Rushing

I have realized that I prefer to work and live at a leisurely pace. In the last few weeks, work has been busier than ever before as I take on new grant writing for two other organizations (which has been fun, but a learning curve about new topics that had to happen rightnow because the deadlines were all on the same damn day) while I keep up the normal things and do beginning of the year stuff. So that, on Wednesday, when I finished the bulk of the grant stuff, I went home, put the kids to bed, lay on the couch in a weird between wake and sleep state for an hour before Michael came home, watched something on TV, and then slept for a good 9 hours. I took a nap Thursday and went to bed early again. Oh, how old my brain feels!

But I realized that I used to like working under a high amount of stress, but these days, I like to take my time and get things done days in advance so I'm not rushing around. I like to have time to breath and check in with myself and reality, rather than escape from reality. When I went skiing in January with a majority type-A personality group of women, we skied one blue run the first day and then headed straight for the black diamond bowls. Oh my! I lasted a few runs and then had to go off on my own because, what I realized, is that I am also a leisurely skier. Forget this fighting with myself to get down difficult runs. I just want to enjoy it. I want the freshly groomed blue runs where I can feel like I'm flying. My mom might say I've always been this way, not liking to be rushed when I was getting ready for school. If so, it's a tendency that's gotten worse.

I look forward to leaving work today at 3:30 and heading to Lefthand for a leisurely Friday afternoon pint with Michael. Between my work schedule and the return of indoor plumbing to my house, I feel quite spoiled (even if my car door won't open when I go to get in it).

It's a Full Month of Full Moons

It's a full month of moons or whatever astrological thing happens (is it Mercury in retrograde?) when things (fortunately material things) decide to break, like:
Our bathroom plumbing - it was a large root ball in the old terracotta piping causing the problem and no toilet for 24 hours (for which Asher suggested to me, "Just pee outside, Mom," and Michael said, "Just drop trou like you're camping" . . . in 8 degree weather? I thought Amy Poehler's character in Baby Momma might have a good idea);
The brakes, driver's side door (though, confession, it's been broken for awhile such that I can't open it from the outside, but it has finally gotten to me), and heat on the Volvo. I broke down and bought a seat cover for the driver side this month because I was tired of the broken leather;
Our Brita water filter on the kitchen faucet so that it spurts water all over the place when turned on too high; and
The Audi's electrical something, a coil? that we got fixed for $1000 less than anticipated . . . but now it needs servicing, and a timing belt. Cool. Can't wait to spend more money on a car.

I guess that's it. Not too bad (another reason I love lists. Real Simple's recent issue is about lists - a magazine after my own heart), but in the midst of it, Monday night when we had no working toilet and a bathtub full of poop from the toilet, I felt like the world was coming apart. After all, it's just money. And it's just plumping. I am so fortunate to have indoor plumbing that breaks.

How to Christmas

I mentioned that I might have a few blog posts to catch up on. So here's a quick Christmas catch up. My family had a wonderful Christmas together - another healing event for 2008 when we (me, Michael, Asher and Harper joined by Clare, Michael and Jaden) were all together, enjoying (not gritting teeth and waiting to escape but keeping it together as much as possible for the kids who knew something was up anyway but really too young to realize Christmas versus Saturday cartoon day - phew!) each others' company, sharing the many gifts and blessings of the holiday. What a day!

I have much to learn about how to have a fun but not overly exhausting holiday with my kids and Michael. I had Tuesday off before Christmas and daycare was open, so I dropped my kids off and spent much of the day grocery shopping, cooking and present wrapping. I cooked more on Wednesday, got more gifts ready, enjoyed a Christmas Eve celebration in Ft. Collins and Christmas in Longmont. I cooked more Christmas morning, enjoyed all the splendor of Christmas morning (and Asher's disbelief at evidence of Santa's visit) and time that day to just be together. Somehow, I lost site of my own energy levels, and when Clare and Michael left Christmas evening and our kids were in bed, I went into our bedroom and crawled under the covers utterly exhausted - that feeling of I can barely keep breathing much less think about being upright in any fashion.

Michael drew me a bath, prepared our one, small bathroom as much as possible to be kid-free/adult relaxing (i.e. hiding the toys in the sink with a towel), and I took a long soak. I couldn't even read. I just soaked. I relaxed and felt much better. Which leads me to the enduring question - how to have a fun, tradition-filled, all-the-things-we-love-about-Christmas filled day without turning into a puddle at the end of the day? Perhaps it's less cooking. Perhaps it's more naps. Perhaps it's taking a mental read on my own energy levels and taking something off the list. Perhaps it's knowing that it was all worth it.

Is It a Full Moon?

