MamaBlogger365 - The Power Of A Woman by Joy Rose

Last week Mindy Stokes sent me a link to an MP3 radio broadcast of her The Clothesline Project, which brings awareness and voice to the virtually taboo topic of domestic violence. Whether praising Eve Ensler's work, or citing other feisty feminists like dear ole' Gloria, one thing is clear - there is still much work to be done.

March is Women's History Month and March 8th was International Women’s Day, a time for hope, activism and personal empowerment. Since 82% of the female population will go on to have children, events like these must also mark the value and importance of mothers and the work they do.

D. Bocanegra

Exhibits like Alexia Nye Jackson’s ‘Mother The Job‘ encourage us to actively evaluate the hidden costs of parenting, and ask questions like: how do we, as a nation, provide health care, maternity leave, paid parental leave, breast feeding and childcare at the workplace? Dylan Bocanegra's work, newly mounted in the M.O.M. lobby, focuses on mother activists like Maria Shriver and Elizabeth Taylor.

Promoting the health, well-being, information, education and connection for individuals and collectives around the area of mother studies and family, benefits everyone. To that end, ongoing groups, researchers, activists, artists, thought-leaders, social change-makers, like Jill Starishevsky, write books that empower our children to know and understand the phrase 'My Body Belongs To Me'. Jill is a child abuse and sex crimes prosecutor in the Bronx, NY, and is doing her best every day to inform and educate families on their rights, and children on how to be self-aware enough to protect themselves from these crimes.

Women in business and the newly formed Women's High NETwork have been gathering at the Museum Of Motherhood (M.O.M.), in New York City each month for incubator groups focused on personal, financial and social good. This month we move to Donnetta Campbell's 'Wings Of Change' event in Stamford on the evening of March 29th. (Some seats are still available if you want to mingle with a business-savvy, movers and shakers in the Connecticut/New York area). I'll even be speaking that day, on the subject of the 'Value Of A Woman' in the afternoon.

D. Whitefield

At the M.O.M. space we talk about hyper-local activism, working with people like owner/Gymboree Franchisee, Debra Whitefield and Barry Hanson, about the importance of exercise and body-arts awareness from a young age. Their commitment to teaching children how to interact through healthful activities reverberates throughout communities in Manhattan, Long Island and more. Their model for engagement permeates the museum, as children and families engage in dialogue, interactive play and education, before toddling off to the Gymboree space around the corner on First Avenue and Eighty Fourth St., where activities progress to a higher level of coordination and music-play from infancy on.

Learning to understand our bodies and minds in healthy ways from an early age, helps to empower us as adults. As we move through March and celebrate women in history, with events like Amy Simon's play 'She's History', coming to the Museum Of Motherhood Theatre on Saturday, March 31st, let's take time to acknowledge the people who are making history in their own ways, by doing good work everyday. I am personally grateful to each of them.

Joy Rose, The Media Mom, is the founder and executive director of the Museum of Motherhood.

The Museum Of Motherhood is the first and only facility of its kind, celebrating the “her”story of mothers around the world. We need your help -- please make your tax-deductible contribution today!Visit the Museum of Motherhood, NOW OPEN in NYC - Tues.-Sun., 10:45-6:30.

MamaBlogger365 - February Slips Away by Veronica Hosking

Here it is, the Monday morning before my scheduled blog post, and I have nothing written. It seems strange to have the February blues in sunny Arizona. Many people are looking forward to spring while my whole winter is spring-like. On February 2nd, do you think, six more weeks of winter? Or are you more optimistic and think, six more weeks 'til spring? This year I was happy to have all the paperwork I was busy filling out in January behind me. For most of this month I sat around reading books, cleaning house and helping with homework. There was little writing accomplished.

