This morning, I went "running" for the first time in over a week. When you see me and the word 'running' in the same sentence, realize that it is more a mix of run for a few minutes, walk for a few minutes.... the eventual stated goal is to be able to run 5K without walking. Reality - it has been nearly a year of exrcise, and I am still walking far more than I am running. The good news? I am moving more often than I am sitting still.
One of my favorite blogs / internet personalities is "The Flylady" (www.flylady.net). She was a great help for me when I went through nursing school because I learned how to make routines work for me.
One of the Flylady's expressions is "You are Not Behind, just jump in where you are." True enough. The Epiphany I had today, while I was out walking/running was that when I stop doing something - whether it is housework, exercise, correspondence, writing, knitting etc... when I jump back in, I might be right where I left off (ie knitting doesn't unknit or keep knitting without me) but I might be entering in at a point different from where I left off. Think of a merry go round - if you jump off and then try to get back on, you won't get on at the same point. But the point is, you get back on. The fun is in the spinning, the holding on, it's NOT in being in exactly the same point all the time.
So what does this mean? I've jumped off (or at least slowed down) the merry go round that is my domestic life. It's time to run and jump back on. And yes, it is work to get the merry go round spinning, but that's part of the fun!
Special thanks this week to Mark, Paul, Fr Benjamin, Bonnie, Mary and Sandra. Your insights, patience and love keep me running to catch the merry-go-round.
Friday, October 14, 2011
Friday, August 26, 2011
New Day, New Perspective
Amazing what going to bed and to sleep before 10pm can do for a person!
This morning I got Paul out of bed at 6:30, he promptly went back to sleep in my bed and I went through the morning readings and prayers.
Praying for New York and hurricaine Irene not to hurt my family in the Bronx.
Praying for continued vomit free days for Paul
This morning I got Paul out of bed at 6:30, he promptly went back to sleep in my bed and I went through the morning readings and prayers.
Praying for New York and hurricaine Irene not to hurt my family in the Bronx.
Praying for continued vomit free days for Paul
Thursday, August 25, 2011
First Day - Postponed
Tomorrow was supposed to be the first day of school for Paul. And then last night happened. Vomit. Lots of vomit. Every sheet and blanket in my house was affected between 1:30 and 8am. I have had a quiet day of doing laundry, reading email, skype and television. We have remained vomit-free since 8:30, but I am unsure if I am ready to give Paul real food in real quantity for dinner.
As it is, I have restricted his intake to things I was willing to clean up on rejection. Cinnamon applesauce, toast.
In other news, there are invited Ants in my house! My DS gave Paul an Ant Habitat for his birthday. After putting off the inevitable as long as possible, we succomed to the pressure to order ants via mail. 25 harvester ants arrived in a test tube yesterday. This morning we moved them into their new home. Pretty amazing. Captivating actually if you find yourself sleep deprived and non-energetic.
And Hurricaine Irene is enroute for the east coast..... hoping we get some rain, not damage.
Morning prayer happened with a quiet persistence. Yesterday, not so much prayer - but 3 Hail Mary's as I walked into the hospital. It was a lovely day.
Paul's first day of school will be Monday.
Hoping we remain vomit free.
:)
Sara
As it is, I have restricted his intake to things I was willing to clean up on rejection. Cinnamon applesauce, toast.
In other news, there are invited Ants in my house! My DS gave Paul an Ant Habitat for his birthday. After putting off the inevitable as long as possible, we succomed to the pressure to order ants via mail. 25 harvester ants arrived in a test tube yesterday. This morning we moved them into their new home. Pretty amazing. Captivating actually if you find yourself sleep deprived and non-energetic.
And Hurricaine Irene is enroute for the east coast..... hoping we get some rain, not damage.
Morning prayer happened with a quiet persistence. Yesterday, not so much prayer - but 3 Hail Mary's as I walked into the hospital. It was a lovely day.
Paul's first day of school will be Monday.
Hoping we remain vomit free.
