Day 4 - Two Compliments for the Day

It was beautiful today.  It was humid and warm but there was a cool breeze.  It has been raining and though there were worms and slugs out in full force, I decided to run/walk on the walking trail behind my gym.  My two oldest kids were at school and my two youngest were in good hands in the baby-sitting room.  It was great to be outside.  Refreshing. 

Years ago I was near the place where Stonehenge is in England and there is another place with stones placed in a circular shape.  There was energy there.  I wanted to do yoga, but back then yoga was less "normal" and I didn't have the guts to mentally block out the stares of others and connect with my soul and the surrounding.  Maybe it was for the best, but there is something special about doing yoga in nature. Until today I have only dared to do it in my backyard, but today after my exercise, I decided to try a few poses.  I actually loved it.  When I did a pose where you look up, it was spiritual.  It was connecting me to something bigger than myself, to the heavens.   The sky was a thick gray.  I knew that behind the gray, there was blue.  And that there is always blue sky behind the gray.  Sometimes life seems a bit thick and gray.  The thing is that whether we can see it or not, there is blue behind the gray. 

Compliment of the day.  There wasn't anyone around as I went through a vinyasa flow, except two grounds keepers.  One of them whom I had greeted yesterday when he pointed out that I had dropped my debit card (thank you very much!) walked over to me and in a strong accent asked if I do "that kind of exercise" everyday.  And that I look so strong.  It felt good to get a compliment, as small as it was.  I realize that as soon as I started staying home with my kids, I don't get complimented very much.  There just are not very many people around.  Either way, I loved my morning, relatively alone, with my thoughts.

I tried a dry sauna for the first time - detoxifing.  I got some reading in too.

And I showered at the gym.  I usually go home and do that while the kids watch a show, but I decided that it would be good all the way around to do it while there.  It was great.  It was fun to get ready for the day in front of a large mirror with a long line of women doing their beauty routine.  When I got to the babysitting place to pick up the boys, Stafford my newly 3 year, old look at me and said, "Mom, ew look bewful."  He touched my caridgan and then pointed out my shoes and said how nice they were.  I guess now that I think of it I got two compliments today.  :)

On my way home I noticed lots of moms and kids at the park.  I decided that I would go and see what would come of it.  There was a woman that I always see at the gym.  Our kids know each other from babysitting.  So I got to know her and her friend while we watched the kids play.  I'm sure I will see more of them there in the coming months.  It is fun to meet people.

I also spent some time playing Super Mario Bros. with my 5 year olds, Warrick.  We really like to work at it together.  Neither one of us is very good, but you got to give us something for effort.  I never realized that the Wii would be a great family thing, but it is.

I find that kids listen to their bodies more than we do. They do yoga poses, naturally. Every kid goes upside down on the couch, don't they? I did when I was a kid. I think they do it instinctively when their brain needs more oxygen - that's what the pose does. I've started taking pictures of my kids as they randomly throughout the day put themselves in a pose. These are of my 5yo. Ignore the underwear.

Life is too short to sit on the sidelines.

If you want something in life you have to reach out and grab it.  If you have kids, work around them.  It is hard to work around the little people in your life, but it is possible. 

Today, we went out doors.  I love that.  I love nature.  It makes me feel that the boundaries I put on myself are a little less limiting.  It makes me feel closer to my maker.  I took my boys on a walk.  One was on a bike, one on scooter and one in a stroller and one sleeping.  It was quite the crew.  We still don't know all the streets around our neighborhood very well, so at each intersection, we took turns deciding which way to turn.  We ended up at a little nature trail.  I was hesitant, but the birds were chirping and calling to me.  We took the path and it was beautiful.  There was a fork in the road and we took one way and we're all excited to go back next time and take the other way.  I even took my heart rate monitor and kept my heart rate up.  Yay!  This little thing, made me happy.  We were only gone for 20 minutes, but that is all it took to boost me up. 

Being out doors is one of the things that makes my heart happy.  It is something that I have missed doing since I started having babies.  Today I was tired.  I almost didn't go, but I did go and that made the difference in my evening.  I'm so glad that I'm not ending this day saying, "I almost went on a walk outside with my boys."  There is little difference in my statements, but the outcome was quite a bit different.

The movement of a gate at the hinge is small, but the result of it's tiny movement is huge.  The end of a long gate moves several times more than the inner part at the hinge.  Our choices, though small, can make a big difference.  This means that we only have to make small changes and if we stay on the same path, big things will happen.  It also means that we have to evaluate our lives often to make sure that our small movements are moving us in the direction we want to go.  If they are not, then make the small changes you need to to get back on track.  Baby steps.

This evening we colored Easter Eggs.  It was a lot of fun to be gathered around the table with excited little boys.  I know these moments are fleeting and some day there will be boys that resist dunking the little white chicken eggs, but right now, in this moment, they all loved it.  And I loved watching them love it. 

My thought for this post.  Life is a roller coaster with lots of ups and downs.  When you're up, enjoy it. Cherish it.  When you're down, hang on.  Work past it.  Do your best - it won't last.  That is life.  We aren't entitled to the ups or the downs.  They happen.  Life is not always great.  That is okay.  That is what makes the highs so much better.  Hang on tight and enjoy the ride.  

Happiness.  Enthusiasm.  Optimism.