A womb of ones own...

Coffee, the essential ingredient to successful parenting. I know you might not think this is true, but a simple warm cup of hot comforting liquid (while pumping or reading or just wasting hours on the computer facebooking or on Amazon looking for the cheapest and best educational toys for your new baby) IS in fact the highlight of my mornings. Do you remember that Starbucks commercial that was about this woman Stacey and her time with her coffee? NO? well here it is in case you forgot: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mOa0HDHa99U

This was one of my favorite commercials when I lived in New York and worked in an office. Yes this mother/artist used to actually WORK in an office, from about 8am-4 or 5. In fact I worked at the same hedge fund for a short time with the guy who married Chelsea Clinton, (very nice guy btw). But that’s another blog. Yes having your time, is key in your day, and while you have probably become a parent or are perhaps considering it, you MUST, I say MUST make time for yourself. Even if it’s scheduled time between your babies feedings. Mine is during his first nap of the morning, I can usually count on it being about 2 hours. I brew my java, make my oatmeal, put on my handless pump, and watch a program on my Netflix, or blog, or sketch it’s my heaven, and aside from the 30 minutes of pumping, it’s MY time ☺

A long time back when I attended the University of Georgia (for one year, during a time of confusion, again another blog), I took an English literature class and one of the pieces of writing we read was call A room of one’s own by Virginia Woolf. Till this day I recall it being one of THE most important things I have ever read as a woman. Why? Well because that is what it’s about, the importance of ones own space. NOT just women but men too need their space, their mancave, a sanctuary away from everyone else. For me it’s my at home studio, where I can make a mess, clean it up, and make another one. I can come here to watch whatever the heck I want, write whatever I feel, and dream whatever I want to dream.

There may come a time when I do not have this space to myself, and I will have to create it elsewhere, perhaps in the garage even, but for now it’s awesome, and has taught me I really DO need it, and I think most women do, and should have a space to themselves. Perhaps for artists it’s even more important. Some of my friends use the bedroom as their place of solace and it’s where they brainstorm or whatnot. For others the bathroom is their room, their place where they go where no one can bother them. Wherever it is, or at whatever time it’s at, making even just 30 minutes to yourself, is the only way to stay sane, as a mother or just as a person. It’s just A LOT easier to make that time if you aren’t a mommy…

As much as I love my spouse, often I have to say, the most annoying thing he does, is on the weekends when he’s “off” (in quotes cause he always has to go to work for some THING) he keeps unknowingly invading my space during my morning “time”, lol, by NOT knocking, or NOT saying “excuse me”, but rather just butting in and talking, of which I turn around slowly, and have to say hold on, and ask him to repeat himself, cause I am usually in the middle of something, and really do not like having my thoughts interrupted. I would say something to him about it, but often it’s something important, and I respect that, just as he makes time to hear something important I might need to say while he’s reading, etc… However, I do say excuse me, or ask if it’s a good time. BUT in his defense (cause he is a great man) it seems most men do not know what this word excuse me means, or that it even exsists, he he... I think it's just hard for him to see that it’s MY time! Lol… I think perhaps I just need a group of acapella singers like Stacey to maybe step in for me next time he does it (giggle).