I have a number of other posts that I want to add, but today trumps them all! A strange, frustrating day. Asher woke up at about 5:00 a.m. in my bed with, "Mom, my ear hurts," which generally is a sign that he has an ear infection. But since it was hours before the doctor's office opens, I tried to make him comfortable with drops (Asher asked me if I was a doctor when he saw the medicine case - sweet) and my warming pillow (one of the favorite things I own! A pillow filled with corn that my Aunt Adel gave me years ago - warms in the microwave), which was only semi-successful. While lying in bed, trying to sleep between Asher's discomfort and discussion about why he has an ear infection, I mentally tried to figure out how to manage the 4 meetings for the day (of course, all in one day when I rarely have meetings becaues I believe in Murphy's Law).

After having to switch everyone and everything to the Volvo (which has no heat) to the Audi (which had no electricity this morning because the damn fancy car doesn't turn its own lights off or tell you their left on), we dropped Harper off at daycare, which was hard because her brother wasn't there, and headed to my office, where it took me three tries to print a grant report due Monday (why? Because the lame ass computer tech guy who came in as a nice volunteer and became paid tech support ran off with 8 new laptops, 2 desktops, a variety of computer equipment last week without completing his job. Moral of the story? Always do a background check! And criminals don't introduce themselves as criminals) when come to find out I don't have two key pieces of information for the grant report. I did what I could to get something out . . . while entertaining Asher and telling him at least 10 times that we could read the new giant dinosaur book that appeared in our office later that afternoon (it's a REALLY cool dinosaur book!) and Asher running through approximately 43 flag post-its so he could flag all the dinosaurs he wanted to show me (took him 5 mintues). I left the office trailing a co-worker telling me she had one of the key pieces for me - I tried not to look too annoyed while assuring her that her program "wouldn't be in trouble," as she put it (insert lots of cuss words).

Got through Asher's doctor's appointment with a sub-doctor I wasn't too keen on (did learn Asher wants to see a woman doctor - funny kid) and his prescription (he only used the blood pressure machine in the pharmacy for about 10 minutes and figured out how to get both hands stuck in it at the same time - that was entertaining for both of us). At the doctor's office, I remembered that I had a Jamba Juice gift card and promised Asher a smoothy (look at me! What a fun mom!). So, we ran across town to Lowe's, which is near Jamba, to get a copy of a house key made. Took f-o-r-e-v-e-r - as in, does anyone work here anymore since the recession-we-shall-not-name? We ran over to Jamba and it was closed. Um, yeah. Closest location is in Boulder. After much crying and gnashing of teeth, we ran back across town to the other smoothy place and succeeded in getting a smoothy. We spent a few hours at home watching cartoons, playing , getting some work done, spending time together, venting to Ardis and recovering from a morning of 2 steps forward, 10 steps backward.

Soon before we left to get Harper, I decided to try to get the Audi started. I downloaded eHow instructions on how to jump a car (there's a nice video of it) because I'd never done it myself and was a wee bit paranoid about killing myself. After 20 minutes of running the booster car, the Audi was no more alive. I went to take the cables off the batteries and the grounded negative end sparked, the Audi blinked some lights, and then . . . miracles! it started! Although, not without its say in the matter, deciding the hazards would not turn off and the alarm would go off randomly, so I drove it to daycare that way (finding that I could keep one blinker on and the hazards went off). I felt quite hilarious and thankful for the dark tinted windows. Getting home, the alarm and hazards would NOT stop, so I ran through the stupid, complicated fuse box until I pulled out one that took care of that (with Harper climbing around me and so prettily blocking the light). Ta da!

What a day! And yet, miracles all around - that I parked the Audi in such a way that I could jump it from the Volvo; that the Audi actually started; that I had both cars at the house so I could switch between them; that one of my meetings got rescheduled; and that I got to spend a day with my boy who much needed mom time . . . sigh. It's almost a full moon.

Healing Tree

I last posted on October 13. Can't believe it! Where have I been? Somewhere between Halloween, working, getting office ready to move downstairs, getting ready for a trip to Alabama, thinking about kindergarten for Asher, working, volunteering grant writing services, beginning in a book club, going to Alabama, coming back to blown up (figurative) office in which I could not work for a week, coming back to office that sorely needed my organization skills, getting ready for Christmas . . . and now, here, sitting in my lovely office (all mine! I used to share).

I remember fun things in the last two months like getting my five mountain ski pass, researching schools for Asher, witnessing the approval of our district's Montessori charter school, getting to know a whole group of women in Boulder through a book club (which has been interesting when sprinkled with comments like, "Ooooh, I would never send my child to daycare. You must get a nanny or au pair" and having an argument about the religion behind Waldorf school. I'm so sure! And don't even test me on education philosophies!), trick or treating in 60 degree weather, taking Asher to his first swim lessons (the boy is fearless in water), navigating Michael's hours being temporarily reduced at work due to the economy and lack of bank lending, manning the home front while Michael has traveled stateside and to Haiti (and making Michael promise he'll take me some day soon), and enjoying Thanksgiving and the coming of Christmas.

