st.patricks day poop

It's official. Uma had her first poop on the toilet on St.Patty's day. It was actually really exciting. You all knew it was all a matter of time until the blogs changed from tooth talk to potty talk. Well, here we are. There's not a ton to report, she's peeing on the potty, not fully "trained"at all. What does warrant comment is how gender-specific those pull-up diapers are. What's up with that? It's all trucks or princesses.

The last 6 weeks have been absolutely nuts. We got back from Mexico (aaahhhhhhhh) and immediately starting packing up our entire house to move. Our landlords moved into our home. Needless to say, I'm not a one-car mover anymore. Any past identity I used to have about being a light packer or without material items has totally changed with motherhood. Uma has a ton of crap. And trying to create any order and packing with Uma nearby is an oxymoron. Having a kid is such a great opportunity to identify any type of control issues you may have.

Anyways, our new house is stunning. It's more than double the size of our old house. We're still in the same hood, about 30 blocks closer to downtown. We have an incredible view of the city and are a couple blocks from 3 great coffee shops including a a cooperative socialist one, a vegan "mall" including a convenience store, bakery, and tattoo parlour (?), gay bars, dive bars, a children friendly restaurant, awesome Thai food,and a wicked playground. The flowers are all out- daffodils, cherry blossoms, daphne, camellias, euphoria. We are happy. Of course, every move just gets better, no matter how inconvenient it may feel.

Uma loves the new pad- her room is the whole length or the house with tons of windows connected by french doors to my room. she even sleeps in her own room (half the night). She is just talking and singing all day long. She has lots of new tricks up her sleeves. She's incredibly athletic at the playground, she can climb the rock wall and hang from the bars herself.
Uma knows her full name. She calls herself Uma Kucera, Uma Moses, Annabelles Kucera, etc. She calls me Mama Kucera or Clay-er, and sometimes Clara Kucera. She named Kermit, her favorite, Froggie Kucera.

As for me, it's so hard to believe that it's already spring. Since I left teaching, it's just been a windwhirl of activity. I don't regret leaving but I do feel clueless about where the winds of fate connect with my free will. The summer was sleepless, then came the fall with the walking pneumonia,next thing was weaning which spurred our getaway to Mexico, then the move.
I can't believe that it's taken me this long to figure out what I am doing.

Right after we moved our things, I went to take a week-long workshop that was created for people who want to open a bookstore. I've have a huge dream of opening a progressive kids bookshop including a hip mama's political cafe and resource center. It took me a while to figure it out, all the little peices, but then it crystallized and felt so perfect. I have hundred of books chosen already that focus on social justice, ecology, peace, tolerance, gender, multi-culturalism, diversity, family structures, feelings. I just love researching all the books!

I attended the workshop as wanted to learn the nuts and bolts before embarking on this huge endeavor. I felt so optimistic, as it seemed like the perfect accumulating goal with all of my past lives put to good use. I'd be able to put together all of my experience as a buyer, a bookseller, a teacher, and a mama. By the end of the workshop, I felt a little less excited as the take home message was that this would be a labor of love, a fulfilling career with no hope of ever making a dime. It's fuel for this fodder. I still love the idea, I feel like it's a perfect niche for me, I just want to make sure I'm savvy. In the meantime, I'm finally unpacked and grounding down, exciting for all of the clouds to clear.