I do not qualify as the \u201cmom who likes to play.\u201d For some reason, that is hard for me to admit, because in my mind, a good mom is the type to hike up her skirt, get down on the floor, and act out imaginary life with plastic figurines and wooden dollhouse creatures. I will give myself grace and I will say that I am good at other parts of motherhood \u2013 like making possibly the world\u2019s best chocolate chip cookies and turning cardboard boxes into spaceships. But when it comes to play, I\u2019d have to \u2018fess up: I\u2019m not any good.<\/p>\n
Perhaps this is because I have my own active imagination. I operate in the realms of creativity, and so, in some sense, I have my own play, just at a different level than that of my children. I am desperate for creative outlets and I can\u2019t translate the need for output into child\u2019s play.<\/p>\n
My daughters are only 20 months apart. When my youngest hit about 6 months, my older daughter was only just 2; and their needs were at maximum intensity, but completely different. There were moments I told friends it would have been easier to have twins because at least then I could have done everything twice instead of two different versions of feedings, naps, laundry and entertainment. By the time I got through two independent sets of needs, there were very few moments left to call my own, and I was often too exhausted to use them for anything other than watching snippets of \u201cPride and Prejudice\u201d.<\/p>\n
One day, I found myself explaining the word \u201cadventure\u201d to my 2-year-old, and right then I had a miraculous brainstorm. It must have been a divine seed planted into my brain because in my young mommy fog, I don\u2019t think I could have concocted the plan on my own; but I found a way to satisfy the need for activity for both of my children as well as make a creative space for myself. Thus was born The Marvelous Adventures of Iris and Edith<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n