MichMoms Blog

Category: Events

Scary weekend for a new mommy

I am a new mom - a 37-year-old mom to a 5 1/2-month-old beautiful (yes, I am bragging) baby girl.

She is pure joy; she's pure fun; she's nosy and an absolute ham. This weekend, she will decide if her mommy is truly worthy of her adorable smiles, cute babbles and endless hugs.

You see, this weekend marks two major milestones in the life of my baby girl: Halloween on Saturday and her Christening on Sunday. Don't judge me yet, I have no idea how those two very important events came to be in the same weekend.

Let's start with Halloween, which is slowly creeping up on Mommy and causing her to be a bit more jittery than usual.

First of all, it took me more than a month to choose the "perfect" costume for my girl. After a lot of research (that's what older mommies do), I think I found the one. It is flame retardant, soft with enough room to breathe, no overbearing headpiece - and it won't fit in the car seat. But, hey, it's cute.

Then there is the preview outfit. Yes, you need one of those, too. A month ago I bought her a "My first Halloween onesie" and cute socks. This morning, the socks fit, the onesie didn't; too late to do something about it, oh, well!

Now, the real challenge: What do you do with an infant on Halloween night, especially one who likes to go to bed at 7 p.m.? Do you stay home and wait for trick-or-treaters? Take her around to family and friends' homes? Put the costume on, take a couple of photos and go to bed? Or, take her to the subdivision's party complete with hot dogs, donuts and cider and a costume parade?

I have two more days to make this very important decision. In the meantime, there's the christening on Sunday. So, here it goes:
* People: 50 expected, including one set of twins
* Dress: doesn't fit in the car seat either, but it's cute.
* Poster with her picture for people to sign: Didn't need that, but it's done
* Food: Still working on the menu
* Desserts: Cake ordered, but lots more to bake
* Decorations: Are you kidding?

Now, how do you guarantee your beautiful angel in this absolutely gorgeous white dress won't drool on the dress, throw up on the priest, fall asleep or, worse, cry her eyes out during the ceremony, wet her diaper or, knowing my daughter, decide to laugh or babble out loud?

I have three more days to figure out if or how to prepare my hyperactive little girl for a solemn occasion that I have a feeling will be material for several future blog posts.

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Category: Events

Family values on display at The Bean

With all the other projects I have going while having a preschooler in tow, it took me about four years to finish, but Held Close (canvas at right in early and late stages) is finally done. It's an interpretation of a John Held, Jr. painting with stylistic reference to Chuck Close. For now, it gets to hang out with other local art at a coffee shop on the west side.

If you happen to be on the west side of town this weekend, stop and check out the second largest art fair in Michigan: the 29th annual Plymouth Art in the Park. There you can drop in and see the Family Values Art Show at Metro Detroit's "best" coffee house (per the Free Press and Hour Magazine), The Plymouth Coffee Bean Co. at 884 Penniman Ave. The finished version of Held Close is there.

Family Values is a sampling of photography and mixed media works by my hubby Ray, daughters Maya and Zoe, and myself. This will also, by the way, be a great weekend for flea market and bargain shoppers, as Plymouth will be dotted with garage sales that annually coincide with the fair.

Hours for the July 11-13 fair are Friday, noon to 8 p.m., Saturday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Family Values will be on display in the orange room for a couple weeks at The Bean (starting Wednesday, July 9), where the hours are 6 a.m.-11 p.m. Monday through Thursday, open 24 hours Friday and Saturday (starting 6 a.m. Friday) and Sunday until 11 p.m.