:)
Sara
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
And now, back to our regularly scheduled programming.
July was a busy month. The Grove Park Inn was wonderful and the time away for Mark and I was really what we needed to reconnect with each other. It was great to meet the "work family" that Mark is a part of, and to get to know other wives within the organization. To know that I share a reality / lifestyle with others was somehow very comforting.
Immediately following (actually overlapping) our weekend at GPI, family was in town for a summer visit. Mary, John, Miriam, Cyprian and Kate were all down from New York. We met up at the Discovery Place Kids Museum. Paul, Miriam and Cyprian all had a grand time. The whole family gathered at my parents home on Sunday evening for dinner. There were 12 people around the table! Mary had baked me a carrot cake as an un-birthday present (yum!).
On Monday we went to Monkey Joe's with the kids. It was also fun, in a non-educational sort of way. It was sensory overload and although the staff was present physically, they weren't nearly as interactive as I would hope. Minimal referee activity. Definately challenging with a toddler who wanted to join the big kids and big kids who didn't care about small child safety.
Tuesday, Mary and I dropped the kids off at Clemmie's for a mom's day out. We ate lunch together - sushi - our favorite! And we went shopping for school supplies for Paul, and then clothing shopping for ourselves. Meanwhile, our house had a new roof applied. The workers arrived at 7am, Mark came home at 7:30 or 8ish with biscuits for the workers and a few more parts that were needed to start the work. It was pretty incredible - by 10am the guys on the roof - there were at least 7, perhaps 8? - had removed all the shingles and started in on application of the new roof. By 6pm our roof was done, by 9pm, the giant container of rubbish had been hauled out of our driveway. It was incredible.
On Wednesday, the entire family drove down to Myrtle Beach, SC. We stayed in 3 hotel rooms at Monterrey Bay Resort. I definately prefer the resort during off season. Peak summer season was a bit too zoo-ish for me, but we still had a good time. Kate stayed with Mark, Paul and I. It was so good to have quiet down time with Kate to talk. Kate and I sat out on the balcony both nights and chatted about life, the world and everything that is happening for us right now. No problems solved, but certainly better understanding of position was gained.
The beach was awesome. Water was cool and clear and mostly calm. Calm enough that we got Paul out into the water. It was the first time we had all been in the water together. It was hot on the beach but we rented an umbrulla and mom and dad had a sun umbrulla that we set up and we all had at least a sliver of shade. No sunburns to speak of - hooray! And afternoon naps were enjoyed by many of our party.
Saturday, we all scattered. The Welsh's headed back north - driving from Myrtle Beach up to Washington DC to visit a friend. The Johnsons and Kate went to a sculpture garden in Myrtle Beach before returning to the greater Charlotte area. Kate left for NY via airplane on Sunday late morning. Mom and Dad drove home on their own, and we Mundays went to play a round of minature golf and go on the giant Ferris Wheel (aka The Sky Wheel) before driving home to Gastonia. We stopped for dinner enroute. We were lazy bums when we got home. Although we did rescue the dog from the kennel on Sunday and went back to pay the bill on Wednesday.
Sunday was mass at 11:30 and a quiet day together.
Monday was a return to ordinary life with all of its attendant busy-ness. Mark and I both had to work, Paul was at Clemmie's.
Tuesday was the longest day of my life at work to date - 15 hours! And 15 couplets seen.
Since then, days have been much slower - I don't think I have worked except for teaching two breastfeeding classes, & witnessing a radiation drill. I've been home. Enjoying these last halcyon days of early childhood with Paul.
Trying to get Paul adjusted into an earlier wake-up routine so that he can be up, dressed, fed and out of the house to school before 8am. He is not an early riser by nature. So this two weeks is good practice. Monday he was up at 6:30 and into my bed where we promptly went back to sleep - until 8:30.
Tuesday we got up, had a friend over and then I drove the three of us to the zoo.
Today - we started waking up at 6:30, but I didn't get him out of bed until 7:20.... at least we are getting up. I've ended up spending the morning on the computer.... writing and skyping with my dear friend, Sandra.
