Authentic Dentist Joy!

I am so grateful that authenticity is a high priority in our life! We have talked with Kathrynn about visiting the dentist many times over the years, and just when she thought she was interested in going she would change her mind. Each time this happened we respected her feelings regarding going to the dentist and postponed going. We trusted she would be ready in her own Time. And luckily, due to her genes or just plain luck, she's never had any major need of visiting a dentist before that time came.

About a month ago she decided she was ready! We set up an appointment time and she literally counted down the days! She had a GREAT visit! Her experience at the dentist was 100% positive.
I'm so glad we waited until she was ready and never pushed her to go before she was ready. :)

While at the appointment, she listened to the advice of the hygienist and dentist with interest, and once home she immediately began implementing what she'd learned!
Each morning, without me saying a thing, she has been brushing her teeth and flossing. She does the same thing each evening. After hearing war stories from other parents about "getting" their kids to brush their teeth, by force if necessary, I felt so blessed over how we have been able to avoid any power struggles and have a positive experience about her dental care.

Signs of Spring!

Cascades Park and Kite flying :)

But first! Some flowers outside our house. Kathrynn has been watching these slowly bloom, and was so excited to take some pictures. :)





Cacades Park with our friends.

I love this picture! As I took this picture Kathrynn was saying how happy she was to be wading through the creek. It made me fill with joy as I watched her in her joy. :)







At our friend Dani's house- our first kite flying of the season!

Our friend Skye flying the kite!
K was so excited to get that kite up in the air!



It was a bit difficult for her to figure out how to run, then stop and let the line out.... maybe next time we'll figure out how to coordinate that. No matter, it was all PERFECT!!!!!!

A lovely Eckhart Tolle quote :)

Eckhart Tolle
Touching the Eternal
(India Retreat 2002)

So to be with a human...just allow them to be.

And when you speak, during those periods during which we speak...be in the state
of alert attention which is the state of listening totally.

To giving total attention as you listen to the words...complete attention.

Not preparing the next statement, or interpreting what the other person is
saying.

Just give complete attention.

Maybe you won't say anything...maybe some words will come...who knows.

That is bringing the unconditioned consciousness into human interactions.

am i strong enough??

I recently wrote a piece for an ezine about Kathrynn's birth. It focused on the idea of whether I was strong enough to go through the birthing process....... or more so, the concept that women go through this period of self doubt during childbirth....

Its an interesting process.... childbirth. but the concept-- am i strong enough-- does not end at childbirth...
in fact, it seems to linger..... throughout this WONDERFUL adventure called life. :)

I had a pretty intense day on monday, and that concept popped back into my head, rather strongly...... Am i strong enough to be the mother i want to be, the mother my child needs me to be, the mother my child deserves to have.....

Am i strong enough to be.... ME??!?!?

In short, YES!!!!!

I AM strong enough. Breathing continual breaths, staying in each moment, opening my eyes to Joy, being Present..... All these things allow me to be strong enough.

It is all good. It is all amazing. The good is the bad is the bad is the good. Its all of those things and none of those things. Its all good. Its all amazing.

and, I *am* strong enough.

Your joy is your way to joy.....

Our life HAS been joyful this week!!!! We've been spending lots of time outside, taking advantage of the warm sun shinning brightly!!! Pictures forthcoming, but wanted to share this interesting quote for now.....

Have a joyful day!!!
:)
lisa

=================================================================
Life is supposed to be fun. You said, "I'll go forth and choose. I'll look at the data, and I'll say, yes to this, and yes to this, and yes to this, and I'll paint a picture of the things that I want, and I'll vibrate about them, because that's what I'm giving my attention to. And the Universe will respond to my vibration. And then I'll stand in a new place where a whole new batch of yeses are available, and I'll say yes to this, and yes to this, and yes to this." You did not say, "I'll go forth and struggle into joy", because from your Nonphysical Perspective you know it is vibrationally not possible. You cannot struggle to joy. Struggle and joy are not on the same channel. You joy your way to joy. You laugh your way to success. It is through your joy that good things come.

Excerpted from the workshop in Los Angeles, CA on Sunday, August 2nd, 1998

Our Love,
Jerry and Esther

Ostara- 2005!

I couldn't resist book look up the pix from her first memorable egg hunt.
:)

Ostara Joy!

