Our wild and wonderful front garden bed.
- I'm wearing the cotton pajama set that my in-laws gave me for my birthday. I wear them every day. It's been a while since I've had official pajamas, not just stretched out yoga clothes that I call pajamas. Plus, when I wear them I kinda feel vacation-y.
- Vacation-y is sort of a goal of mine lately. A friend of ours recently started this concept called Boat Life. Boat Life is a lifestyle choice, or a way of looking at life as though you are on a happy cruise ship. At least that's my interpretation of it. But I like it a lot. "Now" is all we have and if we can adjust our thinking enough to make this moment enjoyable then the rest of our reality will slip into line. Last night I was concerned about a big property tax bill and figured I needed to "figure it out" even though I didn't know how. Then I remembered that my biggest priority in any given moment is to feel good, and that only by feeling good will all the things I need/want come. So instead of moving to the computer (absolute reflex for me when I'm trying to "figure things out") or do the dishes or sweep (my other "go-to" actions), I grabbed the striped pillow off the front porch bench, tossed it on the grass and lay down. The girls - still in their suits from the splash park - gathered around in delight. Xi put her head on my shoulder, Echo brought us pieces of sweetgrass to chew. AAAAAHHHHH. My outlook immediately cleared. Nathan walked by, took a glance at the scene, smiled and said: "Boat life!"
- The girls are playing Can't Touch the Floor, which means they can't touch the floor with their feet. So Echo has squeezed herself into a mini shopping cart and Xi is awkwardly pushing her around while her feet are wedged into a small shipping box. Man do I love unstructured play.
- Feeleez has one last day to collect 250 votes to make us eligible for a big business grant. We only need 33 more votes. Go Feeleez, go Feeleez! To help us, go here, and vote!
- It turns out this game the girls are playing was introduced by Xi for the sole purpose of distracting her from the bug bites she has on the nape of her neck. Empathy in action folks, wow. Five minutes earlier Echo was being a real jerk, screeching at Xi and generally being totally lame. But Xi saw past that, saw the feelings of struggle beneath those actions, and helped the little girl out. Bless the Heavens. I will remember this moment when I want to lay down ultimatums or skip past underlying feelings. Every time I offer empathy to these girls they witness it, internalize it, and make it available to them as a possible reaction to hard feelings. Modeling- I kiss your feet.
- Nathan and I watched the latest Mission Impossible last night. So of course I dreamt that I had to ride a bike to Canada because Russian spy men were after me. But apparently my attached-parent subconscious is stronger than primal fear because somehow I managed to slip past the bad guys, return to my family, and help Echo when she woke up from sleep. Man I tell you, even the threat of nuclear disaster won't keep me from my girl.
- Well the girls shuffled their footless way over to the kitchen, bellies rumbling for food. I didn't want to stop typing so I said: "Can you make yourselves breakfast without touching the floor?" I always allow crazier behavior when I'm trying to keep typing. Ordinarily I make the breakfast because I'd rather just whip it out than talk the girls through the steps. But now, literally as I type, both girls are on the counter and Xi is pushing a stool back and forth to the fridge where she then leaps onto it, grabs the milk from the fridge door, then leaps back. Echo now has a bowl of granola in front of her. But Xi prefers toast so how she will get the toaster out of the bottom cabinet is a mystery. So far she has leaped off the counter onto the dog bed and crashed her knees into the floor without crippling herself, like only children can do. This will be some well-earned toast.
xo!
