When I first did a 25 Thingslist last year, it took me much longer than anticipated. MUCH. This year I started compiling my list months ago so I wouldn't have to wrack my brain in the late-December-post-holiday-haze to come up with all of them, and would you believe it still took more time than I thought? Perhaps that's because it's hard to look at your everyday life and see those moments as "accomplishments," or maybe the days just string together so quickly that it's hard to keep track of what exactly was the last week/month/year and their various goings-on. No matter the challenge, I am again grateful to have this list now that it is complete. 25 Things is a way for me to reflect and remember, and most of all, to celebrate that I get to participate as the world spins madly on (song reference, anyone?).
25 Things in 2014
1. Signed up for a 200 hr. intensive yoga teacher training!
2. Completed my 200 hr. iytt!
3. Began teaching yoga - at two different places!
4. Shared my hardest story ever. Whoosah.
5. Un-gave up drinking caffeinated coffee. Best decision ever. I may have spent a small fortune on McDonald's coffee since doing so.
6. Read 47 books. More than last year! Actually, that's if I finish my last novel before the ball drops at midnight. I have high hopes that it will happen!
7. Began my prenatal yoga certification process. P.S. Prenatal Yoga coming at avani in Feb. 2015 - tell your pregnant friends!
8. Tried - and loved - and consumed a fair amount of - sushi.
9. Sustained breastfeeding while being out of town for a whole month by pumping morning, noon, and night for four weeks. Whoa.
10. Worked on opening my heart and my hips (an emotional center within the physical body) as well as walking away from that which no longer serves me.
11. Completed 108 sun salutations. In a row! Twice! (summer and winter solstices)
12. Made strides in getting my poor sleep back in line. Lots of positive thought. Lots of deep breaths. Lots of counting my deep breaths at night!
13. Kept my cool when my oldest required five (five!) staples in his head.
14. Kept my cool when my oldest turned five (five!) this summer!
15. Taught three classes at CCC over the course of the year - all new texts, all new prep. That's a lot for someone who is "part-time."
16. Continued with Freezer Swap (participated in at least three exchanges throughout 2014) and did two major sets of my own - one in June and one in December. Crazy in the moment - awesome in weeks that follow.
17. Got three new tattoos - in one day!
18. Quit wearing antiperspirant in August and now go with just a natural deodorant. Several friends asked me if I crossed any more hippy dippy lines after yoga training; this would be one example of Yes!
19. Was fitted for and started sleeping with a mouth guard (yes, mouth guard) to keep from grinding my teeth/hurting my jaw at night. Love it, yes I do.
20. Survived my first root canal (my mouth had an interesting 2014).
21. Learned that using (and even paying $10 a month for) Spotify saves me a lot of iTunes purchases and still gives me amazing music fixes.
22. Edited another book. Still not my own. ;)
23. Did my first Upward Facing Bow. Smile City!
24. Finally got a sewing machine of my very own. And I used it! To great success!
25. Wrote 93 blog posts this year. Holy Moly Cow! Thanks, as always, for reading along!
Your turn! Take some time - perhaps more than you anticipate - and make your own list of 25 Thingsfor 2014. Big or small, silly or serious....what made your year yours?
WhooHoo! Here's to continuing a great tradition I started last year - recording all of the books I read within the 12 month time-span. Doing this keeps me reading and accountable, and when a friend asks "Have you read anything good lately?" I can come back to my list and go, Yes! Yes, I have! Books in 2014
1. It Sucked and then I Cried by Heather B. Armstrong -- Wow. Intense first read for the year. I had no idea this woman was responsible for the most popular blog ever but now I can see that it comes from her humor and her honesty.
2. The Rest of Her Life by Laura Moriarty -- accidental check out on this one; thought it was by one of my fave, new authors (Liane Moriarty). As it turns out, though, it was a good book and a great read.
3. The Moon and More by Sarah Dessen -- first YA read of the year & it was a good one.
4. Three Wishes by Liane Moriarty -- pretty sure I will read everything this woman has written/will write.
5. An Abundance of Katherines by John Green -- another new favorite author discovered last year. Will continue reading as many of his books as I can, too!
6. Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple -- devoured this book. SO GOOD!
7. If I Stay by Gayle Forman -- found this on a "read b/f you see the movie" list and it's a good, quick read and will probably make a pretty good film.
8. Paper Towns by John Green -- another good YA read from Mr. Green.
9. Hands Free Mama by Rachel Macy Stafford -- first book from a friend's favorite blogger read for book club. Some good tips for as my kids get older and we all get busier.
11. Defending Jacob by William Landay -- whoa. Holy moly intense and good read. Head is still spinning from this one.
12. Promise Bound by Anne Greenwood Brown -- third book in the series. Over and out.
13. Quiet Mind: A Beginner's Guide to Meditation edited by Susan Piver -- I am such a beginner and need SO much practice. This seemed like a good place to start.
14. The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman -- whoa. This book is a pretty quick read but it was a total mind bender. And a little freaky for a gal w/ an overactive imagination such as myself!
15. Gap Creek by Robert Morgan -- Another intense novel. So glad my first year of marriage wasn't that tough.
16. The Love Affairs of Nathaniel P. by Adelle Waldman -- Had a love/hate relationship with this narrator, not to mention the vocabulary used in the book (I felt like I should have been rereading my GRE word flash cards and/or reading next to a dictionary).
17. The Road from Gap Creek by Robert Morgan -- Had no idea when I picked up Gap Creek a few weeks ago that there was a new, follow-up book told by the next generation of the Richards family. I really enjoyed this one, even more so than the first.
18. Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan -- how fun to write a book with a friend; these two did it well.
19. Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library by Chris Grabenstein -- Oh. My. This Jr.Fic. book is a book lover's dream! Such a fun read. If you are a fan of The Westing Game, this is a must read.
20. Secrets of Eden by Chris Bohjalian -- Holy Wow. Loved the different sections/different narrators (that really is one of my favorite literary devices; I find it impressive when authors can write with different voices, all telling the "same" story). But holy intense, too.
21. Flora and Ulysses by Kate DiCamillo -- Great Jr. Fic. read. What is normal anyway?
22. The 5 Love Languages by Gary Chapman -- Book Club read that I've been meaning to read for years. So thought-provoking to think about what makes you feel loved and how you can speak love to your S.O.!
23. Out of My Mind by Sharon M. Draper -- had no idea what I was getting into with this Jr.Fic. novel but wow, what a good read about an amazing protagonist with special needs. I would think this would be a good read for all upper elementary kids about the importance of really seeing others. 24. The Sand Castle Girls by Chris Bohjalian -- this is a good year for discovering new favorite authors and this one is a Top new fave, for sure. This was a heartbreaking but fascinating read. He is SO good at unique narratives/narrators. 25. Insurgent by Veronica Roth -- really should have reread Divergent again before jumping into this - way too much that I forgot which made it hard to get into this book. Hoping to read No.3 w/ less of a gap between volumes.
26. The Spectacular Now by Tim Tharp -- A few lines from this were in fact spectacular. The rest? Meh.
27. The Impossible Knife of Memory by Laurie Halse Anderson -- compelling read about a teenage girl and her former solider (with PTSD) father. Not a light read, but a good one.
28. Okay for Now by Gary Schmidt -- love this author and all of his books.
29. Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell -- this novel about "two misfits, one extraordinary love" was fantastic. Special bonus? The author is from (and the book is set in) Nebraska!
