Derailed?

My normal hyper scheduled life has been derailed.  For the past month or more, unforeseen events and circumstances have preventing me from my happy little box of routine and balance  predictability.  At first, I thought it was a bump.  Then a string of bad luck.  Naturally, when things continued, I assumed I was cursed.  Next, I was left angry.  Now, I am curious.  Is this the way I should have been living all along?  Is this a nudge from divinity, an "ahem" from the universe?  Was I never organized and sensible but freakishly neurotic and stubborn?

This morning, started off better then planned.  The puppy was tired out from an active evening, Jack was happy and helped with breakfast, and Liam slept in.  Then Liam woke up...with diarrhea.  I was already dressed for the gym, ready to drop the older two off at school and Liam at the gym daycare.  This is the second time in 2 weeks that Liam has had random episodes of digestive distress.  No lack of energy or need to snuggle.  Just one, unpleasant symptom.  I briefly thought about bringing him anyway, he didn't "seem" sick.  But, no, I did the right thing and kept him away from other children.  Little did I know how right it was.  Instead of being indoors lifting weights and listening to overplayed pop music, I was here, on the waterfront.

Dixie came too

He looks okay..but I'm pretty sure you can't fake diarrhea

 Cali came to chase a few shadows

...and I looked REALLY good, too bad Liam ruined the shot

Had I gone to the gym, I wouldn't have had a long, energizing walk on Commencement Bay.  I wouldn't have seen the Salmon swim right up to the rocky shore (I have never seen that here - there were even a few that had been cornered by a lab and a golden retriever!).  I wouldn't have been able to stay close to home and enjoy my community.  I wouldn't have been able to spend time with my son or my dogs. I would have been too tired to go home and go for a bike ride with Liam on the tag-a-long. It all made me think up a very big question:  

When I look back at this time in my life, how do I want to remember it?  

Mornings spent at the gym or morning like this?  Have I scheduled out all of the good, simple moments in life?  Scheduled out all room for spontaneity?  Maybe I can have both.  Maybe I can't,  Like I said, it's a big question.

Do you ever second guess the way you spend your time?  Or, do you feel you should spend your time differently?

My Not To Do List

To follow up to yesterday's feelings of high stress and anxiety, I did what I said that I would do.  I took a good look at all of the things that I had floating around my head (and calendar) filed mentally under "to do".  Not surprisingly, most of them were not vital.  My mantra for the week.  "Not doesn't mean no ever".  I did keep some essentials:  feed children, clean up puppy messes, deliver children to school, brush teeth etc.  But, I gave many a down grade.  Here is what I have moved from "to do" to "not to do" in the next week.

1.  Make bread, granola or snacks from scratch
2.  Mop
3.  Weed the garden (though I did assign this another able body)
4.  Take the kids swimming
5.  Take Liam to toddler yoga
6.  Make Halloween plans with my children (no elaborate costume schemes, no crafting)
7.  Make any classes at the gym ( I seriously can't handle another scheduled event)
8.  Commit to any sort of volunteering (even if for a later date)
9.  Swap out Fall/Winter clothing for Spring/Summer
10. Add on what is already planned for Amelia's Birthday
11.  No elaborate meals (30 minutes or less to prepare)

Ahhh....that feels much better.


I had originally planned my "don't do's" for 2 weeks.  But, an unrealistic "don't do" is no better then an unrealistic "do".  Not mopping the floors before my daughters party would cause me more stress then the 30 minutes it takes to do it.  Also, I love my gym classes, I don't want to punish myself should I be available to make it next week stress free.


Later today, I will move on to my lightened "to do".  Since I have bored you enough with one list, I will refrain from indulging in a second.  I will tell you that my new "to do" will leave me more time to enjoy my family and sweet rare moments of solitude (I have two, 2 hrs. Tues. morning and 1 hr. Wed. afternoon).  An hour with a magazine, walking on the waterfront, writing, or singing sound much better then fighting with my sewing machine or sorting through my closets is what I need "to do" this week.

What can you put on your "Do Not Do" list?

Heavy

Sometimes things just feel heavy.  As fall rolls on into birthdays, car pools, homework, housework, appointments, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and more it can feel as if there is never a moment to come up to breath.  Some weeks feel more hectic then others, some months downright claustrophobic.


I have been caught up in a whirlwind of bad luck in the time management department.  I can blame the teacher's strike, sickness, or unexpected responsibilities that have been tossed my way.  But, all in all this is just the way life behaves.  Pulling my hair out in frustration won't help.


Today, instead of adding tasks into my calendar as I normally would, I am taking a different approach.  I am calmly walking through my house and my calendar and taking notes.  What don't I need to do.  There are  many things that I can let go of.  It doesn't have to be forever, just for now.  My family will survive if I meals are simple and easily prepared.  My children don't need to go swimming this week.  I don't have to make it to the gym to get in a good workout.  I don't have to have a "good workout", a quick run, a yoga class or long walk with my dogs or family will be okay for a couple of weeks.  The garden can wait to be weeded another week.  There are a lot of things that can take a back seat and lift this weight.

What can you let go of in your life when things get heavy?

Umm and Ouch!

With 5 soccer games in 2 days, the weekend flew by.  Or, maybe it blew by.  Yes, that is more accurate.  In fact on Sunday afternoon it blew right into my head.  It was in the form of our pop up shelter that uprooted directly into my forehead. While I ran bleeding to the bathroom, Amelia scored her only goal of the game.  Now I am left with a headache and suppressed knowledge that I should go get stitches (liquid band-aid don't fail me now).  If I ignore it it will go away, right?