Kathrynn LOVES ritual!
She's been celebrating Spring Equinox since she as long as she can remember, and often talks about her egg hunt when she was 2 (she's watched the video of that about a GAJILLION times ;) )

We usually take a leisurely two days for our seasonal holidays. On Ostara day we had a lovely dinner out at one of our favorite restaurants, http://www.farm-bloomington.com/farminfo.html, and then Kathrynn went to the UU for a wonderfully intimate Ostara ritual. Kathrynn banished fear of pain, and welcomed good health.... and we planted flower seeds into our wishes for the year. It was a wonderful ceremony. :)


Kathrynn continues to love Star Wars, and has been asking for a Jar Jar Binks and an Naboo fighter plane, so this was her Ostara present. Boy was she excited!!!!!!!!


The next day was a day filled with beautiful Sun, planting activities, and lots of Eggs!

She and wes were busy most of the morning putting together our square foot gardening boxes (http://www.squarefootgardening.com/). She was very proud and excited over their accomplishments. :)
I joined into help and then got busy planting some more seeds. :)








Later in the afternoon I hid the plastic eggs that I had filled with yummy snacks, as is our tradition every year. :) I LOVE this part of Ostara, because it fills kathrynn with such innocent Joy. It was super cute watching her find the various eggs hidden around our yard. I took a video of her looking for the last egg, which eluded her for quite some time. ;)







Then i couldn't resist taking some video of her opening the eggs for their hidden treasures. :)




After that we moved onto dying eggs and decorating them. Unfortunately by this point I had realized that something was horribly amiss with my back, and i was experiencing a lovely pinching sensation in my lower back. But I did get a few good pictures before I retired to the bed. :)





I'm so grateful for Spring finally getting here, and it was a wonderful celebration to welcome her in!

Not in a rush in our own mind.....

My friend text'd me to tell me about this great quote she found while reading a magazine...
"If we are not in a rush with our own mind, we have the patience to let things unfold...."

I wish I could give credit to whomever authored this sentence, but it so captures my life sometimes.....

Mothering a child who feels BIG.... being a woman who is highly sensitive her self, and tends to feel "bigness" as well..... it is important for me to be able to be Still in times of "duress."

My mother in law left monday after being here for a week. Kathrynn always has a hard time transitioning after visits (or sometimes during visits) to places or when people visit here...... When her known energetic environment shifts, as occurs when we visit family or they visit us, she has to transition back to homeostasis once the visitors are gone (or sometimes even while we are still w/ family if the visit is long enough). This process is all unspoken, and so even more difficult to understand.

When I follow the road map of her behaviors, I am able to see the chaos and the "out of sorts" feelings she is experiencing. During these times she has "melt downs" and her ability to be flexible to the ebbs and flows of life diminsh greatly. It is them my job to "not rush in my own mind", but instead to be Centered and Still and Present for her.... to allow her to fully process whatever she is experiencing, and be there for her when she comes out on the other side. When i try to resist this process, it goes horribly.... Both of us wind up in tears. When i wait it out, things unfold almost Magically..... The end of the world can seem be near, but then with the next breath she is somewhere else energetically and has moved to a new place of Being.

This has been our last couple days. The world crashing down on us, Connecting, Listening, Loving, Waiting......transitioning into being secure in the world and ready to leap tall buildings with a single bound.... Rinse. Repeat. Breath. Reminding myself that All *is* Well.

Each time the world seems to be crumbling down around us- each time those emotions are *so* BIG!!!- I still often feel a twinge of "Oh No!" Then i breath, and remember the process. That it *will* be ok. That is is ok *now*. That with patience, things will unfold. Keeping my mind from feeling the anxiety and worry and desperation that my daughter is feeling is crucial. Those are not *my* feelings.... those are HERS. And I can not help her by mimicing them in myself.

Keeping my mind Still, not in a rush to find solutions or to make the world "perfect" for her, allows that unfolding to occur in a peaceful and magical way. Even if i have a hard time feeling the peace and magic while it is happening, I always look back on it and See it clearly, when I have Choosen to be Patient. What is more exciting for me is that now, after all these years, even while its happening , i think i *finally* can get a glimpse of that peace and magic *while* the chaos still ensues. I have started to Believe in the beauty of Presence and Patience.

