Our little author & illustrator

Gigi's winter break project was to write and illustrate a work of fiction. I wonder where she got this idea from, lol :-)

My Wholehearted Journey

I've always had a strong affinity for art and writing.

This week I started Brene Brown's eCourse on "Wholehearted Living" and I am amazed at how I feel after a few minutes of painting, coloring, and writing. 

I've read that art can be therapeutic and you know what? IT IS! As we age, adults tend to be less creative. Apparently, this decline in the utilization of our creativity is NOT BENIGN according to Brene Brown's research.

Personally, I think we tap into that inner child within us when we engage in art. Some might even say we tap into our unconscious or even our soul. I have to concur with all.

Art therapy is personal and profoundly therapeutic. It's a different kind of cleansing. Like right now I am wearing this silly grin for no apparent reason :-) And you know why? Art is play and playing taps into our inner, joyous, and child-like self.

One of the assignments in this eCourse was to draft a "Permission Slip" to allow oneself to really dig into the work at hand. 

It is clear to see that that "work" is to learn how to play :-)

Happy Thursday!

Bullies

Gavin has bullying tendencies that need to be tamed. He is a sweet boy but has difficulty processing frustration and anger at this time. He is terrible three-ing and has inherited the bullying gene.

Today while playing at a McDonald's a concerned dad of a sad looking boy (almost twice Gavin's length and width) informed me politely that my son punched his son in the face. I apologized profusely and was absolutely flabbergasted.

I called for Gavin and asked that he apologize to the boy. I told Gavin that he was lucky that this boy had good self control because he could have easily beaten him up. Major props to that big boy's dad who taught his good natured son not to beat up on smaller boys. Gavin, with his head down, said he was sorry (sincerely). The boy accepted his apology, we parted ways, and they even wished us a Merry Christmas. (Talk about good natured & friendly!)

I had a serious talk with Gavin and put him in an embarrassing time out. Of course he cried. A lot.

 

My boy genuinely felt bad about what he did and I'm glad he had the courage to apologize. I told him that when he gets angry or frustrated he needs to take a deep breath and walk away. 

In my experience bullies need to be effectively handled (especially if you have a couple in your home like I do.) Don't ever let them get away with seemingly "small abuses" because I guarantee it will grow and blow up in your face unless you swiftly nip in the bud.

All in all this mommy thing is tough but I am glad to be the one raising my crazy, loving, & smart children. 

We must remember to stand strong and dole out that tough love to ensure we do not add a bully to the general population. 

Have a charmed & blessed week friends!!

Everyday lessons

Gigi came home from kindergarten in a "mood" today. She was especially annoyed at Gavin for banging his toy and making loud noises.

After she had lunch, I set her up with an activity in her room (alone).

As I was helping Gavin with something, he mentions that he wants to apologize to Gigi.

The conversation went like this:

Gavin: "I sorry for making loud noises earlier, Gigi."

Gigi: "Its okay, I feel much better now. Do you want to join me?"

What I like about this interaction is that it shows me that my kids are learning (1) how to be kind to one another (2) how to express their feelings in an appropriate manner (3) how to apologize when their behavior has negatively affected someone. 

Seeing this type of interplay between them is what makes all the hard work of parenting so worth it!!

Have a charmed & blessed week friends! 

My tribe

May 6, 2011

I have the tremendous opportunity to mother my young children without the need for full time childcare.  I cherish this role as I have grown immensely from it. As with any time-worthy-experience will have, there are challenges.

December 22, 2010

I survived round-the-clock nursing, sleepless nights, temper tantrums, sibling conflicts, nap time/meal time/bed time routines, etc. I felt accomplished and was super proud of myself. I developed a deeper capacity for love (and patience) that I never knew.

3 month old Gavin. August 14, 2010

Then I felt that twinge that something was missing. I started moving more. Exercising. Running. Strength training. Felt good. Got strong. Ran long.

Gigi and I at Lake Elizabeth : ) July 14, 2009

After all that, there was still something missing that I could not readily put my finger on. Then one day, about two years ago, it hit me. I WAS LONELY.

 

I thought, how could I possibly be lonely? I have work outside of being a mom, a supportive husband, family, and friends. Then I dissected the issue: being a full time mom is lonely. The friends in my inner circle are solid, time-tested, love-them-to-pieces, but logistically unavailable. My family although available, were not going through the same life stage I was, so being able to relate was an issue. Plus, family and friends seemed dis-interested in going with me to kid-centered outings. Since I consider myself an active and fun mom, my favorite thing to do is to do stuff with my kids. How wonderful would it be to do stuff with other moms and their kids close to home?!

So I got to work and went to the best place to find me some friends: the internet. The first group I tried was a faith-based mom's group. Very nice women. They had on the spot childcare during meetings which I thought was cool. In the end, two things turned me off: (1)  the price to add to group was a couple hundred every couple months. What the heck? I don't want friends that bad  (2) it just didn't feel like a good fit. The group also reminded me of the forced bonding common in college sororities. Kinda fake. I didn't like that.

Back to the drawing board I went. During my search I found MeetUp.com. I found a mom's group that had a hundred plus members and only cost $5 to get in. I also liked how you needed to go to an orientation meeting before your membership was accepted. Great security feature I thought. I went to my first meeting and found out about all the fun things this group organizes. Play date galore!!

I went to a bunch of play dates and slowly started getting to know certain moms. Developing mom and kid friendships is not easy because (1) the moms have to vibe and (2) so do their kids. If either one of these conditions is not met, the friendship may not be viable.

My tribe :) October 19, 2013

I quietly for prayed for some mom friends. I also quietly prayed for fitness buddies. It was a slow process, but now I look around and BAM! I have both :-) What I love about developing and nurturing friendships with like-minded individuals is that very often, you find that you share common values, goals, and dreams. This multi-level-connection coupled with logistical availability is a sweet recipe for deeply-rooted-friendships. And what a tremendous blessing my friends have been to me !!

This post is dedicated to my little tribe of wonderful mothers. From left to right: Kiscelle, Daisy, Linda, Petra, Adria, & Tina (not pictured). You all complete me! ;-) 


So...

And realize that...

May you all have a charmed & blessed week!

See my FitChick story here: http://www.1runwithheart.com/2013/09/my-triathlon-journey.html

Healthy kids

The thing I love most about being a mom is doing stuff with my kids.

We especially enjoy being active outdoors. The cool, sunny, Fall weather was calling us to come out to play. 

So we did!

First Gavin and I had breakfast with our friends Adria and her adorable daughter Alana.

We headed to our favorite park and brought our bikes along.

Gigi was quite the helper, first showing Gavin how to pedal.

And sharing her bike with a new friend and pushing her along as she learned to pedal.

Then some tree climbing and general park play.

I relish the fun and bonding I have with my growing children. Experiencing my kid's firsts and celebrating the acquisition of new skills, confidence, fills me with love, pride, & purpose. 

Have a good week friends!

The Little Things

Thankful for the little things today...

Gavin waited all morning so that he could share his freshly baked gummy-bear-laden-cookies with Gigi (until we picked her up from school). He wanted to give her a treat and "surprise" her.

And later he ate all his veggies (first) during dinner!

Last, but not least, I found this picture of us that Gigi kept under her pillow. Such a sweetheart :-)