Bedtime Rituals

We recently traveled to northern California to visit my parents and celebrate Izzy’s first birthday.  The traveling itself was fine – he’s great in the car. He sings to himself, looks out the window, entertains himself with various baby discoveries, and SLEEPS.  I don’t know if it will always be this easy (I suspect it won’t) but, for now, road trips are a lot of fun with the kiddlet.

What’s not fun, however, is the disturbance of our normal going-to-bed routines.  The last few times we’ve gone out of town, my little guy has had a terrible time trying to get some sleep.  Consequently, so have I.

I’ve put a lot of effort, and done a lot of thinking, into the baby’s bedtime ritual. But what I’ve also come to realize is the IMPORTANCE of my OWN routine (especially now that I can almost have one again).

For Izzy, going to bed in a strange room, with strange noises outside, was cause for quite a fit. I don’t blame him. Most people prefer to sleep in their own beds with their book and nightlight and their own familiar squishy elephant pillow (er…or is that just me?).

 

He missed his established bedtime ritual: his bubble bath with nighttime bath wash (lavender and chamomile), his toweling off and moisturizing time (also with lavender and chamomile – the stuff really works!), his story time with mama, and that final snack of milk to send him off to the land of nod.

 

I have my routines too- favorite soft pajamas, a cup of tea and maybe a sugar-free cookie, and my current literary indulgence. I wash my face, brush my teeth, rub dollops of good smelling lotion (I love the Aveda lotions my sister always gives me!) into my elbows, hands, and feet. Eye cream applied under the eyes (yes, I’m of that age), satin eye mask ready on the nightstand in case Hubby comes to bed with the (annoyingly glowy) laptop, I settle in for a good night’s rest and hopefully wake refreshed in the (early) morning.

 

 

Yes, traveling does have a way of upsetting our established patterns. But, I suppose that’s the point of going somewhere different, isn’t it?  Be somewhere new, stray from the routine, stimulate and invigorate  those synapses and create some memories.

Izzy’s birthday party was a huge success, and I loved spending time with my family and friends. But, I must confess, today this gal is super grateful to be back at home, waking up in my own room, in my own purple sheets to the sound of my son happily playing in his own crib. Hooray for a good night’s sleep!

 

Sweet Dreams,

Today’s Gratitude List:

·         A peacefully quiet neighborhood

·         Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches

·         Perfect summer weather

Child's Play

I’m thoroughly enjoying this summer with my son. It’s refreshing to see the world through his eyes. Every experience is new. Grand. Awe inspiring. I guess sometimes it takes a child to put things into perspective.  He’s been here less than a year, but I think he already appreciates the universe more than most adults I know.

 

I’m remembering, he’s teaching me, how to play. How to find wonderment in each new thing. How a leaf or a dandelion can be a work of art. How a plane passing overhead is a thing of marvel; the sirens of a fire engine the prompt for applause.

From sandy toes and hopscotch chalk on sidewalks to play-dates at the park and magic bubbles, Izzy reminds me that life is beautiful.

I keep harking back to the time Hubby and I (before he was even Hubby) caught a performance of Our Town by Thornton Wilder up in Ashland, Oregon one summer.  I always, no matter how many times I see this play, get choked up at the end when Emily says goodbye to Grover’s Corners and the world:  “Good-by... Mama and Papa. Good-by to clocks ticking... and Mama's sunflowers. And food and coffee.  And new-ironed dresses and hot baths...and sleeping and waking up. Oh, earth, you're too wonderful for anybody to realize you.” 

Oh earth, you’re too wonderful for anybody to realize you.

Except for happy one year olds.  And their grateful mamas.

Many smiles,

Linking up with Weekend Rewind at Maxabella Loves

Today’s Gratitude List:

·         Fresh cut grass

·         Colorful birthday wrapping paper

·         Ice tea and lemonade – ice cold

·         Pinterest recipes

To What's Important

 

Our family currently lives on a single income – mine.  And I’m a teacher, so that income isn’t exactly huge. I’d put us somewhere in the low to mid middle-class spectrum.  

