Girl power

One of my biggest frustrations with my stepdaughter, Annie*, is her tendency to give up on herself and say "I can't do it!"

She is a smart and capable 5-year-old girl. Most of the time, she CAN do it, but doesn't give herself enough time or have enough confidence to try.

This weekend, she proved me right. She rode a bike without training wheels, solo, for the first time. C. and I gave Jonah* a new bike for his birthday, so Annie was trying out his old one. Turns out, the bigger sized bike was all she needed. C. helped her at first, but then let go and she took off -- balanced perfectly!

I was so excited for her. I remember the first time I rode my bike alone -- when dad let go (ha! yes, figurative and literal in a lot of ways). I was so proud.

Watching her say, "Yes, I can" rather than "No, I can't" was huge. I know she was really proud of herself.

Also, it's a big first that I got to share with her as her stepmom. It didn't happen on mom's time -- it happened on C's and my time with the kids. It was truly a good family moment, with C., Jonah and me all cheering her on.

*names have been changed.

Creativity (part 2)

Society quashes creativity early.

My drawing instructor made a comment that children don't have to use their imaginations anymore -- everything is already done for them in video games and movies. That made me sad -- because we always think of childhood as this immensely creative and imaginative time. It was for me -- I was always putting on "plays" in the backyard, dressing up like a pioneer girl, writing poetry and making up stories for my dolls.

I really hope children haven't lost that ability entirely.

When he made that comment, it reminded me of sitting at the table with my stepkids a couple of weeks ago. C. had bought them these amazing "doodle books." They are not your average coloring books. Each page has a small drawing or two in the corner and a question that "starts" a story: What is the dog laughing at? Why is the dinosaur scared? Most of each page is a big, empty space where the kid can draw something from his or her own imagination.

Annie*, who is five, turned to a page that featured a stage outline. It was her job to create her own characters and play on the stage. She promptly drew a boy and a girl and said, "This is the prince and princess."

SIGH.

Anyone who knows me well knows that I hate the princess myth. (I also hate pink and buying shoes -- I missed a female gene somewhere.)

I hate the myth because: a) How many princesses have you ever met in real life? b) Gee, great aspiration; grow up to be pretty and sweet and wait for a man to rescue you.

(Did I mention that Annie's mom sent her to Princess Camp last summer? Gah!)

It occurs to me now, though, that I hate it for an even bigger reason. These pervasive stories that we tell our children (princesses for girls and superheroes for boys) are sending a message that these characters are the prototypes on which to base your dreams. The stories are all the same: Pretty girl gets the guy; Strong good guy beats the bad guys. There's little deviation from the original and our children start to regurgitate these stories, rather than creating their own.

C., bless him, drew a cactus on Annie's stage and said, "You know, you don't just have to repeat a story you saw in a movie. You can make your own story; maybe it's a prince, a princess and a cactus."

I said, "Ooh, and if there's a cactus, maybe they are not even a prince and princess. Maybe they are a cowboy and cowgirl."

She's a smart girl -- you could see her wheels turning after that. I hope that we can help teach both kids that they are allowed to have their own dreams, tell their own stories, create what they want to create because it comes from inside them and expresses who they are. 

Also, I hope to convey that being an average human being is much cooler than being some storybook princess or comic book hero. Average, everyday people are doing amazing things. Life is cool. Let's teach children to see that and enjoy that early.  

* Names have been changed.

Art and Creativity

I am four weeks into a drawing class. (I haven't taken a true drawing or painting class since 8th grade. I thought it would be a good way to recharge my brain.)

Each week, we have homework. We are learning to tell a story with our drawings, vary perspective and be more keen observers of the world and its details. I did last week's homework on my lunch break the other day, while sitting in Starbuck's; and I felt something I haven't felt in a long, long time -- my creative streak "surged," for lack of a better word.

It felt wonderful! I reconnected with a part of myself that I thought was long gone. I have the ability to see the world in a unique way and express it creatively.

I am not a great artist, by any means; but it gives me something to aspire to. I can practice -- and that "practice" time can also serve as time to get to know myself again.

Only two of us showed up to class this week, and we were discussing this idea of creativity and making space and time in our lives for art and our passions.

