copenhagen home

I love these beautiful glimpses inside a fun, bright, whimsical, kid-friendly home in Copenhagen.  Dreamy, right?

From Dwell, via The Boo and The Boy.

sckoon organics on zulily

   

 

Ever since Hazel was born I've been finding the absolute cutest things for her on Zulily.  I get their daily email reminders and it's seriously all I can do not to go on a shopping spree several times a week.  There's always a nice mix of small, boutique brands, and the prices are better than what I've seen on Gilt or even The Mini Social, which I also love.  Today, there's a sale on adorable organic, fair trade clothing from the NYC-designed label Sckoon.  I ordered those red Ninja pants ($14.99!) and striped booties ($7.99!), oh yes I did.

carucci on breastfeeding

Eden and Emmanuelle the first month 2004, by Elinor Carucci.

From the series, Born.

Don't forget to follow my Breastfeeding Art board on Pinterest.

Thanks, Joanna, for introducing me to this artist!

birth story of the week: a passage into primal independence

I am so happy to bring you a new installment in my Birth Story of the Week series, which has been on hiatus for a good long while.  I look forward to sharing my own recent birth story eventually, but the time is not right yet, as I'm still gathering my thoughts and words for the proper telling of it. Meanwhile, there could not be a better story to re-start this series, brought to you by my friend Nancy, of The Great Skedaddle.  Long-time Marvelous Kiddo readers will remember when Nancy shared the story of the birth of her son, Oscar, who turns three this week.  For Olympia's birth, Nancy and her husband Dan had been planning a pilgrimage from Brooklyn to The Farm, but as you will read, things didn't quite go as they had expected.  As Nancy wrote on her blog days after the birth, 

"Olympia's first gift to us was a profound realization that the Park-Hansens can do anything. At Oskar's birth, I had my midwife, my mother, a priestess/acupuncturist/massage therapist, and a doula on the way, as well as a gigantic cushy birth pool filled with warm water in the living room, an altar and lit candles, Grimladi's pizza, strawberries, chocolate, and red raspberry/nettle infusion, in short: everything and everyone a laboring woman could want. So, when it became clear I was having this baby a full month earlier than Oskar's 41 weeks with nothing, not even breakfast in my belly, just Dan and Oskar around, I panicked. And then I told myself to let it all go. And Dan delivered the baby, while Oskar bellowed and yelled with me from the dining room table. Oskar's birth was a spiritual peak for me, Olympia's birth was a passage into primal independence. An awesome wave bore me into an ocean of tranquility I had never before experienced."

Thanks for sharing this surprising, powerful, totally awesome story, Nancy!

XOXO, Leigh

Well, what could possibly be more exciting than a birth on the Farm?

How about a free birth?

That's how Olympia decided to begin this life.

I woke up Monday, April 16th, prepared to go to the DMV in White Plains and bring our newly purchased big blue '95 Chevy leisure van home, and in the middle of having an Almondine chocolate croissant for breakfast, Olympia incarnated, three weeks before she was expected. Then Dan found the other half of the croissant, and I finished it.

It sounds ludicrous that it happened that fast, but that's the way it went. I woke up at 8:30 feeling menstrual crampy, alternated between denial, resistance, and trying to prepare for about two hours, and started to feel seriously in labor around 10:30. Olympia was born shortly after 11. There was a big showy, tear-splashy breakdown right before breakfast when I had to face the letting go of all my plans of birth on the Farm and managing how pissed off I was about being so unprepared for this. After that catharsis, I bucked up and started in on the chocolate croissant. I would need my strength. Dan, in the middle of cooking hard boiled eggs, an herbal infusion, and seaweed soup, ran up and down the stairs a few times to give me the double hip squeeze during the more intense contractions. It wasn't long before he wisely decided to just turn the stove off and stay with me. Oskar sat at the kitchen table, and I could hear him moaning and groaning in solidarity with me. Kristen, our NYC midwife, was on her way with a birth pool for us, when I asked Dan to call her and tell her I was feeling pushy. She was on the phone when I made a first, big push, and POP, my water broke like a thick balloon and splashed to the floor like it does in the movies. Apparently, she either started running red lights or stopped running them at this point. On the next contraction, Dan says I yelled, "SHE'S COMING!" and pushed her head out in one go. Dan said, "Okay, one more!" and I rested until another wave began to crest, and Dan caught Olympia like an expertly hiked football. I eased onto the bed, and Dan put Olympia on my chest. That's when Dan found the other half of my croissant, and I ate it.