February 2nd not only marks Groundhog's day, it is also my mother's birthday. She turned 70 this month. I wrote her a letter and sent off the card at the end of January - no writing on the actual day. I told her Rachael has been accepted to AAEC. We have a very excited daughter, who is waiting on pins and needles for the actual confirmation letter. Then on February 14th, Valentine's Day, Shawn and I had our traditional dinner. We send the girls to their rooms early and have a quiet dinner for two. This year Shawn decided to go Greek. I think even he is feeling winter doldrums or his approaching midlife birthday, because he bought a lot of prepared foods he didn't have to cook.

As we were enjoying our souvlaki, olives, artichokes, cheese and wine, Shawn asked me what happened to his poetry. A few years ago he gave me a blank journal and added some borrowed poetry to it. Throughout the year, I added original pieces of poetry and gave it back to him the next Valentine's Day. This year the journal was in his possession. I asked him where my poetry was? And he pulled up his haiku app and composed a few haiku for me. "There's an app for that" really isn't romantic. How hard is it to count syllables? Hard - since I found out Shawn thought "Shawn" was two syllables.

February slips away. Three days after this blog posts, Shawn will celebrate his 40th birthday. For the past few years, he has been growing his hair. He keeps telling me it will fall out on its own soon enough and he wants to remember what it was like to have hair. Back over winter break, the girls and I went for haircuts. Now the only man in the house has longer hair than all the women. Years ago Shawn grew his hair long ewww... but one day he came to my house with a nice new haircut. I keep waiting for this day a second time. I really thought he would go before he had to get his new license photo, but no. If he is going to be bald, his license will make people do a double take. All is not lost though, I came up with a great dig for his birthday.

Forty is a fickle friend
Only trying to pretend
Ripe with hair
Turning bare
Youth has reached its bitter end

Veronica Hosking
http://hosking.gather.com

The Museum Of Motherhood is the first and only facility of its kind, celebrating the “her”story of mothers around the world. We need your help -- please make your tax-deductible contribution today!Visit the Museum of Motherhood, NOW OPEN in NYC - Tues.-Sun., 10:45-6:30.

Photo credit: seemann | MorgueFile

MamaBlogger365 - 2012 Change is in the Air by Veronica Hosking

The girls had two full weeks off for winter break. They returned to school for the second half of the 2011/12 school year on the 9th. At the end of the week, both brought home their second quarter report cards. Gretchen got an A+ in math and B's in the other subjects. Rachael brought home the requirements for 8th graders to move up to 9th, and I told her, "You may have a hard time getting promoted when you keep bringing home straight A's." ;)

This year is full of change for our family. Next month my husband will be celebrating his 40th birthday. Then in May both girls will be promoted. Gretchen will finish 5th grade and be moving up to the middle school. Rachael will finish 8th grade and move up to high school. Mom was feeling a little left out of all these changes, nothing new was on my horizon. Then I found an opportunity to apply for a summer residency in poetry. Since the girls started back up at school, Mom has been busy writing her proposal and polishing her portfolio.

Now with my part of the application process complete, I am left waiting to see if I'll be going down to Tucson sometime over the summer. Of course, I'm not just sitting here twiddling my thumbs. I have a 40th birthday party to plan and then there is the celebration at the end of the school year to work out. As both girls do very well in school and moving up to a new school is exciting, we want to show the girls how proud we are of their hard work.

The beginning of a new year is filled with expectation. 2012 marks memorable life changes for my family. I hope they prove to be positive experiences we will cherish.

Veronica Hosking
http://hosking.gather.com

The Museum Of Motherhood is the first and only facility of its kind, celebrating the “her”story of mothers around the world. We need your help -- please make your tax-deductible contribution today!Visit the Museum of Motherhood, NOW OPEN in NYC - Tues.-Sun., 10:45-6:30.

Photo credit: xololounge | MorgueFile

MamaBlogger365 - A Fan Letter to My Children by Kate Fineske

I want you to know, I AM your biggest fan.

Without fail.

It may not always seem this way. But I promise you I am.

Sometimes it's obvious.

