Sarah started asking to sit next to S, an older kid on her bus. Wednesday morning it was arranged so S was next to Sarah! They are now next to each other for every ride.
One afternoon while eating yogurt, Sarah started singing “why did the kids put yogurt on Olivia?” Instead of “why did the kids put jam on the cat?” which is in a song from the Fantasticks. I worked very hard not to laugh.
Inspired by our time at the hotel pool last weekend, I joined a gym so I can use the pool. I love swimming but haven’t prioritized it for many years. I suddenly realized that made no sense and that I could just make it happen. I’ve also decided not to count my laps but just to swim because I love to swim rather than as part of any fitness goal.
Speaking of fitness goals though, I do seem to go through a cycle multiple times a day: I want to lose a few pounds and be more trim so I will feel more like myself. I can do this by changing how I eat. Just veggies, fruit, and protein. Just home made. But really I look great and should notice that instead of criticizing myself. All the people who love me love me as I am and still will if I don’t change. I don’t want to live a life that feels limited or strict. I want to eat delicious things from restaurants and bakeries too. I want life to feel full and flexible. Ok, no really, I do want to lose a few pounds…. Around and around that hamster wheel I go. I think mostly it is all loosely held and noticed. I’m mainly now reminding myself that when I feel good about myself and life then I tend to make better choices. I also make better choices when I have good food easily available and already prepared. That last step has been feeling slightly elusive of late because there are just other things I want to do sometimes.
Yesterday the girls had gymnastics. There are often moments when I marvel at all that Sarah can do. There are also moments that feel challenging, such as keeping track of my chickens in the shoe room when there are a million people there. Yesterday Amy was very complainy about how I didn’t give them more time on the hallway ramps and how I wasn’t taking them to the co-op to get a snack. By the time I got home, which was only 15 minutes later, I realized I hadn’t really been breathing properly and that I was holding all of my head and neck muscles tightly. I do this on many occasions but I’m starting to see more commonality in the situations. Large group settings. Keeping track of children. Whining children. Me wanting to just get out of the situation and be home. Now that I’m off my headache meds I feel more alert to when I tighten everything in such a way that it is like I am shrinking my head. While these moments aren’t fun, it is helpful to notice them and realize how often in the past I probably was doing the same thing but it was so constant that I wasn’t aware of it and couldn’t let go.
Yesterday I created a crossword puzzle relating to neuromuscular therapy. I was inspired to try my hand at it when my teacher for the class I recently audited said that he might make one. Making crossword puzzles is hard!! Especially when you want to keep it to a theme. Carl said there is probably an app to make the process easier, but he understood that I wanted the fun of puzzling it out for myself. It was fun. And I only accidentally used words twice a few times! And I only needed to number a few things as something and a half. When doing all of this with pencil there is a point of no return because there was no way I was erasing half of what I had done.
The girls have their Halloween costumes. This is the first year I took them shopping individually and it felt so much easier! Amy is going to be a witch, unless she changes her mind, which has happened for the past few Halloweens. Sarah found a “gangster gal” costume that we are calling her business woman costume. It is black with pink stripes, tie, and lapels. She looks so good I can’t even stand it.
This week has been so hot that we got the sprinkler going again. Amy prepared herself with her swimsuit, bicycle helmet, umbrella, and small broom! I love how her mind works to collect all of her props.
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