My husband stays home with our son while Mama brings home the bacon. It just made more sense this way – I’m the one with health insurance and a retirement plan. My job, after fourteen years, is pretty stable and the schedule is good (I mean, not too many jobs out there can boast of a 10 week vacation during the summer).  Of course, I really really would rather be the one at home with Izzy, but we couldn’t argue with logic on this one.

So, we budget. It isn’t always easy. We’ve learned to live frugally. We’ve learned to cut costs wherever we can. We don’t get to travel much.  When we do, it’s day trips or camping excursions, not jaunts to resorts or European getaways.

 

I’ve had to learn how to window shop.  I get creative with the wardrobe I have, instead of buying new stuff. I do the best I can with what I’ve got.  I make it work.

I brew my coffee and tea at home, instead of stopping at trendy coffee shops each day.  I brown-bag my lunch to work – usually a sandwich and a Greek yogurt, nothing fancy.  I use coupons at the grocery store and shop in bulk when it’s cost effective.

 

We don’t go out to dinner, or to the movies. Netflix and home cooked dinners are our daily specials. Happy hour means putting some Reggae or Jazz on Pandora and enjoying a glass of “Two-buck Chuck” after our almost-one year old goes to bed.

 

Right now, it just has to be this way. Sometimes it’s frustrating. Sometimes we cry. Sometimes it puts us on edge. But, at the end of the day, we are okay.  We’ve got a roof over our heads and food in our bellies. We have good friends, good books, a lot of laughter and a lot of song.  We’ve got family and each other. We’ve got LOVE.

Here’s to what’s important.

Cheers,

Today’s Gratitude List:



Linking up with Mosaic Monday on
Little Red House

·         “Carpet picnics” in the living room

·         Old friends coming to visit

·         Raspberry ice tea

Summer Rain

The best thing one can do when it's raining is to let it rain.
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow 

  

We had a bit of rain here earlier this week.  I've grown accustomed to what's called "June Gloom" around the central coast (foggy mornings that usually burn off by noon), but rain in late June was a bit unexpected. I was bummed.  I bemoaned the lack of sunshine.  I shook an angry fist at the corpulent clouds overhead.  "Well, there goes my walk!" I complained. 

Then, I looked at my small son. He starred at me quizzically as if to say, "What's wrong, Mom?" He's not yet one year old, so I can only attempt to interpret his myriad expressions - we manage, however, to have surprisingly sophisticated conversations...

But looking at his big inquisitive eyes stopped me short. What lesson was he learning from me today? Giving up and getting upset easily, pouting when something doesn't go your way, is definitely NOT something I want to teach him.  And what's a little rain, anyway?  A bit of summer drizzle?  Why should that stop us from journeying out and exploring our little world? 

So off we went! Bundled up in hoodies, we strolled through puddles, listened to birds chirp high in the trees, looked for rainbows. I even managed to snap a few photos of rain-bejeweled flowers along the way. 

 

Making the most out of the day you're given - now THAT'S a far better way to live! I hope my son will grow to know that, rain or shine, we ultimately make our own good days.

 

Many smiles,

 

Today's Gratitude List:

• Neighborhood parks
• Cookies from a friend
• Long summer days

Breaking the Fast

“When you wake up in the morning, Pooh," said Piglet at last, "what's the first thing you say to yourself?"

"What's for breakfast?" said Pooh. "What do you say, Piglet?"

"I say, I wonder what's going to happen exciting today?" said Piglet.

Pooh nodded thoughtfully. "It's the same thing," he said.” 
― A.A. Milne

 

I LOVE breakfast. 

I love cooking breakfast.  I love serving breakfast.  I love eating breakfast.

 

 

It is a meal I never, EVER skip.  A day without breakfast is no day at all to me. I wake up ravenous - ready to eat the world.  "Feed me breakfast, at once!" my stomach demands. Growl, grumble, gurgle, growl.



