Thankful Thursday: Yoga and Kids

This week I really had to struggle to find things to be thankful for.  I have had A LOT on my mind, and I feel it all came crashing in on me this morning when I had my first ocular migraine since I was 25, which may or may not have coincided with getting married that year.  So yes, I did my best to shut that down (the migraine, not the wedding) so I could plow through my to do list.  And in retrospect, if I had to do plan that wedding over again, I would seriously consider eloping.  But in the spirit of focusing on thankfulness, I will save that for another post.

This week I am thankful for yoga.  Red Lotus Yoga is one of my most favorite places in the whole entire world.  I know I have said it before here, here, and here , but I always leave recharged and more positive.  This week I was able to make to yoga TWICE!  The main message was to think about how we could apply what we learn about our edge on the mat to life off the mat, especially around the holidays.  The same breath we use to work through a difficult pose can be applied to a difficult personal situation.  I really needed to be reminded of this, especially when it is so easy for me to get wrapped up in drama.  Thank you, Red Lotus, for offering me respite during the holiday season.

I am also thankful for my kids.  Lately, I feel that I am just pushing through to the next thing, the next task, and the next item on the never-ending to do list.  Today I had two special moments that made me pause and be thankful for the magic hidden in everyday moments.

Here is a picture of Marie.  She was so proud to dress up like an author.  When I took this photo of her, she said, “Are you taking this photo so when I become an author at my first book signing, you will show this to me?”

I was struck by the confidence of her voice, void of any doubt and full of certainty.  I was inspired how she is so sure of herself without any sense of cockiness.  It made me question why I feel the need to temper my dreams and accomplishments.

I am also thankful for Thomas.  Here is a photo of us after lunch, cuddling on the couch as I read him his Lego catalog.  He kept on making sure I was covered on the blanket because he didn’t want me to be cold.  At lunch, he said I never have to ask for a taste of his macaroni and cheese because I can just have it.

He has the biggest heart of anyone I know, and I am so thankful for that.

What are you feeling thankful for today? 

Rochester Review: Dinosaur Hill Nature Preserve

I am trying a new series called Rochester Review.  I have wanted to live in Rochester pretty much my whole life, but concretely for the past five years.

I love the downtown area, which is really rare for this part of Michigan.  There are also so many beautiful parks and trails with big, mature trees near our house that have helped us maximize our time outside this summer.

Although we have yet to experience Rochester Schools, my research says they are pretty great.  (Our new elementary school has its own vegetable garden and they serve the harvest during a back-to-school event.  How cool is that?!)

So in honor of my dream coming true, I have decided to start the series of Rochester Review where I will write about the things I love about Rochester.

My first review is Dinosaur Hill Nature Preserve.  

Now, I wasn’t even sure what it was expect some vague idea of a walking trail since my yoga teacher talked about going on walk there. 

I still got lost.  Thankfully, Harrington was there.  I might consider bringing
bread crumbs next time.

When we arrived at Dinosaur Hill, there was a building that looked like a little house filled with mounted animals and dinosaur bones.  I think school field trips are held there, but they day we went, the area was set up for a birthday party. 

After we checked that out, we went to walk on the trails.  And by trails, I don’t mean a paved road surrounded by some trees.  I mean it was a dirt trail marked by some logs deep in a forest.  This is so unexpected since the parking lot is at a dead end street in a neighborhood.

In the wild.  We actually had to step over fallen logs.
Almost all of us loved it!

As we walked in the woods, we came across this beautiful filed of wildflowers that we almost as tall as Thomas!

These were the biggest flowers I have ever seen.

We also came across this bridge.

Which was helping us cross this.

You know when you meditate and you have to think of something
beautiful and peaceful?  I think this is my new vision.

And we saw lots and lots of deer.  They weren’t really scared of us so we were able to get a good look at them.  This was also a great opportunity to talk to the kids about respecting animals.  We talked about understanding that we are in their home so we don’t run up to them; we give them their space.

Can you see the deer?  I think he stopped for the photo.
The rest of his family slowly meandered in the other direction.

It was really an amazing day.  Lately, I feel myself being drawn to nature, which by the way, is totally unlike me. But when walking in a place like Dinosaur Hill, I feel my head clearing in a way that I can’t when my computer is in the next room. 

I (obviously) value technology and let my kids have screen time (maybe too much).  I feel that if we are going to embrace all the wonderful aspects of technology, we have to balance it out with some serious outdoor time where it is peaceful and we can have an unplanned adventure. 

So how did the kids like it?  Thomas was in his glory.  He could run and be curious without the unwritten rules of socially acceptable behavior at the park.  Marie, well, she did not like it as much.  Yet.  I told her to use it for writing material.  So she wrote a haiku about how mean I was to take her into the woods.

Do you have a peaceful place to clear your head?  Do you ever feel you need to balance out screen time with some adventurous outdoor time?  How do your kids feel about it?

Technology for Kids - A Slippery Slope?

So my baby, my little girl, my first born told me she wants an iPod for her birthday.

Her 7th birthday.

My first reaction was visceral.  Of course not.  How could a 7 year old have her own iPod?!  Wouldn’t she want some stuff to go with her American Girl collection? 

And then I started to ponder her wish.

She is on the computer a lot and not just to play games.  She is on there researching former presidents and first ladies, you know, for fun.  She researches writing contests. 

I say this not to brag, but to show her maturity.  (Well, maybe brag just a touch - come on, I’m her Mom)!  I guess it isn’t any wonder she isn’t into dolls all that much.

Well, I take that back.  She is into American Girl dolls, but not so much to play with them.  She enjoys them for the purpose to learn about World War II.  (In fact, she tossed around the idea of having a World War II theme birthday party).  Please also note that her other favorite period of history is the Revolutionary War.

