it's a book

The concept for this picture book really cracked me up, even as it kind of depressed me. Sign of the times. Watch the droll little trailer:

everywhere you look is life

Early summer days are a jubilee time for birds. In the fields, around the house, in the barn, in the woods, in the swamp -- everywhere love and songs and nests and eggs. From the edge of the woods, the white-throated sparrow (which must come all the way from Boston) calls, "Oh Peabody, Peabody, Peabody!" On an apple bough, the pheobe teeters and wags its tail and says, "Phoebe, phoe-bee!" The song sparrow, who knows how brief and lovely life is, says, "Sweet sweet, sweet interlude; sweet, sweet, sweet interlude." If you enter the barn, the swallows swoop down from their nests and scold. "Cheeky, cheeky!" they say.

In early summer there are plenty of things for a child to eat and drink and suck and chew. Dandelion stems are full of milk, clover heads are loaded with nectar, the Frigidaire is full of ice-cold drinks. Everywhere you look is life; even the little ball of spit on the weed stalk, if you poke it apart, has a green worm inside it. And on the underside of the leaf of the potato vine are the bright orange eggs of the potato bug.

--E.B. White, Charlotte's Web

Real

The Rabbit looked up at her, and it seemed to him that he had seen her face before, but he couldn't think where.

"I am the nursery magic Fairy," she said. "I take care of all the playthings that the children have loved. When they are old and worn out and the children don't need them any more, then I come and take them away with me and turn them into Real."

"Wasn't I Real before?" asked the little Rabbit.

"You were Real to the Boy," the Fairy said, "because he loved you. Now you shall be Real to every one."

--Page 42 of The Velveteen Rabbit, by Margery Williams, which totally destroyed me today.

Photo by bird_flew

Just one thing:

I will never stop wanting a kid's library gallery.

That's all.

Image from Inside Out Magazine, Via Table Tonic.

Getting Their Read On

I think they must have gone through twenty books in one sitting.

Book of the Day

We've been reading this book for years. It's one of our favorites, so full of lyricism and wit, poignancy and adventure. Probably one of the best books I've ever read on the theme of friendship, period. The illustrations are as elegant and charming as the prose. Usually brings a tear to my eye.

What "children's" books to you return to for entertainment, comfort, and deep truths distilled?

Quote of the Day

"You wasted $150,000 on an education you coulda got for a buck fifty in late charges at the public library."

~ Good Will Hunting

Thanks to Terresa at The Chocolate Chip Waffle for reminding me of this awesome quote from one of my favorite movies, and for alerting me to the fact that this is National Library Week. Yay, Libraries!

Photo via caioab's photostream.

New Reads

I went on a little Amazon shopping-spree the other day. Here's what I picked up:

Playful Parenting

Raising Our Children, Raising Ourselves

Making Children's Clothes

The Vaccine Book

Have you read any good books lately?

Reading Nook Awesome

Julia over at The Boo and The Boy posted a whizz-bang roundup of kid's reading nooks this week. Have a look, and be inspired!

Made Me Smile: Homeschooling in This Week's New Yorker

Home schooling the cast of Snoopy the musical: newyorker.com

by Rebecca Mead, Illustration: Tom Bachtell

Central to the actor’s craft is the ability to imagine oneself into the unimaginable; consider Meryl Streep choosing between her children in “Sophie’s Choice,” or Marlon Brando roaring in the jungle in “Apocalypse Now.” For Mary Albert, who recently appeared in a musical production of “Snoopy!!!” as Sally Brown, Charlie Brown’s little sister, the challenge lay in embodying her character’s notoriously ambivalent relationship to the classroom, since Mary, who is twelve, has never actually been to school. “When in rehearsal the director would say, ‘How do you think, at this moment, you’d be responding to your teacher?’ I would say, ‘I have no idea,’ ” Mary, who has long dark hair and a wide smile, the dazzle of which is only partly obscured by braces, explained the other evening, at a party following the first performance, which took place at the West End Theatre, on Eighty-sixth Street.

Mary, like her three siblings—Lucy, fifteen, John, ten, and Jane, eight, all of whom were in the production—has been homeschooled her entire life. “We were part of a parent-run playgroup, and at some point everyone started testing to get into the right school, and I thought it was insane,” their mother, Erynn Albert, said. (As it turns out, all four Albert offspring have got into the most insanely competitive gifted-and-talented program of them all, the Metropolitan Opera Children’s Chorus; the two middle ones will appear in “Tosca” this fall.)

