Mama Corner

This year, we are living in a rented furnished apartment in Hyde Park. The location is great. The working part of the family can walk to work in ten minutes and the working-at-home part of the family has plenty of kid friendly resources within walking distance as well. What we don't have is much of our own stuff. Buying things is on the "don't do" list because one way or another, we are moving to a different home next year and the less we have to move, the better. That means plenty of time for dreaming and a need to be creative about how we use what is available to us.

Here in Hyde Park, a wonderful caregiver has come into our lives. She watches Peanut in her home on Friday mornings so Mama can get some library time. It turns out, Mama is getting as much care as Lucas. The hours in the library are truly valuable to me since they took so much work to organize. More than that, though, we have found someone who cares for Peanut and watches out for Mama as well. Over the holidays, we got to pick up a beautiful rocking chair to borrow for the next few months. It's taken up residence in our living room and has accidentally created a Mama corner.

Since Peanut was just a little tiny thing, I've spent a lot of time and energy trying to create good play areas for him. I've never thought much about creating a good space for myself. This space just happened and it makes me happy over and over again. The radio is within reach, so I can listen to my talk radio quietly without disturbing the rest of the family. It is also easy to play soft music for Peanut when he nurses at night. The bookshelf has a couple of less full shelves, so there is space for pens, pencils, glue stick, scissors, journals, and plenty of reading material - as well as a beverage. The window is right there for gazing out and daydreaming. For now, the Christmas tree is there as well, with it's lovely fairy lights and decorations. This rocking chair turned a corner into my corner and I love it. It's the perfect spot for reading, knitting, sewing, nursing, reading stories, and just relaxing.

It didn't take much to create a wonderful Mama Corner in this home of ours. Do you have a special spot in your home?