Day One

Day 1: By 9:30am I totally lost it. Didn't have the patience to wait out getting dressed. Looks like we're in for a rough "vacation."

Wishing you peace and light
And the knowledge that tomorrow the darkness will be shorter
and the hope that the brightness will enluminate you

feeling sad and frustrated and short-tempered

Dear Santa,

Now that I live with christians and get to celebrate christmas every year, I've decided to write you my first letter. You won't be passing over my house, since we don't have either a mazzuzzuh or lamb's blood smeared by the door. So what I'd really like for christmas this year is patience. I need a lot of it, and mine always slips away just when I need it most. So please slide a large dose of patience down my chimney. Oh right, we don't have a chimney, so just leave it under the tree. By the way, our christmas tree is outside, next to the driveway, planted in our yard several januarys ago, since we don't see any sense killing an evergreen tree every year.

Thanks, Santa. You're the greatest!

plow pose

Wednesday is yoga day for PE at B's school. Apparently he is absorbing these lessons. He practices at home, particularly the halasana, or plow pose. Quick research shows this releases tension in the back and shoulders, and may help the practitioner get to sleep.

Just one more reason why I love B's new school.

Just yesterday it dawned on me that soon I need to start worrying about middle school. I really have no idea what the district or county offer in terms of middle school placements for my kids. I'm much more worried about A's placement, since B is set where he is till he turns 22, and possibly beyond since there is an adult day program there, too, unless there are significant changes.

Listening to acoustic sunset on Sunday evening radio, making gfcf ginger snaps with my kids, feeling almost "normal".

B and A both did a great job following simple one-step directions: bring me an egg, get a fork, mix it.

There is so much about this time of year that frustrates and disappoints me, with all the excess, consumerism, waste. And the "holidaze" just seem to emphasize the divide between the haves (money, family, majority traditions) and have nots. I try to select the pieces that resonate, celebrating peace, light, goodwill; and let go of the rest without appearing to be scrooge.

Good Night

It is 9:18pm and I haven't heard a peep from either kid since putting them to bed about 45 minutes ago. So, you see, miracles do happen.

quagmire

When does more information = harder decisions? Trying to figure out best health care options for the boys, and getting nowhere fast. Hard to do objective cost/benefit analysis when it comes to my kids' health.

Giving Thanks

for the many blessings in my life
family and friends
my home, good food, all the creature comforts we need
love
health
all the essentials, really
and enough challenges to appreciate our blessings more

Getting a head start on New Years Resolutions

* Simplify my life.
* Stop judging people. Accept people for who they are. Choose wisely who I spend time with, but without any malice or prejudgement.
*Learn to let things go.
* Make time to meditate.
* Work on my project.
* Don't yell at my children. Ever. For any reason except imminent danger.
* Be mindful.
* Be grateful.

Update: I'm not doing so great with the "don't yell at the kids" part. Well, I guess it depends on how imminent danger is defined. And the beauty of it is, these behaviors are all self-reinforcing. And the contrary holds true, too, that not doing these things is aversive, as they cause remorse and all sorts of bad feelings. The key, I believe, is in the last resolution.

Simplify

I want to simplify my life. Eliminate all that is superfluous. Pare down to focus on what really matters. Connect more to nature. Not have so many things to worry about. Free myself of financial worries. More mental and physical energy, fewer stressors, more peace.

Nuts!

I bought two pounds of raw unsalted nuts at the big box store because..... because they were there. A. just popped one in his mouth. Totally worth the purchase price, even if the other 17,000 nuts go to waste.

when advanced planning backfires

So I thought I was way ahead of the game, buying some holiday presents well in advance, as I found small treasures that would be appreciated by loved ones. Alas, B's scissor skills are more advanced than my planning, as he neatly cuts apart each package to liberate all round items and roll them across the floor.

paradise

80 degree beach weather in november, good friends, champagne, cheese and chocolate, amazing views, interesting conversation, and oh did i mention, NO CHILDREN.

Pressure is on

By sneakily linking to my not-updated-since-July blog in her oh-so-popular-and-highly-read blog, my dear friend Squid (http://www.squidalicious.com/ and one day I will learn to make real links in my blog) has provided me with just the "motivation" (read: embarrassment) to actually write something. Plus this way I can procrastinate from proofreading http://www.canisitwithyou.org/, which I'm really not that good at. I found that learning a second language did serious damage to my first language abilities, or at least that is my excuse.

But I've been thinking all day about blogging, mostly because I want to tell you all about this great Farm/Park in SJ that we found today. B went several weeks ago with his class, and his teacher said he had a great time, so today we all went to Emma Prusch Farm Park http://www.pruschfarmpark.org/ where we got to see chickens (running around the parking lot), pigs, sheep, goats and rare international fruit trees. Plus a nice play structure, in a mostly enclosed area with a few hidden (yet open) gates -- bolters beware! Picnic tables, bbq pits, huge grassy area, and best of all, FREE.

But now I must run and see exactly what B is doing with the hundred small squishy plastic balls that he has liberated from the large party-favor ball with his safety scissors.

It's nice to be back...

Activate Support Network!

Hey Hot Mamas -- Our preggie friend (the one expecting twin girls) may be expecting them sooner than she expected. So her doc put her on complete hospitalized bedrest. Being the supermama that she is, she claims she doesn't really need any help with her two "active" children right now, but I doubt that is true.

Swim Lessons Update

I should clarify that these are private 1:1 swim lessons, which are really what my kids need. I've been thinking about trying to enroll at least A in the local park and rec swim lessons, and now realize that would have probably been a mistake. Both A and B are really 1:1 learners, and that is the environment that they most thrive in. A is doing fabulous, really has learned a lot in a short period of time. He is close to being water safe. B is still very fearful, but was willing to practice kicks and scoops with the instructor from the safety of the not-hot tub.

Swim Lessons

A had his first swim lesson today. He did great. The instructor was VERY good, patient, modeled everything, used direct short phrases, gave pretty good verbal reinforcement. Short lessons on kicking, "scoops" (arms), blowing bubbles under water, working on putting face in water ("get your eyes wet"), got him to float on his back (with support). A is very interested, did a good job listening to everything she said, tried to do it. He continued to practice after she left. Very nice.

Maybe tomorrow we can get B interested.

"Your son is so calm and well behaved" Yup, that's what a fellow passenger said to me yesterday, on the airplane, when I was with B. Thanks for sending all your positive vibes our way - it definately worked. Both boys were great on the entire trip, from the moment we picked them up at school at 11am, until we pulled into my parents garage at 1:45am. In other words, a VERY long trip!!! But I really couldn't have asked for better behavior.

Today, we spent the day at my folks' screened in pool. My mom lined up swimming lessons, starting tomorrow. A is definately ready - he is trying by himself, and not afraid of going under. B prefers the coziness of the hot tub, where he is choosing to spend most of his time. Me, I'm in the shading sipping cosmos....

Summer Reading

I need a good book to read. Something I can use to escape, take a vacation from life for a stolen hour. Nothing disturbing, nothing scary. Fantasy = good. What do you suggest?