While the vacation was short, and the visit with Mary much too short, it was overall good.
The downside to all of this is that my morning routine has gone to chowdy howder. (read: hell in a handbasket). The routine is changing because I am now looking to get Paul up in the morning as opposed to letting him sleep in the morning. Big change. Before we were preparing for school, I could get up, get Mark out, read the day's mass readings (scripture passages), pray and then either go back to sleep or get up (my choice). And usually, I went back to sleep, waiting for Paul to come climb into bed and snuggle to get my day started. We have started off nearly every day that way since he was an infant. He would wake up, I would go get him. When he moved out of the crib, he would wake up and come join me and we would snuggle in my bed and talk about the start of the day - what the days plans would be etc.... Work days, I would get up, get myself together and take a sleeping child to the babysitter where his day would get underway without me. Or Mark would take him if I had worked overnight.
In February, I had started the prayer routine. So yes, in the great scheme of routines, this was a relatively new one. Previously, my prayer life was much more haphazard.
Now, I need to figure this out. How / Where do I incorporate prayer into my morning routine? Do I get up and read the day's readings while Mark is in the shower and then get moving? (Perhaps the easiest thing) Do I wait until Paul is off to school and I have a quiet house to myself? (Will I ever really get to it?!?) I know it is important. I know I see a difference in my life and actions on days when I do read scriptures and pray versus days when I do not.
All I know is that for the last two weeks, my morning routine has been anything but routine. I have managed to go running 3 days/week. Usually before 10am. A couple of times I have found that I read the readings and then ended up remembering that I needed to pray while I was running, so I prayed then. Not the most peaceful way to pray, but definately productive. And it wasn't particularly quiet since I had the ipod blathering away about whatever I was supposed to be doing on the Cto5K training program.....
I keep thinking I should be gentle about this transition. But then I think I am confusing 'gentle' with 'spiritual pushover'.
Am I passively aggressivly trying to get God to listen to me by not talking to Him? That doesn't make any sense.
Am I grieving the last days of Paul's early childhood even though he isn't dying he is going to Kindergarden?!? Probably. He will still be my little boy, (who isn't that little) I just have to share him with others. Daily. And no, I will not be one of those weepy, clingly mothers at school! I am not that.
Am I embracing the reality of my small family being my whole family? As well as I can. The Holy Family only had three members. Can I help my family to be holy? Can I embrace my role as wife/mother fully? It is a daily struggle. Which leads me back to how to incorporate prayer into my daily life. Period. It MUST become the foundation for the rest of the day to be built upon.
So there is the update.
I suppose I should post pictures of Paul, his friend Landon and I at the zoo yesteday. We really did enjoy our day at the Riverbanks zoo. Fed Giraffes, lorakeets and goats. touched rabbits, opossums, monitor lizards. Rode carosel, train and tram. Ran all over everywhere. It was a fun, hot day.
Must go - it is now 12:20, I am still in pajamas, I haven't prayed or run or anything today. Must pray, take care of ADL's (shower, get dressed etc...) make a grocery list, do laundry and make the most of my day as it stands.
Prayers welcome.
Immediately following (actually overlapping) our weekend at GPI, family was in town for a summer visit. Mary, John, Miriam, Cyprian and Kate were all down from New York. We met up at the Discovery Place Kids Museum. Paul, Miriam and Cyprian all had a grand time. The whole family gathered at my parents home on Sunday evening for dinner. There were 12 people around the table! Mary had baked me a carrot cake as an un-birthday present (yum!).
On Monday we went to Monkey Joe's with the kids. It was also fun, in a non-educational sort of way. It was sensory overload and although the staff was present physically, they weren't nearly as interactive as I would hope. Minimal referee activity. Definately challenging with a toddler who wanted to join the big kids and big kids who didn't care about small child safety.