My husband is the opposite. He can't be bothered with food upon waking.  He doesn't even want to look at food until well after 10:00 a.m. - after he's had at least one large cup of coffee and read through his emails. Then, maybe, he'll consider breakfast.

 

Fun fact: The English word "breakfast" comes from the idea that an involuntary "fast"occurs during the hours we sleep and that the fast is "broken" upon eating the first meal of the day. I do so love breaking my fast!

 

I have a sneaking suspicion that eating a hearty breakfast not only helps me maintain energy throughout the day, but also helps me maintain a healthy weight. It sets the metabolic tone for the rest of my day.  And since this girl needs to stay away from unhealthy carbs (at least in the morning), here are links to two of my current favorite breakfast recipes:

 

Asparagus-Zucchini Frittata

 

and

Ham and Egg Breakfast Cups

 

 

I hope this morning finds you well.  Cheers!

 

 

Today's Gratitude List:

• Colorful pinwheels that entertain my son
• Sunshine!
• Fresh strawberries from the local produce stand

The Same Breath

 

I took a deep breath and listened to the old bray of my heart:  I am, I am, I am.  ~ Sylvia Plath

I am fortunate. On any given day I can throw open the windows of my home and inhale the richly aromatic scent of eucalyptus.  It is just one of the many benefits to living along the central California coast. I try not to take it for granted.

Inhale. Exhale. Repeat.

Each breath reminds me of the synergetic relationship we share with the world around us.  It is easy, in this technology driven, “first-world” fast and furious day and age to forget that we are a community of life.  Easy to forget that we share this planet with others, that we feed and flourish from and for each other. That we all breathe the same breath.

To the Raramuri people of the Northern Sierra Madre, Mexico, this concept is called Iwigara. According to Enrique Salmon, a Raramuri anthropologist, "Iwigara helps a person relate to all forms of life because of that central notion of breath, and so the rocks, the plants, the animals, the wind, the waters, everything is sharing the same breath with us, and so we are a constantly connected to everything around us."

Inhale. Exhale. Repeat.

 

We are all related.  Share breath with the waters. Fill your lungs with the winds. Inhale the beauty of each seedling, the wonder of each woodland creature. Exhale and know that you are a part of something larger, a world breathing harmoniously in the steady song of life.

 “Lullaby”

The earth is your mother,

she holds you.

The sky is your father,

he protects you.

Sleep,

sleep.

Rainbow is your sister,

she loves you.

The winds are your brothers,

they sing to you.

Sleep,

sleep.

We are together always

We are together always

There never was a time

when this

was not so.

Poem by Leslie Marmon Silko

Have a beautiful day,

Today I’m grateful for:

• My dad – Happy Father’s Day!

• My Hubby – Happy Father’s Day to you too!

• Hummingbirds visiting our new feeder

• Afternoon naps

Linking up with Little Red House for Mosaic Monday!

Hiatus

hi·a·tus  (n) A gap or interruption in space, time, or continuity; a break.

(photo source)

A lot has happened here at the sunflower patch.

First, there was this:

(photo source)

Then this:

(photo source)

And then this!

(photo source)

 

All of which make for a VERY busy few months…okay, several months…er…21 months to be exact.

Yikes –that’s nearly two years! How can this BE? How can two years of my life have gone by so quickly? Wasn’t it just yesterday I was blogging away about painting pottery with my gal pals, strolling through antique stores, and shopping at the local farmer’s market? 

I suppose it shouldn’t come as such a surprise to me.  My life DID take an unexpected and miraculous turn of events.  The world turned upside down on me, and while I was more than happy (thrilled, even!) to go along for the ride, I had to really hold on tight and stay present to appreciate all that was happening.

Of course, now as my beautiful baby boy approaches his first birthday and I’ve got a much sturdier grasp on this whole “motherhood” business (ha!), I’m ready to claim a little corner of sanity for myself again.

