Wow, an entire cycle of 6 weeks of posting done completely during the quarantine/isolation/stay at home thing because of COVID-19. It’s been…something. Fun some days, not so fun other days. It all depends on whether or not the Kindergartener wants to do school from home that day and whether the toddler has sufficient activities to get her through a morning where I have to teach her older brother. But I haven’t completely lost my mind. Yet. I mean, California isn’t as bad as it could be thanks to our governor and the mayor of LA county. We shut down quickly and now our county is slowly reopening. The school year,…
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To Be Like a Dolphin
Last year, or maybe the year before, my husband took us to see a film at our Natural History Museum. I don’t really remember which one it was or what it was about, but I do remember something about one type of dolphin. They live in not quite friendly waters, where the waves are large and a bit dangerous. But they thrive in it. They can be seen jumping and playing and having fun. As dangerous as their home may be, they still prefer to have fun. For a long time, I would think about them and motherhood. Being a mom isn’t easy, but, if dolphins can live with a…
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Round 2 of the Poop Stage
I’m sick and tired of this coronavirus thing; aren’t you? Right now, the only thing I like about it is that we get to spend more time together. My husband works part-time from home now and our oldest is doing home from school. It’s not always easy to coordinate meetings, classes via Zoom, work, school, and a toddler, but that toddler sure is keeping us on our toes and keeping us laughing! Me: What’s your name? Toddler: Poop. I knew it was going to happen. I knew I was going to go through the poop stage a second time. I did have a second child, after all. But it wasn’t something I…
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Finding Magic in Motherhood, Part 15: The Long Hospital Stay
If you missed Part 14, all you need to know is I unexpectedly went into preterm labor at a day shy of 35 weeks. The next 6 days were a huge blur and kind of chaotic, so, since I kind of want to preserve that memory for my kids, this next part will be a bit chaotic. While my darling newborn was under observation in the NICU, I was moved to a room that I was told was the closest to the nursery. I didn’t leave the room until the day I was discharged, though. The bleeding that comes after giving birth was supposed to taper down to something akin…
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How to Pass the Time When You’re Stuck Inside
I find it funny that, when it’s not always socially acceptable, I’d rather stay home, but, when it is socially expected, I’d rather go out. As an introvert who’d rather stick to sliding along the walls to avoid as many people as possible, staying home makes me happy. But now that I’ve been ordered to stay home, well, I don’t like being told what to do. Initially, I was going to write about how to combat isolation when you live in an apartment and have no outdoor space except a small balcony because that’s our life right now. But, other than opening up the door to the balcony and snuggling…
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The Lily Cafe Digest #9
Well, the past six weeks have been interesting. Let’s see. As soon as I came back from my week-long blogging break at the end of February, my daughter and I were involved in an unexpected, unfortunate incident that completely knocked me down for about a week or so. And then the coronavirus spread to the States and now has us all in a stranglehold. My state is under a Safer at Home order, so, other than about 3 walks, I’ve been inside for the past 3 weeks. So, yeah, fun six weeks. My best friend moved to China several years ago, so I had a bad feeling the coronavirus would…
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Guest Post: How Do You Do It With Five Kids? by Chelsea Owens
The Lily Cafe is thrilled to present a funny and honest guest post by Chelsea Owens. She is the mother of 5 boys, and somehow has time to manage 2 blogs: I Didn’t Want To Be A Mother (a mom blog) and A Wife, My Verse, and Every Little Thing (her main blog). I’ve loved her blogs for the past couple of years and have been incredibly curious about how she manages. Lucky for me she agreed to do a guest post and wrote about just that! Please do enjoy it as much as I do and be sure to follow her blogs. How Do You Do It With Five…
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Finding Magic in Motherhood, Part 13: The Final Weeks
Once my secret was out, I was able to, er, enjoy pregnancy in all its glory. Which is just the nice way of saying the constant hunger, hot flashes, back pain, and Braxton-Hicks were fun. Of course, I didn’t complain much. For one, this little boy was a gift following my miscarriage and was sorely wanted. For another, I was too busy studying for my comprehensive exams to pay much attention to being pregnant. Oh, yes, I had to take a series of 2 hour tests over 3 days while 7 months pregnant and battling forgetfulness in order to earn my Master’s Degree. My friends were my saving graces. If I hadn’t…
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The Lily Cafe Digest #8
Well, that was fast. My first blogging break of the year is here. I contemplated whether I should continue to take breaks every 6 or so weeks and decided that, yes, I should. Not only do they give me a bit of breathing space, but it gives me time to really turn my focus back to my family. Also, as an introvert, interacting with people, even if it’s over the Internet, is exhausting and I really need to recharge. The most important thing I learned I needed to do was to just take some time to pause, to stop, to come to a standstill so I can look back and…
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Finding Magic in Motherhood, Part 12: The Relief That Came From Telling My Secret
I was always afraid that, because I’m skinny and petite, I would start showing early on. I was lucky winter went on and on into March that year since my warmer, winter specific dresses tended to be looser than my summer dresses. My closet was also full of colorful scarves my mom had made me over the years, which made it easier to shift attention to my neck. Between them and my coat, no one who didn’t already know knew. Originally, I had intended on telling my classmates once I passed the 12 week mark, but, having miscarried, I was afraid I would lose this, too, if I shared my…
