The two of them came to my makeshift sick bed in the living room to wake me because HRG had been asking for his morning breastfeeding for a while. This time, instead of trying to squeeze him in, I went back with them to our bed. We all lay down, he breastfed and the two adults dozed off. HRG had been asleep for twelve hours already after all, while the two of us had only had six and three hours.

When he was done, he started playing with us. Tapping me on the shoulder, tickling Cameron’s nose… waking us up, in other words. We asked and pleaded with him to lay down and sleep with us for another few minutes but he wasn’t having any of it. He was ready to get up. At moments like this, I regret not having his own room with a baby gate set up. It would be easy to ‘lock’ him up in there and get a few more winks in. We’re not usually asleep at the same time though… Cameron tends to be an early riser while I tend to stay up later. So, it usually works out okay but not today.

Finally, we started accepting that we were all up. We tickled, played pretend, talked on the pillow and then HRG got up to get a book. When he came back, Cameron and I were talking so he not so gently put the book down on his father’s face. We both frowned, and asked him to stop doing that, explaining that it wasn’t pleasant for the person under the book. He sorta nodded and then kept turning the pages, with half the book resting on his father’s face. So I repeated that it was not okay, and then I took the book from him. So, he lashed out with a fist and hit his dad in the face.

And there it was. The hitting factor. Again. Out of nowhere and seemingly with no provocation. I just don’t understand how to get him to understand that it’s not okay. It probably doesn’t help that our reactions to it vary. It probably doesn’t help that I’ve tried everything I can think of. Mostly, I gently restrain him if necessary but usually I just sit down beside him, look him straight in the eye and tell him that I’m not okay with it. I ask the person he’s hit if they’re alright. I ask him why he hit. Usually he doesn’t have an answer. Lately, he’s started looking sad. Today, he said, ‘because…’ and he told me why. Then he said, ‘I’m going to check on daddy. I want to apologise’. My little boy is growing up, and I guess the hitting factor is just a phase of it.

I know. You’re excited. Another list of random stuff. Yay! HA!!

11. I like circles. Always have. I dream of living in a round house, with a round courtyard in the middle. Preferably with a baobab tree growing right through it.

10. It was my son’s birthday last week. His second. My son is two! TWO!

09. Without someone to reign me in, I get all lost in the dream of planning things sometimes and forget about the practical aspects- like how long it’ll take to make a letter C out of wood and then wrap fabric around it. It looks even cooler than it sounds. Promise. It always amuses me that although Cameron and I are both artists, he is so much more of a planner and measurer than I am (and thank goodness!!). If it were up to me, we’d just make it all up as we go along. And wind up with a lot of sticky fabric. But hey- we’d get to peel glue off our hands, and that is ALWAYS fun!! Seriously… Oh. You never thought that was fun? I did!!

08. I think peeling glue off your hands is fun. Hahaha. Seriously, it’s like peeling skin after a sunburn. Without the pain. Hahaha.

07. My friend Kirsty is coming to visit me from Australia and I can barely contain my excitement. SO excited.

06. Birthday parties for toddlers are bedlam. Fun, hilarious, loving bedlam.

05. I miss my family and friends all over the world.

04. Drawing with crayons is making a comeback in my life, thanks to a certain toddler.

03. One of my favourite things to do with my family is make art. We paint, draw, sculpt, collage… sewing, knitting and découpage are next!

02. My soulsisterfriend Karima, asked me if it’s light and love in my house, 24/7. I have to say, that it really is. All the time. Bless.

01. It’s light and love out in the world too. We just have to open our hearts and eyes to it.

My friend and SOAR sister, Stephanie, is leading Team 1 on the Clean Start Challenge. Please vote for her team as they explore ways we can turn our passions into our work so they can win $10,000 for their charity, Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE). How awesome is that? You know you want to!!

On her team page you’ll see video posts of Stephanie as she worked on the team purpose and refined their goal. Watch her interview The Go To Mom Kimberley Clayton Blaine and Karen Walrond of Chookooloonks. Always amazing to hear from people creating and doing what they love. So powerful and inspiring.   (In fact, I’m excited to say that you can expect some more interviews right here.)

So. Let me start off by sharing a little about Stephanie with you.