The other lady was lamenting the fact that she feels guilty taking time away from her kids to work on her art. The teacher and I both agreed that she needs to take that time -- not only does it enrich her own life because she's doing something with passion, but it will ultimately enrich her children's lives. They will benefit from seeing mom excited about something, and they will learn that it is important for all people, even parents, to take time for themselves. At the same time, they will learn to entertain themselves for a bit, while mom is working on her art -- also an incredibly valuable life skill for all humans.

My heart really went out to her (as it does to all moms I know). She gave up her job to stay home with her kids, and she says she feels like she lost herself. Now, she needs to give herself permission to find herself again -- and not feel guilty about it in the least.

Six months

Today is the two-year anniversary of my first date with C. I remember how I felt when he laughed at a joke I made -- I will always remember the way he smiled and his eyes lit up.

Last week was the six-month anniversary of our marriage. I remember telling my dad before we went down the aisle, "This is my wedding." I beamed as C. shared his beautiful self-written vows with me.
I am so lucky.

I have learned so much more from C. than any other romantic partner I have had. He has shown me that:

- love is not reserved for the very young; people with a little more wear on the tread and a little history can find true love together (and I think in a lot of ways, we cherish it a bit more).
- love survives disagreements and different perspectives.
- honesty is truly the best policy; I don't have to hold back, I can say what I feel and show who I really am.
- that a hug or simple touch can smooth over even the worst day.
- I can trust someone - he has my back and I have his.
- being partners sometimes means helping the other person face the uncomfortable in the name of growth.
- dreams are better when shared.
- there is so much more to life than work; we have more to accomplish in this life together than earning kudos from the boss.
- there is nobody else I would rather wake up to each day.
- I am beautiful, even in the morning when I have matted hair and raccoon eyes. :)
- I can let someone take care of me; it feels good.
- respect is the most important ingredient in any relationship.
- guy humor is actually funny sometimes.
- ok, bacon is good. (So much for my vegetarian leanings.)

There's so much more. I just wanted to mark this day.

Love is the thing...

Little thing meditation

It has been a rough couple of weeks, and I am in the midst of a mild depression. I know I will snap out of it, but I'm not quite there yet.

In the meantime, reminding myself of the little things for which I am grateful or just the little things that make me smile, helps.

Here are my little things from the past several days:

-- I had a blissful massage and chocolate body wrap on Friday (a gift from C.). During the body wrap, the girl left me alone for about 30 minutes. My mind literally went blank. It was amazing.

-- I took my dog to her favorite dog park yesterday. It is now a 45-minute drive, but so worth it. We have space to actually hike together and she gets to stop and play with the occasional dog. They installed agility equipment since we were last there, and I had fun running her through the course.

-- After that, I took her to my folks' house -- where I talked to my parents and my dog played for hours with their dog.

-- I had a four-day weekend. I didn't think about work once.

-- I had lunch with my sisters on Friday. I am so thrilled we all live in the same state again and can do that now.

-- C. and I went to the local brewery for dinner Friday night. I enjoyed the brown ale I tried and the time with C.

-- Yesterday was a beautiful, warm day.

-- I started my drawing class last week. Tonight is my second class. It feels good to do something new - and something that is just for me.

-- I get the house to myself tonight, because C. is traveling. I always miss him when he goes, but I also enjoy some solitude.

-- I had a delicious Maine lobster roll on Saturday night when we went out with friends. Yum!

-- The office is relatively quiet today and I am letting work stuff roll off my back.

---

Any good little things in your life this week??

Community

I have always longed for a sense of true community. Now that we have moved and life has changed so much, I don't really feel like part of a community at all.

I don't know my neighbors, and I wouldn't have a clue who to call nearby in an emergency.

I am working on new ways to build community that is physically close by. I signed up for a class at an arts organization just down the street. It began last night and there are three other ladies and me. We shall see - it might lead to some new friendships, or even just a closer connection to the organization itself.

C. and I are looking into a new gym. Maybe we can meet a few friends there.

On the flip side, I do have a very strong community of family and friends. Although they don't live close by, they feel close. It makes such a huge difference to know I am connected to them.

I have also found several online communities that have made me feel so welcome. Most recently, I found an online group for other stepmoms. Yay! I really need a group of people who understand the stress and frustrations particular to being a stepmom.

It is a lifelong goal of mine to continue to find and create community. I'm working on it.

If anyone has tried something that has worked, let me know. I'd love some new ideas!

Can I go on strike?

I really don't want to be stepmom today -- or even this month, for that matter. I just want to be a happy newlywed.

I seriously underestimated how difficult this undefined role would be.