She's baaaaaaaaaaaaack.... Today was my first day back at work. I'm working from home full-time for a month, with Sophie right next to me. We're still adjusting to the new schedule, but so far, so good....I think. I will totally miss those afternoon strolls in the part with Sophie though... maybe when it gets nicer I can take her for a quick spin at lunchtime. Right now she is staring raptly at one of these patterns... they're not kidding about babies really loving black and white. She's getting frustrated that she can't eat it.

Almost famous Yesterday found me and Sophie in the park, with a book, the sketchbook, bubbles, and a frozen York Peppermint Pattie. The drive around the park was ringed with trailers and official-looking crew members, and I realized it's that time of year again -- when they film Ed in our town. (Right in the opening credits, at the very end, when the car pulls out of the park and drives down the street and you can see the Windmill -- if the car took that first left sidestreet they'd be on my block. Most of the credits were filmed here.) So there they are in the park -- my chalking park -- and I keep walking around the loop, hoping I'll be spotted. "Hey! That girl over there.. the one with the purple hat and the adorable baby... she's exactly what we need for this next scene!" Alas, it was not meant to be. We sat a bench by the gazebo and waited for a glimpse of someone famous. All I saw was that they had changed the sign from "Mindowaskin Park" to "Stuckeyville Park." The incredible shrinking woman At last! I can finally wear my wedding ring again! And every Monday I try on my jeans... the good news is I can button and zip up my largest pair now. I can't sit down or breathe, but dang! I'm lookin' good! ;)

Guess who's one month old today?

At last, she paints I am really loving and cherishing my last days off with Sophie. I can hardly believe she will be one month old tomorrow! The past couple of days have been just wonderful; my mornings were spent painting. Yes, I said painting. Painting painting painting painting painting. I missed it so much, and now I actually have the energy to do it and a hubby who'll watch the baby so I can do it. I did a postcard for the YES! project and lots of teeny little illustrations for a gift I'm working on. The bare necessities I took Sophie to the park yesterday and sketched and journaled in the sun with her. There's a reason they make humongous pockets on strollers! We will be filling some of them with the necessities: a sketchbook, bubbles, and chalk. And today's walk may even include stopping by the local photo shop to see about turning my art into posters. Woo hoo!

Life is good I took a bath tonight and was away from Sophie for about 45 minutes. As soon as I came downstairs she woke up and started to wiggle, and I realized I missed her and was so deep-down happy to see her again I had to run over and smooch her. Sometimes I just fall in love with her all over again. Who can turn a can into a cane?* Hooray for the internet! I've finally figured out what it's for: a resource to look up the lyrics for all the Sesame Street and Electric Company songs I can't fully recall. We have a binder in Sophia's room with lots of song lyrics in it (naturally!) for inspiration, so many printouts from this page will be in there. Thank God I found it, because I couldn't for the life of me remember what the Alligator King's fourth son gave him. *It's elementary for Silent E....

Pray hard, and get out that chalk. I am deliberately not watching the news. What I'm doing is praying. Praying for peace, praying for our servicemen and women, praying for the women in Baghdad having c-sections so they don't have to worry about going into labor during a bombing, praying for Bush. I've been mostly praying that the world is going to be a safe place for Sophia to grow up in. We match! And now, to make you smile, it's me and Sophie in our matching knitting projects. Many more pictures of the cinnabun to come soon. She likes to sit on my lap as I work (like right now).

Sophie pays a social call Today we took Sophia to work to meet the gang. In about another week, I start work again. Wow. Needless to say, everyone was enchanted with her, although she refused to wake up, only opening one eye periodically to see if all those people were still there looking at her (and they were). Her life is so tough. Faeries aplenty There's a new batch of artwork up in the French Toast Girl gallery... all about faeries. Go take a peek. I'm hoping to turn these into something... a calendar, prints... something. Ideas?

Not that energetic It may seem like I have all this creative energy, but I don't. I don't really have any energy. This is self-preservation. I have to do things that are not baby-related so that I remember who the heck I am. Don't get me wrong: I love Sophia madly and I am thrilled beyond all telling that she is a part of my life. But there needs to be some time for Elena, the artist, in there too. If it's five minutes here and there spent gathering resources or posting artwork, then I have to make the most of the five minutes I've got. They'll add up to something... that's why they're baby steps. Who knew? This is the latest diet: you eat everything with chopsticks. My dad has been on this diet since the Korean War. No joke; he eats everything with chopsticks, even Jello. It's something to see. When we were little he even made us sets of training chopsticks so we could learn, too. Painting for America Michelle Abeyta is doing something neat: "a series of patriotic paintings to show support to the men and women who are doing their jobs and protecting our lives." Check her out and show her some support if you can. I agree with her: it's not about the war or no war, it's about supporting the people who are putting their lives on the line.

On the quest for Harmony I've been trying to take baby steps to do something creative every day. This week I finished knitting Snowflake's hat, had a photo shoot with Sophia, looked up places to submit my website to (if you know of any, please let me know), read SwirlyGirl's manifesto on starting a line of greeting cards, and submitted a little something to both O and Be Real Magazines. It's a start.

Sophie travels! We took Sophie to the park twice this weekend to take advantage of the gorgeous, non-March-like weather. Her first outings! We took pictures and video and met our newest next-door neighbor, Jack, who was born March 6. (I call him Sophia's boyfriend. They were both asleep for the big meeting.) We pointed out the places where Mommy likes to chalk, the geese, the playground, the gazebo, the trees Daddy's studio has planted there. As we arrived home we saw that the first little shoots of daffodils and crocuses were starting to poke their way up through the earth. Spring is arriving, and my heart is full to overflowing. Life is pretty darn good. Exhausting, but good. Having a moment... Songs that make mommy cry when she sings them to Sophie:

Isn't She Lovely

Goodnight, My Angel

Poor Sweet Baby (from the musical "Snoopy")

I want:

to have my wedding ring fit my finger again

to post new artwork to my website

to paint something, anything

to go chalking

to finish my latest knitting project

to have all the time in the world and then some to spend with sweet little Sophia and her marvelous Daddy

to be patient and trust that all this will come in time

It's Lent, and I haven't felt very Lent-like. I feel like it's Easter right now, like it's Spring, like there's Good News all over my heart and everywhere. So instead of giving something up, I'm doing something: renewing my prayer life. Oddly enough, I really like doing meditations from this book right after Sophie's 3am feeding. It's peacefuly silent in the house and it gives me something deep to think about as I drift off to sleep. The other morning the question was "When was the last time you helped someone in need?" And I'm ashamed to say I really couldn't recall. Paul's studio did a clothing and food drive in December, but I've been so wrapped up in babyland I couldn't think about much else. And then that very evening, I found this: a discussion on crafting for charity. I've been thinking of starting a knitting circle with my Cornerstone group; we could each make a square and put them together for a blanket or make newborn caps for hospitals. Was I meant to find that particular article on that particular day? Heck yeah. That's synchronicity at work.

In today's news: "House cafeterias change names for 'french fries' and 'french toast': Move reflects anger over France's stance on Iraq" I am one of the most peace-loving people you will ever meet, but okay, come on. Freedom Toast Girl? Give me a break. Don't these people have anything better to do?

Move over, Aretha! There's a new diva in town... go check out her pictures here. ps ~ Could somebody send me real mail? I just opened up my email from the past week and got 86 messages, of which most were spam, some were using my email address to send spam and needed to get reported, and about two were from lists I actually subscribe to. It's a little depressing.