AD: How did you become involved with LifeTimeMoms?
SE: I was actually introduced and invited to join Lifetime Moms through Jessica Smith. She asked me to be her co-channel leader! She had to leave, however, so I took on the role of Channel Leader for the Digital Channel but she WILL be back, joining me again as a co-channel leader soon. I had admired her blog for awhile and she created a skype chat room/course for people interested in blogging that I was a part of. It was probably about 3 years ago. What’s funny is that I started writing scripts when I was in high-school and actually would watch Liftime movies hoping to eventually write a script for the network. So its kinda ironic that I’m working for Lifetime now!

AD: Wow! So, by day you’re a techie… right? And by night, a blogger. Not to mention a wife and mother to two kids… and PHOTOGRAPHER of course.
SE: Yes. Basically. I’m a web producer by day then at night, after the kids go to bed I manage my blog, online store, my lifetime articles… and photography, yes.

AD: pheh-yewww! That sounds rough and full. How and why did you get started in blogging and in photography?
SE: Well, I actually went to journalism school and recieved my degree in PR, but prior to that I was a screenwriting hobbyist. So I always enjoyed writing. When I launched my first store it was suggested I start a blog to help promote the business and so I did and then just couldn’t stop writing…

As far as photography goes, my father is a photographer so I’ve been around cameras for as long as I can remember. My Dad bought me my first SLR when I was in high school and I took a few classes in college. I actually wanted to go to photography school but elected not to when people suggested I find something more “secure”. So photography went on the back burner until I had kids. I was desperately trying to get those dreamy/ creamy backgrounds in my pictures of the kids with a point and shoot and when I realized I couldn’t I bought a DSLR and again haven’t been able to put it down.

AD: It’s so awesome to hear more about your story!! What happened to that first SLR?
SE: The kids use it as a prop for my pics!

AD: Hahaha! Does it still work?
SE: I think so but I haven’t bought film in ages.

AD: Grrrrlllllll!! Get some film!
SE: Hahahaha! It’s a Minolta. It’s funny ‘cos the kids always try and look on the back of it to preview the pictures.

You know what? I’m realizing now that my event title Reinventing your Dreams really applies to me. Everything I am doing now is what I always wanted to do but was too scared to try back then.

AD: Okay. So… tell me ALL the details about your event! When, where, who, what, why?
SE: Okay so the event took place last Tuesday March 1st on my Dad’s b-day. It was at Giggles N Hugs which is a family owned business that provides really good food and play space for the kids and free wi-fi for those that are interested. I invited 4 speakers:

Sarah Shaw

Ciaran Blumenfeld

Carley Knoblock

Stephanie Piche

My concept was to have a networking mixer with speakers that would allow time for people to network. What I was hoping for was to allow people to share what their talents are and what they want to do in the hopes that people would be able to exchange services… For example a web designer might meet a copywriter and swap services. That was my dream. It didn’t turn out quite that way… the location was louder then I wanted it to be so networking was complicated. The location was overbooked and an entertainer came to sing and play intstruments for a group of twins and triplets! So in the end it was the speakers talking, with a little networking, I think people still left with information but my idea was a little bigger.

So. Apart from loving how awesome Stephanie herself is as well as the project she worked on, I have another reason for voting for her team. I think the team purpose is an important one… especially when I consider how people who are doing what they love, tend to be happier than those who are unsatisfied. And happiness is something worth spreading and modeling. Especially to our children.   Like it has been said before- having work that you love definitely makes the time spent away from your loves, more worthwhile.

It’s challenging and thrilling in ways that improve me as a person and leave me exhausted but further impassioned. It’s something I definitely want my kids to see me experience so they can learn/teach along with me. Not that I have kidS yet but we’ll get there. Right now Chésaweh and I are figuring out how to make this work for both of us. It’s exciting to consider how beneficial it would be to connect with other entrepreneurs about this. And ask how they balance it all… children, life, work!

Want to learn what happened at the event Stephanie planned? Go here! That’s where the below shot is from. And then go vote… bonus is you can then enter the sweepstakes! Who couldn’t use an extra dollar or two, am I right?

from: bizziemommy.com

Stephanie, my friend, I am so grateful for a little more insight into your life and work. Thanks so much for agreeing to this little interview. You are always so fun and sweet to connect with. I’m definitely voting for you because I also love that you have such great ambitions and I have no doubts that you’ll get there! Can’t wait to hear more about what you get up to and create. I hope that you, my dear reader, will join me in voting for Stephanie’s team!