But I digress.

So when I asked her what she wanted for her birthday, she hemmed and hawed that she would like some books and notebooks  . . .  which I know she would love, but I asked her what she really, really wanted.

When she took a deep breath in and whispered desperately, “An iPod,” I knew I had to quiet that knee-jerk no and listen.  

Marie has never been the type of girl to play with dolls, and even though there is a finite time period in which she will even be interested in them, that just isn't her thing.

She loves to read and create.  And she loves technology.

I would rather her have something that she really wants as opposed to some things that she kinda sorta likes.

But is this a slippery slope sliding towards self-entitlement?  Towards the end of her childhood?  

Or is it a great opportunity to teach her limits and boundaries?  A chance to teach her how to navigate safely through technology-centered world?   

So after much thought and discussion, we have decided that she can ask for gift cards for the Apple store and she can buy an iPod.

I think.  

Or am I making a mistake of gigantic proportion?  

Or am I over-thinking this too much?

Do your kids have technology?  How old are they?  What kind do they have?  What kind of guidelines do you have for them to use their devices?

Quick, Random Thoughts*

This week is going to be crazy, but I am OK with that since is the Grand Finale of Birthday Season. And it’s kind of nice to end it with Marie’s 4th birthday. So I might not be as active in my comments or posts until next week. I am taking these 5 minutes of free time and write a quick post of my random and fleeting thoughts:

- I wish Thomas would develop another method of communication other than screaming, but I am proud of myself for keeping it together when he’s upset. And I am done beating myself up that I do not enjoy his screaming. I love him with all my heart, but I accept that I don’t like it when he screams. And that’s OK. On the upside, he’s mastered the sign for “more.” And he does really well in a restaurant. And I love how he loves to explore everything!


- I feel like my Random Acts of Kindness Chart is boosting morale around here. When someone does something nice, I write it on a star and put it on the chart. At the end of the week, we talk about some of the nice things we did. I feel this is more effective than giving a check if Marie is not practicing kindness. Also, since the whole family is involved, I feel like it helps everyone focus on the good in each other. It sounds so cheesy, but it works; at this point in my life I have adopted a “Whatever Works” philosophy.

- My dentist suggested I need a super expensive bite guard to stop me from clenching my jaw, which might stop my headaches. My mom suggested a glass of wine. My idea of a sabbatical is not practical. So what do you think: a bite guard or a glass of wine?


- I had fun watching the Babes both have fun at Barnes and Noble yesterday. Marie chose the location for her fun place for her birthday. May parents came, too. We then went out to lunch, and then went home for some downtime. For dinner Harrington and I took Marie and Thomas to McDonald’s. It’s a lot of work to go somewhere with the Babes, but once we get there, we have a blast.

- I am really excited for the mini-vacation I planned for us next month.

Well, that’s about all the brain power I have left for now. Some of these thoughts deserve a whole post, and I’ll get to that soon. I am really thankful for all the people in my life that I get to celebrate during birthday season, but I will be really thankful when things slow down a bit.

So, Friends, what’s going on with you?

*I did not even have time to proof this for any grammar or content mistakes. Please read with a forgiving eye!

Suck it, Marge!

Dear Marge:

This is Marie’s Mom, and if you don’t remember, she was a former patient of yours. She was diagnosed with macrocephaly at birth. When I was told that that was a big, fancy word for a big head, I didn’t think it was a big deal. The implications of that, along with a low tone diagnosis at 4months were when I realized that this was a big deal. That and the pediatrician recommended that she see a neurosurgeon for regular visits were a clue that something was not right. We discovered that she extra fluid around her brain (hydrocephaly) and was not sure if she would need a stint to drain it. We were not sure if she would have cerebral palsy because of her low tone. It was a very stressful time. At 9 months of age, she qualified for services. And that’s when you entered the picture as her first physical therapist.

She used to cry whenever you came over to work with her. You seemed to lack that gentleness that is helpful, if not necessary, to work with babies. It was hard for you to accomplish anything with her because she had a hard time not crying with you. You also asked me to leave the room since you attributed her crying to my presence, not your roughness and general crabby demeanor. Being a new mom, I stood in the kitchen peaking around the corner, watching my poor baby girl crying while you tried to execute your exercises. I endured that and a lot more because I was desperate for her to get better. However, what was most memorable about you is when you told me she would be destined to be a leaner because she would never have enough strength to always stand straight and that I would be lucky if she walked without braces and by the age of two.

Well, Marge, that little baby is now three years old. As she RAN into her classroom the first day of preschool, many things came to mind. Most were the normal things a mom of a “regular” kid would be thinking: I was so proud of her for being independent and brave. She looked so cute and happy. But then another thought ran across my mind, and it was, “Suck it, Marge!” I say suck it because here was this baby who you said wouldn’t walk until she was two and possibly with braces and she RAN into that room. And you know what? She RUNS everywhere, and she CLIMBES up the ladder to go down the slide. Oh, and she JUMPS, too! So, Marge, be careful what you say to new moms because it could wind up biting you in the ass. I understand you needed to be honest about Marie’s condition, but perhaps you could take some professional development classes on bedside manner because your ambivalence about her condition was heart wrenching to hear. And if I could, I would forward my therapy bill to you because you did a lot of damage with those comments and telling me to leave the room because my baby was crying because of me. She was crying because of you and your negative energy.

So, Marge, suck it! My baby girl is in preschool and doing great! No thanks to you, of course.

Yours truly,
Marie’s Mom

P.S. Tell Noelle her note about Marie’s “anti-social” behavior is coming soon!