30. The Tree of Yoga by B.K.S. Iyengar -- perfect read prior to my teacher training adventure. So much wisdom here. So much underlining as I read! 31. Allegiant by Veronica Roth -- oof. Took me over 300 pages to get into this one and then the last 30 pages were a bit of a slog, too. When I start a series, I finish it, but meh - the first one, Divergent, was easily the best of the three.
32. A Wolf at the Table: A Memoir of My Father by Augusten Burroughs -- well that was an intense little memoir to read. Curious to read some more of his stuff.
33. You Don't Love Me Yet by Jonathan Lethem -- totally made me feel like a member of the band (and a wee bit crazy).
34. Wild by Cheryl Strayed -- love, love her writing, so I loved, loved this book - especially since I read it while embarking on my own crazy journey of a month-long intensive yoga teacher training.
35. Bhagavad Gita - a new translation by Stephen Mitchell -- beautiful. Can't wait to read it again.
36. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith - Oh. my. I hit a huge reading dry spell during August, so this book was a wonderful way to get back into reading. I adored it. Young girl growing up in an incredibly hard way of life. Beautiful storytelling.
37. Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd -- Fascinating. Such a good book. I had no idea it was based on historical individuals, so not only was I inspired by the reading, but also educated. SO GOOD.
38. This is Where I Leave You by Jonathan Tropper -- truth? I read this because I thought the movie trailer looked good. No idea when I'll actually see the movie but it hardly matters because the book was so fantastic that there's no way the movie could even compare now!
39. Saving Cecelia Honeycutt by Beth Hoffman -- actual book I wanted from this author wasn't on the shelf so I grabbed this one instead. Sweet book.
40. The Imperfectionists by Tom Rachman -- bought this sometime last year on sale at B&N & am just now getting around to getting it off the shelf. The review on the back that states that "each chapter could stand alone as a memorable short story" is spot on accurate and I enjoyed reading it as such.
41. The Silent Wife by A. S. A. Harrison -- Well, that was a mind trip (replace with a different four-letter word).
42. Looking for Me by Beth Hoffman -- some absolutely beautiful lines/moments in this book. That being said, having read two novels by this author now, the whole "something happened but I'm not going to tell you what it is until a page or two later" is not my favorite literary device. Just saying.
43. The Paris Wife: A Novel by Paula McLain -- Wow. Loved this book. Made me instantly interested in reading more by Hemingway himself and more about his life and loves.
44. The Gifts of Imperfection by Brene Brown -- This is it. Best nonfiction book of the year that I have read. Maybe best book overall. Hands down, every person should read this book. I know I'll be reading it again and again as I continue to explore my own imperfect gifts.
45. Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn -- figured out "whodunit" but still not sure that made this a good read.
46. FanGIRL by Rainbow Rowell -- I know nothing of fan fiction, but this made me curious. I maybe also been totally biased by the UNL campus setting and mentions of my old grad school stomping ground - Love Library and Andrews Hall.
47. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini -- now I see why, 10 years ago, everyone was raving about this book. So good!
TOP 5 for 2014 - if you are looking for reading recommendations from my list, start here!
1) Where'd Ya Go, Bernadette? by Maria Semple
2) Wild by Cheryl Strayed
3) A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
4) Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell
5) This is Where I Leave You by Jonathan Tropper
What suggestions do you have for me? Leave a comment here on the blog or on Facebook to let me know what I should read in the new year!
When we set out on Christmas Eve for our travels to see Ben's family for the holiday, the only potential blip I could foresee on our radar was a possible (and yet major) let-down from Santa because HD had specifically requested Angry Birds Transformers from the Jolly Old Elf and all this mama managed to get for his stocking were two ABT books. Still the right franchise and all, but I wasn't sure that one sticker book and one reader were actually going to win the 5.5 y/o over. Thankfully, the stocking surprises were still met with "Just what I wanted!" and dimples, so all was well and we had a really nice visit with the Welsch family. The children had a blast playing with their cousins and all the new toys yesterday, so even though LT did not nap well either day we were there or sleep well Christmas Eve night (no, there were no stripy pajamas involved) and yesterday by 3:30 p.m. I was beginning to wonder if Christmas is the longest.day.ever.in.the.history.of.all.the.days, it was a great holiday. Because of all the not-sleeping, however, we decided to come home today instead of tomorrow and were on the road early enough to be home by mid-morning. Until we weren't.
Just after we pulled off I-80 to come south into Hastings, the van decided it no longer wanted to accelerate. Ben was given no indication of anything happening - it just up and lost the ability to change gears. Thankfully we were no longer on the interstate and were able to coast down the hill/ramp to the nearby gas station where we parked, turned it off, and tried again, only to find that while we were safely off the road, we clearly weren't getting back on it anytime soon.
Ben got on the phone to our roadside assistance program (thank goodness for decent insurance!) and I instantly called a friend who I thought would be home and who I knew happened to have enough seats in her own vehicle to come get us, if need be. Thankfully she answered right away and was instantly on top of it, heading out the door to come get me and the kids. Ben ended up waiting (for over an hour and a half) for a tow truck to arrive so he and the van could get a lift to the dealership where we get it serviced in Hastings which is where it will remain until next week because, hi, it is the day after Christmas and no one else is open to even give us any answers much less estimates/repair timelines on how this is all going to resolve itself. Let's hope it is an alternator or some little electrical problem and not the transmission!
Anyway, thanks to Dear Miss L, the kids and I (and all of our luggage and presents - HD's main concern) got home in time to eat lunch and get the overly tired baby-man down for his nap which he is thankfully still taking. MUCH improved over the last two days, so I guess he is glad to be back in his own bed. I am glad to be home, too, especially since it appears that our trip home could have been much scarier/worse or might not have happened at all had this little (please, be little!) van trouble started any earlier. Not that Ben's folks wouldn't have housed us for as long as needed, but after a really busy few days, I think it is good we got the kiddos home so they can unwind and recoup on sleep and just take it easy while Ben and I are both around for the next week. Good thing we have all the new presents to keep us occupied since 1) we are more-or-less housebound - as a whole family, anyway - until who knows when and 2) who knows how expensive this fix will turn out to be! Any chance Santa brings new transmissions to good Mamas and Papas?!
Update: Transmission. If I click my heels together three times, will Santa please fix this for me?
For the last week (at least), I have been super excited, waiting for today to arrive. Not only is it Sunday (one of my fave days to teach yoga), it is also the Winter Solstice, which means in yoga world, time to celebrate the arrival of the new season with 108 Sun Salutations. Remember back (when Facebook was still letting people see blog links that I post!) to when I wrote about this in June? Participating in my first 108 with a studio full of yogis was so, so cool. It proved to be a physical challenge but one that was also super rewarding because it made me feel connected not only to my own body but the larger yoga community that exists both in my own town and around the world, too.
The beauty of this individual accomplishment that aligns so perfectly with group energy turned out to be very much the case again for the Winter Solstice, but in an entirely different way. Because this solstice happened to fall on a Sunday, the yoginis of avani decided, naturally, to hold the Winter 108 in place of my normal Sunday Flow, and it was given to me to lead. I was pumped and also a little bit like whoa because I know what a marathon this event can be and that there would be no way I could lead/complete at the same time. Cue and count and do all at the same time? Not for me, my friends! So instead, I figured out a way to count/keep track of my salutations on my own yesterday and after tossing and turning most of the night (is it time? is it time?!), I got up at 5:00 this morning and headed downstairs to complete my own yoga marathon well ahead of leading the one at the studio at 9:00. Here is what my mat looked like when I started:
The dark stones I used by moving one to the other side of the mat each time I completed a sun salute (if you don't know what one entails, read the link above from the Summer 108 - it details all the steps that equal one salutation). When all 10 shifted, I moved a clear stone to the right and then started moving the dark ones back again. I believe my Math Man husband called this a Base 10 system when I showed it to him? You know words are my thing, so that I devised a system that is actually a legitimate math Thing is fun, eh? The eight red stones lined up on the left were for the last eight rounds. At the studio we lead everyone through the first 100 as a group and then give them time to complete the last ones on their own, so I wanted to mark my final eight in a special way, too. And you know what? It totally worked!