For example... when I'm jumping up and down at your soccer game screaming, "YES!-You've-got-it!-That's-it!-You're-almost-THERE!"

Or when I'm shouting "go-Go-GO!" at the edge of the pool during a swim meet (even though it is evident you can't hear me as you quickly glide, OR slowly struggle - it doesn't matter! - across the water.)

Occasionally, you might feel my stalker-ish-like obsession as I am s-l-o-w-l-y sneaking by your classroom door at school. (So I can be sure to proudly catch a glimpse of you in action and maybe get a chance to throw out a subtle wave hello!)

I assure you, it's true! I AM most definitely and without fail, your biggest fan.

Click here to read more!

Our Year-End Giving Campaign is going on NOW! The Museum Of Motherhood is the first and only facility of its kind, celebrating the “her”story of mothers around the world. We need your help -- please make your tax-deductible contribution today!

Visit the Museum of Motherhood NOW OPEN in NYC - Tues.-Sun., 10:45-6:30

MamaBlogger365 - What are your holiday “Rituals”? by Lowry Manders

Lowry Manders' gift to all of us is her special Friday series on connecting with our families during the holiday season.

I teach a parenting class on “Using the 3 R’s: Routine, Rituals, and Repetition” for creating brain and family connections. This is a great time of year to make your own family rituals, re-use some from your childhood, or use ours! While the goal of routine for kids is providing consistency, and therefore a sense of security, rituals are all about making authentic connections as you go about your routines. In a religious setting, rituals turn the ordinary into the sacred (crackers into the “body of Christ”, water into the power of the “Holy Spirit”).

In our everyday lives, rituals also help to usher in sacred moments out of ordinary ones. They do this by connecting us with the spirit of another person through touch, through laughter, through song, through play. And what I learn over and over about the power of rituals is that they are not only good for the kids, they are good for me. They help me to see my kids in a positive light. They foster warm and fuzzy feelings. They give us “good things” at the end of the day.

 I’d like to share with you some of the holiday “rituals” my family enjoys: simple traditions that connect us as a family, everyday things you can do to create meaningful moments in your daily routine this time of year. These are things you can do to re-connect even when things are “breaking down” with the \”Count-down\” list The carriage ride got cancelled, the cookies burned, the kids are fighting over the wrapping paper! But it’s not too late to connect...


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Support MamaBlogger365 and help the Museum of Motherhood secure a permanent home in 2011! Our end-of-year giving campaign is going on NOW! Visit our Members page to learn more.


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NOW OPEN in NYC - Tues.-Sun., 10:45-6:30

MamaBlogger365 - Holiday “Check-Up”: Tips for a Stress-Free Season by Lowry Manders

Ellie loves to arrange the holiday window gels /
 © Lowry Manders, all rights reserved.

We're grateful to Lowry Manders for the gift of her special every-Friday holiday series! Read on to make the most of this time of year with your family!


Time for your Holiday “Check-Up”! Are you surviving? Are your children surviving? Does it feel like:

a) The most “wonderful” time of the year? (Are you just GLOWING in the magic and wonder and Christmas lights, the warmth of family and friends? Good for you.)

b) The most stressful, chaotic time of the year? (Is the extra pressure causing you to get a little “Grinch-y”, snapping at your children and loved ones?) or is it…

c) The most depressing time of the year for you? (Does all the cheer and jolliness just accentuate some loss or broken relationship, some wounded, empty place in your heart?)

My guess is, your answer might be: d) all of the above. It’s normal to experience some combination of these emotions, depending on the day, on they year, on your sleep status, on your cycle! During the holiday season, it strikes me that our society bombards us with an impossible juxtaposition of expectations, especially if you are a mom. We are expected to provide and create Norman Rockwell-like meaningful moments with our loved ones, especially our children, in an effort to achieve option “a”, even while checking off an enormous to-do list amidst the “hustle and bustle”. Or do we expect this of ourselves?

Click here to read more!