Kristen came soon thereafter and gave us the best, most gentle and considerate postpartum care. She spent several hours taking care of us and creating a homey nest for us out of the chaos, generously giving us a good start with the new baby.

A huge peace descended over me with Olympia's birth. The first gift she gave us was the realization of just how much we could do on our own as a family.

Despite all the chaos and nonstop action, we're doing all doing well.

Olympia is a sweet wild rose. She's so divinely feminine. Her feet are slender and ladylike and turn up like lotus leaves, and her nail beds are long. Her cheeks have the sweetest pink flush, as does the rest of her skin. She looks more white than Asian. Her mouth is a rosebud. She has three funny whorls in her hair and long sideburns like me. She does a lot of mesmerizing eye gazing. We're all in love. Well, Oskar's not, but we're hopeful he will come around some day. It's okay, because we're still in love with him.

bits of our weekend

have a rockin' weekend

I hope you enjoy the long weekend!
Do you have any exciting plans to kick off the Summer?

We'll be taking it easy and hanging out with a few friends.

Here are some fun links for your spare time:

Jamie Hayon's Green Chicken

My favorite theme of The Sling Diaries yet: Exploration

How to make buttercream look like fondant (using a paper towel!)

The cover of Manzine

Children With Swag

Nat's $35 DIY tutorial for salvaging your own busted hard drive

       A Washi Tape dress!

XOXO,

Leigh

is math instruction unnecessary?

John Bennett is a teacher of math and a homeschooling parent who offers a radical-sounding proposal: that we cease to require math instruction in middle and high school.  I think he makes some pretty interesting (and provocative) points.  What do you think?

the kiddos, lately

 ...are getting so big.

*sigh*

sponsor marvelous kiddo!

I'm lining up sponsors for June, July and August, 

so email me if you're interested!

3 good reads

Photo: Elinor Carucci/Redux, for The New York Times

With three kiddos on the scene, I don't have as much time to write as I once did, but I do still manage my fair share of reading.  Here are three pieces I read this week that really stuck with me and that I think are well worth checking out.  If you read them (don't forget to peruse their juicy comment threads), I'd love to know your thoughts!

Mommy Wars: The Prequel

Ina May Gaskin and the Battle for at-Home Births

The Bogus Breastfeeding Debate Over Nursing Older Kids

Attachment Parenting Is Feminism 

arteta on breastfeeding

 La Crianza, by Aurelio Arteta

Maternidad, by Aurelio Arteta

taro's birthday

Sorry about the radio silence, folks.  I've been busy all week prepping for Taro's birthday celebrations (he turns 40 today).  Yesterday we had a group of friends and family over for a little shindig -- our first real party since moving into our new home six months ago!  The weather was sublime, and the company so sweet.  Here are a few glimpses of the day:

delvaux on breastfeeding

Moeder en Kind

By Paul Delvaux

Pen in India ink and bister and lavis

1939

Moederschap
By Paul Delvaux

1964

tuesday giveaway: taidgh o'neill

I am so excited to introduce you to my newest sponsor, Taidgh O'Neill Design.  When I first saw images of the furniture Taidgh O'Neil designs and builds from his home in West Adams, Los Angeles, my jaw hit the floor.  Seriously, have you ever seen a more gorgeous piece than the crib shown here?  A true work of art.  Having only started making furniture two years ago, O'Neill's pieces now retail in Beverly Hills and New York at the contemporary design mecca Espasso.  

His 101 Chandelier and the PCH Desk Lamp were commissioned and featured this year at Art Los Angeles Contemporary, and O'Neill has just completed a new group of shelving pieces that will be on display later this week at the International Contemporary Furniture Fair in New York.  As evident by the names of his designs, he's influenced by where he lives in Los Angeles, the criss-crossing neighborhoods, the rough construction found in areas like Boyle Heights and the do-it-yourself pulse of the city.

If you're in NYC this weekend, check out Taidgh O'Neill designs in person at the NoHo Design District show.  The 101 Chandelier and the Vernon table and benches will be featured.  How fab is that Chandelier?!