It was dark when I started and when I ended (and OMG, apparently we needed to do many more SSs today because it is another gray day in a what has been about 1 hour of sunshine in the last 10 days!), but I had some soft light coming from the Christmas lights on our mantle to keep me going, as well as my beloved music, and my first 108 solo felt amazing. Last summer I could barely do five full salutations with full chaturangas (as opposed to on my knees), but today I did the first 54. How cool is that?! And even once I switched to my knees, I still caught myself sometimes in the middle of a full one before realizing my error, but c'mon - if you're going to make mistakes, this seems like a good route to go. Because it was early and I had the main floor of the house to myself, I took my time and completed in about an hour - just before the first Little came downstairs to find me, which was perfect.
After the rest of the house awoke, I was able to get cleaned up (because 108 brings not only the sun but also the heat!) and ready to head to the studio. Because my parents were here for early Christmas, Ben also got to come to the event which was so awesome because he's never been able to make it to one of my classes before and this was a pretty special one for him to hit. As for how it all went? Well, a few lessons learned.
1) Don't drink coffee prior to leading 108. I know enough to not do this before taking a yoga class now (learned the hard way), but oof. When you are super excited for an event, drinking coffee right before it starts is going to amp you up a wee bit too much. I'm a fast talker anyway, so trying to cue through the caffeine and my own energy level? It was a bit challenging at first!
2) Cueing 108 sun salutes is going to make you tongue tied. I chose to give breath and posture cues the whole way through and while I did well for probably 93% of them, the ones I did flub were rather comical (but perhaps, unfortunately, a little distracting for the yogis who joined me this morning). I don't care what you're trying to say - say it that many times in a row and you are going to make mistakes. As a result, each time an error occurred or when I felt my own monkey mind starting to wonder, I hoped right into the flow with my group, completing a dozen or more extra rounds throughout the studio event. While I thought this would be impossible because I'd be so shot from doing my own, it turned out that the extra ones actually felt great and grounding (which was good, because hi - see Lesson #1!). Again - the power of my practice and strength are such great gifts and when I look at how far I've come in a little over a year, I am floored.
3) Seeing your husband and friends and fellow teachers and students and local yogis complete 108, especially the last individual rounds, is a potential breeding ground for emotion. I was so honored to be there, much less leading the darn thing, so being witness to the energy, strength, determination, and beauty of all the people who joined me this morning? It got to me a little bit. The opportunity I've been given to teach and lead in a practice that means so much to me? Full as it may make the schedule some weeks, I don't take it for granted ever because I'm too honored and too humbled to be anything but grateful for the role I've been given.
After everyone finished and enjoyed their savasana, we celebrated and laughed and chatted for a while before everyone went on their way for the rest of their first day of Winter. When I made it back to the house, I hopped on the mat for one more round so Ben could snap some pics. Full disclosure? My arms were so tired, I about dropped on my face in chaturanga, but then I inhaled up into Upward Facing Dog and again felt my heart lift and fill with the joy of this day and this opportunity and this life. Whatever is to come in this new season, I am ready to greet it with warmth in my heart and a smile on my face. Best wishes that you may do the same!
Added bonus of the day? OMmazing leg warmers hand-knit by the daughter of one my favorite faces from the studio. I requested these all of two days ago and not only were they already done and so, so fantastic, they totally matched my outfit! The auspiciousness of 108 strikes again!
Sometimes the stars align and a gray and foggy Saturday turns out to be the best. day. EVER. After the hubbub of a holiday open house and prenatal training last weekend (which, oh my gosh, I didn't even write about!), I was pretty excited to have a quiet weekend at home this week. We had a great staycation over Thanksgiving and as much as I love getting to visit people, it was really lovely to have time at home. As you may have noticed from my various posts over the last few months, this fall has been a wee hectic just in our day-to-day life, so any time we get to slow down and just be (and be at home) is quite enjoyable. And even though today has been far from just at home or slow, it has been lovely.
First of all, I got to sleep in, which you babes in parentland (or pet parentland) know, is a rare occasion indeed. And it wasn't so much "sleeping in" as it was shutting the door and pretending to go back to sleep after the kids came in to open their Christmas book for the day at 6:30 a.m. sharp, and also pretending not to hear them as they played quite loudly before and after (during?) breakfast with their dad, but all the same, it was nice to linger under the covers/in the dark. I've picked up the pace with my yoga practice lately, which normally means I'd be at a class this morning, but I managed to hit three classes this week on top of the ones I taught, so I chose home this morning instead which felt nice, too.
Also nice was the fact that Ben already had plans to take the kids to a high school basketball game this morning so shortly after I "got up" they rolled out, leaving me to do some home yoga practice (think literal practice of Sun Salutations since avani will be hosting a 108 event on Dec. 21st for the Winter Solstice which I get to lead!) and laundry, before I headed out the door for some Christmas shopping (because hi, it's December 13th and I haven't done a bit of that yet. Whoops!). And while I did not make it to the Post Office this morning to ship said purchases, I'm still feeling better about the ever-present (ha - puny) To Do list that comes with December. Thanks to the hubs and kids for stopping at the store, we're also sugar-stocked so we can practice making some treats for HD's preK Christmas program which will take place next week. Side note: What gives H-town? We went to three different grocery stores throughout the day and no one, NO ONE, has Christmas (red) Oreos? How does that even happen?!
The true gift of today, however, came in dates that I got to have with both HD and RL. Truth? I originally planned a date with just Harrison that would take place while Raegan napped, but quickly realized this morning that she was going to be bummed by that, so after her nap, she and I headed out for our own girl time. But for HD, I picked up tickets weeks ago at our dentist's office for a free showing of The Polar Express at the Rivoli downtown. As you may remember from the book countdown, Harrison is a bit enthralled with TPE this year in part because we discovered the soundtrack on Spotify over Thanksgiving and he's loving this particular fast song (and will listen to it on repeat for 30+ minutes if you let him/can keep your ears from falling off for that duration):
So, yes. When I saw that TPE was one of the free holiday movies this year, I grabbed tickets, put it on the calendar, and was so excited to tell him about our date plans (but not until the day of because, whoa - if you don't know that parenting trick yet, it's a good one!). He was pumped, too, and we got there nice and early so we could grab good seats and a nice big (which was really the small, but wow) tub of popcorn.