Tuesday, Mary and I dropped the kids off at Clemmie's for a mom's day out. We ate lunch together - sushi - our favorite! And we went shopping for school supplies for Paul, and then clothing shopping for ourselves. Meanwhile, our house had a new roof applied. The workers arrived at 7am, Mark came home at 7:30 or 8ish with biscuits for the workers and a few more parts that were needed to start the work. It was pretty incredible - by 10am the guys on the roof - there were at least 7, perhaps 8? - had removed all the shingles and started in on application of the new roof. By 6pm our roof was done, by 9pm, the giant container of rubbish had been hauled out of our driveway. It was incredible.
On Wednesday, the entire family drove down to Myrtle Beach, SC. We stayed in 3 hotel rooms at Monterrey Bay Resort. I definately prefer the resort during off season. Peak summer season was a bit too zoo-ish for me, but we still had a good time. Kate stayed with Mark, Paul and I. It was so good to have quiet down time with Kate to talk. Kate and I sat out on the balcony both nights and chatted about life, the world and everything that is happening for us right now. No problems solved, but certainly better understanding of position was gained.
The beach was awesome. Water was cool and clear and mostly calm. Calm enough that we got Paul out into the water. It was the first time we had all been in the water together. It was hot on the beach but we rented an umbrulla and mom and dad had a sun umbrulla that we set up and we all had at least a sliver of shade. No sunburns to speak of - hooray! And afternoon naps were enjoyed by many of our party.
Saturday, we all scattered. The Welsh's headed back north - driving from Myrtle Beach up to Washington DC to visit a friend. The Johnsons and Kate went to a sculpture garden in Myrtle Beach before returning to the greater Charlotte area. Kate left for NY via airplane on Sunday late morning. Mom and Dad drove home on their own, and we Mundays went to play a round of minature golf and go on the giant Ferris Wheel (aka The Sky Wheel) before driving home to Gastonia. We stopped for dinner enroute. We were lazy bums when we got home. Although we did rescue the dog from the kennel on Sunday and went back to pay the bill on Wednesday.
Sunday was mass at 11:30 and a quiet day together.
Monday was a return to ordinary life with all of its attendant busy-ness. Mark and I both had to work, Paul was at Clemmie's.
Tuesday was the longest day of my life at work to date - 15 hours! And 15 couplets seen.
Since then, days have been much slower - I don't think I have worked except for teaching two breastfeeding classes, & witnessing a radiation drill. I've been home. Enjoying these last halcyon days of early childhood with Paul.
Trying to get Paul adjusted into an earlier wake-up routine so that he can be up, dressed, fed and out of the house to school before 8am. He is not an early riser by nature. So this two weeks is good practice. Monday he was up at 6:30 and into my bed where we promptly went back to sleep - until 8:30.
Tuesday we got up, had a friend over and then I drove the three of us to the zoo.
Today - we started waking up at 6:30, but I didn't get him out of bed until 7:20.... at least we are getting up. I've ended up spending the morning on the computer.... writing and skyping with my dear friend, Sandra.
While the vacation was short, and the visit with Mary much too short, it was overall good.
The downside to all of this is that my morning routine has gone to chowdy howder. (read: hell in a handbasket). The routine is changing because I am now looking to get Paul up in the morning as opposed to letting him sleep in the morning. Big change. Before we were preparing for school, I could get up, get Mark out, read the day's mass readings (scripture passages), pray and then either go back to sleep or get up (my choice). And usually, I went back to sleep, waiting for Paul to come climb into bed and snuggle to get my day started. We have started off nearly every day that way since he was an infant. He would wake up, I would go get him. When he moved out of the crib, he would wake up and come join me and we would snuggle in my bed and talk about the start of the day - what the days plans would be etc.... Work days, I would get up, get myself together and take a sleeping child to the babysitter where his day would get underway without me. Or Mark would take him if I had worked overnight.
In February, I had started the prayer routine. So yes, in the great scheme of routines, this was a relatively new one. Previously, my prayer life was much more haphazard.
