Conscious Mom

Soon I'll have time to catch up with all my blogging friends, find out what you've all been up to, and write what I've so busy with over the past two months. Until then, here are some current photos.

I don't have time to write a post. I don't even have time to go through my iPhoto files and upload a picture for Wordless Wednesday. Nor do I have time to tell you why I don't have time. But life passes quickly, and kids phases, stages, and games change weekly. If I don't record what Maia's up to right now I risk losing it all to history. The little blue wagon: Maia likes to pile a random assortment of items into her blue wagon and push it around the house. At any given time there could be stuffed animals, blocks, a colander, measuring cups, pot lids, shoes, books, and raw potatoes in the wagon. Once one of my bras ended ...

but here are some recent pictures.

OK, experienced baby-raisers, let's help parents-to-be sort through the mounds of crap sold for babies these days. What product did you absolutely have to have? What product did people tell you you absolutely HAD to have but it turned out you didn't need at all?

Maia's vocabulary has exploded over the last two weeks. Everyday she says at least one new word, usually three or four. Yesterday's new words were 'Panda' and 'China'. She still only says one word at a time, so there are no subtleties in her communication, no analogies or idioms. Just one word to express exactly what she wants. If she keeps this up into adulthood she will be considered refreshingly direct. Or shockingly rude. Her favorite word is still 'more', which can mean either 'more' or 'again'. When she uses the sign, it can also mean 'cheerios'. This gives her an unprecedented level of power, after finishing applesauce: 'more', after reading a book, 'more'. Besotted first time parents, wanting to encourage ...

On June 4, bloggers around the world will be devoting their post of the day to the annual Blog Blast for Peace. If you'd like to see the details, get a globe to decorate, and sign up to participate, go here.

A Father's Day photo for June's photo contest at The Twinkies. If you are looking for my peace globe, go here.)

Inadequate safety specifications of the trailers used to house people displaced by Hurricane Katrina have led to tens of thousands of illnesses, including cancer cases and some deaths. FEMA trailers tied to illnesses. I'm guessing if Katrina tore through an upper middle class, predominantly white community, more care would have been taken. And it's Tuskogee all over again... Toxic Sludge Tested as Lead Poisoning Fix in Poor Black Neighborhoods. Why aren't we rioting in the streets?

Raven had an open tag for this meme. When was the last time I... Laughed: Earlier today, listening to a podcast of 'Wait, wait, don't tell me.' Cried: I don't cry much, I often tear up when reading 'Readers Write' in The Sun magazine. But the last time I had a long cry, complete with snot and sound effects, was our last night in Ethiopia. Maia had spent the day with a nanny who loved her dearly while we took a day trip outside the city. When we went to get Maia that evening, the nanny was rocking her and crying, knowing it was their last time together. With the emotions of the trip, the lack of sleep, the enormity of ...

Maia had her first haircut today. I took her to Diversity Hair, where she sat quietly on my lap as James skillfully and quickly gave her a trim. It is all one length now, except were she's still bald, and looks remarkably sophisticated. Her transition from baby to toddler is now complete. I'm about to go put the curls into her baby book, and yeah I'm a little sad. Here she is with her new haircut making happy and sad faces: