Follow me

So, I'm finally joining the century, oh, say 10 years late, and have started a Facebook page for this here blog which, coincidentally, links up with my Twitter account. You should really follow me on both, as I post more than links to the stories I write here. I write all sorts of commentary (snarky and sincere) on life, love, motherhood, being an Idahoan, puking, giving birth, peanut butter M&Ms and more. It's really fun. Although I'm so old-school at heart, I also blame part of my slacking in the social media trend on growing humans for the better part of the last ten years.

 

 



 

And baking lots of sweet treats as a result. Just keepin' it real. And delicious.

 





ARTSY: A love poem

love is:

the smell of his sweat, knowing... glances, a rash from his beard, staying in bed all day, hungover breakfasts, running away, crying through vows, sharing one car, proofreading thesis, U-hauls, Wall Drug, Graceland, swelling bellies, death, heartbreak, blood, vomit, growth, care, learning
 
and:
 
her big brown eyes, April, thunderstorms, cradling in hospital beds, Minneapolis, ticks, fear, introversion, owls, airplanes, anxiety, books, sweetness, curls, math, so much kindness
 
and:
 
her tiny features, daycare, dance parties, big sisters, camping, chaos, fast, funny, speech therapy, fearless, blond, puzzles, Idaho, cuddling
 
and:
 
two pink lines, nausea, exhaustion, sadness, worry, ultrasounds, heartbeats, rolling, lolling, quickening, stretching skin, exploding hearts, belly kisses, tiny blue onesies, joy



*A valentine to my family. I wrote this a few weeks ago for a contest called Speak To Us Of Love, hosted by jenny wren designs and Rose & Odin, two makers of art extraordinaire. I won some fabulous prizes, but the best part? I cry every single time I read this.

CULTURE: Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration at Boise State University

This year my kindergartener, Alice, spent a lot of classroom time learning about who Martin Luther King Jr. was and why he was important. As part of that lesson her teacher told them they'd be going on a silent peace march through the school, but I knew I wanted to continue that education outside of our little elementary school.

 

In early January I'd picked up some kids books on MLK Jr. for the girls, as MLK has affected our lives more than we even know. But mainly the lives of African-Americans, giving them their voices and, subsequently, some power back.

I have been a follower of Dr. King since my youth. Two moments, however, stand out in my memory as really feeling his teachings and life lessons: spending a half a year as a white student in a downtown Charleston, South Carolina university and visiting the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis on my honeymoon. I walked into the room at the Lorraine Hotel where Dr. King lost his life and I couldn't breathe. I stepped out onto the balcony to escape the sadness and, embarrassed by my reaction as a young white gal from Idaho, I ran to the street below. The tears that flowed so long and so powerfully remain etched in my skin.

 

 

I will never truly know, or 'get,' it. Neither will my girls. What we do get, though, is the importance of standing up, speaking your mind, taking a chance, fighting for your voice, being respectful, remembering history, and seeking hope for the future. If I can leave any legacy for my children, it's this:

 



 

(Thanks to Holli Woodings, State Representative, Idaho Legislature, District 19 at State of Idaho for this photo.)

 

*Much thanks to the Boise State University MLK Jr. Living Legacy Committee for organizing this march, providing poster making materials, homemade buttons, tee shirts, and leading the walk from the campus to the Idaho State Capitol building. They host this community event every year on MLK Jr. Day in January. Join us next year.

BOOK REPORT: Carry On, Warrior: Thoughts on Life Unarmed

 

This is one of those books that are kind of life-changing, or, in my case, life-affirming. I've been a huge fan of Glennon Melton's for several years now. She started as a blogger, and her blog, Momastery, has thousands of readers. Glennon is a young mom of three and a recovering from everything addict and a Christian of the best kind. She's flawed and honest, gentle and kind, brilliant and hilarious. Here's the blurb from Amazon:

 

For years Glennon Doyle Melton built a wall between herself and others, hiding inside a bunker of secrets and shame. But one day everything changed: Glennon woke up to life, committing herself to living out loud and giving language to our universal (yet often secret) experiences. She became a sensation when her personal essays started going viral. Her hilarious and poignant observations have been read by millions, shared among friends, discussed at water coolers, and have now inspired a social movement. In Carry On, Warrior, Melton shares new stories and the best-loved material from Momastery.com. Her mistakes and triumphs demonstrate that love wins and that together we can do hard things. Melton is a courageous truth-teller and hopespreader, a wise and witty friend who emboldens us to believe in ourselves and reminds us that the journey is the reward. Carry On, Warrior proves that by shedding our weapons and armor, we can stop hiding, competing, and striving for the mirage of perfection, to build better lives in our hearts, homes, and communities.

 

Her husband has been unfaithful, and they're still together, working through it, which she writes about with such heart and love it is truly amazing. I know it may sound sappy, but I can't recommend this book enough to women, especially. (Somehow I don't imagine it being that appealing to men, but I could be wrong.) It's a compilation of stories, many of which have been published as blog posts and on such prominent sites as Huffington Post. My favorite 'chapter' in the book may be the letter to her son, Chase. It's such a fast read, but has a waiting list at the Boise Public Library, so request it now!

2013, you were really, really hard.

My life is mostly filled with beauty and wonder and learning and, for the past five years, I've approached the new year with joy and excitement. Being a working at home mom has really suited me, and I continue to grow and am constantly fulfilled by the new life and work adventures I seek out. 2013 started off much like that.

I received notification that I was selected as one of the top 50 Idaho business women of the year, a prestigious award sponsored by the Idaho Business Review. It was a bit of a shock - I was nominated by a local female and had several stellar letters of recommendation, commenting on my work as a writer and historic preservationist. Most of my accomplishments listed were non-profit, volunteer, "mom-ish"and artsy - much different than my fellow awardees, who were more traditional professional business women. Even though I felt a bit out of place, I was proud to represent the non-traditional working woman - someone who works from home, counts being a mom as a really big, important job. I liked the idea that I was breaking the mold, somehow. The award ceremony was a really fun and fancy and held at the Riverside Hotel in Boise in February.

Apparently, also early in February (or maybe even late January, we'll never know) I accidentally got pregnant with my third baby. Thus began the explosion of my heart in 2013.

In early March I started to feel a bit funny, in that familiar, wonderful way. Overly weepy and sentimental, exhausted for no reason, and a severe aversion to fast food surprised me and sent me to the Rite-Aid for some pregnancy tests. With two daughters who were soon to be turning five and nine, we were "done." There were not supposed to be any more children, right? (Also: 37 YEARS OLD = advanced maternal age = complications.) I was oddly calm and ecstatic. It was SO meant to be. Two pink lines popped up, and I took about four tests to make certain. It was certain. I was certain.

In mid-March I was selected to participate in the first of a unique event called FEAST here in Boise put on by The Charm School. Here's how it works: the public is invited to attend the FEAST event, and pays $20 for a chef-made dinner and a ballot. During the meal, diners are presented with 10 artist projects vote for the project they would like to see funded. The presenters have 5 minutes and a Powerpoint presentation to sell their idea. At the end of dinner, the artist whose proposal receives the most votes wins much of the funds collected at the door—ideally $1000, depending on turnout. Creative genres of all kinds are accepted. I proposed a public picnic/celebration in the park on May 6, 2013 for International No-Diet Day, promoting Health At Every Size and body acceptance, something I feel very strongly about sharing with our local community, and our children. There were writers and actors, visual artists and singers, all proposing their unique projects be funded. The event was quirky and fun and ultimately, I didn't win, but felt positive about spreading a crucial message.

The next day I began the long, terrible, painful process of miscarrying my baby, somewhere around the 8th week of my pregnancy.

The next day I also found out that a diner at FEAST the night before had been writing horrid things about me and my body on Twitter, bashing not only me as a person, but the idea and movements I was promoting. Thus began the explosion of my mind in 2013.

The bigotry against me and my plus-sized quest for equality, kindness and respect continued onto Facebook later in the spring. This time, it came from women I considered friends and men I hardly knew. Thus continued the explosion of my heart and mind in 2013, as I continued bleeding for nine long weeks and spilling more tears than I ever thought possible.

I took a long summer break from Facebook and did some cathartic and needed "unfriending."

Eric and I decided that there indeed was a place in our family for another much wanted and already loved child, and conceived again sometime in June.

It was also in June that my beloved job as a monthly staff writer for Treasure Valley Family Magazine, an esteemed local publication that had been around for the past twenty years, ended. My publisher/editor/owner decided to retire and retire the mag along with her. I had to suddenly scratch the word "writer" off my occupation list, and it felt sad and wrong.

In July I discovered I was indeed pregnant, and was terrified and feeling so lucky.

In August the morning sickness turned into all day nausea and Eric turned forty and I was still SO LUCKY. And I was anxious for my first ultrasound to give me some peace of mind and to confirm that I was indeed carrying twins, which I already knew in my heart and soul. I could feel the blessings of two babies, even while I couldn't even get out of bed each day because GAWD, THE SICKNESS.

In September, on Labor Day weekend, I hemorrhaged a lot of blood and tissue and rushed to an early ultrasound. At eleven weeks, I had a very healthy baby, and I lost (presumably) a not-so-healthy one. It was a case of the rare not-so-vanishing-twin-syndrome. I should've still felt lucky and happy, but I felt so broken and grieved so hard. Losing two babies in 2013 was never part of my life plan, yet here I was, doing it. Surviving it.

The rest of the fall found me continuously vomiting and terribly ill, losing thirty pounds, diagnosed with placenta previa (but, it moved and cleared itself from high risk at the end of the year!), and living each day with fear and sadness. It was a most frightening first and second trimester, but baby boy (after two girls! WHA?!) was thriving.

And you know what? So was I.

I have been so, so grateful and happy and thriving, even. The year was filled with more wonder and joy that I didn't write about above, really, but these difficult major life events over-shadowed it all, if I am honest.

But, this has been our family motto for many years now.

I seriously thought about getting this tattooed on my hand in 2013, that's how hard a year this past one has been for me. But? I conquered/survived many hard things, and in most cases, I was surprised when my life changed for the better. Here's to power and hope in a new year.

(And a beautiful new baby boy to enter our life in March 2014!)

BOOK REPORT: The Obituary Writer

 

I read a review of this book a few weeks ago in some trashy women's mag (like Oprah or Ladies Home Journal or the like) at my hair salon while sitting under the heated dryer. Immediately, I checked to see if my beloved Boise Public Library had it on their shelves yet, and they did, in New Fiction! I checked into the book on Amazon.com as well, and was thrilled to see it have four stars. Here's the blurb from Amazon, which was basically what I read in the mag that had me so quickly hooked:

 

On the day John F. Kennedy is inaugurated, Claire, an uncompromising young wife and mother obsessed with the glamour of Jackie O, struggles over the decision of whether to stay in a loveless marriage or follow the man she loves and whose baby she may be carrying. Decades earlier, in 1919, Vivien Lowe, an obituary writer, is searching for her lover who disappeared in the Great San Francisco Earthquake of 1906. By telling the stories of the dead, Vivien not only helps others cope with their grief but also begins to understand the devastation of her own terrible loss. The surprising connection between Claire and Vivien will change the life of one of them in unexpected and extraordinary ways. Part literary mystery and part love story, The Obituary Writer examines expectations of marriage and love, the roles of wives and mothers, and the emotions of grief, regret, and hope.

 

At just under 300 pages, I finished this book in about four days. It is the kind of fiction I love, suspenseful and dramatic, beautiful and sad. I had never read anything by Ann Hood before, but now want to devour it all (I get that way with intriguing writers). However, it appears as the author has suffered from some traumatic deaths in her life, both of her brother and a young daughter, both which inform her fiction a great deal. Often children die in her stories, which, being six months pregnant and overly emotional, might not be the best reads for me at this stage in my life. Soon, though, you'll see me with another Ann Hood book in my hand. So, so good and worth it. Highly recommended.

The Not-So-Vanishing Twin Syndrome (And Broken Hearts)

October is Pregnancy & Infant Loss Awareness Month (and today, October 15th, is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day) and last October, I had no idea this existed. This October, my life has been changed in ways I never thought possible.

I have lost two babies in 2013 - one, a surprise pregnancy in March, which I miscarried somewhere in the first trimester, and, two, a twin to the baby boy I'm currently carrying, just six weeks ago when I was 11 weeks pregnant. I had not even told family members we were expecting baby #3 back in March, so my miscarriage was mainly suffered alone, at home, with my husband (and the exception of a few close friends). I wish I would've shared that pain. Before today, I've told a handful of people that I just lost a twin to my baby.