We had one of the best trips we've ever had to Alabama over Thanksgiving. I enjoyed a wonderful feeling of homecoming (after I got over great anxiety of returning to the place where much yick started), being with a family I've known now for 13 years, and watching my kids with their many cousins and Behmer family.

The Thanksgiving trip continues a theme of healing in my life. Michael and I have had great (close to miraculous because only God could manage this) healing in our relationships and own lives as we figure out how to better love one another and more things to love. How much I enjoy our time as a family (though it's a bit crazy being pulled in three directions - wish I was more ADD) and the time I get to sit down with Michael over a pint or a good meal and talk on the heartside. Our continued trading of weekends with Clare have been a wonderful respite.

I was lying in bed last night (and not because our cat decided he must go outside in the below freezing weather) agonizing about Monday and returning to work. I've worked for the same organization for over 2 1/2 years (3 in March). This is the longest I have ever worked anywhere. While there isn't really any way to go up in my position, I do have the freedom to learn more about my position. Even so . . . I tend towards getting antsy and ready to move on. I start tossing around different scenarios for work and returning to my age old quest of figuring out what the hell my career is meant to be. So there I was, lying in bed, and starting to ask God where He wants me (because that's really what I want to know). A calm settled over me, and I came to understand He wants me in a place to heal. My work comes naturally to me so it's not overly taxing though enjoyable in how much variety I can bring to it. I can do this work, help support the family, and heal.

Last night, I started to think about the number of non-work projects I've taken on (volunteering for two organizations to do grant writing, talking about taking on two possibel paid positions in grant writing, continuing volunteering with the youth conference) and figured I needed to wrap some of them up and spend time healing. My body is worn out with two years of stress, and it's time to get physically healthy and mentally more healthy.

We'll see how that goes . . . I like things to be complicated (so much easier to focus on other things). Maybe I'll try light or color or energy or crystal healing. So many options in dear Boulder.

(Note: The tree is a healing tree! Gotta love it. I could try tree hugging heeling. Or ski healing.)

The Plug in Drug

Last week was an unending whirl of activity - some fun and some stressful. I had four evenings in a row of fun activities and social gatherings and a three day week of work that included some not so fun situations to handle (I'm a peace lover and the idea of "confronting" anyone is possibly worse than the idea of sitting down to eat a steak but sometimes you just have to eat steak. With friends, of course). I woke up Saturday wondering where I had been all week, feeling like absolutely bushed. I spent much of the day on the couch. It was TGIC (Thank God it's cartoon day)!

Saturday is cartoon day in our house, which means that there are very, very few limits on how much television the kids can watch. If Asher knows that the next day is cartoon day, he has been known to get up at 4 to start watching cartoons, and we put it off until about 6 (but only if he goes BACK TO BED). Cartoons then play for hours on end. It's a great time for us parents - time to sleep, get a few things done around the house without interruption, spend time laying on the couch with the kids, have a cup of coffee together.

Unfortunately, television has a backlash effect on my kids. While they are so eerily sedate while watching, once the television goes off, the world seems more than normally difficult to handle. There are more tears, tantrums and less smiles and laughing. My theory is that while watching TV, life is very simple and pleasurable and once it goes off, my kids have to suddenly deal with the real world - pleasurable without a doubt but requiring more effort (like using actual words) and handling of a whole mess of emotions.

When I was little, my parents had a book called, "The Plug in Drug," which was about television. I never read it, but I clearly remember the cover and thinking about what the title meant. Watching my kids, I can see how television has a drug-like effect not only while they are watching but once it's off. They go through withdrawals.

Television has a place in my life and my kids (Asher is a HUGE fan of cartoons). I'm not always so happy about this and with little prodding could fall into a big "Kill Your Television" advocate. I still try to keep the tube off more often than not even as on a day like Saturday (with a day of rain), I took full advantage of cartoon day.

Aspen Moment

During my first fall in Santa Fe during college, a few friends and I drove up the road to the Santa Fe Ski Basin to check out the changing aspens. We had hit the peak of the leaf change, parked the car and walked into a grove of yellow aspen trees. Such a place is unbelievable - surrounded by leaves on the trees and spread all over the forest floor, that seem illuminated from within by a yellow light and that make a gentle, rustling noise in the wind as the leaves touch each other. Holding up all the yellowness are bright, white tree trunks, slashed with lines of black. Breathtaking.

Colorado is also home to aspen groves, which grow in a kind of family unit with many trees sharing a single root system. The last two years, I have been able to drive and see aspens at their peak again. A few weekends ago, on Michael and my trip up to Tabernash, we took a hike with friends and ended up in a few aspen groves. Walking off the trail, I walked into the middle of a grove and let the yellow light, the leaf rustle fall all around me. I breathed deeply.

Michael looked at me and asked, "Are you having a moment?"

"Yes," I answered. Indeed I was.

There was a time some year and a half ago where I felt like trees - among other things - were God's message of strength to me, messages to keep going and to continue hoping. What a joy to have messages of beauty now in these trees I love.