Now, I need to figure this out. How / Where do I incorporate prayer into my morning routine? Do I get up and read the day's readings while Mark is in the shower and then get moving? (Perhaps the easiest thing) Do I wait until Paul is off to school and I have a quiet house to myself? (Will I ever really get to it?!?) I know it is important. I know I see a difference in my life and actions on days when I do read scriptures and pray versus days when I do not.
All I know is that for the last two weeks, my morning routine has been anything but routine. I have managed to go running 3 days/week. Usually before 10am. A couple of times I have found that I read the readings and then ended up remembering that I needed to pray while I was running, so I prayed then. Not the most peaceful way to pray, but definately productive. And it wasn't particularly quiet since I had the ipod blathering away about whatever I was supposed to be doing on the Cto5K training program.....
I keep thinking I should be gentle about this transition. But then I think I am confusing 'gentle' with 'spiritual pushover'.
Am I passively aggressivly trying to get God to listen to me by not talking to Him? That doesn't make any sense.
Am I grieving the last days of Paul's early childhood even though he isn't dying he is going to Kindergarden?!? Probably. He will still be my little boy, (who isn't that little) I just have to share him with others. Daily. And no, I will not be one of those weepy, clingly mothers at school! I am not that.
Am I embracing the reality of my small family being my whole family? As well as I can. The Holy Family only had three members. Can I help my family to be holy? Can I embrace my role as wife/mother fully? It is a daily struggle. Which leads me back to how to incorporate prayer into my daily life. Period. It MUST become the foundation for the rest of the day to be built upon.
So there is the update.
I suppose I should post pictures of Paul, his friend Landon and I at the zoo yesteday. We really did enjoy our day at the Riverbanks zoo. Fed Giraffes, lorakeets and goats. touched rabbits, opossums, monitor lizards. Rode carosel, train and tram. Ran all over everywhere. It was a fun, hot day.
Must go - it is now 12:20, I am still in pajamas, I haven't prayed or run or anything today. Must pray, take care of ADL's (shower, get dressed etc...) make a grocery list, do laundry and make the most of my day as it stands.
Prayers welcome.
Monday, July 25, 2011
A relaxing weekend
Mark and I had the pleasure of attending the Best Manager's Meeting this past weekend at the Grove Park Inn (GPI). I cannot really describe how wonderful the weekend was, for many different reasons.
Paul stayed with family friends, the Coles. Paul is good friends with the kids, I am close to Kathleen and Nick.
Our house was cleaned in preparation for Mary, John and the kids visiting. Mark and I left at about 2 on Thursday, the Welsh's arrived at 4pm.
Mark and I got to the GPI around 4pm. From the moment we arrived, it was clear that this was a different kind of resort. The staff was very friendly, including the parking / bellhop / Valet service at the front. Our luggage made it to our room before we did - I got lost looking for the elevator. I didn't realize that it was a very small elevator built into the side of the fireplace!
One of my friends described it as a Harry Potter sort of elevator - and I think the description is very clever.
The Inn has a 'turn down service' nightly to turn down the blankets on the bed to prepare for sleep. When they do this, they also trade out any used towels. Amazing. We had fresh towels at least twice a day!
Mark and I were able to concentrate on being adults, alone on a romantic weekend. Every need we had was met by the hotel. Needs were anticipated before we could even give them voice.
The dinner Thursday was out on a deck - beautiful views, amazing food. I met many of the managers that Mark works with, and some of the men that he reports to as well.
After dinner we went to a dueling piano bar..... it was fun, the piano players were amazing.
More soon
Paul stayed with family friends, the Coles. Paul is good friends with the kids, I am close to Kathleen and Nick.
Our house was cleaned in preparation for Mary, John and the kids visiting. Mark and I left at about 2 on Thursday, the Welsh's arrived at 4pm.
Mark and I got to the GPI around 4pm. From the moment we arrived, it was clear that this was a different kind of resort. The staff was very friendly, including the parking / bellhop / Valet service at the front. Our luggage made it to our room before we did - I got lost looking for the elevator. I didn't realize that it was a very small elevator built into the side of the fireplace!