Lucy Albert, who played Snoopy—she wore white pants and a white long-sleeved T-shirt with a black spot sewn on the back, and had her long dark hair looped up into floppy ears—explained that she was about to drop out of homeschool: she just won a coveted spot at the LaGuardia high school for the performing arts. In the show, Snoopy grumbles that he isn’t allowed to attend school on account of his species; but Lucy said that she thought Snoopy represented the best of the homeschooled individual. “He teaches himself everything, and he has so many sides, and he has time to do all the things he wants to do, and he’s not ashamed of it,” she said. “It’s kind of like me, except I’m not a dog. Maybe a bitch.”
As she spoke, Lucy leaned her head fondly on the shoulder of Briar Montana, fourteen, who played Linus. Briar has been a leading light of the homeschool musical scene for the past several years but is obliged to retire, since he is about to enroll in his first academic institution: the High School for Dual Language and Asian Studies, in Chinatown. Briar, who has wavy hair and delicate features, sounded dubious about the prospect. When you’re homeschooled, he said, “everyone you meet is your teacher, and you have more freedom to pick what you want to learn.”
“Like, I did chemistry when I was nine or ten,” Lucy said.
“That wasn’t real chemistry,” Briar replied.
“Yes, it was,” Lucy insisted.

Ben Goldstein, who is also fourteen, and who played Charlie Brown in the show, actually did a year at school, in the sixth grade. “The fun part is messing around, and interacting with people who aren’t very nice,” he said. “Probably the main reason I left is I found myself being mean.” He did not think that he was missing out on anything educationally by not being in school. “If you’re talking about facts that you’re never going to use, like when they changed the American flag—well, then, yes,” he said. “But I think I can solve problems more creatively than kids who go to school can.” (One problem Ben plans to solve creatively: homeschooling his own future kids without sacrificing the career—as yet undetermined, but definitely intellectually rewarding and lucrative—to which he also aspires. “I want to get rich and then have kids, and then I can have them do all kinds of cool things,” he said.) Regular school, Ben reflected, “can be kind of a dirty pleasure. It’s like watching ‘America’s Next Top Model.’ ”

As the end of their homeschool careers approached, none of the cast intended to go so far as to home-college. Not having a high-school diploma might take a little explaining to admissions staffs. Cole Houston, the show’s eighteen-year-old lighting designer and stage manager, who spent last year doing college applications, said, “You don’t have the transcript, so it’s hard for them to measure what you were doing, and to see that you weren’t playing video games all day.” Not to worry: in the fall, Cole will be heading off to M.I.T. on a full scholarship. ♦

Also, while I'm on the topic of bloglove...

Heather Armstrong (self-described as "the woman who was all EPIDURAL ON THE ROCKS, PLEASE!") has me doing a happy dance this morning with her latest post on Dooce, wherein she describes how reading Ricki Lake and Abby Epstein's Your Best Birth revolutionized her perceptions about natural birth leading up to the recent birth of her daughter, Marlo:

And then, oh God, the worst thing happened. And I didn't even see it coming, but I'm sitting there reading that book, gritting my teeth, shaking my head when all of a sudden it started to make sense. I started to see just how medicalized labor and birth have become in America AND THERE GOES MY WORLD VIEW.

I'm not going to get into the specifics and the really convincing and at times jaw-dropping statistics of it here, there are so many other places and people who can write about it better than I can, but I will say this: if you are pregnant or are planning to become pregnant, GO READ THAT BOOK. From now on when someone asks me what is the one piece of advice I would give to a pregnant woman, it will be: GO BUY A COPY OF THAT BOOK. Listen, I am not affiliated with that book in any way, I do not know Ricki Lake, she and I do not vacation in St. Tropez together (although if she'd like to come ride four-wheelers at my Mom's cabin in Duchesne, Utah, THE OFFER STANDS), I do not owe that publisher any favors. But IT CHANGED MY LIFE. I'm not even kidding, I'll say it again: IT CHANGED MY LIFE.