With each episode I am left both exhausted and exhilerated..... That Bigness is a lot for me to process. But coming out on the other side is AMAZING. This parenting stuff..... its amazing. :)

Beautiful! 4 day clothes and all ;)

I had the following conversation with Kathrynn the other morning:


me: here's some clothes to change into. [I put some clothes down next to where she is and then leave the room]

[I return a few minutes later to see the clothes untouched and that she is also not interested in them]

me: we have to go soon (Spanish class, which she loves!), lets get your clothes changed (offering to help her)

k: why do i have to change my clothes?

me: well, you've been wearing them since sat. That's 4 days. Don't you think that's long enough?

K: well, not exactly.

me: ok then!

She played for a few more minutes and then we were out the door!
================================================================

I love this conversation for a few reasons.....

I love the authenticity of our exchange and the honesty of our words. You may note the baggage and presumption that I still have, that after 4 days, clothes should be changed! I tried very hard to speak them with out judgment or shame, and more out of genuine inquiry. I *think* I succeeded. :) I love that after hearing my words, she was able to honestly reply that she did not agree with my assessment..... AND I love how I listened to her short response, and respected it.

(After re-reading the exchange, I am reminded how hurried we were that morning, and how normally I would have asked her if she was interested changing her clothes, and if she'd like to pick something out or if she'd like me to.... And I also am made aware of my secret agenda for her to change her clothes, by skipping asking her, and just going straight to picking out clothes for her...... I love how it is all so revealing and allows me to See.)

Sometimes its hard for me to see Kathrynn wearing clothes that are mismatched, disheveled, stained, maybe even a bit too big or small in sizing. This also transfers over to her hair-- she doesn't like it brushed or combed when it is dry, so this only occurs after we've showered or bathed. Which means that about 2 day a week, or maybe 1 day a week, her hair is shinny and brushed and "pretty." The other days its a bit tangled and stuck together. lol I'm taken back to when I was a girl, and my mom didn't allow me to have long hair because my hair was "stringy" and it didn't look as nice (to *her*) long as it did short. I understand the "idea" of this discomfort, but then........

I look at my Beautiful and Shinning child, and realize that she is who she IS- tangled hair and disheveled clothes included. And that THAT is also Beautiful and Shinning. In fact, it is ESPECIALLY Beautiful and Shinning!

The judgments I place on things such as clothes and the hair of my child limits my ability to just Be with her. It can get in the way of my ability to love All of her, and love her for who she Is.
I'm not interested in things that get in my way of Being with her. :)

I was at a library program long ago and they were getting some video footage for their public television channel, and I remember telling one of the librarians that people who saw the video might think my child lived inside of a car- her clothes had spots on them and her hair had not been brushed in days. The librarian looked at me and told me how beautiful my child was. And I looked at Kathrynn, and saw her Joy, and I smiled because YES! my child was beautiful! Kathrynn *is* beautiful- All the time, in each Moment.

She is beautiful when she is smiling or frowning or laughing or crying. She is beautiful when she puts on her favorite dress and when her hair is freshly combed. And she is beautiful when she is wearing clothes for the 4th day in a row, and her hair hasn't seem a comb in two or so days. It's All beautiful. :)

I know each kid is different and that it is not necessarily indicative of anything specific. But sometimes I can't help but get Joy out of how unaware Kathrynn is somewhat oblivious about how she looks and how others might judge her for how she looks. I secretely love that Kathrynn doesn't care what she's wearing, or if it is like the "other girls" or if it looks "cool" or if she looks "pretty." She knows, because I've told her, that she is Pretty in each Moment. All the time.

I love that she loves Being. Raw and unencombered by the "rules" of society. Free to be who she is. Without the baggage of "looks."

Hrm.... makes me realize how much baggage I have regarding all this for myself. Once again, Kathrynn, my Guru, tearing down my illusions. I am grateful for it. :)

Life is Beautiful. :)

Symptoms of Inner Peace - this time by the correct author- Saskia Davis :)

A few days ago I made a post about something i found on the internet, and it had credited the wrong author. I am reposting it here and deleting the old post, to give due credit to this wonderful piece of writing!!
Enjoy!
================================================================

http://symptomsofinnerpeace.net/Authors_Website/Wall_Poster.html

SYMPTOMS OF INNER PEACE™
© 1984 Saskia Davis

A tendency to think and act spontaneously
rather than on fears based on past experiences

An unmistakable ability to enjoy each moment

A loss of interest in judging other people

A loss of interest in judging self

A loss of interest in interpreting the actions of others

A loss of interest in conflict

A loss of ability to worry

Frequent, overwhelming episodes of appreciation

Contented feelings of connectedness with others and nature

Frequent attacks of smiling

An increasing tendency to let things happen
rather than to make them happen.

