Keeping the wheels turning

My daughter Kate is almost 8 months old. Before she was born I worried quite a bit about how to keep my brain in full function while staying home with her. I thought I'd be bored and thought I'd become...invisible. I was so wrong in so many ways. First- raising this little child has taken every amount of creativity, patience, stamina, and strength that my college and mission years helped me aquire. Second- the only dull moments during the day are when I'm not trying. There is a whole world here at home that I had no idea existed. I have pretty awesome neighbors that have taught me the joys of motherhood, etc. This blog is about my new life as "maman" but also about the "etc" that I know I'm supposed to be discovering. It's a weird spin zone I'm in right now- I have a lot of time to read, learn to cook, to discover my inner artist and keep up on world events, but instead I spend so much of that time playing peek-a-boo, finding new ways to show Kate old toys (I've learned you've really got to be a good salesman to be a good mom), and observing while Kate discovers trees and leaves and bugs. And tries to eat them all. All the things I thought I'd love to do are almost, almost as fun as watching her eat paper, try and rip her toys apart, and yell and coo at angels only she can see.

The title of this blog- the sentamentalist- embodies what I want this site to be about. Of course I'll write about the present with my family- but also about the past (both my own and that of others), amazing quotes from people who "get it", some spiritual spice because I think we could use a little more than we probably get, and who knows what else. The "etc" will unveil itself as we go.

So- some appetizers.

I was a European studies graduate planning on interning at the European Parliment (never to return to the states...) when I got married to my handsome best friend Zach. The plans flew out the window and I had a lot to learn about how and where to make my mark on the world. Meade MacGuire hit the nail on the head.

 “Father,where shall I work today?”
And my love flowed warm and free.
Then he pointed out a tiny spot
And said, “Tend that for me.”
I answered quickly, “Oh no, not that!
Why, no one would ever see,
No matter how well my work was done.
Not that little place for me.”
And the word he spoke, it was not stern; 
“Art thou working for them or for me?
Nazareth was a little place,
And so was Galilee.” 

I didn't realize all the background work that goes into saving the world- one kid at a time. As I'm writing this, Kate is devouring a measuring tape. I should feed my child...and how did it happen that my best friend is an 8 month girl? I love the mysteries of God. Kate can't even talk to me yet but I feel like she gets me and I get her. Most of the time. Next great poem:

"When God wants a great work done
in the world or a great wrong righted,
he goes about it in a very unusual way.
He doesn't stir up his earthquakes
or send forth his thunderbolts.
Instead, he has a helpless baby born,
perhaps in a simple home and of some obscure mother.
And then God puts the idea into the mother's heart,
and she puts it into the baby's mind.
And then God waits."
E.T. Sullivan

To be continued.