Thursday 20 September 2007

Focus


It happened. It happened today. I was wondering, not impatiently mind you, just wondering, if and when it would happen, and then all of the sudden.....

And this is for all of you crafty mamas with small babes around.

This morning while Safiya was playing and I was puttering, things got quiet....really quiet. Checking in, I saw her in the garden, picking leaves and talking away. A few more little chores got done, I checked in on her again and she was in the exact same spot....busy. Usually this goes on for a maximum of ten minutes and then I hear "Mama!" and she has something to tell me. And that continues back and forth, a little bit of play on her own, some together with me, a little rhythm that we have. But today she seemed focused. So much so that I was tempted to go over there and say "Whatchya doin'?" (crazy, I know). Her busy-ness, her play, lasted for a good hour. This has never ever happened before. And when she finally came over to find me, she had stories to tell about what the mama dinosaur (that's which toy she had been talking to) had been eating in the garden.

We've never said "go play". A lot of this blog has documented my struggle to weave my creative life with my family life. There has been parallel play or how I've tried to integrate Safiya into what I'm doing, and it's a path that I hold dear now. I've been trying to trust that "treat your child as you would like them to treat you" and "nurture and attachment in the early years gives them the strength and stability to be independent as they get older" are truths that will reveal themselves with a little bit (o.k. sometimes a whole lot) of patience.

And now in return she's given me Time.

So, even if it's just for today, enough time catch up on some WIP such as this:

The following is the other side (Recognise the fabric? That's right! One of the aprons has been sacrificed, and happily - in fact, just took the pocket right off :-)


Also these, part of a much overdue order for a friend:

I wonder what's going to happen tomorrow....

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

ooooh! it looks like you were both happily playing! i'm so digging the applique birds on the red jumper.

thanks for reminding me that with time these seemingly permanently attached beings will seek independence -- it's often hard to believe that this could ever be the case.

Anonymous said...

i just noticed your new(?) tagline - 'remake believe' - i LOVE this!!