a silly video

This is just a snapshot of a silly dinnertime tellin' jokes. Eloise started it one day out of the blue. She's been listening this whole time!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4izc-6BRomE&feature=youtu.be 

Thankful

Indeed! This is our first holiday in our new home. Our new community feels like a cozy pod of good people and our home feels more and more wonderful (and ours) each passing month. 

Eloise turns two next week. Each time one of my kiddos has a birthday, I sense the change in the season, the sensations that surrounded me on the eve of their births swell up in me and I get all mushy inside. I'm changed because of her. Both of them, yes. But you expect it with your first. Life is turned upside down. But with Eloise, my heart is different. I feel more at home in the world. More at peace with myself. More in love with my children, Mark, my life, my opportunities, my freedom. 

I feel truly grateful for it all right now. All the crazy. All the laughter. All the busy. All of it. The night before Thanksgiving, after a dinnertime filled with laughter, flying food, singing and goofing off, Mark went into the livingroom and turned on some music. We had a 45 minute dance party with our girls. Dance parties are nothing unfamiliar around here, but this felt different. We were all together, no agendas, no whining, just being happy together. And then we were off to bed with joy and love around us. 

While our hills are getting higher, our valleys are leveling out. Life is, indeed, getting a little easier as our girls grow. And while we have challenges around every turn with health, school, work, money, mostly I just feel abundance. And that, more than anything, feels like freedom. 

I just thought about that scene in The Tao of Pooh when he realizes he can let go in the rapids and even though it sometimes hurts to bump over a rock here and there or get pulled under water for a moment, if he just stays in the flow of it, without resisting, he knows he'll be okay. Better even. Where fear once would have made me wonder when it's all going to be over, this wonderfulness, now I just feel free to take it all in and be thankful. Be me. 

 

Thanks to my children, these awesome little people.    

birthday girl

We are so proud of our little girl. Dalia turned 5 this week! And started her second week of kindergarten. She's tired, and we kinda feel like we're not getting enough time together (sweet sigh). But, she is excelling already. Her teacher and I are in communication about how we can be sure that Dalia is getting the challenge she needs to stay interested in learning as the year progresses. It's so helpful and heartwarming that she has a teacher with such an intuitive and respectful teaching style. He said to me that he thinks what we see that she knows is just the tip of the iceberg for what she actually can do/know. Probably, this is true for most kids! As her mommy, though, I'm just glad to have her teacher as a partner for her success. She's so awesome in so many ways. So bright and big and tremendous. 

As for me, the community that we've moved into has me feeling so excited by life, by work, eager to get out and connect with others and loving our home more each day. I'm starting to teach some regular yoga classes at a studio nearby twice a week and have been subbing there for several months. I am teaching prenatal yoga at a birth center close by as well and am seeing a client again. I really can't believe how smooth it's all going and how inspired I feel by work again. Overall, just feeling the abundance of life.

Eloise takes naps while Dalia is at school, so I am getting some quiet time (for the first time in 5 years). It's heaven to make a nice lunch and quietly enjoy eating it without standing up, fielding requests for more or different or flying food from my children. I've been laying down and practicing yoga and reading. And taking care of the house without feeling guilty for not paying attention to anyone. 

 My little munchkin and I get to spend time tickling, watching 2 year old tv, rolling playdoh into balls and throwing it, going for walks, singing, counting, reading - generally doing all the things I haven't had much one on one time with her for in her sweet little life. 

family

In all the hustle and bustle getting ready to start school, I didn't post anything about our amazing visit with Anthony (aka Uncle Tony) and Anders. What an incredible gift it was to have them here for a few days. To see my brother's son with my girls was tremendous. Dalia has held both her cousins (Anders and Connor) up on pedestals since she could walk. It's been such a long time since we were with Anders in person that at first she  kind of freaked out. She hid from him and couldn't even look at him. It was so overwhelming. (This part of her personality is so interesting to me. While I dive right into intensity, it just seems like it's so much she has to keep it at bay for a few minutes to process it first. She did this same kind of thing with her teacher on assessment day. In fact, I remember when she was about Eloise's age she started doing this with lots of people. I think she senses her connection, admiration, love, whatever it is, in such a big and profound way for such a little person. Her teacher noted this about her (I love him already!). )

Anyway, I digress. Eloise went about making Anthony and Anders feel right at home, showing them things and saying hello. Finally, Dalia came out from under the diningroom table to play in the yard with Anders and within minutes they were off playing by themselves. We'd find them in the playroom or even up in Dalia's room talking and playing games, or making stuff up. One afternoon they took Dalia's stuffed animals in our backyard and made a zoo/safari hunt for us. 

As with any kids who spend several days together and are as strong willed as our genes produce, there were moments of strife and struggle, but you could almost feel the love coming off of them. Okay, I'm getting mushy about all this, but it was truly wonderful to see them together and really, really seeming to like each other. 

We missed our Aunt Jen a lot, but were happy to share some peaceful sunny days in our new home with my dear brother and his son. 

Dalia's first day of Kindergarten

Dalia started Kindergarten today! Huge day for all of us. She was up at 6 and ready to go. We had a good long snuggle in bed together before she got dressed. She transitioned easily and wasn't shy as she was last week when she met her teacher. We are so proud of our little girl. And so excited for this next stage of life together. 

staycation birthday week

While we had an amazing time in Sunriver, we decided to cancel our California trip and skip all the driving to have a vacation at home. It was a blast. We took some time off over my birthday week and enjoyed hanging around town, going to the pool next door, visiting Jamison Square, eating ice cream, visiting with friends and family and generally just enjoying Portland in the summer. All that said, living in general is a lot of work and energy with little kids. It was really nice just to sleep in our own beds and wake up to our creature comforts while enjoying some time off together. And as it's our last summer before Dalia starts school, we really wanted to try and keep things simple. Glad we did! Here are some photos from the last few weeks.

 

Sunriver

We spent a few days in Sunriver with our good friends, Cecily, Owen, Neva and Felix this year. We are hoping these summer outings become a habit forever. We got to celebrate Neva's birthday while we were there, spent time on a lake, time in the hot tub, and even took a hike that was like exercise (haven't done that in awhile :) ).

rhyming on the road

 

family photo?! hooray.

dinner outside

deer!

hot tubbin'

relaxin'. she says, "ahhhh"

first Coke

happy birthday!