The act of putting pen to paper encourages pause for thought, this in turn makes us think more deeply about life, which helps us regain our equilibrium.  ~Norbet Platt

Equilibrium.

Balance.

Stability.

Calmness.

Peace of mind.

Like any good exercise regimen, I think it best to start again slowly. I need to stretch. I need to breathe. There are knots in the words between my shoulder blades. The tendons are taut between my mind and the keys. It may take some time. It may ache.

But it must be done.  The hiatus is over. Welcome back, Me. It's good to be home.

Sunflower smiles,

Waiting

I've been waiting and waiting.

Peering through the blinds.

Drumming my fingers on the kitchen table.

Waiting.

Wishing.

Wondering.

When will it get here?  When will Autumn arrive?  I'm starting to feel a bit like Charlie Brown, ever anticipating the illusive Great Pumpkin.  We're well into October and sweater season has failed to show.  I've been stood up!  Where is Fall?!  Where are leggings and scarves and cups of hot apple cider? Where are misty mornings and crisp, cuddly evenings?
_________________________________________________

Resigned to take matters into my own hands, I attempt to coax the harvest season out of hiding.

A visit to a well-known pumpkin farm seemed to be a grand idea. Alas, I saw farm equipment and decorative gourds aplenty - but no true Autumn.  I abandoned my scarf and peeled off my sweater in a sign of protest.  It must have been near 80 degrees! In October! 

I did, however, enjoy the bounty of colors, the cornfields, the delightful aroma of hay...

I got the feeling that Fall was really trying to greet me.  But I needed more convincing.



I made the above sweet treats for my co-workers (idea via pinterest) to put me in the holiday mood.

And this yummy caramel apple dip is next on my to-do list.  To keep or give away, I'm not sure yet.  But I'm starting to get that cozy warm Autumn feeling...

Ahhh...Eureka! I think I've finally found it!  October 31st and Fall has just arrived in my glass - in the form of an apple cider margarita!  Now this...sip sip sip...was worth waiting for!

Warm holiday and harvest wishes,

Apple Cider Margarita:

1 ounce Grand Marnier

1 ounce gold tequila

5-6 ounces sweet apple cider

orange segments and apple slices

cinnamon + cane sugar + coarse sugar for glass rimming

Add a few spoonfuls of cane sugar, coarse sugar and cinnamon to a plate. Run an orange segment around the edge of the glass, then press into the cinnamon sugar mixture to coat the rim. Add a few orange slices in the bottom of the glass, fill with ice, then add the Grand Marnier, tequila and apple cider and stir to mix. Enjoy!

Every Day Grateful

In my everlasting quest to practice the notion of positive thinking, I have developed a lovely morning ritual.  Before I get out of bed, sometimes even before the alarm goes off, the coffee begins to brew downstairs, or Molly Kittenclaws begins to wail for her breakfast (those often happen simultaneously), I pull the soft covers up to my chin, inhale deeply the scent of daybreak and lavender linen spray, and begin to enumerate my mental list. 

"What will be good about today?" 

I challenge myself to name at least three things -  three positive things about THIS day, three things to look forward to or be grateful for in advance.  Three things that will motivate me to greet the day with optimism. 

Yesterday was Friday and the list was easy:

1) It's Friday.
2) It's payday.
3) It's a minimum day for the students, which means I will have the afternoon to get some papers graded.
4) It's finally cool enough for me to wear my stylish new boots to work.
5) I just had new tires put on my car so I know my commute will be safer.

This morning the list was simple as well:

1) It's Saturday!
2) My sister is coming to visit.
3) The house is already clean.

Granted, the Monday lists are usually a little bit more difficult to formulate, but the process of thinking - from the moment I wake up - of good things, certainly helps to frame my days in a more positive light.  By the time my feet hit the carpet, I have already chosen to be optimistic. And when I take the time to notice, there really IS something good in every day.

