Mundane and Magical

As a "outside the home" working mother of two girls, it's really hard to work in quality time with my daughters, usually I am rushing home thinking about what to cook for dinner and determining what I have in the freezer that can defrost quickly and what vegetable or fruit can I get in the meal so that it's balanced. Then its off to help with homework, coordinate playdates and carpools so that my girls can get to their activities in the event I don't make it out of traffic in time. I rely heavily on my mom friends that work all day at home (and don't get paid) and those that work outside the home and don't get paid what they are worth. They keep me abreast of what's happening in Girl Scouts, who are the better teachers, what happened to the neighbors kids....etc. I mean it....I need them and I try to make sure that I always return the favor.

Tonight was one of those nights, dinner, homework, guitar practice, endless questions and commentaries about subjects that turn my brain into mush and wear my patience thin. However, I bought this awesome book from http://www.scholastic.com/ and it has glow in the dark stars (remember those?) and print outs of the constellations in the sky with binoculars and a booklet with many more details about the planets, stars, meteors and shooting stars. This kit has been sitting on my living room coffee table for about 2 weeks and I still had'nt taken time to share it with them. I wanted some quality time tonight, only because I know that the next 3 days are going to be chaos. So we did, we sat on the rug and identified Casseopeia, Pegasus, Orion and other constellations.

When we went outside, all we could find were the big dipper, little dipper and we think Taurus. My girls were intrigued by the fact that planets are around us and we may be able to see them if we had some tricked out telescope. They wondered if life existed on other planets or maybe even the stars. I tried to incorporate some religious and scientific explanations which may cause them confusion later in life as they attempt to balance the two theories. I don't think that at their ages they can comprehend the vastness of the earth which has so many different people, cultures, languages and traditions, much less the incredible depth of our oceans and the immensity of the universe around them.

I hope to teach them to look at things around them, not just houses, bikes, toys and the color of nail polish. They can look to the sky and be astonished at the magical aspects of the heavens, they can listen to the rustles of leaves and wonder if there truly is a spirit in inanimate objects. One day they may become jaded as knowledge teaches them that there is a logical and scientific explanation for everything. Heck, I am a pretty logical, numbers driven person, believing wholeheartedly in scientifically or numerically supported evidence.

However, I also know that I see magic in the mundane world everyday. I see it in the calm before storms, I see it when birds return to my feeder afterwards, signaling that all is right with the world again. I want them to see the mysterious of their universe, and look for it in the most mundane places. I hope that they will be surprised at the delicate balance that you see in the world, the way the people, places and things all fall into line and support or oppose each other. It may be mundane to write about how other mother's help me and combine it with night viewings of the sky. It's the ole' "it takes a village to raise a child" concept merged with a mama trying to define her version of quality time. But I see it as proof that all is right in the world, it's magical to witness woman supporting each other without trying to define who has the tougher "job". It's mundane to try to teach your kids about the world around them, but it's magical when they connect dots in the sky.

by Limon Partido

Hello from Puerto Rico!.....um, er....Georgia...

Let me explain, I am a fairly new blogger and was invited to blog here at Monica's Cielito Lindo site after we took to a mutual admiration of our blogging abilities...or our similarities. Just a bit about myself....

I am a late 30 something Puerto Rican Latina, which hails from a small town called San Lorenzo, (yes, for Puerto Ricans that are familiar, "el pueblo de Chayenne") I was raised by my loving grandparents from about age 7 until I was 16. Then I moved back to the United States. Lucky me, I am comfortable writing, reading and speaking in Spanish, as well as, English, much like many americanized latinos. When I get really mad though....it's just Spanish. I am a full time working mother to two wonderful daughters and began blogging because I needed an outlet to deal with an upcoming "divorce" situation. Yes, I know...not the lightest of topics, but truly the reason that I began my blog in which I fight against a range of emotions and learn to find myself while keeping it together for my sweet "nenas".

With that said, I know that several of us have been invited to blog here and I also invite you to visit my blog at http://www.limonpartido.blogspot.com/ and mark it as one of your faves....I also do special Salsa dances at each comment.

Oh yeah, I live in Georgia now....

's friend.....Limon Partido

A New Blog on the Block

There is a new mami blog on the web that you should be aware of. Carla Molina Martins the blogera behind Mama Hearts Baby has recently signed on with Latina.com to be their official Latina mami. Their new blog, The Mami Diaries, are a fun (sometimes hilarious) take on issues that Latina moms face. Frequently featuring her baby girl, Dessa, Carla infuses her posts with humor, insight and helpful information.
I already call her the Super Mami because she has a hand on the pulse of the internet - MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, two blogs - while juggling a 16 month old AND pregnant with bebé number 2. And I think she's got a day job, too - don't you, Carla?
Anyway, her most recent Diaries post features Latin Baby and several other great businesses with product discounts for Latina.com readers.
You can check out The Mami Diaries here.

