My Lovable Lefty

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! 

Quiet Balance

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.

Phwee

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!

Relax

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.

Sneaky

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!

Early Morning Confusion

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!

The Hodge-Podge Days of Fall

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!