We sat and talked about the movie theatre and the crowd and the book and all that until the movie started and then we settled in for the next hour-and-a-half show. Unlike the last movie date we had (which was the day before LT was born!), Harrison stayed in his own seat the whole time (as opposed to my lap), although there was a point in which he was very much leaning over on me (not that I was complaining). Also different was his agreement to leave before the credits were over (again, not complaining!), and in the lobby as we got his hat on before heading outside, he told me, "That was the best date ever!" Sweet boy! I thought, but then my heart about split in two (in a Grinch-growing-two-sizes-way) when we got back to the car and HD gave me a big hug, saying, "Thank you, Mama! Thank you for taking me!" before climbing in his seat. His eyes and voice were filled with emotion which made my eyes get a little teary because, goodness, do I love this kid. His sweet heart and ever-questioning sense of wonder make me so proud - it was so beautiful to be able to get some time for just the two of us and to see/feel how much he appreciated it, too. Who knew a free movie would turn into such a Kodak moment, but there ya have it - two happy souls post-movie:
And then it was Miss Raegan's turn. A friend of mine was hosting a liquidation party for a line of jewelry she used to sell, so I told Raegan pre-nap that we could go to that together and do some Christmas shopping, too, and sure enough, as soon as she got up from nap, she came running down the stairs to ask if it was time to go to see the jewelry. And because it was such a good deal (and because my friend S was so sweet to Raegge), RL walked away with a lovely collection (all in purple) which included a bow set, a toddler-sized bracelet, and her very first ring (butterfly shaped). I got a new necklace, and after we got home post third grocery store stop and quick side trip into Eileen's for a shared frosted Grinch cookie, we modeled our new finery for the boys:
Date night with the hubs is up next (the stay-in version which, after eight years of wedded bliss probably equals curled up on the couch watching a movie or starting a new show on Netflix) and while I'm sorry that Linky is the only one not to get any special one-on-one time today, I'm comforted by the fact that I got a few hugs and snuggles from as well as the fact that almost 1 1/2 yr-olds don't really understand the concept of dates yet and therefore can't get too mad at me for not keeping the face time totally equal today. This, by the way, is his classic Lincoln growling but happy monster face. :)
In terms of the weather, it was a less than beautiful day, but as for me and mine? It was a beyond beautiful day of time together in all kinds of combinations, and each filled with love.
Wishing you all some happy heart moments, too, as you continue your holiday prep!
Living in the present. This is a primary goal for many yogis/folks in general and there are some major benefits to doing so. Not wishing your days away? Another excellent approach to your life's journey, especially since none of us know the true sum of our endless numbered days (musical reference? anyone?). All that being said, though, I find myself entering December with a slight attitude of being ready to close out this calendar year.
2014? It's been a Dicken's-sort-of-year, and on many levels, I have worked my arse off during all of the ups and downs. Physically, mentally, and emotionally, this year has brought more challenge and growth than any other I can remember. From intense therapy sessions to my yoga marathon and now my three part-time jobs on top of the ever present full-time mama gig, I've had my hands full. And not that any of this schedule and plate spinning is going to go away, necessarily, but I guess I'm looking forward a bit to 2015 with the hope of it bringing more settling, more slow down, and more time to just be (which is ironic seeing as I'm tapping my toes waiting for January to arrive, not quite able or willing to just be in the now NOW. How very human and humbling is that?!).
For one, there won't be any more training marathons after January - at least not for a while. Once I finish my prenatal modules, I'm taking a step back from adding hours and certifications so I can focus on where my own practice is and really hone in on the prenatal stuff. I am so beyond excited to bring prenatal yoga to Hastings, but you can bet your sweet, sweet bippies that I want to do so in the best and safest manner possible for those mamas-to-be! So, yes. Time to study. Time to prepare. Time to practice. That is part of what I hope to find in 2015.
Another hope I have is to continue enjoying the progress I have made in the last year. The calm and the peace and the reserve I've been working on and stock piling? I already see their benefits when I'm able to handle the changes in schedule or the inevitables and randoms that pop up when you are parenting little Littles. Although, some days, I'm learning that the best approach is to fake it 'til I make it. Like today, when I wanted to put on my Eff You Tuesday pants (but opted for my pink elephant tank instead) when for the second time in as many weeks, my plans that I made for myself to have an actual daylight hours break away from the house mid-week fell through (dramatic pause and eyes closed HD glare when you say the next word) again. The first time it happened, I made a girlfriend laugh when I said, "Silly me. I thought I was actually going to get time to myself." But today felt less funny and more isolating than anything as it served as a reminder that during the day, I'm on my own. If a babysitter can't come, I can't get away. Duh, right? But when that reality smacks me in the face, especially when I've tried to carve out some time to take care of myself, it can be overwhelming and deflating.
The beauty in these moments of too much (and what feels, selfishly, like not enough) comes in the breath. That I am here and I am blessed to keep breathing. That I get to keep taking deep breaths as I fake my way through the let down or the sadness until suddenly I find myself on the other side. Sometimes it takes many, many breaths to get there, you know?
Today's other side? Brought to me by yoga, of course. I taught a lovely class this afternoon and quite openly acknowledged just how Tuesday-ish Tuesday can be. We laughed and we moved and we made it. Step One. Also boosting my spirits tonight? The fact that a babysitter did come through for this evening so the hubs and I could have yoga date night - one of our rare but favorite occurrences. Also also boosting? Today I observed, both when teaching and when taking, a shift in my body. Suddenly (even though I know it's not sudden - it's a year+ of work), my hips are more open and I'm coming deeper into pose after pose after pose. And for the first time ever? Tonight?! I got up in upward facing bow! Urdhva Dhanurasna (which is one of my favorite Sanskrit names because it sounds just as fierce as the pose is) in the house (or rather, on the mat!!!!)!!!!
Tried to recreate it at home - had to use the baseboard to help and yes, my hands are nowhere near where they need to be (under my shoulders) but are you kidding me?! This is huge progress!!!
So even though this day turned out to be not what I planned (wait. are they ever?), and I'm tired and the dishes still aren't done, I'm going to call it a success because it was another step. Toward the new year? In the right direction? To the yogini I desire to be? Yep, yep, and yep.
To continue taking breaths and steps - it is all any of us can hope to do.
December! How on earth is it December already (which I'm pretty sure is going to be one of the opening lines for my Christmas letter this year because, seriously, how is it even possible?)?! I guess it sure feels like it, now, not that you'll find me complaining about the high 70s we had on Saturday; my little family spent the whole day outside and soaked up every last ounce of warmth and sunshine we could. We knew we'd need it! Now that the freezing cold is here, most likely to stay, we've got to find other ways to keep warm and entertained, which leads me to our Christmas Book Countdown. We haven't ever tried any other sort of advent calendar, but we did a Christmas book a day last year in December and it was a great success. Well, the kids loved it, anyway, and even though I got very sloppy on my plans to record openings/reactions (see here), the grown ups in our house enjoyed it, too. Who doesn't love getting to open presents early (and what parent doesn't love gifts that will continue to give, year after year?!).
So here is this year's countdown. While this looks like the shortest post in the history of my blog, I'll keep adding to it throughout the month so we have list of this year's proceedings, no matter how rough my notes get as the actual holiday approaches. We have swapped out a few titles from last year, so some books aren't in the rotation at all, but the majority of them are ready and waiting in shiny snowflake wrapping paper under our tree right this minute.
1) The Night Before Christmas by Clement C. Moore -- HD got to pick first (RL opened - a pattern we'll keep reversing each day, as Linky is still too little to get it this year and we don't really want to encourage him grabbing and tearing anything from under the tree just yet!), and while he wanted oh. SO. Badly for the book to be The Polar Express, we got this one instead. HD was bummed but RL was excited and has been carrying it around the house this morning. Last year we took pictures of the kids opening their first book and then of them snuggled up in my lap reading it. This year, Ben supervised the grabbing of the book before he hopped in the shower to get ready for work and I did my best to pry my eyes open as they stood next to my bed, tearing off the paper and looking through it. What a difference a year makes, eh? But in all seriousness, we look forward to continuing this tradition and I am hoping they'll let their dear, old mama keep doing this for decades to come! And in all fairness, we got this pic yesterday when they were busy sorting them (and in HD's case, trying to decide which one might be TPE) and preparing to begin the countdown today. Love my little bookworms!