Now, suffering a loss again and so soon, I'm devastated and lost, grateful and happy. After doing some soul searching via the internets invaluable motherhood boards, I came across Brandi Wolfe's story from Preggie Pals today, and I couldn't have written it any more eloquently. Nor could I have found a story that is almost identical to my own unless I wrote it myself (which is why I stole her title). Like Brandi, I think these stories of loss are very real, and not sharing them is doing a detriment to future mothers of the world, who deserve some peace when they (we) are crying and bleeding at 2am, eating Golden Grahams and trying not to vomit, seeking solace for our souls and our wombs.

To celebrate this month, and to help heal my heart, I'm writing this post and sharing my story. I'm also one of the artists creating a small niche for Boise's Dia de los Muertos celebration at Boise 150's Sesqui-Shop in honor of my two babies that I can never hold, except in my heart. I'm ready to speak out. I need to know I'm not alone. You are not alone.

CULTURE: Our Oregon Trip

Our trip to the Oregon coast trip was so fun! Our first stop was Hood River a little ways before we were in town we saw Mt. Hood . The hotel we stayed in was right by train tracks after we brought our suitcases in we went swimming in the Columbia River. The next morning we were off to go to Enchanted Forest first you have to go through a castle then on a path. On that path you can go in a little rabbit hole. There are also dwarf mines, indian caves, and much much more. Me and my sister Alice went on a roller coaster that is connected to a mountain and it went so fast. Me, my sister, and my dad went on a log ride and we got soaked. After that we went to Corvallis it was so fun. Then we stayed for a couple of days. Then we went to our yurt on the coast. The beach was cold but we saw tide pools we made sand castles we also watched the sunset. Our last stop was at a campsite its name is KOA.This trip was so fun!!!

 

 

BOOK REPORT: Fun on the Run

     

As part of my reading this summer, I picked up a couple of books on parenting based on some reviews online and this was one of them. We spent the majority of our summer on roadtrips and camping and this tiny guide seemed perfect (really, it could fit in your pocket or purse). Fun on the run! 324 Instant Family Activities is divided into easy to read sections like outdoor games, dr. office games, restaurant games, and baby games. While I didn't really feel the sections were necessary, there were some fun ideas throughout the book. Mostly, though, the games really work best with older kids, with many complicated spelling and repeating games that were pretty advanced for my five- and nine-year-old. I didn't learn a lot of new 'tricks' from this book, but it was a good reminder of old classics, like I Spy, writing with your fingers on the other's back and trying to guess what it says, staring contests, juggling three items, and drawing faces on your hands to make a 'finger puppet.'

BOOK REPORT: No Regrets Parenting

A few months ago, when I was featured on 3 Things for Mom, I came across some great fathers to follow during her Fathers Day week. There are so many great dad blogs out there, and, of the guys Lauren featured that week, Harley Rotbart was one of my favorites.

So much so, that I immediately searched for his book, No Regrets Parenting: Turning Long Days and Short Years Into Cherished Moments With Your Kids, at the Boise Public Library. What a great, quick read and resource for mamas like me, who are looking at the big picture of life with kids. Dr. Rotbart is an experienced pediatrician and, more importantly, a father of three grown kids of his own. His insights into raising kids right with no regrets are spot on. After reading the book, I was thrilled to see that Eric and I already practice so many of ideas he suggests: that money isn't necessary to 'buy' cherished and memorable trips and adventures with your kids, checking the family calendar each Sunday together for the coming week, and little traditions, like our weekly Taco Night. He had some fantastic additions that I can't wait to implements, like evening Pajama Walks, teaching the girls to drive, and quick cell phone calls on walks between college classes in the future. His ideas are so simple and wonderful, that I think this might be one of the greatest parenting books I've ever read. It's so worth it, friends. Pick it up today.

CULTURE: Silver City

My whole family and I went on a day trip to Silver City.  It is an abandoned ghost town, but not any more its not.  In the summer their family stays there in a building their relatives owned.   It took 3 hours on the drive, on the drive you drive on the freeway and turn on to a dirt road.
 

There is a cute little store that sells diamonds, crystals,and real live gold. Also they sell  rock candy that tastes so good .  We also played in a creek and we found crystals in the creek.

