This post will make the most sense if you are familiar with the Fail Blog. This blog generated all sorts of funnies in our family. For example, last Sunday Eee make fried rice that looked more like muddy farm "sludge". It was a "dinner fail".
Well, we had another birthday party fail today. The last one was Jee resisting going to a friend's party because, "I want to stay home and program! I want to program! No, don't make me go!"
Today was similar, but Jee is apparently becoming a more sophisticated negotiator. This time it was:
* "But mom, if I stay home, I can fix your laptop." (He can.)
* "Mom, they'll have cupcakes or cake or other sweets at the party and those are bad for me. Wouldn't you rather I stay home and not eat sugar?"
* "Wouldn't my time be better spent at my desk, learning something new?" (Yes, he actually talks like this. Sometimes.)
Saturday, September 20, 2008
4 knuckles and 2 toes
Why do I love the YMCA?
O, let me count the ways...
One of my favorite parts about working out at the Y is when I see the teacher do a pilates / yoga move and I think, "Pffft, yeah, right! I'm never going to get into *that* position."
Then slowly, bit by bit, aligning knees, ankles, hip bones, moving up the spine like stacking Legos, straightening arms, flexing feet, adjusting shoulders... and before I know it, I am balancing the entire whole of myself on my two big toes and only four knuckles total.
If I could fly like a bird, a passive aggressive bird, it would probably feel a lot like this.
O, let me count the ways...
One of my favorite parts about working out at the Y is when I see the teacher do a pilates / yoga move and I think, "Pffft, yeah, right! I'm never going to get into *that* position."
Then slowly, bit by bit, aligning knees, ankles, hip bones, moving up the spine like stacking Legos, straightening arms, flexing feet, adjusting shoulders... and before I know it, I am balancing the entire whole of myself on my two big toes and only four knuckles total.
If I could fly like a bird, a passive aggressive bird, it would probably feel a lot like this.
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Best Edge #3
I think there might be Five Edges in here somewhere, but this is the one that jumped out at me today. Note that I do not actually follow any of these Best Edges consistently. I just do my best to remember them and implement them when I can.
Best Edge #3: Fiercesome Focus
Apparently, a person can get a lot more done when they focus fiercely on one thing at a time.
Like right now, Vee & Kee are at a friend's birthday party. Eee, Jee & Aee are playing piano at a community center building. I am home doing... I forgot what I was doing actually. So, I am going to try this fiercesome focus thing on... Hum. On... downsizing our house by five more boxes. Ready, set, go!
1,
2,
3,
4,
5.
Done!
Try it. It is fun.
Best Edge #3: Fiercesome Focus
Apparently, a person can get a lot more done when they focus fiercely on one thing at a time.
Like right now, Vee & Kee are at a friend's birthday party. Eee, Jee & Aee are playing piano at a community center building. I am home doing... I forgot what I was doing actually. So, I am going to try this fiercesome focus thing on... Hum. On... downsizing our house by five more boxes. Ready, set, go!
1,
2,
3,
4,
5.
Done!
Try it. It is fun.
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
What happens when you don't plan
The kids and I have been planning out their extracurricular activities for the 08-09 school year. Aee wrote each activity on a card along with the date and time of the activity.
As I laid out their chosen activities, I realized that Jee's Mondays would look like this:
5:45 Up with brothers (since they always wake him up "by mistake")
7-8 Skateboarding with Dad
8-2:30 School
2:30-3:45 Basketball
4-5 Fencing
5-7 Home, dinner, homework
7-8 Cub Scout meeting with Dad
8:30 Late bedtime
Hum, that's --way-- too much for a 7 yo.
And you know what would have happened if we hadn't written out the schedule?
1. Sign up for classes since they all look fun.
2. First Monday of class, so much of a whirlwind (getting other kids to & from theirs also) that we don't notice what's happening, only that "we're busy".
3. After the first month, burn-out happens. He's tired by late afternoon and we look into dropping a few extras...
There is absolutely no purpose behind the crash and burn approach, although I know that's how a lot of people live.
Planning WORKS.
As I laid out their chosen activities, I realized that Jee's Mondays would look like this:
5:45 Up with brothers (since they always wake him up "by mistake")
7-8 Skateboarding with Dad
8-2:30 School
2:30-3:45 Basketball
4-5 Fencing
5-7 Home, dinner, homework
7-8 Cub Scout meeting with Dad
8:30 Late bedtime
Hum, that's --way-- too much for a 7 yo.
And you know what would have happened if we hadn't written out the schedule?
1. Sign up for classes since they all look fun.
2. First Monday of class, so much of a whirlwind (getting other kids to & from theirs also) that we don't notice what's happening, only that "we're busy".
3. After the first month, burn-out happens. He's tired by late afternoon and we look into dropping a few extras...
There is absolutely no purpose behind the crash and burn approach, although I know that's how a lot of people live.