Support MamaBlogger365 and help the Museum of Motherhood secure a permanent home in 2011! Our end-of-year giving campaign is going on NOW! Visit our Members page to learn more.


Visit the Museum of Motherhood
NOW OPEN in NYC - Tues.-Sun., 10:45-6:30

MamaBlogger365 - Counting to Christmas: 25 Ways to Count Down with your Kids! by Lowry Manders

Christmas-time is about being together. It’s about simple joys. And for children, it’s about PRESENTS! (Oops, did I say “presents”? I meant MAGIC! As parents, it’s our job to make in NOT just about presents.)

Really, Christmas, in many ways, is a reminder of how LIFE should be, not just a 25-day period. But, while it’s here, you might as well practice making magical, meaningful moments every day because... they do grow up so fast, just like we did. Don’t you remember the magic and wonder? I do.

I remember some of the presents (like the remote-control blimp that got caught by a wind and blown to Mexico on it’s maiden voyage, and the Cabbage Patch kid that my parents had my uncle in Mississippi stand in line for because they were all sold out in Texas), but most of my memories are of being with my family and doing special things together. One of the “rituals” our family started last year is “Counting to Christmas“, starting on December 1st.

This ritual was inspired in part by one of our favorite books, Counting To Christmas by Nancy Tafuri (read about it and 14 other faves in my post, 15 Great Christmas Books for Kids). It was also inspired by the tradition of our former apartment neighbors, a dear German family. They hang 25 small wrapped gifts from a pulley in the living room for each child, and they lower it every day to receive a small gift, helping to cut-down on the BIG expectations for the 25th day.

We mix it up. Some days it’s a family outing, sometimes just a dollar store gadget, sometimes a clue to indicate a special activity. My kids each have a little Christmas tin box to open every day with the gift or clue inside, and on the box I tape the number to help build the anticipation. (Or you could put the clue in the number pocket of the Advent calendar.) Each morning (or evening), as I present it to them, we sing “We Three Kings… bearing gifts… ”

Do what works for you, but be intentional about including time together, time doing things for others, and time enjoying simple pleasures, like reading a new Christmas book or gazing at the tree together. Here are some ideas to get your juices flowing…

Click here to read more!

Support MamaBlogger365 and help the Museum of Motherhood secure a permanent home in 2011! Your tax-deductible donation in ANY amount will help us make our autumn POP-UP exhibit in NYC a permanent reality - visit our Members page to learn more.



Visit the Museum of Motherhood

NOW OPEN in NYC - Tues.-Sun., 10:45-6:30

MamaBlogger365 - Summer Slides Into Fall by Shira Adler, Diva Mama

For those of you following my recent blog posts, you might have noticed there have been more than a few weeks of “not-so-good” topics: from the loss of my grandfather to last weekʼs hurricane, itʼs been a hard summer -- and itʼs been difficult to ind moments to put in the “good” pile against the plethora of life challenges Iʼve faced in recent weeks. Iʼm even referring to those topics Iʼve not been able to blog about yet because the subject-matter is still a bit too “hot” -- stay tuned for those -- I assure you, you wonʼt wanna miss out!

Thankfully, a much-needed “good” came this past weekend -- where once again I got to work as Cantor-in-Residence during the final family camp session at Camp Nah-Jee-Wah in Milford, PA.

Click here to read more!

Support MamaBlogger365 and help the Museum of Motherhood secure a permanent home in 2011! Your tax-deductible donation in ANY amount will help us make our September POP-UP exhibit in NYC a permanent reality - visit our Members page to learn more.

M.O.M. is now OPEN in NYC! Visit us -- MuseumOfMotherhood.org for details!

MamaBlogger365 - Children Around the World by Aiya Art

© Aiya Art; all rights reserved

Click here to view this week's full online art exhibit!

Support MamaBlogger365 and help the Museum of Motherhood secure a permanent home in 2011! Your tax-deductible donation in ANY amount will help us make our September POP-UP exhibit in NYC a permanent reality - visit our Members page to learn more.