They also have some awesome pie and sarsparilla I never had sarsparilla but I guess I don't like sarsparilla we got these at a cute little restaurant.                                                                                                                           

CULTURE: Fat and Happy

If you follow me on Twitter or Facebook, you know that I'm fat, happy and proud. My activism, in the Fat Acceptance and Health At Every Size movements has gained momentum over the past two years, and I'm thrilled to post some links to a couple of my most favorite accomplishments of late.

A little over a year ago I was selected to give a 5 minute presentation on fat acceptance for Ignite Boise 11. If you're not familiar with the Ignite format, click here. Getting up in front of a packed house (nearly 800 folks!) at the Egyptian Theater in Boise and telling them how much I weigh was terrifying and exhilarating.
For some reason, I can't get the YouTube video to embed in this here blog, but you can watch it here.

This summer, I was thrilled to be one of the moms/writers on 3 Things For Mom, offering up my truth, tip and a find by blog found, Lauren. It was such an honor, and an important way to spread the body love message. Click here to see my post.

Being an activist is hard work, and I've had my fair share of bad days and nasty comments from 'friends' on Facebook about body positive concepts. It can be exhausting and sad, but is mostly important and wonderful. Being happy with who you are and helping others on the self-acceptance journey is pretty crucial and special work.  And I'm honored to do it.

About Lucy

Hello my name is Lucy and I am going to be one of the writers on the awesome blog.  I'm nine years old and going into fourth grade so I'm pretty young to be a blogger. 

Amy Pence-Brown is my mom the one who started this blog.  I'm also a big sister to Alice my little sister she is so curious and funny.  You might of heard of me and my sister on my mom's posts.  I'm lucky to be a blogger most kids don't get to do this awesome job.  I hope you like me as a blogger and I hope I like this job, too.

    

KIDDOS: Spring shots

A few shots from the last few months of these daughters of mine I can't get enough of : My baby girl learns to write her name and gets creative all over the place. || She also joins a team sport for the first time (soccer with the Boise Nationals) and is more aggressive than I thought. || Lucy & Alice at Sara Smart's BOISE 150's Sesqui-Shop photo booth in April. || Dressed up as old west pioneers in the most creative kids' space I've seen in an Idaho museum. || The girls love the Ramona books as well as the screen version of Ramona & Beezus, so we took them to see the stage version in Idaho Falls. || Face painting at the school carnival. (Apparently mustaches are all the rage with tween girls these days. Who knew.)

CULTURE: Remnants of Boise exhibition

In April I was asked to help coordinate part of an exhibition of architectural artifacts for Preservation Idaho in conjunction with the City of Boise Department of Arts & History. This year, 2013, marks Boise's 150th birthday, or our sesquicentennial. In honor of that, the City has rented this really cool historic storefront on Main Street and named is the 'Sesqui-Shop.' For the entire year, new exhibits, lectures and events will grace the space each month.

For Remnants of Boise, the City put together a huge number of historic photos of neighborhoods throughout time. On behalf of Preservation Idaho, Dan Everhart and myself put out a call to the public for parts of major buildings which had been lost over time. As a result, I drove around town picking up some major sandstone elements and other quirky artifacts.

Here you can see some metal roof shingles from the old Territorial Capital, a door from a historic home, and an arched window from the old Veterans Home, along with photos of the building and what is in the location now. Most of the time, sadly, it's a parking lot. Oh, urban renewal (sigh).

You can purchase an exhibition catalog of sorts, with many of the stellar historic photos of Boise from BOISE 150 here and/or check out the cool virtual 360 tour that was part of the exhibition here.

KIDDOS: Ceramica birthday

As always, I make Lucy and Alice have a joint birthday party, since they turn a year older just two weeks apart. So far, at ages five and nine, they still love this idea. I'm going to milk that until I no longer can.

This year I took the easy way out of birthday party planning and splurged on a 'destination party' for the first time ever. In the past, as you've seen here on the blog, I always do it up fun and big in our backyard or at a park. For several reasons, I just didn't have the energy this year, and decided to take ten girls to Ceramica, just down the street in the Vista Village shopping complex.

Ceramica is a paint-your-own ceramics studio, a place the girls adore but I rarely take them. We've made some really cute platters with handprints for grandparents 'gifts, but in the past they've been a bit too young for art making like this.