Planning WORKS.
Best Edge #2
Be appreciative.
This nugget of wisdom comes from one of the most beautiful women I know -- she is always saying how grateful she is for this, that, and the other thing.
So, in an effort to erase some of these worry lines and add a bit more beauty to my day, here it goes.
I am appreciative of:
* a good night's sleep
* dreams that comfort me
* nightmares that help me identify what I am most worried about (so I can fix it)
* a good, healthy breakfast (no sicky sweet cereal for me!)
* kids who wake up
* kids who wake up bright-eyed and bushy-tailed
* kids who wake up in time to walk leisurely to school
* kids who talk to me during said walk
* all the beautiful things we saw on that walk to school -- the weird plants and the way Aee noticed how the world changes from day to day
* the friends who also walked and met us along the way to make our walk even more enjoyable
* friends who ask me about how things are going
* friends who actually want to know the answer
* friends who can give constructive feedback when I give that answer
* friends who leave me smiling (and sometimes who are sad with me)
Pausing for a deep breath... I am appreciative of:
* the Y-M-C-A (can you hear the song when you read that?) and all the wildly enjoyable classes they have
* the workout instructor who played R-E-S-P-E-C-T today and how that song stuck with me throughout the day, shaping my interactions in that ever-so-imperceptible way
* the way my body stood up straighter and breathed deeper after I was done
* the friend I saw in class who I didn't know attended that class and who I wish I could spend more time with
Another deep breath already? It isn't even 10 am yet... I am appreciative of:
* a lot of work to keep me busy
* a clean-enough house
* a desk full of lovely messages
* a bit of quiet
* the six kittens running around under my feet
* the one momma cat slinky around, acting like a rule enforcer of them all
* the way the kittens run around so fast and carelessly that they often hit the wall, door, window like a bird splatting on a window pane
* a bit of relaxing music in the background interspersed with podcasts while working
* an excellent lunch -- salmon on a fresh tossed red lettuce salad along with a handful of cracked pepper Triscuits.
There was so much more, but I think you get the picture. Life is good, but being able to appreciate it is what makes it full of better moments, or possible even best moments.
Isn't it cool when you have moments in life that are "best moments" where nothing else you could be doing in that moment could top what is actually happening?
One of those moments that qualified as a "best moment": A few of the kittens figured out how to use my leg as a springboard. He would run at me, jump / bounce up my leg, onto my desk and smack his little head into my computer monitor. I think he may have been pouncing at the cursor onscreen. Who knows. It was hilarious.
I could have been annoyed, but why?
Best Edge #2 -- Be appreciative.
This nugget of wisdom comes from one of the most beautiful women I know -- she is always saying how grateful she is for this, that, and the other thing.
So, in an effort to erase some of these worry lines and add a bit more beauty to my day, here it goes.
I am appreciative of:
* a good night's sleep
* dreams that comfort me
* nightmares that help me identify what I am most worried about (so I can fix it)
* a good, healthy breakfast (no sicky sweet cereal for me!)
* kids who wake up
* kids who wake up bright-eyed and bushy-tailed
* kids who wake up in time to walk leisurely to school
* kids who talk to me during said walk
* all the beautiful things we saw on that walk to school -- the weird plants and the way Aee noticed how the world changes from day to day
* the friends who also walked and met us along the way to make our walk even more enjoyable
* friends who ask me about how things are going
* friends who actually want to know the answer
* friends who can give constructive feedback when I give that answer
* friends who leave me smiling (and sometimes who are sad with me)
Pausing for a deep breath... I am appreciative of:
* the Y-M-C-A (can you hear the song when you read that?) and all the wildly enjoyable classes they have
* the workout instructor who played R-E-S-P-E-C-T today and how that song stuck with me throughout the day, shaping my interactions in that ever-so-imperceptible way
* the way my body stood up straighter and breathed deeper after I was done
* the friend I saw in class who I didn't know attended that class and who I wish I could spend more time with
Another deep breath already? It isn't even 10 am yet... I am appreciative of:
* a lot of work to keep me busy
* a clean-enough house
* a desk full of lovely messages
* a bit of quiet
* the six kittens running around under my feet
* the one momma cat slinky around, acting like a rule enforcer of them all
* the way the kittens run around so fast and carelessly that they often hit the wall, door, window like a bird splatting on a window pane
* a bit of relaxing music in the background interspersed with podcasts while working
* an excellent lunch -- salmon on a fresh tossed red lettuce salad along with a handful of cracked pepper Triscuits.
There was so much more, but I think you get the picture. Life is good, but being able to appreciate it is what makes it full of better moments, or possible even best moments.
Isn't it cool when you have moments in life that are "best moments" where nothing else you could be doing in that moment could top what is actually happening?
