Friday, August 31, 2012

Death at the Door

There they are, eyeballin' their next possible tribute.  Twice last week I found offerings on the front step, narrowly missed stepping on a fresh vole.  No sign of chewing, I assume that's Darth Kittius' first offering to us, usually Porter enjoys at least a bit off his tributes before sharing.  A day later, a smattering of feathers and a piece of entrails drawing flies---my main concern, having gotten used to the lack of insect annoyances here, it's unfavorable to suddenly have a bottle fly banging on the windows.  Worse still, Darth enjoys chasing them in his still-kitten way, felling photos and spreading countertop items to the floor in the process.



Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Pond Study continued




The water is pretty low, making it easier to walk all around the bank. 
Earlier this spring we counted up to 15 ducklings from two families, and at least 7 goslings (nested in a planter barrel in front of our building).

Blissed

I got to take advantage of a free yoga class last night at the shala I have been coveting from afar since we moved here. I will take their teacher training some day soon.  Whatever was bothering me before that practice was miniscule by my blissed countenance afterward.
I have a God box, wherein I place prayers as I have done for more than a few years.  It is knocked behind my bedside table periodically by rampaging cats. When I found it today I thought I'd play my "what did God take care of?" Game.  I shake the tube until some prior prayer falls out, take a look at what I wrote, then marvel at all the prayers answered.  This time I kept at it and realized there were much more in there answered than not, so I figured I'd do a little god-box purge.  It's pure peaceful joy seeing how everything really does turn out well, I am cared for, I am loved.  Everything I put to God is well taken care of, all time every time.  And when I come to a scribbled prayer I consider needing more time, or it's for some one I still hold in love, I read it consciously and give it right back to the god-box.

And then a toddler pooped on the floor, and my bliss was detoured somewhat. Geewillikers, do I dislike carpet!

So it goes. Happy day!
: ) 

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Embarrassing

I left the grill on....
days ago?

Actually I don't even know when I was trying to cook that corn.

*Sad sigh*  Guess I'll have to broil the fish tonight. : /

Squeezing our the last bits of summer.  Layering on the activities week by week.  It starts with daytime schedule gymnastics, plus Connection day with Woodrow Wilson, and Toddleator's enrichment center day, then add in our home's-cool curriculum and we've a complete system.

But where oh where does  momma's time get to fit?  Something will manifest, I know it.

Sunday, August 26, 2012

Pendulum

While some inward things sifting through my spirit this past week....

The visualization came to mind of a pendulum, the very long kind I remember from childhood hanging from the ceiling in the science museum.  So slowly moving back & forth in harmony with the Earth's movement.  It was mesmerizing for me, comforting to watch that evidence of our movement, within movement, within movement, through the cosmos.
When I am in operating in harmony with a Higher Power I move like that pendulum, deliberately, with ease, and without effort.  Now and then, some occurrence or some person bobbles into the weight.  It spins and jumps wildly out of balance with it's intended ease of movement, crazed and directionless to observers.  Eventually, it will return to it's original motion.  But this takes time, and patience, and growth with learning.

I found myself so weary yesterday, and this morning.  I only came upon the right word by bibliomancy with a Creative Ideas book.  "God is my strength" it read.  I do forget this often.  When I get so busy that my spiritual life atrophies, I end up searching for fulfilment elsewhere.  Usually my form of self-willed solution involves more and more and more activity, until I'm so busy doing that I am not a being here at all.  I begin my days and weeks then full throttle, teeth bared, grinning desperately, pushing so hard that a complete melt down is inevitable.  I've grown to know this pattern, and I saw it happen most recently as I inadvertently laid off my typical spiritual practice, and went full speed ahead into some new thing I've no idea whether it'll work our or not.  Also, I've no idea whether it's part of my flow & I'm struggling with fear of the unknown OR I'm totally out of sync with god-the-universe.
More will be revealed....in typical form I wish it would be revealed faster!

I've a new idea of the phrase "home is where the heart is" now.
Happy dreams.
: )  <3 p="p">

Botanic Garden Day!

Been meaning to post this since Wednesday last!  Life happens doesn't it?

One of my favorite activities that we discovered last year, Denver Botanic Gardens Homeschool days.  This week was "Journey to Japan", showcasing the newest addition to the gardens, a traditional Japanese garden complete with a snow lantern from sister city Takayama.

Miss Monkey had the camera until the battery died.  We adventured with a Haiku Scavenger hunt, built Bonsai, made bamboo sculptures, tried our hand at Ikebana, and (as time had run out) brought home materials for a miniature Japanese garden.  Bonus, the mamas and I walked the river stone path barefoot activating acupoints per Chinese tradition.  A beautiful, fulfilling day!






Japanese garden, complete with path, river, & bridge. Wait, we'll see things grow!



Bonsai!


The combined efforts of the Homeschool Day's children

Monday, August 20, 2012

I am not perfect

I make mistakes....