2) The Berenstain Bears Meet Santa Bear by Stan and Jan Berenstain -- well, obviously still no sign of TPE, but this title was still met with joyous exclamations (the children love TBB) and immediate crawling in bed, one on each side, by RL & HD for early-morning reading. Good stuff!
3) Richard Scarry's Best Christmas Book Ever
4) The Polar Express
5) Jingle Bells
6) The Legend of the Candy Cane by Lori Walburg
7) The Spirit of Christmas by Nancy Tilman - love her books.
8) Santa Comes to Nebraska
9) Busy Town Christmas Board Books
10) An Otis Christmas by Loren Long
11) Olivia Helps with Christmas! by Ian Falconer -- Oh, Olivia. You are so funny!!!
12) Thomas the Train: Christmas Delivery
13) The Christmas Story -- think managers, not pink bunny PJs.
14) A Star So Bright
15) The Nutcracker by Gail DeMarcken
16)
17) The Grinch Who Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss
18) Home for Christmas by Jan Brett
19) The Best Christmas Ever - Junior Discovers Contentment by Dave Ramsey
20) The Twelve Days of Christmas by Jan Brett
21) Christmas in the Big Woods adopted Laura Ingalls Wilder
22) Stick Man by Julia Donaldson and Alex Scheffler
23) The Christmas Magic by Lauren Thompson
24) The Legend of St. Nicholas by Dandi Daley Mackcall
25) Merry Christmas, Curious George! by H. A. Rey
When it comes to learning styles, I am very much a visual kind of gal. Actually, I am a seer/doer. I need to see it happen and then I need to have the freedom to try it with my own hands (and possibly in my own way). Perhaps all of this explains why I prefer to be able to demonstrate postures when I teach yoga. I like to circulate and keep an eye on everyone in my class, of course, but I also like to hop on the mat and lead the way as we flow together for an hour. Demonstrating feels important for my Basic Flow class, especially, because many of the people who come are new or relatively new to the practice and aren't yet familiar with the asanas to the point of being able to find the pose by name only. I know there are some schools of thought/yoga that require absolutely no demonstrating - cueing and watching the students, only. While I am happy to keep working on my cueing skills so I can someday get students through a complicated (or even basic) sequence with words only, for the time being I am very grateful to be more of the see it/do it mold. One problem with my preferred teaching style, however, becomes apparent when injury occurs, as it unfortunately did this week.
I awoke Thursday morning and felt perfectly fine, perfectly normal until I got out of bed and instantly knew something was very, very wrong. Somehow my neck was completely out/locked up and I had shooting pain if I so much as tried to glance at my left shoulder, much less actually turn my head that direction. It was awful. And did I mention Ben was out of town?! Thankfully his mom was here so after I got HD to school, I was able to buzz up to GI to see my chiropractor and I then began the waiting game. The slow it down, take it easy game. No sudden movements and no activity. As you can imagine, that's not easy to do with a house full of Littles, but somehow I kept still enough through the rest of Thursday and Friday to get me to Saturday where I started feeling better and began to get some of my range of motion back with both my neck and my arms (try lifting your hands over your head to change your shirt or wash your hair when your neck is out...not fun!).
Thank goodness the relief came when it did because I had my regular Sunday Flow to teach this morning and on Thurs/Fri I wasn't so sure I'd be able to do it because I was in that much pain. This morning, feeling much improved but still not "better," I knew going in that I would not be able to do all - not even most - of the practice with them. But we talk all the time in yoga about honoring your body and meeting yourself where you are today, so today I had to live that. I showed up on the mat and did what I could. Nothing more. And, really? That was OK. It was strange to not flow right along with my class but I enjoyed watching my Sunday morning yogis find their own way through the sequence and trusting their bodies and their knowledge when it came to landing in the postures. They all got there and together they built a beautiful class full of gratitude, and, well, thanksgiving, which was totally the point of the class.
Those of you who know me, know I love themes. I've said before that themeing is one of my favorite aspects of yoga teaching and nothing has changed for me there. I love building a sequence based on a certain body area or chakra or goal, such as heart opening or gratitude building. Actually, those are pretty much the same thing because having an open heart is to have a grateful heart and what a beautiful way to move through a yoga practice both on and off the mat. So, yes. This week's classes are bent at gratitude - both for elements within ourselves and also within our lives in general. And that gratitude felt very real, very present for me today, even though I was limited in my movements, because just to be there at all felt like such a wonderful gift.
The other cat that clearly came out of the bag during class this morning, is that my music/playlists totally match my mood for the day/week. When I teach Happy Hour on Fridays? I get fairly sassy and start throwing in funkier songs with wilder lyrics. When I've been feeling run down or have hurt myself? The tunes chill way out and take on a whole different vibe. I like to keep the messages in the music positive still, if I can, because for me, the music and the movements are both essential parts of the practice. Clearly I am not the only one because I often have people make comments about the music after class and I am always happy to share the music love, whether it is the funkier and fun or the milder and mellow. To me, the music becomes about the connection with my head, my heart, and my breath; I realize this may not vibe historically with yoga, but again, I remain grateful to be who and where and when I am because these are the elements that make me feel full, even when I'm physically taken down a degree (or ten).
Even though it is easy to get spun up in the rush and hubbub of the holidays, I hope you all find your own slow down (hopefully not necessitated by injury!) and happy connection with others this week. Be sure to take care of you and honor where you are right now in life, so that your hearts remain open and full of thanks.
While there have been times in the last few months that I've considered giving Facebook the boot (too much time sucked, too much negative energy, just too much too much), there are certain elements and connections and people I have via the social media mogul that keep me coming back for more. And actually, that's very much in line with the point of this post - how much better you can serve yourself by picking your company wisely and surrounding yourself with the very best - the people who will see and nurture the good in you no matter how bad things get. And thanks to Facebook, I was recently reminded that the people in our inner bubble - our true guides - are ones we need to choose wisely and hold close. The advice and counsel of others who might be talking in our ears? Well, perhaps not so much.
I first remember being introduced to this concept as an adult several years ago in Patti Digh's book Four Word Self-Help. It's a fab little piece and one four-worder that jumped out at me was, "Give Up Toxic People." At the time, I had a neighbor who, whenever we chatted in our front yards, would just go on and on and on about everything wrong in her life. It became so draining to talk to her that I started to avoid initiating conversation. I mean, I get it - we all have Tuesdays in our lives, but every day cannot be Tuesday. If it is, then please find a professional to help you see beyond those days, because even someone such as myself, who does not believe that every moment of every waking hour is filled with sunshine and roses, knows that attitude and perspective and HELP can go a long, long way in finding the better. Anyway - after reading Digh's discussion of toxic people, it was pretty clear to me that my neighbor was not someone in which I could invest any more of myself. We could still be cordial and polite but vulnerable and connected? No. In the years since I have come to this same place, this same conclusion, in other relationships and friendships, and while the giving up part can be very hard, I have found doing so to be beneficial in the long run. When you make these hard decisions and changes, you are ultimately healing and protecting your heart by walking away from those who do not truly support or see you. Naturally, my yoga practice of the last year+ has deepened this belief for me. As I continue my journey to self-acceptance and radical self-love, I see how beneficial it is to keep the company of those who will listen rather than lecture, offer acceptance before advice, and love me, faults and all.