One of those moments that qualified as a "best moment": A few of the kittens figured out how to use my leg as a springboard. He would run at me, jump / bounce up my leg, onto my desk and smack his little head into my computer monitor. I think he may have been pouncing at the cursor onscreen. Who knows. It was hilarious.
I could have been annoyed, but why?
Best Edge #2 -- Be appreciative.
Friday, August 29, 2008
Dead Cats and Shaved Eyebrows
Yes, our cat died.
No, this won't be the eulogy for the cat.
The kids are setting up a separate web page for that.
But I will share that I got *excellent* advice from friends on how to break the news to the kids and on how to assist in the grieving process.
This is the best bit of advice by far, titled, "Why did Egyptians shave off their eyebrows?"
"Shaving off the eyebrows was a sign of mourning. An entire family would do so if their pet cat died. Remember, the cat was a sacred animal to the Egyptians. the cat represented Bast (Bastet), and the family would remain in mourning until their eyebrows grew back."
And now y'all are going to be anxious to see us, trying to catch a glimpse, "Do they still have eybrows? Do they? Do they?"
HA.
No, this won't be the eulogy for the cat.
The kids are setting up a separate web page for that.
But I will share that I got *excellent* advice from friends on how to break the news to the kids and on how to assist in the grieving process.
This is the best bit of advice by far, titled, "Why did Egyptians shave off their eyebrows?"
"Shaving off the eyebrows was a sign of mourning. An entire family would do so if their pet cat died. Remember, the cat was a sacred animal to the Egyptians. the cat represented Bast (Bastet), and the family would remain in mourning until their eyebrows grew back."
And now y'all are going to be anxious to see us, trying to catch a glimpse, "Do they still have eybrows? Do they? Do they?"
HA.
Friday, August 15, 2008
Best Edge #1
I have been holding on by the skin of my teeth these last few weeks. I'll post more about it later, but for now I wanted to do a short series of my favorite nuggets of wisdom that I have collected from friends.
These are things I am trying to implement and I don't want them to slip through my fingers, so I am giving them a smidge of permanence on my blog. I am calling them the "Best Edge" bits. "Best" because they have risen to the top over any other concepts I have heard and "Edge" because they are the types of concepts that slice through the fog.
Best Edge #1 -- What will I regret the least?
What an awesome tool for making choices! I heard this from a lady who lives thoughtfully and honestly so I thought I would give it a try.
You know what?
I make very different choices when I consider which choices I will regret the least later.
Example: Today was brutal, one of those days where no matter how hard I work and how well I schedule and how much I delegate, there is just now way to reach "good enough". So... I had to find another way to deal with it.
I used all my standard methods of decision making and none brought any clarity to my set of choices. It wasn't until I considered, "What task list will bring the least regret by the end of the day?" With that, I had complete clarity. I spent the day prepping the rental unit for new tenants.
Super cool bonus: The kids worked alongside me, learning all sorts of skills. The Big Boys did quite a bit of manual labor, stayed focused, exercised their persistence. My favorite bit was seeing them, when faced with a seeminly undoable task, grit their teeth and find a way to complete the task well anyway.
Another favorite was seeing my little girl using the screwdriver to resecure all the light switch plates. I didn't even have to tell her what to do, just said, "Hey, could you put these back on?"
She went at it like a seasoned construction worker.
I also noticed that "What will I regret least later?" also changes what I say and mostly what I don't say.
One comment I am hearing a lot, "You have been so quiet lately..."
Ha.
These are things I am trying to implement and I don't want them to slip through my fingers, so I am giving them a smidge of permanence on my blog. I am calling them the "Best Edge" bits. "Best" because they have risen to the top over any other concepts I have heard and "Edge" because they are the types of concepts that slice through the fog.
Best Edge #1 -- What will I regret the least?
What an awesome tool for making choices! I heard this from a lady who lives thoughtfully and honestly so I thought I would give it a try.
You know what?
I make very different choices when I consider which choices I will regret the least later.
Example: Today was brutal, one of those days where no matter how hard I work and how well I schedule and how much I delegate, there is just now way to reach "good enough". So... I had to find another way to deal with it.
I used all my standard methods of decision making and none brought any clarity to my set of choices. It wasn't until I considered, "What task list will bring the least regret by the end of the day?" With that, I had complete clarity. I spent the day prepping the rental unit for new tenants.
Super cool bonus: The kids worked alongside me, learning all sorts of skills. The Big Boys did quite a bit of manual labor, stayed focused, exercised their persistence. My favorite bit was seeing them, when faced with a seeminly undoable task, grit their teeth and find a way to complete the task well anyway.
Another favorite was seeing my little girl using the screwdriver to resecure all the light switch plates. I didn't even have to tell her what to do, just said, "Hey, could you put these back on?"
She went at it like a seasoned construction worker.
I also noticed that "What will I regret least later?" also changes what I say and mostly what I don't say.
One comment I am hearing a lot, "You have been so quiet lately..."
Ha.
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