11. I really like these shoes. They’re pretty.

10. I found this article (illustrating the first year of mother and baby development) absolutely fascinating.

09. Do you have a bucket list? I’ve written one of these every few years since I was a teenager, and I love coming across an old one and seeing how many I get to cross off. For me, there’s something powerful about writing down my goals, plans, intentions, dreams. How about you? I have a 111 in 1111 list I made this year. It started as a 101 in 1001 but being as corny as I am I figured I ought to take inspiration from it being 2011. Hey, it makes sense to me!

08. I’m exhausted lately. And completely overwhelmed. My dearest friend reminded me the other day that I could just keep putting one foot in front of the other until I get where I’m going. I’m giving that a shot.

07. The painting. Well. There are two paintings actually but I’ve found a frame for one and not the other. Only… Cameron doesn’t agree with my choice of frame so… I’m considering whether I want to change it or not. Once I decide, I’ll shoot the paintings and post them. By then, I may have more paintings…. feeling very pulled towards doing a self-portrait lately. Just have to find my other brushes and my oil paints.

06. I finished unpacking my books! Woohooo!! It’s only taken, what?, seven or eight months! Ha!!

05. The office is not finished. I was hoping I could get it all set up in Feb but no go. I’m pushing on with it though and will post before/after pics as soon as it’s done.

04. My little boy is turning two at the end of this month. Gah! Two!! You’ll be seeing a lot of him on the blog this month. So… no different than usual, right?

03. At some point, I will stop with this lists and just write something. Really. I will. For the moment, I’m finding it soothing. Yes. I just said that lists soothe me. I’m not ashamed of being a nerd.

02. My friend, Stephanie Elie, entered Clean Start Challenge 2011 and needs your votes to win $10,000 for her charity! More on that soon.

01. Thank you, thank you, thank you! For reading this blog and leaving your thoughts. For participating in my feedback poll. For connecting with me on Facebook and Twitter. For supporting my March for Babies. My heart is full.

Just…

overwhelmed

slammed

happy

scared

evoked

worried

relieved

grateful

excited

thrilled

overwhelmed

That’s all.

10. Well. I’m learning that I need to schedule a lot more posts so that they’re just ready to go. Because if not, then long silences happen. Which may not be bothering anyone but me, but they are bothering me. So. Here I am, scheduling some. Hopefully there won’t be any significant silence for a bit!!

09. I’m so excited to be talking to a few prospective clients about amazing projects- a birth, a newborn session, family portraits, senior center portraits and a wedding. Covering all grounds. You know how we do. Plus, I have lots of sessions from last year to blog still. So, there is lots coming. If you know someone getting married, having a baby, or wanting to mark this point in their lives for whatever reason, give me a shout. You know I’d love to meet them!

08. Did you have an awesome Valentine’s Day? How did you celebrate love btw? I had great plans but in the end I just wound up spending the day with my boy, with lots of cuddling since we were both feeling a little poorly. Then Cameron came home from work and we cuddled with him too. We’ll bake those strawberries & cream shortbread cookies I had planned (and never got to) this week for sure though and I’ll remember to take (and post) pics. I’m excited about them!

07. I get super frustrated with the smallest problems with ‘to do’ apps. To the point that I now have my task list spread out over something like six or seven apps. Ridiculous. And totally not helpful. Really now. Tsk. For some reason I can’t find anything that I really like that’s free. Which is a total bummer because the app I’m in love with? Costs $50!! Which seems a tad excessive. What do you think?

06. My favourite colour is brown. It boggles my mind that there are SO many different shades of it and each one is gorgeous!! Plus it goes well with everything.

05. I need to get back on with my almost daily hikes. It’s been raining a lot and we’ve been on the verge of a cold so rather cocooned at home for the last little bit. It’s been lovely and cozy but also rather food centered. Fun but not sustainable. We’re back this week.

04. I’ve started journaling more often again. Karen Walrond reminded me in an interview of writing everything in one notebook instead of trying to keep a bunch of different ones for different purposes. Cameron’s recommended it in the past and I’ve tried it but fell into bad habits. Giving it another go. We’ll see how it goes.

03. I’m listening to a LOT of Bob Marley at the moment. The man is just genius. Here’s on of my absolute favourites:

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