Considering that only, like, 100 billion people read Dooce, it is really really exciting to see Heather evolving on this issue and speaking out about it so strongly.  I have loved her blog for years, but this really makes it dear to my heart.  I only read a few of the 505 comments on her latest post, but it is so moving and cool to see how many people have already been positively influenced to start educating themselves about their birthing options just from that one post.  And she hasn't even gotten to her actual birth story yet.  Go.

Photo via Dooce.

My Summer Reading...

If my posting has been rather light here over the last few days, that is in part because I have been chipping away at my summer reading list. Since I'm knocked up, my interests have gravitated to the topic of pregnancy and birth. At this point, I have focused on the books pictured above, Your Best Birth by Ricky Lake and Abby Epstein, Ina May's Guide to Childbirth, by Ina May Gaskin, and Pushed by Jennifer Block.

The only one I have finished so far is Your Best Birth, which was an excellent, accessible read that I would recommend to anyone who is expecting, no matter where you plan to give birth.  It provides a wealth of information about maternity-care options in the US, and it really empowers women to take charge of the experience of pregnancy and childbirth.  

I'll post more about the other two once I've finished them!

What books have you read about pregnancy and childbirth?  Are there any titles that especially influenced/enlightened you as you prepared to give birth?  I'd love to hear your recommendations!

Cara Muhlhahn Profiled in New York Magazine

On newsstands and online today, check out the provocative feature article in New York Magazine about home birth midwife Cara Mulhahn.  I was a client of Cara's during my first pregnancy and I am quoted (and pictured in labor) in the article.  Reported by Andrew Goldman, the lengthy story takes a look at the woman who has risen to the forefront of the newest wave of home birth activism, having been featured in 2007 film, The Business of Being Born, and recently releasing her own juicy memoir, Labor Of Love, about life in the midwifery trenches.  

The photo above is by my friend Liz Rubincam and is featured in the article along with several more of her amazing shots.

Read the story here and leave a comment on this post letting me know what you think.

Warm/Welcome

Two great things about today:

1)  It was warm enough to frolic in the playground in our shirtsleeves.

2)  My mom arrived from Mississippi for our first visit since Christmas!

Good times.

Decor Love

I want to be there with a cup of chamomile tea and a new book.  Via The Nerdy Fashionista.

Conversations on Birth

In the wake of yesterday's New York Times article about home birth, the topic of home birth has taken the blogosphere by storm.  Of course, many of the natural-birth activism/midwifery blogs are all over it, but because this was such a high-profile news piece I have noticed conversations sparked in less-expected corners of the internet.  Places like a Glamour Magazine sex-and-relationships blog, a pop culture site, and a home decor site.

I am glad to see much-needed attention being given to the issue of birthing options, and conversation is a good thing.  However, I have been appalled by some of the ferociously hostile words coming from women aimed at women who choose to have home births.  Take for example an excerpt from a post that went up on Jezebel today, authored by someone not at all keen on the concept of being subjected a home-birthing neighbor's supposed "caterwauling":

"...if you choose to give birth at home in the apartment above mine, you have to accept my choice to leave a steaming bag of dog poo in your mailbox."

These vitriolic comments are not coming from people within the medical establishment, in fact their comments betray an outright ignorance of medical fact to go along with their bile.  Take for instance these words from popular decor blogger Decorno, who envisions hospitals to be havens of happy hour, apparently:

"This kind of back-to-roots childbirth business is a load of crap.  To my future baby: Momma will have you with some drugs in her. Deal with it. Immediately following birth, she will ask the doctor to grab her compact and her Chanel lipstick and will re-apply before ordering a cocktail. You will not be born in an inflatable pool, nor in Queens. These will be the two ways in which I reassure you that I actually love you. Welcome to the world. Love, Your Mother. Now hand me my cigarettes..."

That one is so out there you actually have to kind of smirk.  And indeed, I realize that Decorno was probably shooting for laughs when she wrote that.  And it's not that I don't have a sense of humor -- one of the reasons I frequent Decorno is the always cheeky wit -- what gets me is that this woman is so anti-home-birth that she didn't even read the Times article before she got her panties in a wad and posted negatively about it on her blog!