...like leaving my bag, complete with keys, in The Man's truck, causing a chain reaction that would make my Miss Monkey really late to practice and harry the rest of my afternoon.  Grateful for friendly retired neighbors!

...like procrastinating purchase of a watch/HRM (or means to carry my cellular device) to have my own timekeeping on a long run, not paying enough attention to where I was, trailing behind my runner-buddy...thereby making myself incredibly late back to the house, infuriating The Man, and narrowly getting Monkey to practice on time.  Rather a sad comedy as I tried to run back to the truck, having exercise-induced asthma the whole way.

...like inadvertently should-ing on my friends, and letting my extroversion overshadow my manners.

I am getting more comfortable in my human-ness by degrees.  At least I don't berate myself endlessly anymore!

Today I am mommin' with chi'ren that are illin', meaning both Booger & Stinkums are experiencing fevers and congestion.  We are home bound.  The New Schedule was to begin today, delayed a day? maybe two?

May my interwebz connection not dominate my day (there is housework to do), may I remember that it's not their fault they're feeling crappy (they don't isolate and hide like I do when ill), and may I remember empathy and compassion more so today than any other (really our problems aren't so big).  For some that may be natural---empathy is something I've been learning since Miss Monkey was born, and compassion has been a lesson for myself first, reconciled with what I had for others more so than my self.  Love & Learn.

So it goes.
Happy day!
: )  <3 p="p">

Thursday, August 9, 2012

Strange Day at the Zoo

Howling monkeys...

Noiseless carousel...


Swinging monkeys, too!


Hooray for new friends, and big sisters calming their disappointments and learning to behave better with little siblings.
Happy day!
: )  <3 p="p">


Monday, August 6, 2012

HOORAY! HORSES!




After a busy-busy morning at Mile Hi, we serendipitously were able to hang
with these three, Fabulous Frankie, Hippie, and Ruthie.  Enthusiastically I helped clean hooves, taught Miss Monkey to use a horse brush, and labeled different parts of tack and horse anatomy for her (dusting off what I remembered).  I grinned ear to ear listening to hooves on gravelly sand, leathery creaks, horse-breath, snuffles, and lip-pops. There is NOTHING better. I laid on a horse neck and inhaled deep salty horse sweat, laughing tears of a child's
joy.  This was my feeling of total loving abandon as a kid, and I reveled
in it! It is freedom of another, almost forgotten, kind.

And how amazing to introduce my daughters to these things, so special for me.  F proudly rode easy bareback on her own. E didn't want to stop riding once on. I got to practice both saddled and bare back a bit, totally different use of muscles I'd forgotten.

After mandatory ice cream, we headed home tired and happy. I didn't even mind (much) the quasi-crazed dinner/bedtime we had because of sugar & over tired-ness.
I am so grateful!
Happy, HAPPY DAY!
: )  <3 p="p">












Saturday, August 4, 2012

The Man on a Trip

He left this morning, and will be absent for about a week (estimated as of today).  Already I have new appreciation for people who parent alone, or mostly alone.  As I drove away from the gymnasium after Miss Monkey's foray with back handsprings and exhibition team, I thought, "oh I'll get to the gym myself--oh, wait, right, he's gone so, uhmm, I guess I'll have to wait til Monday."

Wait. What?

Yes, I have to wait until Monday, when KidsClub is open, between the hours of 8-1 or 4-8.
May I just say.....efff this sh*t.  Mentally I'm already trying to calculate how many workouts I'll miss or have to pare down to fit in their 2 hour time limit.  Pit that against the minimum workouts possible between now and the tri we are supposedly doing the first week of October.  Out look does not look great, doesn't even look reasonable.  I want to do better this time around, not the same, and certainly not worse.  I can't do better in races unless I'm trained for them.

I'm willing to forgo the rest of the racing season (and save that money) but stay on a training plan, I'm enjoying the plan very much.  I've found that my RPE upper threshold (probably also known as zone 5 with a HRM) is dry heaving.  If I'm doing speed work, I should dry heave at least once to know I've hit my ceiling, and then I'll ease off enough to avoid vomiting.  I've also found that I really really need to get to my yoga rug more often.  I'm more symmetrically balanced strength-wise when I practice and therefore stronger in everything else I'm doing.

Oh, right, and The Man is gone, he's on a train (in part due to his {slightly milder} aversion to flying).  I miss him.  So, the Gigglesisters, who weren't too giggly today, tried in various ways to test out all the mechanisms by which to make mommy fly off the handle.  If anything I became more conscious, especially proud of my response this evening when they were popping around the bedroom after "lightsout."  Hooray for parenting consciously!

Here we go on a crash course in single parenting.
: )    <3 p="p">

p.s. now that my challenge to myself is over, I'm missing writing something every day, even if it's the rather boring everyday life stuff.
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