And now for some very exciting news: Taidgh O'Neill Design is graciously giving away a beautiful PCH Desk Lamp to one lucky Marvelous Kiddo reader, to be chosen at random.  For a chance to win, please visit Taidgh O'Neil Design and leave a comment on this post letting me know what piece you like best.  The deadline for entries is 11:59 pm on Friday, May 18.  I will announce the winner next week.  Good luck!


UPDATE:  The winner is Ren--Lady of the Arts.  Congrats!

mother's day weekend highlights

Saturday morning, while on my way to our local Farmer's Market, I happened upon several yard sales which yielded a surprising array of wonderfulness.  It was like hitting the yard sale jackpot.  First up, I nabbed not one, not two, but THREE absolutely lovely little pre-loved ponies (ok, technically one of them is a unicorn -- so much the better!).  Jackson named his Fred and Walker took the unicorn and named it Apple.  Much fun was had galloping around the back yard for the rest of the morning.

Other items scored: an absolutely darling antique kid-sized table and chairs, a gorgeous little rocking chair painted the most perfect color of Tiffany blue, a hammock with metal stand, and a pile of classic children's books, including some of my all-time favorites (A Little Princess, My Father's Dragon, The Rats of NIMH, and Redwall, to name a few).  All the stuff was dirt cheap.  The books were FREE!!!

The next day, I was treated to breakfast in bed and presented with Mother's Day cards and a Sunday New York Times.  Heaven.  While I luxuriated, I got a phone call from my mom (who is visiting Italy right now).  It was so nice to hear her voice and catch up a bit, and hear about her travels.  

We spent a lot of time outside in the yard and on our patio soaking up the sunshine, and then Taro took me and Hazel to a nearby park that right this very minute is exploding with hundreds of exotic varieties of irises.  We walked amongst the blooms and felt like we were in a Van Gogh painting.

All in all, it was pretty perfect weekend!  How did you spend your Mother's Day?

the sling diaries: style

The second round of Sling Diary entries have all been posted, and they are chock full of beautiful images and lovely ruminations on motherhood and Style.  Have you been following along?

Stay up-to-date with the competition and check in with each mama's blog via the official Sling Diaries Pinterest page.  There's lots more fun in store: today, Molly kicks off theme #3, Exploration, with a magical hike through the woods.

Tell me, what are your thoughts on motherhood and style?

Pictured here: Jodi, Bekah, Karolina, and Jen.

happy mother's day

My mom and me.

My mom and her mom.

Sending love and appreciation to all the moms out there...

...ESPECIALLY the main moms in my life:

My mom,

Taro's mom,

Taro's grandmother.

Also lovingly remembering my late grandmothers.

XOXO.

Leigh

about time

Dionna Ford  and her kids, ages 4 years and 5 months. 
Photo by Martin Schoeller for TIME

I haven't read the TIME Magazine cover story yet, but I have seen the photos, read the headlines, and delved into a small portion of the debate that is raging online.  My email inbox might explode.  I have a lot of thoughts and feelings about the whole thing, but I want to refrain from getting too deeply into it until I've had a chance to read the whole story for myself.

For now, I'll just say: I love this photo.  I love that biologically normal practices like breastfeeding, babywearing, and cosleeping have gained enough of a foothold in our society that they warrant a cover story in TIME.  I love that people are talking and discussing these issues in such a mainstream forum.

Meanwhile (coincidentally) two days ago I started a Pinboard onto which I've placed every example of breastfeeding art I've ever posted on Marvelous Kiddo, as well as a bunch of additional images of the subject I've been collecting (UPDATE, Friday 2:20 pm: Weirdly, a bunch of the pins are missing today. I am working with Pinterest tech support to get them back up).  Check it out for a little perspective, and a reminder that moms have been "mom enough" to breastfeed their babies and kids for, like, all of human history, duh.  "Extended" breastfeeding was not invented by Dr. Sears or a bunch of over-competitive helicopter moms (do those moms even exist?  Seriously, I think it's a fictional variety invented by a media eager to sell magazines and bait controversy while playing on people's fears and insecurities).

What are your thoughts about the TIME article and subsequent bruhaha?

foote on breastfeeding

Madonna and Child by David Foote
Black India Ink and Hyper-Metallic Acrylic Paint on Canvas
60x48 inches

The Golden Mother by David Foote
Black India Ink and Hyper-Metallic Acrylic Paint on Canvas
60x48 inches

Both of these pieces are from Foote's Madonna and Child Series, first exhibited in 2010.  Read the artist's statement about this collection, here.