I made my favorite easy cupcakes, these vanilla ones from Fannie Farmer's Baking Book, and handmade goody bags with a pencil, tiny notebook, and colorful bracelets from our gift stash at home. We reserved the private studio room for free, where they let us set up the treats and gave us our very own artist helper. Turns out, the party cost about the same as I would've spent at a home party, much to my surprise. It's only $5 a kiddo for the studio fee at Ceramica, and I pre-picked out 5" blank tiles for each of the girls to paint ($4 each). Plus, both Lucy and Alice got a large birthday themed plate, complete with all their friends' signatures and thumbprints as keepsakes, all for $96! It was so worth it. The girls thought it was the most fun birthday ever.

ARTSY: Carousels: Art & History in Motion

This spring we took the girls to Idaho Falls to visit their grandparents for a weekend. In addition to taking them to see Ramona Quimby, the play, at the local arts center, we also go to catch this wonderful exhibition on the history of carousels at the Museum of Idaho.

There was a real, working carousel as part of the show, which the girls got to ride indoors. Displays showing how the carousel animals are carved and painted, photos of historic carousels, and unusual lighting and hand-pedaling features were among the highlights. This show is only up through May 27, 2013, so if you're in or near Idaho Falls, I highly recommend it!

KIDDOS: Alice

Happy spring, y'all, from the Pence-Brown household. As my baby girl just turned five in April, she's taken on a new hobby of taking awesome self portraits.

KIDDOS: Knock Knock Joke Book

My girls, Lucy and Alice, love jokes. Knock knock jokes are their favorites, as they are the easiest to understand and tell, and it takes some group effort.

 

I picked up this book for 10 cents at the senior center thrift shop a while back and it is HIGHLARIOUS in my household. (I don't know why this damn photo is sideways; I've uploaded it three times now and it appears to be correct but it's not. I've given up. Whatever.)

The illustrations are straight up 1970s and I don't know why the book is titled the "World's Worst Knock Knock Jokes" because they really are pretty great.

See?

I get to.

I get to take my daughters to school. Today, it's Monday December 17th. I get to take them, my four-year-old and my eight-year-old, to our little elementary school up the street, but I don't want to. Not today.

I get to rush around as usual, making more toast and cutting Eggo waffles just right for dipping into syrup. I get to listen to fighting over who is touching who. I get to hear Lucy fret about pajama day today, as her class won enough points to have storytime and hot cocoa with her school principal. What if I'm the only one who remembered to wear pjs? she worried. Alice won't get dressed. She finally picks out a white cotton dress with red chili peppers on it and pink striped tights. She is too slow, so Daddy starts yelling. Not today, I say. Please no yelling.

I get to argue about what shoes to wear with Alice, who hates shoes. We search the house, the car, her room for her favorite black sneakers but cannot find them. It's approaching 9am. The school bell rings in ten minutes, signaling the day. She cries. I get frustrated.

We get out the door and Alice is tearful. Her shoes feel weird. There are rocks in them, she's certain. We hold hands. Lucy starts complaining that her tummy hurts and she just can't go. She's probably sick, she says. I get to assure her it's just nerves, or she's hungry for more breakfast. Once she eats at school and sees others in their pjs, she'll be fine. Alice wants me to stay at school with her. She's timid on Mondays. This Monday, so am I.

The bell rings. I watch Lucy skip away to her classmates, neatly lined up in their pajamas. Whew. I take Alice into her preschool room. She tells me her nose is chapped (it is) and that her flu shot from yesterday hurts her upper arm (it does). I help her pick out Christmas coloring pages with her teacher. We talk about what lunch she'll choose. The options are soft tacos or fish sandwiches and she likes neither. It's okay, I tell her. Just eat what you like best off your plate. I'll pick you up in time for dance class, I tell her. I get to kiss her warm cheek before I leave.

I stand outside the now quiet schoolyard. The gates are locked now, as always. The routine is the same, but we are not. My coffee gets cold as I stare too long into the snowy foothills and gray sky. My eyes are wet, as they have been for three days now. What is new is the pit in my stomach, the bile rising in my throat. I feel like I might puke. Even though I get to pick them up after school with hugs. I get to frost sugar cookies tonight with my girls. I get to be irritated about the mess the kitchen will become as a result. I get to.