MamaBlogger365 - The Guilt Complex by Dorothy Sue Laqua

Two of our sons and I had a conversation about my divorce and remarriage to another man. When my first husband divorced me, I remarried within eight months to a neighbor man. I had four children and he accepted them all. The marriage was good for the first five years, but shortly before his mother died he became violent. It was almost overnight that I became the target of his obsession and the children became targets also. Within eight months after the first strike and pulled gun. I and the children left him and went into hiding for an entire year. Read more...

MamaBlogger365 needs you! Tell us how you're re-framing motherhood and help the Museum of Motherhood secure a permanent home in 2011!

Photo credit: Waiting by Kim Newberg

MamaBlogger365 - Happy F%$ing Mother's Day by Shira Adler, Diva Mama

In my regular Mama role I sometimes have the opportunity to enjoy all the trappings motherhood can bestow. Today, Mother’s Day, was especially bittersweet as you’ll soon see, but I did somehow manage to still spend the day with one of my children and my adoring partner, eating a beautiful brunch, hobnobbing with freshly shorn sheep at the local working farm (which kicked off its seasonal Sunday farmer’s market in style), and journeying to a newly constructed Home Depot for some much-needed bungee cords.

As I sit in my office tonight, I’m reminded that the little things in our daily existence -- those moments we covet because they are often beautiful in their simplicity -- sometimes can’t fully dull the senses of the big things that often reach out from our life experience and horse collar us to the ground. Full body emotional take downs are often devastating, almost always unpleasant, and are not the kind of thing you can prepare for until they happen to you. The life-lessons that almost always accompany such acts of God are often good, but it’s the getting there that’s the hard part. Read more...

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Photo credit: Pale Pink Flower by Yana Ray

MamaBlogger365 - Metamorphosis of Motherhood, FeMail Online Art Exhibit by Suzi Banks Baum and Karen Arp-Sandel

Solitude, Sorrow and the Sacred Well

© Karen Arp-Sandel, all rights reserved

Motherhood is so often about the bittersweet sensation of separation and even loss. We give birth to children and they grow up, spread their wings, and fly. We are children ourselves and just when life is running smoothly, a parent gets seriously ill or passes away before we are ready. These are the milestones experienced by humans. I wonder if they are differently experienced by women, by mothers? The transformation of our mothering as we move through time traces deep tracks of joy and grief in to our souls. We have hoped and prayed, celebrated and wept over our parents and our children. And we stand strong with and for them as they create the future.

View this week's complete exhibit at the Museum Of Motherhood blog.

Come to FeMailArt.com to view an online gallery and discussion of the mail art collaboration between Karen Arp-Sandel and Suzi Banks Baum. You can also see more about this exhibit at MotherhoodMuseum.org.

MamaBlogger365 needs you! Tell us how you're re-framing motherhood and help the Museum of Motherhood secure a permanent home in 2011!

MamaBlogger365 - What Are Some of the Greatest Issues Facing Mothers? by Dorothy (Sue) Laqua

How much of what you teach your child comes from your actions? Dorothy (Sue) Laqua is today's MamaBlogger365 for Museum of Motherhood. read more

MamaBlogger365 needs you! Tell us how you're re-framing motherhood and help the Museum of Motherhood secure a permanent home in 2011!

Photo credit gracey|MorgueFile

MamaBlogger365 - Healthy Viewing Choices for Your Children by Diane Lang

We never had as much opportunity to get lost in front of a television, computer, iPod, cell phone, etc., when we were kids, did we? Our moms didn't have to wrestle with technology the way we do; so how do we re-frame our approach and strike a balance we can all live with? Never fear, Diane Lang's here to help! read more

MamaBlogger365 needs you! Tell us how you're re-framing motherhood and help the Museum of Motherhood secure a permanent home in 2011!

Photo credit jdurham | MorgueFile