Our Ballerina

I’m so proud of our girl! She did an awesome job on her ballet performance!

Tap didn’t go as smoothly, but, oh, how sweet!

It’s becoming our little tradition for Clayton to present his sister with a bouquet after her performance.  He asked for the flowers as soon as the recital ended this year!

I cry more with each recital that I attend. I don’t know if it’s because my little girl is growing too fast or because all the girls are just so sweet. And so funny, the way they make little mistakes, tell each other what to do (Lillian is especially good at that), and sometimes move to their own beat. I wonder if these recitals will get more emotional or less, as time goes on?

After taking Lillian to ballet class all year long, the songs for her recital performances get really, really stuck in my head. I still have the songs from the winter performances in my head at least once a week. And Lillian will start shaking her butt every time I start singing the Dancing Duck. I wouldn’t mind if these songs – and the images they conjure – never do leave my head.

One year ago…

It was one year ago today that Lillian and I made our infamous television appearance! Oh, how time flies!
http://bouldermau.blogspot.com/2008_05_01_archive.html

Mothers Acting Up Events for Mother’s Day 2009

Mothers Acting Up Events for Mother’s Day 2009

Mothers Acting Up is shaking everything up this year. In this new era, we are turning are attention to more mother leadership and more action!!! We will not have our Mother’s Day Parade down Pearl Street, but hope you will join us on May 29th on a field trip to our Members of Congress! We’ll be riding on the New Era bus!!! Please check out the special events and gatherings that will happen all month long! To volunteer for any of these events, please email kelye_lotz@hotmail.com.

Friday May 1 (M)other presented by Beth Osnes followed by potluck dinner and the workshop: Empowering Mother Voices 5:30pm to 8:30pm Christ Church, 690 Colorado Boulevard, Denver (M)other explores how to get the people of one nation to authentically care about the children of other nations. It is an intimate, funny and provocative look at one mother’s personal transformation, moving from concern to action on behalf of the world’s children. Hosted by Christ Church United Methodist Church and The Gathering Place in partnership with Mothers Acting Up and Philanthropiece, this event will uniquely bring together groups of women who would normally never meet, breaking down stereotypes and reaching across class lines, reinforcing that each of us is part of a global community of mothers. Childcare will be provided; for more info, contact Louana George at westsidebirthservice@juno.com

Saturday, May 2 Celebrate Fair Trade and Mothers! 1 to 7pm Momentum 1625 Pearl Street, Boulder Come hear Peruvian artisans Ayde Riveros (finger puppet maven!) and Evangelina Pizaros’ compelling stories of their turbulent lives and how Fair Trade has helped them achieve economic and social stability. They will be at Momentum from 1-3pm creating crafts, selling products, and sharing their stories. Momentum will be honoring the work of Mothers Acting Up (MAU) with 10% of the day’s profits. This extra special May day at Momentum will conclude with a wine and fair trade chocolate reception from 3 to 7 pm for all who believe that each of us can make the world a better place one step at a time. Come celebrate with us!

Saturday, May 9 Longmont Moms Go Green for Mother’s Day! Homemade, organic potluck 6:30pm Contact Holly for to RSVP and for directions in Longmont: hollyaneff@hotmail.com Longmont Moms Go Green, a MAU Chapter, hosts speakers each month on topics such as: green investing and interior design, eco-cooking, permaculture, and zero waste home. Join in some Mother’s Day weekend renewal to the commitment to live a sustainable life for the health of the planet and the future of the world’s children. We’ll watch “The Eleventh Hour” with Leonardo DiCaprio and discuss ways to live more simply, consume less, and preserve nature.

Sunday, May 10 Mother’s Day Walk in Niwot! 9am Beginning at Left Hand Grange Park to Niwot Market, Niwot Join us for a festive morning walk to Stand for the World’s Children, with moms, dads, kids, dogs, friends and neighbors. At the end of the walk we’ll sign and decorate messages to Congress, asking lawmakers to prioritize kids. There’ll be opportunities to help a school in Uganda, ideas for inspiring kids to service, and plenty of coffee & MAU Mother’s Day cake. See you there! For more information email Kathy, Michelle or Linda at niwot@mothersactingup.org

Monday, May 11 Big Screen Premiere The Moment local action . . . global change Monday ~ May 11th 6:30 pm Main Boulder Public Library Gallery, Auditorium & the Channel 8 studio 1000 Canyon Boulevard, Boulder Mothers Acting Up, The City of Boulder’s Office of Environmental Affairs & Channel 8 invite you to celebrate the premiere of our new TV show The Moment The debut of The Moment will be accompanied by comedian Jeff Wozer and the fabulous Beth Osnes, appetizers & dessert, information & door prizes, and live taping in Channel 8 studios. Come celebrate this new show with your kids, grandparents & neighbors and this zero waste reception & event. Get your dose of good news and inspirations for the week!

