Friday, August 20, 2010

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{Jenny} Project Empowering Motherhood

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Today we here from the awesome blogger behind rainy day gal, Jenny. Her blog is FULL of some of the most delicious looking and sounding recipes. I wish I could cook half as good as she does. And trust me, when you look at the pictures you will be amazed with her creations and her time to make such creations when her daughter, Lucy aka Little Bear, is a year and a half (check out these A Year of Lucy pictures). What I love about Jenny's blog is that you when you leave her blog you have no doubt that she loves being a mother, loves her daughter, and thinks her husband is pretty awesome (proof: right here). It's amazing how a mother's love can come through no matter the blog topic.

Just because I have to share, here are some of my favorite food posts:
*Ok not a food post, but want to be really impressed? How about you give up your iPhone for a month like Jenny did?
*Umm, can I come over for Memorial Day next year? 
*I love Mexican food and nearly drooled myself like a teething baby when I saw this lasagna
*My heart sings for this corn chowder
*There's nothing wrong with pregnancy if I can eat this pasta every day. 
*Need another reason to buy Girl Scout Cookies? How about these cupcakes?
*This pork makes my Miami girl heart sing.
Jenny @ Rainy Day Gal

Here are her answers: 

1. One ugly truth about motherhood. You will never feel like you’re doing a good enough job. We want the very best for our kids and try to provide it, but life will inevitably get in the way and muck up our best-laid plans. You can sign them up for every Kindermusic class, take them to every museum, and watch every morsel of food that passes their lips. But at the end of the day it’s about what you think is perfect. There is no grading scale for motherhood---you just do what you think is the right thing. Because we want so many great things for our kids, we’ll never feel adequate. And sometimes, keeping your sanity means skipping the Science Center and letting your kid run around with an ice cream cone in the backyard. It’s a balance between giving everything to them and reserving a little piece for you.

2. What does motherhood mean to you? I’m going to be corny and throw out quote here. Elizabeth Stone said that motherhood “is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body.” My cousin wrote this on a card for me when Lucy was born and I keep it hanging in her room. She’s spot on---from the moment that little darling is born, you don’t exist as you did before. Part of you resides in another person. So really, motherhood means everything to me. Lucy is everything to me.

My husband and I sometimes get in a playful battle of “who do you love more---me or our daughter?” and we both understand that we love her more. Sure, we love each other immensely, but the love you have for a child is unlike any other love you’ll ever have. If she died, we would die. It’s part of why motherhood is all-consuming: it’s scary to have your heart be “walking around outside your body.” You’re worried about it constantly.

3. How has motherhood empowered you? The mess of it all has been very empowering. You quickly realize that you can’t control everything and learn to go where the day takes you. Pre-Lucy, I was a planner from head to toe. A neat freak. A scheduler and a saver. But now I’ve learned to accept the mess and just enjoy it. Your house can be spotless and dinner can be on the table on time, but did you play with your kids? I’ve learned to relax, and I’ve never been as comfortable in my own skin. 

Jenny @ Rainy Day Gal
Thanks Jenny for sharing a part of your world with us. More than anything though, thank you for sharing your post on things you never thought you would do...until you became a parent. That is, hands down, the best parenting post I have ever seen in my life. Period.
Jenny @ Rainy Day Gal
Project Empowering Motherhood is an ongoing series in celebration and honor of Cati's 6 months. For my responses to the questions and more about the series, go HERE. To read Jenn, Melisa, Esther, and Andrea's answers, go HERE. If you are interested in participating and being featured on the blog send your answers to the three questions to steppystar@aol.com.

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