As all of this has been rattling around in my head lately, it was a beautiful moment of synchronicity last week when a friend posted on Facebook about a speaker she had seen many years ago who asked the audience who, if given the chance, would they select to sit on their own personal Board of Directors for their lives. People to "council you, to support you, to offer solutions to your problems and to see the 'big picture' and to help you achieve a happy, successful life." My very wise friend (who totally gave me permission to steal all of this for a blog post - thanks, K!) went on to list examples (spouse, family members, teachers, coaches, friends, etc.) and then beautifully ended with the following:
Evaluate the people you are surrounding yourself with, giving your time to, whether it be physically, emotionally, professionally. Evaluate what they are bringing to your long term "big picture". Take care of the people in your life that take care of you. And learn to value the opinions and advice from your personal Board of Directors. Your future self with thank you for it.
After reading this, I was first grateful for the amazing connections and ideas the interwebs bring me on a daily basis; I doubt I could have survived this SAHM gig before Al Gore invented the Internet because how else would I, could I still feel like a part of the outside world while being consumed by the life and times of my littles and their daily grind? Secondly, I was totally inspired by the ideas in this question/post. We hear all the time that it takes a village to raise a child, but aren't we all children, in some ways, always? We all deserve a village of our own and having a wise Board of Directions within that village is a no-brainer. As much as I may be an introvert, even I believe that this life was not meant to be lived alone. Why on earth do we expect ourselves to have all the answers? To always know what is right? Why not take guidance from others and take comfort in their support, love, and occasional hugs or high-fives? If we are to give up toxic people, then we should also be motivated to find those who fit our hearts and our lives - our Personal Board.
So what do you think? Could you sit down and make a list of those who you would like to add to your Board? You're the CEO (or whatever business analogy makes sense here - c'mon people, I'm an English major!), so you get to decide. Let go of the flapping jaws - the people who don't have your best interest at heart - and hang on to the ones who do (even if they sometimes disagree with you). And then ask them. Ask them to serve. Write them a letter (another idea from Miss Digh - through her Project 137 - that I participated in a few years ago). Let them know the importance, the role they have had in shaping your life, and how you hope they continue to do so. Let us nurture these connections, these relationships, so we can perhaps have more sunshine and roses days, or least know that we'll be loved and supported when our mood comes up more rain and thorns.
I plan to do this. I don't know what number I'll land at for my final Board (six? seven? ten?) and I may bend the rules a bit (as in, can I put someone who is already gone from this world on my Board? Because I'd sure like to, in hopes that spirit guides count here, too) in order to get to my final number, but why not? Why not let people know you value them in such a way? This is not to say these people will lead every step of your life. But if they are already loving and guiding you, why not acknowledge their presence and say, "THANK YOU for helping me find my way."? After all, 'tis the season for giving thanks!
When you are 16 1/2 months old, going on 2 or maybe even 3 years old, there's a lot of excitement in life. Or, at least there's a lot of excitement, growth, and change happening for Mr. Lincoln as of late, which might be why it feels like he's a baby turning into a toddler so very quickly. First there's this face. Do you see this face?! When did he get to be such a big boy?! His uber blonde hair is growing, growing, and even though it is starting to hang in his eyes just a titch, I refuse to cut it because he has the most beautiful curls in back with which I will not part. And I cannot trim the front because there's really not so much happening on the sides and I also refuse to give the poor kid a mullet. He's the cutest thing ever, but I'm not sure even he could pull off business in the front, party in the back.
Sweet cheeks and locks aside, there's also the fact that he can now get up on the furniture all by himself which is also making him suddenly seem much older, too. When he started walking a few weeks ago, I knew I was in a totally different realm of keeping him safe, but now that he's also added climbing in such a short amount of time, I'm at a loss. Just this morning I looked up to see that he'd scaled onto the kitchen bench and from there all the way up its armrest onto the kitchen-flippin'-counter! And when I moved him to the dining room for safer keeping while I did some work on the computer, he made it onto a chair and then the table I don't know how many times every time I turned my attention back to my project. He's a complete Mt. Goat and a bouncy one at that:
This picture was taken on our mini-trampoline that has once again been moved inside our sunporch so we can get great winter afternoon use out of it and the kids have been having a blast jumping leaf-free the last couple weeks. HD has also figured out that it is quite fun to lift LT onto it (thank goodness HD is well trained in zipping the net shut behind them!) so all three kids can jump together. At first this terrified me, but it didn't take many times of watching Linky Monster hold his own and add his own crazy jumps to the mix to know that he's much rougher and tougher than I give him credit for these days. The kid is a nut! He jumps and jumps and launches himself up in the air, only to land straight on his seat from which he rolls over, laughs, and gets up to do it again (and again and again). Just when I made my peace with all of this, he started doing the same launching on the couch cushions (and over the side of the couch into the bean bag). Remember when I claimed he was the wiggliest to date in my tummy? Yeah....I'd better invest in some running shoes and foam padding because it looks like the next couple years might be quite active and quite accident prone!
Jumps and bumps aside, this kid totally has my heart. Does it stink to try to take him anywhere because he refuses to fold in half to be strapped in his carseat and hollers at me for trying to do so? Yes. Does he reject more than half the food I try to feed him and toss enough cereal and pretzels and other crunchy times on the floor so that I'm constantly sweeping or stepping on things? Yes. Does he still try to bite his brother and sister when they don't give him enough space? Yes. But do all of these things melt away when he comes toddler-stumble-running to greet me when I walk in the door or rests his head on my shoulder as we snuggle on the couch or on a walk through the house with him on my right hip? Yes (well, not the biting. I really wish he'd quite doing that!). Lincoln is my adorable baby growling sound maker, banana, popcorn, and yogurt loving (but not all at the same time) eater, and sweet, sweet boy, who totally prefers to use his left-hand (what?!) and understands pretty much everything I tell him during the day. Except for "please sit in your carseat!", that is.
Linky Monster on Halloween. Cutest baby monster EVER!
Huh. Darn near two week in to November, and this is only my second post for the month. That's actually not that far off my norm - historically I manage 1.5 posts per week - but compared to the major upswing of posts in July, August, and October, one a week seems small. Quiet.
There are several reasons for this.
One reason would be no yoga trainings. If you look at the three months of this year with the highest number of posts, they all correlate to my various classes and workshops. And not that there is anything wrong with the trainings, but they certainly give my brain a lot of information and emotion to sort through, which is what writing always does for me. Without one of those in the last six weeks, I've had time to settle in and continue to get my feet wet with this whole yoga teaching gig. Less to process - more to do. But fear not - prenatal module No.2 is coming in early December, so I'm sure that will spark another flurry of posts!
The settling in and feet wetting, though, are more reasons for quietude on the blog. I've been teaching a LOT in the last month, taking on some extra subbing duties both at the studio and the Y and honestly, between all of that and my CCC teaching and managing/loving on my sweet family, there's been little time for anything else. My own practice has been pushed to the back burner a bit by of all of the goings on, too, and what I've come to realize now that the schedule itself is quieting down is that I have to better protect my own time. I believe that any teacher, in any subject matter, has to continue their own education in order to remain effective, but in yoga that is more true than any other area in which I've ever studied. If I don't continue to show up on my mat to do the work, I won't be able to help others do the same. I've had glimmers of this earlier in the year, but now I know for certain that I have to take in all that's going on in my house and my family and my three part-time jobs and still make time for me, and it needs to be on the mat. Beyond writing, it's the other place I process best.
