WARNING
I will continue to celebrate motherhood. So if breasts, birth, dilation and mother's milk makes you uncomfortable please consider yourself warned.
Follow at your own risk. You'll find the follow button at the bottom of the side bar.

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Locked, Loaded & Lactating

When hubby gets too sassy I threaten to squirt him with breast milk, one quick squeeze. A shot to the eye, perhaps the ear. Despite military training and two tours in Iraq just the threat of my milky spray sends him running.
I try to remind hubby that the milk on his cereal is expressed from a cow's breast. This is an ongoing debate we have. He tries to distance his milk from the nipple with words like udders and pasteurization. So I have offered to have my milk pasteurized . Then will I be cleaner than a cow? Worthy of consumption? He shelves the Wheaties and reaches for an orange.
** I have a wonderful supportive husband who despite his fear of breast milk nurtured me and cared for me during the recovery of my emergency cesarean, uterine infection and mastitis. We manage to live happily in a constant state of debate by always being half serious and 100% in-love

ENOUGH ABOUT MY MILK! LET'S TALK ART
I loved how bold and powerful the featured painting is. There is nothing apologetic or discreet. It is vivid and striking. I was more than a little shocked when I realized this moment was so realistically and powerfully portrayed by male artist, Paul Richmond. His own description says it best, " This painting represents the female influences that were an integral part of my early development. Without knowing of the social ramifications, I looked to women as providing a role model for shaping the way I related to the world around me. The love and nurturing that I felt from the females in my life allowed me to feel safe and at home with who I was".

To top it off his talent he also has a great sense of humor that really comes through in his other work. I enjoyed learning about Paul's inspiration and life as much as I enjoyed looking at his art. He exudes a certain confidence and unapologetic honesty that I struggle to embrace as a mother. I am often offering explanations for why my daughter is mismatched, my dishes are undone and why my laundry takes a back seat to Jenga marathons. Maybe one day I will learn to say, "This is just the mom I am and that is enough".
If you would like to learn more about Paul Richmond and his work please visit..
http://www.paulrichmondstudio.com/

11 comments:

Mother Letter said...

Thanks for stopping by the site. I absolutely love your site and think my wife will too. I'm writing this address down for her to check out after Christmas.

Thanks, and I look forward to a letter from you (if I haven't already received one).

Anonymous said...

I am mildly amused at your poll. Here in Brazil it's not a problem, it's a case of whip them out, the kid's gotta eat... on the bus, in the park, waiting in line at the bakery. No prudes here, that seems to be the realm of North Americans.

And as for hubby, what a conglyme wus? Go squirt'm girl!

AV
http://netherregionoftheearthii.blogspot.com/
http://tomusarcanum.blogspot.com/

My Precious Peanut Designs said...

I always look forward to reading your posts, and this one was no exception. You always seem to be speaking right to me in your posts, although I doubt that it is planned :) A feel a toast is in order to putting children ahead of having a floor "so clean you could eat off of it"...who wants to do that anyway??? **HUGS**

TuTu's Bliss said...

LOL you bet, he knows the drill!!

"A feel a toast is in order to putting children ahead of having a floor "so clean you could eat off of it"...who wants to do that anyway???"

Here here!! But wait..I think you CAN eat of my floor..I'm sure there is a stray noodle here somewhere!!

Sarah said...

Great post! My husband's side of the fam is Peruvian and they use breastmilk for all kinds of cures...sqirt it in the eye for pink eye...realy, they had my SIL do that to her child while in Peru (far from any *medical* help)...it worked, who knew?! LOL

And a clean house just gets in the way of fun!

Kalyn said...

Oh my your blogs always make me laugh!! Thank God it's at a time I really needed it. I wonder why is it that MOST men have issues with breast milk. And I say MOST because I've heard some crazy stories. LOL!
I breast fed my son who is 13 months now. I remember when he was a few weeks old he was crying. My 5 year old daughter told me, "Give him some milk!" s if I was being selfish and not wanting to share my stash.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the comment. Re: where the stuff goes - we are donating it to local charities. The clothes go to a local shelter. The toys go to the thrift store or in the church rummage sale stuff for next spring. Some of the nicer tchoketchokes will be regifted and the rest given away or donate.

Anything that's too big to haul off, I'll put on FreeCycle so that someone else can come and haul it off for me. rofl

Mammamia said...

What a lovely blog you have. I can certainly empathize with the emergency c-section, mastitis et al.

I would love to have you write about the nurturing network for us. It sounds like a beautiful thing. I taught high school and had several pregnant students who could have used it. I wish I had known. Would you send your email address to womendoingmore@gmail.com and I will get you more information as soon as I can.

The Jules said...

Bit of mummy-milk in the eye is a good treatment for conjuntivitis - he should be grateful.

I get more annoyed when my missus lactates all over the computer keyboard and screen. Takes a while to get off after it's dried!

Sara at Come Away With Me said...

Just stopping by to say thank you for your recent visit and comment....and here I find reminders of my life about 30 years ago, the one and only time I did the mothering thing....though, of course, your children will always be your children, even when they have kids of their own!

TuTu's Bliss said...

LOL I have loved all your comments..hubby is now crossing his fingers that he doesn't get pink eye until my milk dries up..the last thing I need is a valid excuse!!