Granted, everyone has a right to blog what they choose to blog on their own blog.  And everyone has a right to form their own opinions about this and any other important topic.  But what disturbs me is the utter irresponsibility of people like this as women, basically hating on other women's right to give birth outside of a hospital setting.  I just don't get that.  And what's with the viciousness?  I can't help but be sad, thinking about how threatened most people are by the idea of really talking about the female body, reproduction, and the natural processes surrounding the way we all arrive on the planet:  birth.

UPDATE, 11:39 pm:  After posting this and leaving what I felt to be an incredibly respectful and generous comment on the Decorno post quoted above, it seems that Decorno and her readers now find me "humorless."  What do you think?

Photo of my home birth, by Liz Rubincam.

Home Birth in the New York Times

Today's New York Times features a huge article about home birth, featuring beautiful photographs by my dear friend Liz Rubincam (who also photographed the Kiddo's birth!).

I am elated to see so much space devoted to this topic, and I have to say that the overall angle of the article puts the home birth movement in a favorable light and provides a relatively in-depth look at what is a growing trend in Manhattan.  I urge you to read the article and the accompanying online features including the slideshow (which features additional great quotes and home birth stories) and reader forum, which has already logged 234 comments since yesterday!

Chime in here, too of course :)  Let me know what you think about the article and/or home birth by leaving a comment on this post.

Photos by Liz Rubincam for the New York Times.

Etsy Find of the Day: MiChiMa

I adore these soft felt letters from Etsy seller MiChiMa!  The Kiddo is starting to really be aware of letters and numbers and I could see us having fun for days with a set of these :)

Well hello again!

Sorry about that three-day absence!  I  came down with a nasty cold last week which I'm just beginning to shake.  Between my incessant sinus headaches and the Kiddo's restless nights (teething, I think?), I just haven't had the wherewithall to blog.  But today I'm feeling much better and the Kiddo slumbers peacefully beside me, so I'm taking the opportunity to post.  

I want to share this with you, sent in by my new friend, Rachel.  I grew up loving the comic strip, For Better or For Worse, and have missed it in recent years since our paper of choice doesn't have a Sunday Funnies section.  Well, Rachel made my day when she shared the strip that ran yesterday, featuring babywearing!  Click on the image to see all the details:

Midwife's Memoir a Must-Read

I just had the pleasure of reading an advance copy of "Labor of Love: A Midwife's Memoir" by Cara Muhlhahn, and I couldn't put it down (seriously -- the book arrived in my mailbox on Saturday afternoon and I had finished it by midnight!)  

This book carries special appeal for me not only because I am passionate about the subject of home birth but also because I have a special connection to the author; Cara was my midwife and facilitated the delivery of the Kiddo in June 2007!  You might already recognize her, as she was also featured in the Ricki Lake-Abby Eptein documentary, The Business of Being Born.

For me, having a home birth meant that everything happened on my terms.  For example, while I was pregnant all the prenatal visits occurred in the comfort and convenience of our home.  Because of Cara's dedication to a truly patient-centered standard of care, I never had to haul my pregnant belly across town to a doctor's office, sit in a cold, impersonal waiting room, or deal with the breakneck speed of an overbooked-doctor's exam.  Cara's house calls were always in-depth, personal, and (because she was coming to us) I always felt that they had an almost luxurious quality!  At every prenatal Cara had plenty of time to answer our questions and concerns or just chat.  As a result, in the process leading up to giving birth not only did we develop a strong rapport, but I also always felt valued and respected as a human being.  That feeling helped me to go into labor feeling calm,  confident and strong, with the additional assurance that I had a great support system to help me birth my baby.

In addition to being a powerful look into Cara's fascinating personal journey, "Labor of Love" offers important perspectives on the sorry (and scary!) state of maternity care in our country and argues compellingly that home birth is an absolutely necessary alternative that should be available to all women.  

As Cara states in the book's press release, "between the reaction of some in the medical field and the glamorization of elective c-sections in Hollywood, it's important that we make mothers-to-be aware of the realities of different birthing options."  

From the standpoint of someone who has benefited greatly from having an experienced midwife and a home birth, I can personally attest to the greatness of this mode of care.  It is an experience that I wish all women could have.

"Labor of Love" will be released in January, 2009 by Kaplan Publishing.  Here is a video clip in which Cara talks about the book and her experiences as a certified nurse-midwife:

Home Birth Miracles (Labor of Love: A Midwife's Memoir)