As for the other reason for less posting? I think the last few weeks have just been a fairly introspective time for me, and while it may seem to some that I lay it all out on the blog (which is a fair assessment since not much isn't up for discussion here), there are times when my introverted nature takes over and my words stay wrapped up in my head. Again, this is not something I view as a negative or as a criticism of myself. It just is what it is. I love the times when I feel the pull, the need, to post a lot. I'm also quite fond of the days and weeks when my mind isn't narrating stories day in and day out. I like to think that having these moments of contrast means I have a fair amount of balance, crazy/full as life may seem these days. And for a busy mama who spends her days and weeks spinning countless plates, I cannot think of anything that sounds better than staying balanced.
Normally, I don't load posts with lots of pictures, but November 4th isn't a normal day for us. In the Welschie house, November 4th is officially known as Raegan Leigh Day. And how is it even possible that it is the third - third! - time we are celebrating the day, the birth, of this sweet baby girl (who, incidentally, corrects me daily when I call her this. She is a big sister, not a baby, thankyouverymuch!)? However, since it is, I present to you some of my favorite photos from the last few months prior to Miss Raegan turning, in her word, Phwee:
Those. Big. Eyes! They get me and pretty much everyone else around her every. single. time!
I kid you not, this is RL wearing LT's size 12 mo. t-shirt and shorts.
In September. Of this year! So funny and sooooo
proud of herself.
If you ask me, Raegan is clearly ready to backpack through Africa. She's
already figured out how to carry two bag at once!
The mind of an almost-three-yr-old is fascinating, as is the fashion sense.
The whole leotard with a skirt over jeans and under a monkey hoodie,
all while wearing a Leaf Crown look is priceless.
She claimed, on Halloween, that this was her angry face. I, however, beg to differ. As the second time around mama of an almost Phwee, I know quite well what her angry face looks like. As much as she's still my sweet, sweet baby (oops, there's that word again), she's also got a classic three-yr-old's temperament and temper. Thankfully, because this is my second time around, I'm much more skilled at responding to her moments with a calm, "Goodness, it's hard to be almost three" which allows her to have said moment(s) and then we move on....typically to goofiness such as this:
So yes, three is adorable and ornery and an overall roller coaster. Or rather, almost three has been and I don't really expect any less from actual phwee, but I am so blessed, so honored to be on this ride as Raegan's mama. May her smile and her eyes and her heart and her mind always remain as bright and open as they are right now. And correct away as I say it again - Love you, Baby Girl! Happiest of Happies of Birthdays!
A little over three years ago, when Harrison was just a wee little peanut getting ready to head to preschool for the first time, I thought he was going to L-O-V-E swimming lessons. His preschool is at the Y and therefore swim lessons are part of the curriculum. Perfect! I thought, because while I can swim (it's not pretty), I'm certainly not qualified to teach him how to do it. The first time came and went, but when the second one rolled around two weeks later, I realized we were in trouble. HD was not a fan. Not at all. There was not "Yay! Swimming Day!!!" at our house after the initial day. More likely it was tears and fighting to get his suit on so he'd be ready for the day, every single time. Truth? I made Ben do that. It became such a battle that I had to remove myself from the situation and let B calmly get HD in his suit for the bimonthly day of lessons before he left for school. I did my part last year, however, and came up with the Brave Toes solution. That got us through Year Two, ahem, swimmingly.
So just when I thought we had this swimming gig figured out, Year Three came along with an unexpected twist: swimming lessons every.blessed.week. of the year. Wha??????? I guess it makes sense. He's with his class every day of every week so they have time to do a morning one day of each of those weeks in the pool. And it's not a "day" of swimming. It's a 15 minute lesson that is part of centers, with time for prep and drying off tacked on before and after the lesson. I thought after HD's improvement last year that he'd be fine with the increase, and at first, he was. But by the end of September, he had clearly realized that something was very different about this year's swimming schedule which lead to meltdown city in early October.
We have always, always, told HD that it's his choice to swim when he gets to school. We ask that he put his suit on and we talk about being brave and proud and all that, but ultimately, it is always his choice. And he always chooses to swim. Even on the day he dissolved his teacher's arms prior to his lesson, he still chose to get in the pool. So why the upset? I really don't know. He's just very anxious about getting his face in the water and even though we practice in the tub at home, he's been struggling this whole month on swim days. And since Raegan has music and art classes at the YW and CMCN on Tuesdays, I can't really get there to help except for the odd week of the month that does not have Toddler Art, which just so happened to be today for October.
After working plans out with Harrison's classroom teacher, we made arrangements so I could get there after Raegan's music class this morning to help HD get changed and watch him during his lesson. [I actually got in on some center time too which was pretty awesome (still could never be a preschool teach though and bow down to any and all who are!), and then it was lesson time.] HD wasn't nervous at all, which he told me would be the case when we talked about it at breakfast, because I was there. And while that's super and flattering, we've got to figure out some more coping skills because obviously this is not going to be a regular thing.
As it stood today, I'm glad I was able to get there at least once because I learned a lot. Standing and watching his group get in the pool and do their warm up exercises was eye opening. The teachers kept telling Harrison (and some of the other kiddos) to relax their feet as they kicked the water. Then when practicing putting their faces in, it was "relax" your neck to let the air/bubbles out. And again, when doing Fat Bears (or is it Flat Bears?!), I heard it multiple times, for multiple kids. The concept makes so much sense. If the body is tense, you cannot move with or respond to the water and let your breath work for you. Tense your neck and you cannot release air. Go stiff in your legs or ankles and you cannot kick to stay afloat. Basically, the message is: hold on to the stress and you cannot succeed. Can we say, "Metaphor Alert"?!
As I'm sure you've already guessed, some other lightbulbs went off in my head while watching HD's 15 minute lesson. When his swim teachers kept talking about relaxing and letting the breath go, the body be loose, I of course thought of yoga. How many times have I heard (and said!), the body and the mind go where the breath go. If your breath is racing, your heart and your head will be as well. Deep breaths relax us, allow us to move, and sustain us during times of turbulence. How have I never before seen the connection between swimming and yoga? Well, probably because I don't swim, but lucky for me, I have a friend who is currently teaching an early morning class in the pool and I've discovered that starting my mornings early (while subbing at the Y last week and this week) is very worthwhile, so perhaps I'll get some more practice and peace with the water that way. As with any other mood, kids pick up on our attitudes, and I'm sure Harrison feels my lack of confidence with the water. Beyond getting myself to the pool, now I see how I can help my sweet boy away from the swimming lesson days, as well, by talking about his breath and breathing. We use calming breaths a lot in our house (some days more than others and usually me, not them, but you know - I'm leading by example, right?), but directly talking about relaxing his body while in the pool? That will be new and hopefully very, very helpful.
Really, today was a huge success, not only because HD had a calm lesson before, during, and after, but also because I got to witness him in struggle while simultaneously being presented with a solution for potential improvement. I am grateful for the insight and the knowledge I have through my own training and am fingers crossed that it/I can help him.
I have a thing for lamps. You can ask my hubs or my family and they will tell you - the funkier the lamp, the more I am likely to like it. Part of my collection is a small bedside lamp that I've had since high school or before and I adore it. It's so old that it actually feels like it is made of something (heavy) and if I knew anything about metals, I would insert that detail here. Since I don't, I'll continue by explaining that while this isn't my funkiest of the funky lamps, it is still one of my favorites (even though the shade is totally busted and also a wee bit burnt in one spot, but that is another story altogether). Imagine my surprise the other night, then, when I went to turn on this very familiar lamp before bed and couldn't find the knob that is, you know, the essence of a light being able to do its job. After groaping (is that not a word? my computer claims it is not) [update: groping!] around for far longer than I should have to on a lamp I've had for 15+ years, I stuck my head down to peer under the shade and saw this:
No knob! (and yes, I really want to paint this room something other than
the purple it was when we moved in - almost three years ago!)