An increased susceptibility to love extended by others
as well as the uncontrollable urge to extend it

WARNING: Be on the lookout for symptoms of inner peace. The hearts of a great many already have been exposed;
and it is possible that people, everywhere, could come down with it in epidemic proportions. This could pose a serious threat to what has, up to now, been a fairly stable condition of conflict in the world.
If you have some or all of the above symptoms, please be advised that your condition of inner peace may be too far advanced
to be curable. If you are exposed to anyone exhibiting any of these symptoms, remain exposed only at your own risk.

CONTACT INFO
Website with beautiful poster available: http://symptomsofinnerpeace.net/Authors_Website/Wall_Poster.html
For permission to reprint:
Saskia Davis:
Email: symptomsofinnerpeace@me.com
phone: 206-363-8894

Scaly Tailz Reptiles and Amphibians at the library!

I'm always singing praises of our library, for the wonderful programing they have!
We went to an event today that was so wonderful!
The day started off with a bit of sadness, as her Grandma Jane was leaving to go back to florida, and her gymnastics class had been canceled due to spring break.
But this event really helped with the transition, and was thoroughly enjoyed by kathrynn every second!!!

Kathrynn loves just about every animal- nothing seems to scare her- especially not snakes or lizards! She pet every animal that was talked about. :)

Leopard Fat tailed Gecko....
Bearded Dragon Lizard
Hrm, a tiny little snake that I can't remember.....
I'm not remembering the kind of snake this was either!
Sweet turtle at the end. :)

Thanks library and Scaly Tailz!!! :)

Early Happy St. Patricks day to ya!

http://www.figtreegallery.com/
Here is where we spent last Saturday, for their annual Medieval St Patrick’s Day celebration!
This is our third year going, and it gets better every year. Kathrynn is always interested in the fighting and music, and often is interested in the various games they have there. But with each year she has more interest, and more patience and more Presence.

This year she watched the various fighters, watched the musicians, played a couple games of chess and some other games, and participated in a Celtic dance!

Kathrynn decided that I should do the dance too, and it was particularly funny for me as i forgot my belt that day and my pants were folded over to keep them from falling off. So I was hoping that during this dance they would not slide down, although my husband was hoping they would. :X I should also mention that while i knew my husband would be watching my butt swish back and forth ( and i accentuated my movements for his benefit!) I did NOT know he was video taping the dance. So I guess its saying something (although I do not know what!) that i'm actually posting it here. :P







The first round of chess.....
The wonderful musicians!

More chess!
And some chinese checkers too.... :P
Onto some fighting.... and Wes and Kathrynn saw some archery too.....


And a still of one of the celtic dances!

A great day! :)

First warm days yeah!!!!!!

Seusspicious Behavior! We love our local library so much! They had a day of celebrating Dr Seuss' birthday. That was our first stop, where we met up w/ our friends Skye and Kt. Kathrynn had a ton of fun with all the activities, and esp. liked getting her face painted. Those face paintings remained on her cheeks for days! ;)







These are the "bears" outside our library, where the kids LOVE to play. Kathrynn was so excited in that she was able to climb up the smaller bear all by herself this year. I think i gave her a boost for the taller bear. :)

Then onward to a park, for soccer, scooting, and lots of fun. :)


The following day we went to our friends Rhonda and Virginia's house. Their sheep had just had a lamb a few days prior. Sooo cute!!!


The kids were ready for a boat ride on the lake, but the paddle boat had a ton of water in the back, so they settled for getting their suits on and hanging out in the paddle boat. :P


A couple days later was another amazing day of warmth!
We hit two parks that day- we are so grateful for the TONS of amazing parks Bloomington has to offer.

Ice cream seemed to be an appropriate way to end the day!

I'm SOOO glad our flexible lifestyle allows us to enjoy whatever Joy we choose! We spent those few warm days outside, and since then we've been back to winter temperatures.... BRRRRRRR!!!
Warm days, we'll be seeing you soon enough!!!! :)