Sunday, May 17 Awakening the Dreamer Symposium 1 to 5 pm (Limited space available) Center for Conscious Living, 1637 28th Street, just west of the Q’doba in Boulder To RSVP or for more information contact: Register online at www.awakeningthedreamer.org For questions, contact: Erica Shafroth at 303-473-0108 Mothers Acting Up is teaming up with a very exciting grass roots, social/political movement gaining momentum across the country and across the globe. The mission for the Awakening the Dreamer Symposium is to bring forth an environmentally sustainable, spiritually fulfilling and socially just human presence on the planet. View the introductory video at http://awakeningthedreamer.org/content/view/115/135/

Tuesday, May 19 10:00am Jewelry Show to Benefit MAU! Join Janna for a morning playdate and Silpada show to benefit MAU! Sparrow Gabriel has generously offered to hold this show and donate 10% of all sales this day to MAU!!! Stop by anytime between 10 and noon. You may also check out the catalog on the web at http://www.mysilpada.com/sparrow.gabriel and email orders to Janna. We will also be collecting signature post cards to be delivered to our members of congress on May 29. Please stop by to sign a card if you have not signed one already! These cards will ask our M.O.C. to put children first in public policy! Please also visit the site http://www.standfortheworldschildren.org and sign the online pledge. We will also have some great FREE Mothers Acting Up stuff to give away! Don’t miss it! Email jannavance at gmail dot com for directions!

Friday, May 29 STAND FOR THE WORLD’S CHILDREN: A field trip to our Members of Congress 9:30 to 3:30 pm (possible to join the trip for half a day) Meet at 2025 16th Street, Boulder Get on the BUS with Mothers Acting Up, New Era Colorado, and the local High School Peace Jam Groups as we visit Rep. Betsy Markey and Jared Polis AND Senators Michael Bennet and Mark Udall. Be a part of presenting this year’s agenda on behalf of the world’s children. Lunch will be provided, bring snacks and a reusable water bottle. Read about the campaign and RSVP for the trip at www.standfortheworldschildren.org.

Mothers Acting Up (MAU) is a locally grown organization uniting 1 million mothers to advocate on behalf of the world’s children. MAU inspires, educates and engages mothers – a gigantic force to be reckoned with – to prioritize children in our corporate and public policies. MAU believes that when mothers lead, generations of global citizens will follow. For more info visit www.mothersactingup.org

Thoughts on Mothers Day

I love Mother’s Day. I can’t wait for the homemade gifts, the special breakfast crafted with the help of tiny hands and served with sticky kisses. It is a time when I contemplate my own motherhood and the value of close family.

But a few years ago, Mother’s Day became so much more than those wonderful sticky kisses – it became a day that I work to demand a safe, bountiful and meaningful life for all the world’s children.

Julia Ward Howe penned the Mother’s Day Proclamation in 1870. She called on women to “arise,” and wrote, “let women now leave all that may be left of home for a great and earnest day of counsel. Let them meet first as women, to bewail and commemorate the dead. Let them solemnly take counsel with each other as to the means whereby the great human family can live in peace…”

So, as I am enveloped by the sweetness of Mother’s Day, I will also raise my voice to bring dignity to all mothers and remember the original intent of this auspicious day.

This spring, Mothers Acting Up is joining with Stand for the World’s Children. As a Mother Leader, I am collecting signatures on pledge post cards and delivering them to our members of congress later this month. I am also standing with mothers from Longmont, Niwot and Boulder at a variety of local events all month long. Over 90 Mother Leaders across the country will join us to simultaneously and joyfully demand a more just and equitable world for all. To add your voice to this beautiful collaboration of mothers, join us at one of the events you can find on this page.