While I had no idea where the darn thing was, I knew right away who my culprit(s) was (were). The children have taken, lately, to playing around on my bed in the mornings, messing with the alarm clock radio that sits on my headboard shelves (which, no, still does not explain my early morning mess up last week), as does this lamp. I did the cursory scan of the shelves and under pillows and blankets and the bed itself, but no knob. Then I noticed this:
A small wicker basket from my Africa travels that does not normally reside
upside down. Intrigued, I flipped it over and whaddya know - the knob!
Thankfully, this is an easy fix for my funky lamp. You simply hold the knob in its spot, twist, and viola! Good as new. But seriously, children? This is what you decided to do when you broke Mama's lap?! I can only imagine what kind of shenanigans they'll be getting into in the ages and stages to come...I can only hope that their antics continue to make me laugh as much as this one did!
P.S. And no, I'm not currently reading The Kite Runner. I'm already light years behind on reading it, but it's on my list and my bedside table, so I'll get there someday. I am keeping track again this year, though, and will post titles read in December. I'm up to 40ish, so far, I think!
OH, my. So I know some of you saw my Facebook post yesterday about non-sleeping and feverish babies, right? Well, yesterday turned into quite the day with stage five clingers, an RL fever over 102, and a two-hour stint at Convenient Care because our regular doctor's office was so overly jammed with patients that they couldn't possible see us until this morning and the cough Lincoln woke up with after his nap was too alarming to wait overnight. It was, clearly, A Day, full of breathing treatments and leaky faucet faces and crying whenever I set one of them down (except for when we watched Curious George: Christmas Monkey (twice)). And all of this after Lincoln had The Worst Night of All the Nights on Sunday. He made noise all evening long and that continued after B & I turned in for the night even though nothing was wrong any of the multiple times we checked/changed him. After midnight, I took the upstairs room so Ben could get some sleep before school and I saw every single hour on the clock the rest of the night/morning. At best, I got 1.5 hours of sleep in a row. Perhaps that explains what happened to me this morning?
This morning was to be my first early morning sub at the Y for their 5:45 a.m. flow. This has been on the books for weeks now and I was so ready. After I got home from subbing a class at the studio last night, I set everything out in the kitchen, just like a kid on the first day of school. KindleFire (my music source) with special 45-min playlist, written-out sequence, water bottle & granola bar, and purse - all ready to grab and go when my alarm went off at 5:15. And yes, I set my alarm. Trust me, I checked it at least five times last night and then stared at it forever this morning when I discovered at 5:59 that I was very much still in bed and very much not subbing! Oof. So not cool.
The second the time and my location registered, I grabbed my phone, saw that I had a bunch of missed calls and instantly dialed the number back, apologizing the minute the other end picked up. To that person's amusement, I was in full-on panic mode and didn't even realize who I was calling! It was not my supervisor (which I should have known because, hi, I have her number in my phone already! but I refer you back to panic mode to explain this confusion) but a friend from the studio who knew I was subbing today and had planned to come to class. She was obviously at the Y and knowing that a no-show, or even being late, is not my norm, called to check on me. Thankfully she said folks were fine and being gracious about everything, but oh, my. I felt so bad. And so confused!
I honestly have no idea what happened. Did the alarm go off? Did I turn it off? Did I not set it properly? I know I was super tired and worn the eff out after yesterday and the previous night of poor "sleep" but I was so ready to do this today, so what the world? At least everyone has been understanding of the mistake and I still have Thursday of this week and next Tu/Th to redeem myself. And you can know I am serious when I say that I'll set more than one alarm to make sure I get there!
Huh. With all the writing I've been doing the last few months, I'm rather surprised that it has been an entire week and I haven't added anything to the blog. Perhaps the weather's been too nice and we've been too busy doing and being outside. Or perhaps I've been swamped with teaching and by the time I get home at night, I'm crashed out. Or perhaps having the kids go, in shifts, to visit the grandparents meant I had to make the most of the 24 solo hours I had, starting yesterday morning, to get a c.r.a.p.ton of stuff done around the house (i.e. clean the store room) while also taking a little time for myself (i.e. epsom salt + essential oils bath!) before, again, jetting off to teach the yogs. Or perhaps when you throw all of the above into one week, you come up short with time to blog. Whatever the reason, here's our week-in-review a.k.a. hodge-podge-picture-blog:
The weather has been gorgeous. Clear and sunny skies but with bits of bite in the air most mornings. Some wind (duh. this is NE we're talking about!), yes, but mostly just awesomeness. The kids and I have been getting out in the afternoons and having fun. We've also been practicing for Halloween:
RL found this old costume that is probably closer to LT's size than hers, but she got it on and decided to have some Dragon Fun stomping in the leaves...
...and chasing her big brother though the neighbor's yard.
Silly monkey! I mean, Silly Dragon!
Because of the nip in the air, we've had to add more layers lately (love Fall layers!) which totally works, except I did this to poor Linky the other day. Why must buttons be so hard to align when fastening them together?! Perhaps I can blame his wiggles and constant on-the-move moves?
The cooler weather also means we have to be sure to be in shoes all the time which totally works, too, but some days we have to get pretty creative with our footwear. For example, on Wednesday, I followed HD's lead (he wears this combo of shoes to school more days than not anymore) and just went with the first two shoes I could find so we could go out and enjoy the sunshine. They're both TOMS, so that counts for something right?!
Speaking of creative dressing and TOMS, check out Miss Raegan's style from the last couple weeks. She loves wearing her polka dot pink rain boots with pretty much anything, and the other day she was just as excited as I was about getting out my TOMS wedges (again, I say, "YAY, Fall!"). I will never tire of Baby Girl's fashion sense. Well, I guess I can't speak to what the teenage years will bring, but right now, I'm totally loving it. Every single crazy combo is the best.
In other news, Lincoln is a Walking Man! Well, he's got the wobbly sea legs/drunken toddler thing going, anyway, and he pops up anywhere and whenever he likes now to take his shaky steps.
It's adorable and awesome. Except when it is not. The poor kid crashes all the time and it seems like at least once a day, one of those crashes involves also hitting his head on something on the way down, like the kitchen bench last Wednesday which lead to this round of tears:
Poor baby. Seriously considering a foam crash helmet of sorts because otherwise he's going to be a bruised mess for who knows how long.
Besides all the playing and walking (and crashing), I've been a busy mama, running out the door to teach one (sometimes two!) yoga class(es) a night. This last week saw me teaching Tuesday-Friday straight (with Monday at the college, of course) and next week will be even more of an adventure as I'm starting a two-week subbing gig at the Y for their 5:45 a.m. class. 5:45 A.M.?! Oof. Well, at least I'll feel nice and limber for the T/Th that follow those classes (and I'll have some extra cash for buying coffee on the way home!). And at least I got a little break yesterday to sort through all the kid clothes that have been piling up in my store room so I feel slightly less scattered and cluttered going into two weeks of chaos fullness. Can I just say, though? How did my babies get so big? All those clothes I was putting in bins yesterday? They seemed both so tiny and also like it was impossible for all of the kids to have outgrown them already. Goodness me, I sound like I'm 85, but how do they grow so fast?!
And speaking of growing...my other plans of late are revolving around finishing starting RL's Year Three Shuttefly book and getting ready for her Frozen bday party. Here's what I found the other day as her present/to wear on her party day:
And yes, it's entirely possible I bought these for her because they are totally in line with my own crazy-yoga-pant obsession. Hope she likes them!