Many smiles,

The Sunflower Library

For all my bibliophilic blogging friends...here's a peek at what I'm reading this month (with book jacket descriptions):

The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen

Josey Cirrini is sure of three things: winter is her favorite season, she's a sorry excuse for a Southern belle, and sweets are best eaten in the privacy of her closet.  For while Josey has settled into an uneventful life in her mother's house, her one consolation is the stockpile of sugary treats and paperback romances she escapes to each night...Until she finds her closet harboring Della Lee Baker, a local waitress who is one part nemesis--and two parts fairy godmother.  With Della Lee's tough love, Josey's narrow existence quickly expands.  She even bonds with Chloe Finley, a young woman who is hounded by books that inexplicably appear when she needs them--and who has a close connection to Josey's long-time crush.  Soon Josey is living in a world where the color red has startling powers, and passion can make eggs fry in their cartons.

The Violets of March by Sarah Jio 

In her twenties, Emily Wilson was on top of the world: she had a bestselling novel, a husband plucked from the pages of GQ, and a one-way ticket to happily ever after.  Nearly a decade later, the tide has turned on Emily's good fortune.  So when her great-aunt Bee invites her to spend the month of March on Bainbridge Island in Washington State, Emily accepts, longing to be healed by the sea.  Researching her next book, Emily discovers a red velvet diary, dated 1943, whose contents reveal startling connections to her own life. 

The Dry Grass of August by Anna Jean Mayhew

On a scorching day in August 1954, thirteen year old Jubie Wtts leaves Charlotee, North Carolina, with her family for a Florida vacation.  Crammed into the Packard along with Jubie are her three siblings, her mother, and the family's black maid, Mary Luther.  For as long as Jubie can remember, Mary has been there-- cooking, cleaning, compensating for her father's rages and her mother's benign neglect, and loving Jubie unconditionally.  Bright and curious, Jubie takes note of th anti-integration signs they pass and of the racial tension that builds as they journey further south.  But she could never have predicted the shocking turn their trip will take.  Now, in the wake of tragedy, Jubie must confront her parents' failings and limitations, decide where her own convictions lie, and make the tumultuous leap to independence.

Happy Reading!

The More Things Change...

The bell rings at precisely 12:10. 

A swarm of bodies fills the once empty hallways.

The metallic maws of lockers open and close, resounding definitively over the sea of voices.

Nearly 1,400 people scurry to cafeteria lines, cliques, and club meetings.

It is high school.  It is lunch time.

I trudge wearily, weaving my way across campus, swimming upstream against a tide of teenage hormones and sophomoric drama, to the faculty lunchroom.  Tucked away behind the bustling cafeteria, accessible only to those with a key (i.e. adults), it is a quiet oasis in an otherwise riotous terrain.

I sigh and then smile as I heat up my lunch.  I wait for the curious phenomenon that will undoubtedly occur- the social dance of adults as we gather to take our midday sustenance.

My colleagues file in: some pensively, some exhausted, some eager to vent or relay the more interesting episodes from their morning classes.  I take a seat and watch, as I have done for the last seven years, as the others do the same - armed with lunch bags and water bottles, papers and books.

I observe, amused, as we arrange ourselves by gender - men at one table, women at another - and prepare to eat.  The segregation fascinates, but does not surprise, me.  Much like our adolescent students in the adjacent quad, we are creatures of habit, subconsciously more comfortable in our homogeneous factions than we are in a coed group.  The same-sex assemblage somehow feels natural and the happy chatter from each table confirms my blossoming theory - that we will are still and will always be, in high school.

I shrug my shoulders and convivially turn to the women at my table, anxious to hear the latest tidbit from Sabrina's first period Spanish I course before the bell rings and we must shuffle off again to class.

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

 

 

Today's Gratitude List:

• Time, finally, to blog (Oh, how I have missed it!)
• Three new books to read
• Another Back-To-School night under my belt
• Sunshine streaming through the windows this morning (Molly Kittenclaws is also grateful for this)