mother

The Meme: A Genetic Mutation

“A meme (  /ˈmiːm/; MEEM)[1]) is ‘an idea, behavior or style that spreads from person to person within a culture.”[2] A meme acts as a unit for carrying cultural ideas, symbols or practices, which can be transmitted from one mind to another through writing, speech, gestures, rituals or other imitable phenomena. Supporters of the concept regard memes as cultural analogues to genes in that they self-replicate, mutate and respond’ to selective pressures.[3]”

 

“Its unfolding petals suggest the expansion of the soul. The growth of its pure beauty from the mud of its origin holds a benign spiritual promise. ”

Answer the following questions:

How do you find time to….

Do the laundry? This is the easy part. On the way out the door the laundry goes in the washer. On the way in the door the laundry goes in the dryer. On the way up from the laundry room for some random errand, the laundry makes it to the first floor. On the way up to the 2nd floor where the bedroom is, the laundry makes its way up. The laundry gets dumped on the bed. Three piles: hers and mine and towels. I put them away while my daughter splashes around in the tub (the bathroom door actually has French doors that open into the bedroom so, yes, I can still see and monitor her. I did write a post on water safety after all!

Write a blog post? Most of the blog is written in my head while I ride my bike to work. It gets typed up while I’m on the computer or between the hours of midnight and 2:00 am! Cut, paste and cite is also a big time-saver!

Be the parent you want to be? I don’t understand this question. How do I find time to be the parent I want to be? This is a 24 hour job. Even while I’m at work I’m being the parent I want to be. I’m maintaining my identity as a professional, providing for my family and serving as a role model for my young daughter. When we’re together I may be folding the laundry but I’m talking to my child, teaching her about the world. It’s a part of everything I do.

Find time for yourself? This is sneaky time. Can I steal a few minutes here or there? Can I get someone to watch her for a few minutes while I go for a run. Can I stop at a guilty pleasure fast-food restaurant on my way home from daycare? Finding time for myself while raising a toddler almost single-handedly isn’t easy.

Foster Your Spirituality?: By running, hiking, watching my child play, attending yoga class, going to Sunday morning meditation.

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Some of the questions didn’t speak to me so I used one and added one:

Rocker: Buy a big oversized chair that can be used to rock your baby in from the time they are little until they are young children. I had an uncomfortable glider from birth to 2 and now I have an electric, overstuffed glider/recliner that is extremely comfortable. I wish I had had one from the day my baby is born.

Sling: Some may gasp at this. My three year old still likes to be put in the sling and carried around until she falls sleep. Luckily she only weighs 26 pounds. I do this because she does fall asleep. It’s like a magic pill for her. My theory is that she gets over-stimulated and the sling helps her some this overstimulation. I use the Over the Shoulder Baby Holder. They are kind of hard to come by.

RULES:

  1. Please post the rules;
  2. When answering the questions, give as much information as possible;
  3. Leave a comment on sex, drugs, rocker, stroller, baby if you would like. This is so we can keep track of the Meme and take a polite nose into everyone else’s lives;
  4. Add a photo that speaks to you and say why it speaks to you;
  5. Tag 3 or more people and link to them on your blog. Add new questions, delete old questions and play about with the rules.

Thank you to bellissimom for tagging me on this meme. I in turn will tag: navinatime, asnormalasnormalcanbe, sleeplessinsummerville.

A Little about Me

My name is Christina and I am a single mother of a young child. I live and work in the outskirts of the heart of downtown Minneapolis. I love Minneapolis for all it has to offer. If you could take a big city and turn it into a small town you would have Minneapolis.

One of the highlights is called “The Chain of Lakes.” The Chain of Lakes consists of four lakes that are connected by bike and running paths. They are Cedar Lake, Lake of the Isles, Lake Calhoun and Lake Harriet. You can see the downtown skyline from any of the lakes because you’re only about five miles away at the greatest distance.

As soon as the weather becomes warm enough (40 degrees plus) you will find people out biking, rollerblading, walking dogs, running, playing, swimming, hiking. The State Park system in Minneapolis is also amazing, particularly because part of Minnesota connects with Lake Superior.

In the winter, people like to cross country ski, hike, snowshoe, and even run. Temperatures can get pretty low (like -20 low) but you will still find people out and about, and even find some people still biking to work.

The outdoor life is one of the reasons I love Minneapolis. The other main reason is the number of activities going on at any given time. There’s theatre, movies in the park, music at the bandshell on Lake Harriet, 5Ks, 10Ks, Half Marathons, Marathons, children’s museums, science movies, independent theatres. And the best thing ever: You hardly ever get stuck in traffic trying to get one of these events.

I grew up in D.C. so I appreciate the big city activities combined with the outdoorsiness and small town feel of this big city.

In my free time I like to read, cook, garden, hike, backpack, camp and take pictures. I love to ride my bike. I’m really into yoga. Oh, and I love to shop for kids’ clothes at thrift stores. If I had more time I would sew more of my baby’s clothes myself. I also like pottery although I’m not very artistically inclined. I used to love rock climbing – still do, I guess – I just don’t have the time for it anymore. Honesly, what I like to do and what I really have time to do  are very different things these days.

Professionally, I have a B.A. in English and German, a Master’s in Counseling and a Ph.D. in Family Social Science. Currently I work doing research to help people quit smoking and I teach a number of different classes in the social sciences and in a Marriage and Family Therapy program.

I worked with kids for a number of years and took a number of classes and did internships related to children and mental health. I’ve also worked with adults helping them with things like depression and anxiety and other life issues.

I’m currently putting a lot of energy into learning how to be a mom of a currently very young child, and actually doing it, rather than reading about it and advising others on how I think it could be done.

Despite all of my education I value immensely other people’s experiences and expertise. We have a wonderful state funded program in Minnesota called “Early Childhood Education” or “ECFE.” My education puts me beyond the requirements for this certification but I listen good and hard when the educators talk to me about parenting. They’ve been on the front line a lot longer than I have.

So that’s a little about me. Hope to hear from you at some point as you peruse and become involved in my blog.