The rest of the day was great!  I tried out a something borrowed, something new kind of recipe.  My family has come to expect weekend breakfasts to be a little more elaborate then those during the week.  Unfortunately, that usually means sweet bread, scones, potatoes or other less then fabulous food choices.  Coffee cake made with wheat flour may be more nutritionally sound, but it is still rolling in fat and sugar.  So, I dug into our edible centerpiece and tried this:

Apple and Pear Crepes

Filling:

2 Apples and 1 Pear cut into one inch pieces

1/4 C water

2t agave (or honey to taste)

1t cinnamon 

1t nutmeg

1T fresh lemon juice

1/4 C dried cranberries

1/4 C roasted walnuts

Toss fruit in lemon juice, cinnamon, nutmeg and agave.  In a sauce pan bring fruit mixture and water to a boil over medium heat and reduce to a simmer.  Cook until fruit softens.  Stir in Cranberries and walnuts.

For the crepes, I used a wheat recipe from here:  greenlitebites.com/2008/06/18/simple-low-fat-whole-grain-crpe/.  I substituted skim milk for rice milk to add a little sweetness.

How did it go over?  Yums and clean plates!  A healthy replacement for pancakes (which is good because, although I'm out numbered, I don't really like pancakes)

Do you make special breakfast on weekend mornings?  What is your families favorite breakfast?  

Welcome Fall

Here we are, September 23.  Welcome Fall!!!

It is fitting that the children of Tacoma return to their classroom today.  The air has changed, the leaves are flirting with color and the apples are crisp.  The shortening days and cloudy skies only add to the seasonal wonder.  A time to turn in and focus on all things internal, be it our homes or ourselves.  Fall has arrived.

With the children at home yesterday, we got ready to bring in the new season.  Thanks to Tacoma boys, our edible center piece has dressed our dining room.

We hung our Autumn wreath 

I am thrilled to be able to change up our menu to add comfort soups, freshly baked bread and tea.  Lots and lots of tea.  I am not quite ready to swap out my summer clothes.  In part, because I am feeling lazy and uninspired.  In part, because if I do we are destined to get a freak spell of 80 degree weather.  I can't believe that I will happily take a pass on the warmer weather.  Right now the hot tea and book snuggle sessions sound much more appealing.  As long as it's not trucks...or Thomas the Train....or Go Dog GO again.   Hmm..sounds like another trip to the library is in store for the week.

Simple Fall Nature Paint

Embracing another day at home, the kids and embarked on a simple fall art project.  Fall doesn’t actually start until Friday, but we stuck with fall colors and incorporated dead leaves.  Tada!  Fall themed art.  The best part about our afternoon creative session was that it required very little work on my part.  To add to the feeling of slothfulness, the kids completed the project while still in pajamas.  It was twelve o’clock. 

Here is what we did:

1.  Mixed tempera to create 3 autumn(ish) tones.

2.  Each child picked out at least 5 natural object from the yard to use   instead of paint brushes.

Jack picked branches, a blackberry, leaves and petals

 3.  Set them free to create.

Liam paints with a rose

Some of the final works:

The artwork dried outside in the sun.  I bundled paint splattered newspapers and “brushes” and walked them directly over to the trash.  The kids marched directly to the laundry room to throw their clothes in the washing machine.   Conveniently, I have had not put any laundry away since Sunday, so they washed up and got dressed.  Other then an uncomfortable moment of vulgar nakedness by child #2, it was a success!

Hooray for simple moments at home!

Do you have a favorite fall kids craft?  Please Share.

lemons to lemonade?

Yesterday morning my frustration about the teacher's strike finally set in.  I still support the teachers.  I still want a fair resolution that has the students best interests at heart.  I realize that this takes time.  But, living day to day not knowing how to plan our lives is getting stressful.  While I have the "luxury"(if you couldn't tell my quotes are dressed in angry sarcasm) of being home with my children during the day, I still reserve the right to be annoyed.  I wish that the powers that be would just cancel school for the month and be done with it.  Then, families could plan accordingly.  We could get community support for kids in need.  Parent could plan for childcare.

Needless to say, yesterday was a rough one.  I was awoken at dark thirty (again) by children who were still tired and had no right to be awake.  To make matters worse, they also woke up the puppy.  Guess who had to play with our frisky teether at 6AM?  Me!  Jack was too tired and Liam to weepy, moany and crabby.  The makings for a great day.  Oh, how I would have loved to have dropped all three of my children off for school today!  Unfortunately, only Liam's class had open doors.  After a few temper tantrums (both parent and child), I tired to make the best of the day.  Afterall, it was BEAUTIFUL. 

 So much for the rainy NW fall days I have been writing about.

After dropping Liam off at preschool, Jack, Amelia and I hit Tacoma boys to pick up some fall mums for the yard.  We also found some super yummy apples and pairs and pretty squash that made for a perfect edible center piece.  A little time in the garden plus a trip to Cafe Dei for a vegan treat and a game of Yahtzee turned things around.

Color makes me happy

The Circus

In efforts to train Dixie how to walk on lead, we all headed down to the UPS campus for a picnic lunch and to burn off some energy.  Since Dixie would NOT walk on lead, I had to carry her most of the way.  While I don't mind having an excuse to hold my cuddly puppy, it was a little hectic.  The kids were all on bikes and we had Cali in the mix too.

boys on bikes

Dixie got lots of love from the campus girls

All in all it was an okay day.  Today I will try to manage to get some work done for my studio and fit in a fall craft with the kids.  Thank goodness for great baby sitters and soccer coaches.  I just may find a moment of quiet this afternoon.

How are you spending your days during our unscheduled break from school?