First Post

Ahhh the first blog post.  To be honest, this isn't my first blog, I've started and failed to maintain momentum on a few....  But this time around, I've chosen to focus on what I could probably discuss forever: Motherhood.  I'm a broke, semi-crunchy artist mama, with 3 kids, a misanthropic dog, and a musician husband. My oldest child Alex has optimism for days! He also has Angelman Syndrome, a severe genetic disorder that requires lifelong care. He likes swimming, iPads, foot rubs, and soft-talking ladies. My middle kid, Lyra, is a 4 year old girl. She likes to dance hippity-hop, paint, and design her own booby traps.  She's one sassy little lady! My youngest is not quite 6 months old. He's huge. So are his kind eyes and warm smile.  Hubby is a pipe organist,  music director and a composer.  He likes green chili, vinyl records, and letting his freak flag fly.

As for me, I'm a young mom and lifelong artist.  When my son was diagnosed with such a severe disorder, I knew I'd never work outside the home again, so I decided to go all-in, and make my living with my hands. I sew eco-friendly pieces for baby and mom, I like to call it "functional art." Crafts are underrated, they're interactive art! I own lovelylyra.com where I pedal cloth diaper stuff and handmade goodies.  I've also been known to pick up a paintbrush now and then. When I get "a moment to myself." I hope this year to roll out some children's books and a line of fabric I've been working on forever.

Why "Lone Mother Wolf?" well it's a bit of a double entendre. I myself am fiercely introverted, I loooove alone time. I work alone.  I love the silence of my studio.  I hate parties... I've been enjoying solo-play since I was old enough to entertain myself. I don't know why I'm like this, but I  really was just born this way.  Like a wolf, I understand the critical importance of a wolf-pack.  No one can do it alone. I want others to be well and happy, I want to support them! I just need to participate and contribute in my own quiet way. 

When it comes to my kids, I'm more likely to drag them to safety out of a blazing fire by the scruff of their neck with my teeth, wolf pup style, than I am to powder their bum.  I can be caught giving tender cuddles on the sofa at night though, and cooing over Lyra's little paintings and creations. I must also admit, I'm a sucker for some baby kisses. What can I say, I'm devoted to the little rugrats, even if I am a bit of a crotchety loner. I'm also one viciously protective mama,  just ask any of the grown adults I've made cry at IEP meetings for my son... 

 Alternately, I chose the name "Lone Mother Wolf," because I noticed a sad trend in the thousands of moms I hear from in my baby business, and my close personal mom friends as well....  We may live in the global information-age, but it feels like moms have never been so alone on their journey as mothers as they are today.  Neighbors don't help each other, nay, we eye them suspiciously instead!  We live further from family, and those with family nearby quickly learn family works too much to help out, or we're too mired in a specific parenting philosophy to let them.  It's harder than ever to make ends meet, so our partners are gone a lot. Then, in search of other mom voices, we take to the internet, where an overwhelming amount of information and OPINION abounds. I've noticed more and more that moms are LONELY, and extremely defensive! All the information floating around makes us feel that we MUST KNOW EVERYTHING. Failure to know what you are doing.... failure to have a distinct and rigid parenting philosophy and a freaking dissertation on why you chose it, means you're a "shitty mom." So we clam up, we play it close to the cuff. We shroud our insecurities in aggressive opinions, and secretly stress out all day under the mental weight of raising a family in 2017. Do we really need to criticize that other mom's carseat technique we noted in a photo of her and her baby at the zoo?   No. Stop it. We do not. Lone Mother Wolf is about supporting and raising up my fellow moms. A quiet fist-bump to every mom.  While we may constantly second-guess ourselves and worry that we are messing this whole gig up, I see something different in the mamas I talk to.  I see strong, determined, conscientious, resourceful, creative women. Lone Mother Wolf will honor that spark in every mom. 

I nursed two babies 100%, no pumping or bottles, one baby was bottle fed in a hellish blur of formula and violent spit up. I've had two 100% natural childbirths, I've had one with ALL the interventions. I vaccinate. I let them watch some TV. I don't allow the typical kids to have iPads at all, but the oldest with disabilities gets it whenever he wants.  I have epic double standards. Sue me. My house is a wreck.  I clean and clean and it's just always a heap of junk. I suck at routines, hubby and I both have art brains, we don't adult like a lot other people... but I'm trying my best to spin all my plates.  I read a lot and feel better about problems when I'm proactive about solutions, but I do NOT have it all figured out.  I frankly do not care if you adopted, had an epidural, a water birth, breastfeed, bottle-feed, potty trained at 4 or at 2, vaccinate, essential oil their feetsies, co-sleep, cry it out, feed them goldfish 24/7, or secretly cry in the bathroom out of sheer boredom.  There are no expectations of my fellow moms here, only ideas and support.  We need to be gentle with each other. We may all be different, but we all understand the sacred rite of passage that is becoming a mother.  We all love our children, period. We express that love in myriad different ways, and that is ok.  We are one giant quiet wolf pack, doing our best to keep society from crumbling by raising the best kiddos we can. I hope you enjoy my blathering.  Paw-five lone mother wolves.