Family Nest

One of the most beautiful things about taking an e-course is that if you can't make an assignment work on a specific day that's ok.   You do it when it works for you and no one minds.  You don't lose a letter grade a day. You just work it in when you can.  

On Friday we were supposed to make a family nest for Erin Goodman's 10-Day Family Re-Charge.  But we couldn't do it then.  It was trivia night at the kids' school and we had a rep to protect.  My family isn't competitive in very many ways, but when it comes to knowing stuff, well....yeah, we are.  A Lot!  And while we all agreed in the car that the world would keep spinning if we didn't, we really really wanted to win this year (we'd come in 2nd place the year before and 3rd the year before that).  And I'm please to report that we had a great time, talked with lots of friends, enjoyed the musical interludes and the dancing it inspired, and that we did indeed take home 1st place this year. 

The family nest had to be postponed again, as Saturday night found us cheering on my husband's senior students in their final home basketball game at the college where he teaches.  It's so fun to see the way the students light up at seeing their professor at their games, and I love the thrill our kids get when they see that.  Happily the home team won, and the seniors can end their basket-ball careers knowing they played hard and their parents, friends, classmates and professors were proud to cheer with all of their might throughout the whole game. 

Finally, we carved out the time we needed on Sunday.  For those of you who don't know, a family nest is a space on the floor made with blankets, and pillows, and afghans, and sleeping bags.  A space big enough for my family of 5 to cozy up together to watch a movie and snuggle.  We barely fit and after 45 minutes on the floor I admit that my back was hurting and I had to get up for a little while.  But it was such a pure family moment.  So pure that I have no pictures to share with you because I simply wanted to live in the moment.  We laughed at the movie and enjoyed just being together.  While we might disagree with each other (sometimes quite loudly), while siblings can get on your nerves and parents might be tired and cranky at the end of a long day, in the final analysis there is no one we'd rather spend a lazy Sunday afternoon with than each other. 

Erin has done such an incredibly lovely job with this Re-Charge that most of us in the group are quite sad to see it come to a close today.  If she ever runs another one, please please do yourselves a favor and sign up.  The support is incredible, the tasks straight-forward and filled with love, and the focus on the family might be just what you really need.  

"Nature Brings Families Together!"

On Sunday morning, after enjoying breakfast and lounging around for awhile, I noticed that we were all getting a bit restless.  There wasn't much to do and we were all just sitting inside and slowly getting annoyed with one another.  And I did what I often do to escape my family when they get on my nerves, I turned on my computer.  Only this time I read an email for Day 2 of Erin Goodman's 10-Day Family Re-Charge, and it told me to go outside right now.

Oh, my!  Why didn't we think of that?!  It was a beautiful sunny day that felt more like early spring than mid-winter.  So we all hurriedly got dressed and to keep the whining down to a minimum drove to the creek that abuts the very back our our neighborhood.  And there, armed with scavenger hunts, and sunshine we completely changed the tone of our day.

I wonder how old this tree was?

River otters or beavers? We're not sure who lives here.

The park is dotted with old stone buildings like this one.  No idea when they were built.

Ring around the rosy.

Ever the curious one, L sees if he can break through the ice.

Dad, see if it will hold you?  Nope!

"Rapids" in February. 

As we made our way back through the park and to the car, M exclaimed "nature really brings families together!"  Yes, my dear it does.  Thank you so much for the reminder to get out and enjoy what's all around us Erin!

How Many Can We Keep in the Air

We're deep into mid-Winter, and while this might go on record as the strangest weather I can remember for winter in the Midwest, it is still that time of year when we seem to be getting busier and busier.

Fall, is the time for reentry; re-acclimating to school, and activities and friends.  Then we have the craziness from Thanksgiving to Christmas with parties and events, and crafts.  A bit of a lull with Winter break and the beginning of January.  And then, things begin to pick up.  New activities, more friends, harder homework.  We're at the beginning of the whirlwind now.  As things start to get busier, and we're running kids to more places, I know that Spring will seem like a full-on tornado.

For those of you with very young kids, or grown kids, or home schooled kids who have yet to venture into too many extra-curriculars, this must seem like madness to you.   And it is.  I will say that we try not to over-schedule any one child, but with three busy kids our family feels a bit over-scheduled.

Honestly, for us, I don't think the juggling ever stops.  I think that we constantly need to manage multiple things at once and toss a few up in the air to add a few more tasks while we are at it.  All the while hoping that everything stays manageable and that all those balls stay up in the air.  Every family has their own rhythm, and mine might look crazy to you, while your's looks unmanageable to me.

My teaching yoga now adds to the craziness as I'm gone two-nights a week and every Saturday morning.  It's an adjustment for sure.  But we're managing.  We have a rhythm to our weeks.  A slightly hectic rhythm, but it's there.  We eat dinner together every night, and homework is done everyday after school.  Sure sometimes now that homework isn't finished until after dinner, but we're adjusting and trying to make it all work without taking a bite out of each other.

I feel both a bit crazy and excited to add on the task of Erin Goodman's 10-Day Family Re-Charge.  I'm excited to focus on our family and what we want for each other, and I'm worried that we won't be as fully involved as I might like because we're so busy.  Erin graciously reminded me that while the class is for these 10 specific days, that our family can actually take it whenever we'd like.  Hmmm....Getting to focus on what we want, the direction we'd like to go, and the reminder to be fully-present with each other.  Oh, gee.  If we have to be involved than I guess we will.

I'm not sure if taking part in this e-course will help bring me back to this space or not.  I have to admit that I just haven't been able to find the time or energy to come to this space the way I have in the past.  I'm still working on finding my own balance as mom, yoga teacher, radio talk-show host, and everything else.  I don't want to give Into the Wind up, and I'm not sure how to maintain it.  Whether or not I find a balance that works for me to continue blogging, please know that I value the blogging community more than I will ever be able to say and I continue to find some time each week to visit my favorites.

January 2012

This Winter hasn't been much of a winter so far.  We've only had 1/4 of an inch of snow and that was in November.  The past week we've had decidedly Spring like weather.  Yesterday, with highs in the 50s I took the opportunity to go for a walk near the creek, without a coat on.

I worry that we'll pay for this beautiful weather eventually, but until then I'm trying to soak up every last bit of sunshine.

There is calm and quiet.  Peace and joy.  Memories of smiles and laughter and squeals of delight.  My kids are back at school today and while I need the time to regroup -- update the calendar, figure out my to do list and actually get some work done -- I miss them.

It is so easy in the day to day grind as we race through homework and activities and dinner to forget how much I enjoy those children of ours.  They are truly funny fascinating people.  Their wit, creativity and humor inspire me.

Wishing you peace, joy, love, light and laughter in the new year!

                                                           --Anna