For Mother's Day, my mom gave me this book called The Preschooler's Busy Book. I'm about halfway through it and it does have some fun activities and great rainy day suggestions. But what I love more than all of the ideas is a quote that the author includes.
"To be a good housewife and mother, you have to be more self-generated. You have to create your own playground of the imagination, and the mind. To be a really good creative mother you have to be an extraordinary woman. You have to keep yourself involved with your child during great periods of the day when it's just the two of you and you feel that at any moment you may literally go out of your mind." -Meryl Streep
Just makes me feel better to know that someone as refined as Meryl Streep shares the same struggles as a frazzled Idaho housewife!
I do need to blog about Claire's last few days. She has gone wild and has been exploring the boundaries of the pre-terrible twos in the most hilarious ways. But I have 6 loads of laundry waiting for me (said laundry is now strewn about the living room having been thoroughly smashed and leaped upon before we made it out the door for preschool), so I will vow to post again tomorrow and head off to make sense of my laundry tornado.
7 comments:
I think you are an extraordinary woman so you must be a great mom too! I enjoy that quote as well. I am anxious to hear abut Claires misbehaving too.
I meant about.
Vow to post tomorrow? Time just has a way of disappearing.
I love the way you write I can hear you talking in your voice.
Meryl Streep has some good advice in between the lines. Live in the moment.
Hmmm...I disagree. Looking back I find that it was WAY easier to be creative when it was just "the TWO of us" alone all day long. In fact, I had nothing better to do than think of fun things to do. There was little laundry, barely any dishes, no housework to speak of, no conflicting nap schedules keeping me from spontaneous walks or trips to the park, no sibling rivalry, no sibling fight club being organized behind my back, no kids-in-three-directions-at-once (one or two of which happen to be life-threatening directions...which way do you choose?), no fixing five different lunches because no one likes the same thing, etc. However, now that it's just the FOUR of us, it is impossible, I'm convinced, to be creative and not go insane! It's just not going to happen. There is not enough creativity in the civilized world. Thank goodness for PBS - that's all I have to say. Well, I guess I have more to say. I'm sure Meryl had the best of intentions...I know, I know...she was just trying to give a little "shout out" to the real mothers out there. I'm just feeling a little pessimistic tonight. Some other day I'll feel all warm and fuzzy over Meryl. Looking forward to your next post, though!
Oh Andrea! How I love your perspective on things. I totally interpreted the quote in a different way. Perhaps it was my state of mind, but I took it to mean she was creating a playground of the imagination in her mind to get through the madness of child-rearing. For instance, I might be in the middle of yet another Princess tea party, but my mind has me on a remote beach on some tropical island where there is always ample time to shower and dishes wash themselves. I totally get the quote from your perspective and if you look at it like that, I would have to agree with you!
still waiting...and I think that even though a play date may be dangerous, the laughs gained will be worth it!
OOOooh, I like your interpretation better than mine! I would have never thought of it like that, but now...that'll be my escape! Can't wait to see your thunderstorm pictures! Oh, and happy anniversary the other day!
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