One of my friends described it as a Harry Potter sort of elevator - and I think the description is very clever.
The Inn has a 'turn down service' nightly to turn down the blankets on the bed to prepare for sleep. When they do this, they also trade out any used towels. Amazing. We had fresh towels at least twice a day!
Mark and I were able to concentrate on being adults, alone on a romantic weekend. Every need we had was met by the hotel. Needs were anticipated before we could even give them voice.
The dinner Thursday was out on a deck - beautiful views, amazing food. I met many of the managers that Mark works with, and some of the men that he reports to as well.
After dinner we went to a dueling piano bar..... it was fun, the piano players were amazing.
More soon
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Changing Perspectives......
I cannot pretend to understand what men think..... although I would like to. I have realized though that I have a disconnect between my perception and reality when it comes to video games / media.
I am jealous of Zelda, the warrior princess, for taking my husband's time and attention away from me. I might even go so far as to look at it as almost an emotional affair.....
My dh is thrilled to have me and Paul in the same room, looking a the same screen, working together to solve the same problem.
I want to have something to 'show' for my time.
My husband wants to have time to spend with the ones he loves, no need to show anything for it, just be.
I don't fret about time spent on skype / facebook / the phone because I feel like I am working at maintaining friendships.
Where do I strike the balance between electronic friendships and the physical work and world that is my personal environment? Does one carry a priority over the other? Absolutely. The physical world - my home, my immediate family are the first charge. Does my action reflect that?
Does my home environment and my home relationship always warrant first priority or am I placing more value on things happening outside the home, on the internet, at work?
Where do I fit. How do I balance it out? We are in a media rich envrionment, there is no escape from it. How do I fully function within it?
All I know is that my carpet STILL isn't clean, and I have a T-ball game in 30 minutes...... the one hour phone call was alot more fun - emotionally I feel great. Physically, I need to move. How do I unite emotional with the physical?
I am jealous of Zelda, the warrior princess, for taking my husband's time and attention away from me. I might even go so far as to look at it as almost an emotional affair.....
My dh is thrilled to have me and Paul in the same room, looking a the same screen, working together to solve the same problem.
I want to have something to 'show' for my time.
My husband wants to have time to spend with the ones he loves, no need to show anything for it, just be.
I don't fret about time spent on skype / facebook / the phone because I feel like I am working at maintaining friendships.
Where do I strike the balance between electronic friendships and the physical work and world that is my personal environment? Does one carry a priority over the other? Absolutely. The physical world - my home, my immediate family are the first charge. Does my action reflect that?
Does my home environment and my home relationship always warrant first priority or am I placing more value on things happening outside the home, on the internet, at work?
Where do I fit. How do I balance it out? We are in a media rich envrionment, there is no escape from it. How do I fully function within it?
All I know is that my carpet STILL isn't clean, and I have a T-ball game in 30 minutes...... the one hour phone call was alot more fun - emotionally I feel great. Physically, I need to move. How do I unite emotional with the physical?
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Sleep therapy?
I took a long nap this afternoon..... thinking I would be going to work overnight. I got called off. So now I am feeling well rested and refreshed, I've eaten breakfast for dinner (cereal with blueberries, milk & orange juice).... and I am NOT going to work.
I hope to get some more housework taken care of this evening and tomorrow to finish everything off. My attitude has shifted with sleep. I am not angry any more. I am resolved that what needs to be done needs to be done, and if it is my job to do it, then I am going to do it. No complaints, no grumbling.
Hopefully I can smooth things out emotionally within the house as easily. I know Paul will be happy to stay home tomorrow.
Such is life.
I hope to get some more housework taken care of this evening and tomorrow to finish everything off. My attitude has shifted with sleep. I am not angry any more. I am resolved that what needs to be done needs to be done, and if it is my job to do it, then I am going to do it. No complaints, no grumbling.
Hopefully I can smooth things out emotionally within the house as easily. I know Paul will be happy to stay home tomorrow.
Such is life.
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