Feasting on Gratitude

During mass on Sunday, someone spoke about St. Luke’s annual stewartship campaign.  The theme this year is “feasting on gratitude”.  I was immediately struck and captivated.  Not just by how it pertains to stewartship, but how it can be incorporated into our daily lives.

Brain washed as we are to constantly strive for more, these small words have big meaning.  When I think to trying to let go of achieving and live more in the moment, I struggle not to see it as settling.  I don’t mean a nice peaceful settling in but rather a settling for less.  More of a giving up hopes and dreams or of idleness (brain washed, see?).

Accepting to live with less is a lifelong struggle.  Maybe that is because we use the term "less" when we really mean cutting out material greed and static.  I like the concept we can experience the wonder and excitement that we crave in the blessing that we have already been given.  It doesn’t have to be about sacrifice at all but about gratitude and celebration.  In the end, we don't have less at all.  In fact, we can be very full indeed.


Yesterday, I feasted on gratitude (and field roast) over lunch.  I am so grateful that I can have this handsome, charming little boy as my lunch date every weekday.  He is not a very adventurous eater and sometimes I can't follow our conversations completely.  But, how can I feel anything but gratitude and abundance when I get to stare over the table at this?

"For your birthday, I am going to the store and me and Daddy are buying you a 

PRETTY, PINK, PRINCESS coat"

"Does it come with ruffles and sparkles?"

What are you feasting on today?

The importance of (literal) balance

I have experienced time and time again that my life is reflected in my yoga practice.  When I am overworked, frazzled, sick, crabby, hyper, or tired, my balance poses magnify my state.  Sometime, it is of no surprise.  Other times, I have to sit back and ask myself "what?... WHAT?!?".  


I have also seen how unrest and lack of (figurative) balance my children's lives, and the lives of the little one's that I teach is reflected in their personalities and interactions.   I can only conclude that if physical balance helps emotional balance in adults, the same must be true for children.


Research shows that balance exercises such as rocking, walking, swaying, leaning, tip toeing, and hopping on one foot, has many physical benefits for children.  When a child focuses on balance she engages the muscles on both sides of the body.  Accordingly, both sides of the brain are fired up.  Neurological pathways are strengthened.


In our Kindermusik classes, we reguarly engage in balance exercises often as we challenge and play with movement. We often talk about the many physical benefits.  But, never the emotional rewards of feeling physical balance.  Of course, this is because this is my idea, not one promoted by Kindermusik....yet (??).  Obviously, children need emotional balance too.  So, next time you cuddle and rock a child, ride a bike along side them, go for a walk or have a dance party consider the gift of balance you give to each other.


Imagine rocking a child in your arms.  As the child feels the gravity drop through her belly, there is a brief sense of free falling.  Control over the her body is given up for that moment as she falls through space.  At the bottom of the rock, she is still held securely in your arms, feeling your pulse and your breath, still "caught", only to be brought back up again.  A beautiful act of balance, love and trust.

Where is your favorite place to rock with your child?
 

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.