lost (best to put those items away before company comes though!).  For everything else I make a point to let him know that when he is done, Brother or Friend will take their turn. And then I let him finish his turn in his own time frame. Admittedly, in social settings, I often feel pressure to push him along, but at home he gets to take his time. When he is done I bring it full circle by announcing, "OK, Roscoe is done with his turn. Brother, it is your turn now." Both boys react very favorably to this approach and I think each opportunity to successfully demonstrate the technique provides them with a better understanding and greater trust that each of their needs will be met. Roscoe also has a good habit of offering a "trade" or substitution toy when Merritt is playing with a particular toy that Roscoe wants.

Sibling Relationships:
As their mother, I want the boys to have a healthy friendship and a common respect for one another. I largely believe that the tone of sibling relationships is set by parents. Like in other aspects of their lives I want the boys to learn how to solve problems in a way that is effective and fair. I can help them by facilitating their understanding of the others' point of view, and by modeling effective communication when they are in conflict. In the past I would attempt to get to the bottom of their conflict (who hit whom, how did the toy get broken, etc.) at least for the benefit of my own understanding, but I have since changed my approach.

Now, I address the upset child, and listen to get a better understanding of the underlying need. Then I translate: "Merritt: Roscoe is frustrated that you are moving his trucks into the bin. He is making a special pile of wrecked cars. Roscoe: Merritt feels like you have all the trucks and is sad that he doesn't have any toys to play with." Next I give a suggestion: "Hey, Roscoe, instead of ripping from brother's hand the toy you want, you could say, 'Merritt, I am making a special pile of trucks, I don't want you to mess them up. Here are two cars you can play with.'" Usually Roscoe expresses his understanding of the alternative form of communication and sometimes asks for a do-over, which I grant. We all feel good when the reenactment is successful. With this approach I avoid choosing sides or handing down judgment, which is not the role that I want to play between them anyway, especially as they grow older.

There are some definite absolutes in our house. It is not OK for either brother to physically assault the other, even if by accident. It is my choice not to engage in power struggles with either of them and there are a lot of behaviors that I overlook in exercising my right not to engage them. However, if I see with my own eyes Roscoe hit Merritt, for example, I make an immediate and obvious gasp of disapproval first attending to Merritt and then addressing Roscoe. In an effort to encourage their natural tendency toward empathy and compassion, I make frequent declarations about the importance of paying attention (a different but synonymous word choice for "be careful"), being kind, and being gentle. I think Roscoe understands what is expected on this point, but whether he has enough control to thwart his impulses is another story.

Discipline Tools

There are many tools I rely on, but these are the current and primary ones in no particular order:

• Change the environment: new play area, new activity
• Take action: get up, engage, facilitate, remove, etc. 
• Count to five: there are times when compliance in a specific time frame is necessary. This technique offers two options: 1. Roscoe gets moving in the right direction by the time I count to five, and retains his autonomy to complete a task on his own, or else 2. I step in and complete the task for him. 
• Time-in as a calm down tool: separate child from the offending situation, help him to calm down, then reconnect on the way to problem solving the situation. (In the recent past I've played around with more traditional time-out, however, I've found that it isn't as effective and doesn't foster our relationship.)
• Ask questions. Behavior is a symptom of unmet need. I try to understand the kids' perspectives to the best of my ability so that I can be fair in my assessment and continue to meet them where they are.
• For whining or demanding voices I say things like, "I can't understand you when you use that voice. Instead you could say... or, You might try...." When the appropriate voice is used I respond to their requests immediately.
• Natural consequences: If you break it, you fix it. If you want it, you ask for it. If you make a mess, you clean it up.The implementation of this is relatively new in our house, but it works well!
• Acknowledge the impact of how their behavior affects others: I often use the motivating phrase, "Thank you, that is very helpful." while providing a brief explanation of how their decision to clean up after themselves, or to not dump out all their toys saves me time or energy. Or a focus on feelings: "I feel sad when you say I'm stupid." (true story!!)
• When/then phrases to demonstrate the natural order of things. WHEN you pick up your toys, THEN we will go outside for a walk. We are planners, and I make a point to let the kids participate in developing our plan for the day. The when/then prompt reminds them of what is upcoming without becoming a bribe. 
• Yelling: This one I don't recommend! Sometimes I yell to be heard, in the hopes of being listened to, or to make a voice that can rise above the near constant chaos of a full house. I am just one of many here. At times attention spans and patience can be hard to come by, for little guys and big people too. What I'm learning is that I need to better at boundary and limit setting.

A few Do's that I keep close to my heart:

• Give the benefit of the doubt. Our children are good and well-intentioned little people inside, even if they do things we don't like.
• Give trust and respect.
• Avoid power struggles. I pick my battles largely around safety and personal boundaries. I'm not here to win or to be the boss. We're a family and we have to work together to understand everyone's needs and to help ensure that they are met.
• Don't hold grudges.
• Apologize when appropriate. If I screw up we talk about it when everyone is calm and I apologize. Each of us has needs and feelings, and none of us is perfect. I want to foster a home-life that not only provides everyone with validation and freedom to feel their emotions, but also provides the tools needed to express them in appropriate ways. 
• Address basic need for water, food, and attention. 

Final Thoughts

Parenting is life (And therapy! as I like to say), and through this role I am learning and growing as a person, just as my husband is. As far as I can tell there is no end point. Every day is a new day: my boy is one day older tomorrow and I've never before parented a child of 3 years, 6 months, and 4 days. If the family dynamic is upset something isn't working and change is necessary to regain balance.  As much as I crave routine and stability, I am learning to remain flexible knowing that it is required for our success as a family. I build my relationship with my kids with every interaction and with every day that goes by. As I hone my own skill-set I'm a better teacher to my children.
I also know that I've had a good day when at the end of it my relationship with the kids is intact as a result of my ability to mother with intention and purpose. I have become more aware of my triggers: noise chaos, not feeling heard, loss of control, interruptions during important tasks. When I find myself feeling resentful that is my cue that I need to do a better job setting or respecting my own boundaries. Ahhh, the fine line between respectful vs indulgent parenting.

I also try to make PEACE a priority every day. In fact, it is at the top of my to-do list.

A few well read and much loved parenting resources: 

Becoming the Parent You Want To Be by Laura Davis & Janis Keyser
Discipline Without Distress by Judy Arnall
Unconditional Parenting by Alphie Kohn
Janet Lansbury's blog, Elevating Childcare
Gina Osher's blog The Twin Coach

Please share your parenting book suggestions, I'm always looking for good reads!

MamaBorn: unveiling a brand new website

For the last three months I've been on a too-long hiatus from my writing here at Marbles Rolling, traded for time spent deep in the details of launching my new birth services concept MamaBorn.

I would love for you to check out my brand new website at www.mamaborn.com

You can also follow me on twitter: @MamaBornRVA and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/mamabornrva, or just search for MamaBorn.

Thank you so much for your support over the last 3.5 years, this is a huge career change for me!

If you miss Roscoe and Merritt, you can find them on Instagram @MarblesRolling

I do have plans to return to Marbles Rolling soon--I'm still making very slow progress in transferring content from Blogger to the SquareSpace platform. In the meantime, I have a guest post slated for later this week at Navigating the Mothership on the topic of toddler discipline.

Please stay tuned! I miss all of you so much.