It's Official! The Latin Baby Book Club and Blog are Live!

Ta-da! Well, things sort of snow-balled on the Latin Baby Book Club, which officially launched today. I had quite a few offers of help/partnerships, lots of suggestions, and before I knew it the LBBC's Blog had been born. We currently have 5 contributing bloggers to the blog, but there is room to grow. I have some great plans for the blog, but for now we are focusing on bilingual children's literature/songs and are starting with book reviews, author interviews, el Libro del Mes/Book of the Month, updates about special events at local libraries and bookstores, as well as suggested reading for parents.
Our first few posts are up and running and more will be added from all of our contributing bloggers before the week is done. I am especially excited to have this great group (all Latinas for the moment!) of blogeras. If you'd like to learn more about them and the LLBC, pop on over to the LBBC's official blog here.

Do You Have Bookjoy?

This month has flown by so fast! Is tomorrow really Día de los Niños/Día de los Libros? Do you have any special plans to celebrate? I have been thinking on this for the whole month and wondering what kinds of activities to do with my kids. They love story time and we already go to the library each week, so I have been thinking about what kinds of extra special activities we can do. I have a few ideas, and I will let you know later this week how we celebrated the day.

For those of you wondering what you can do with your children, why not head to your local library? Some held their events this past weekend, but I believe many libraries and bookstores have special events and activities planned for the 30th as well. Here is one link where you can check for celebrations near you.

I also was delighted to stumble upon Pat Mora's new blog, called Bookjoy! (click on the picture above to go to her site.) She has just started it and I think it will grow into a wonderful resource for parents, teachers, librarians and more. If you have a moment, please stop by and take a look and leave her a little message telling her what you think of her new blog. Her most recent post mentioned that she was leaving to attend an ALA Día event in one of the U.S. Senate chambers - How exciting!

And don't forget that Latin Baby's book sale ends tomorrow (Wednesday) night - so pick up some fantastico bilingual children's books now while the books are cheap! To see our entire line, click here.

Latina Crafter on Etsy Designs for la Familia

When I first began discovering the world of blogs – more specifically, craft blogs – I was pleasantly surprised to discover quite a few creative Latinas. I don't really know why I was surprised. I mean, haven't Latinas been finding ways to bring beauty to their homes and families for centuries? I think of all the huipiles, arpilleras, mantones, mácrame, etc, that I have seen over my 30 somethin’ years and am in awe of such talent, imagination and patience!
I still routinely scour the web trying to find other Latinas displaying and discussing their creations and ideas. So for all of you creative mámis out there, I have decided to feature Mia Zamora Johnson of Owlishly. As with many of us, Mia's interest in needlework began as a child when her paternal grandmother taught her how to crochet some of the basic stitches. But, as is often the case, Life got busy and time went by. Mia was busy with school and getting a degree and then marriage and so on. She didn't pick up another crochet hook until the birth of her first child when she designed and crocheted a baby blanket for her son, and then again later for her daughter.
(Isn't it funny, amigas, how our passage into motherhood suddenly sparks the voracious flame of CREATIVITY for so many of us? It is as if once we have created life, this giant monster that has been sleeping inside us, awakens and erupts out of our fertile bodies and demands that we begin a lifelong pursuit of inspiration, beauty, and art.)
Then, in 2006, an amigurumi doll caught her eye. Mia decided the time had come for her to learn how to read patterns so that she could make the stuffed doll for her daughter. After teaching herself from a book and making a few dolls, she decided that she could translate her own ideas and design her own dolls.
Mia says that she has always had a problem with the scarcity of ethnic dolls, so the first ones that she designed were a careful representation of her culture. Mia’s husband is Caucasian, and if you check out her etsy store, you will find that most of her dolls are tan (like Mia and her daughter), with a few lighter ones added (to represent her son).
Mia only sells crochet patterns from her etsy store, but she includes pictures of the finished products, so that you will have an idea of how each doll will look. There are so many adorable little dolls, and some are downright hilarious (check out El Ciclón Panzón Luchador/Mexican Wrestler!!), but by far my favorites are the Sarita Amigurumi Mexican Doll and El Rayo Azul Luchador, both of which are shown above.
And be sure to check out her craft blog, also Owlishly, which features a lot of her work, including pieces other than crochet.