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!!!! :)

She is my dancin' queen.....

Kathrynn has been REALLY into Mama Mia lately...... she decided to perform Mama Mia, and then La Bamba last night...... a great source of entertainment for my mother in law, who is visiting. :)

The Mama Mia segment was done a few times, so I have various segments captured on video...















Then came La Bamba, after a costume change, of course....







If only i had a video camera on the edge of my finger....... she's been doing these dances constantly over the last 48 hours- super cuteness!!!! :)

10 years of marriage

Oh, I'd love to pontificate on this..... there really is so much to say about how much growth is involved in ten years of marriage. And yet I think I'll just share some pictures of us from the last few days, and congratulate ourselves on making it to ten years...... cause yes, it really was against the odds at times. But we've made it, and we're the better for it.
Congrats to us!!!

Daily OM

I loved reading this because of how imperfect i am. lol
it reminded me that *its all good*
<3
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March 11, 2009
Set Yourself Free
Letting Go of Perfection
It is good to remember that one of our goals in life is to not be perfect. We often lose track of this aspiration. When we make mistakes, we think that we are failing or not measuring up. But if life is about experimenting, experiencing, and learning, then to be imperfect is a prerequisite. Life becomes much more interesting once we let go of our quest for perfection and aspire for imperfection instead.

This doesn’t mean that we don’t strive to be our best. We simply accept that there is no such thing as perfection—especially in life. All living things are in a ceaseless state of movement. Even as you read this, your hair is growing, your cells are dying and being reborn, and your blood is moving through your veins. Your life changes more than it stays the same. Perfection may happen in a moment, but it will not last because it is an impermanent state. Trying to hold on to perfection or forcing it to happen causes frustration and unhappiness.

In spite of this, many of us are in the habit of trying to be perfect. One way to nudge ourselves out of this tendency is to look at our lives and notice that no one is judging us to see whether or not we are perfect. Sometimes, perfectionism is a holdover from our childhood—an ideal we inherited from a demanding parent. We are adults now, and we can choose to let go of the need to perform for someone else’s approval. Similarly, we can choose to experience the universe as a loving place where we are free to be imperfect. Once we realize this, we can begin to take ourselves less seriously and have more fun. Imperfection is inherent to being human. By embracing your imperfections, you embrace yourself.

12 Exercises for Mindful Parenting by Myla and Jon Kabat-Zinn

12 Exercises for Mindful Parenting

by Myla and Jon Kabat-Zinn

With these meditative techniques, raising children can be a spiritual practice.

1. Try to imagine the world from your child's point of view, purposefully letting go of your own. Do this every day for at least a few moments to remind you of who this child is and what he or she faces in the world.
2. Imagine how you appear and sound from your child's point of view, i.e., having you as a parent today, in this moment. How might this modify how you carry yourself in your body and in space, how you speak, and what you say? How do you want to relate to your child in this moment?
3. Practice seeing your children as perfect just the way they are. See if you can stay mindful of their sovereignty from moment to moment, and work at accepting them as they are when it is hardest for you to do so.
4. Be mindful of your expectations of your children and consider whether they are truly in your child's best interest. Also, be aware of how you communicate those expectations and how they affect your children.
5. Practice altruism, putting the needs of your children above your own whenever possible. Then see if there isn't some common ground, where your true needs can also be met. You may be surprised at how much overlap is possible, especially if you are patient and strive for balance.
6. When you feel lost, or at a loss, remember to stand still and meditate on the whole by bringing your full attention to the situation, to your child, to yourself, to the family. In doing so, you may go beyond thinking, even good thinking, and perceive intuitively, with the whole of your being, what needs to be done. If that is not clear in any moment, maybe the best thing is to not do anything until it becomes clearer. Sometimes it is good to remain silent.
7. Try embodying silent presence. This will grow out of both formal and informal mindfulness practice over time if you attend to how you carry yourself and what you project in body, mind, and speech. Listen carefully.
8. Learn to live with tension without losing your own balance. In Zen and the Art of Archery, Herrigel describes how he was taught to stand at the point of highest tension effortlessly without shooting the arrow. At the right moment, the arrow mysteriously shoots itself. Practice moving into any moment, however difficult, without trying to change anything and without having to have a particular outcome occur. Simply bring your full awareness and presence to this moment. Practice seeing that whatever comes up is "workable" if you are willing to trust your intuition. Your child needs you to be a center of balance and trustworthiness, a reliable landmark by which he or she can take a bearing within his or her own landscape. Arrow and target need each other. They will find each other best through wise attention and patience.
9. Apologize to your child when you have betrayed a trust in even a little way. Apologies are healing. An apology demonstrates that you have thought about a situation and have come to see it more clearly, or perhaps more from your child's point of view. But be mindful of being "sorry" too often. It loses its meaning if you are always saying it, making regret into a habit. Then it can become a way not to take responsibility for your actions. Cooking in remorse on occasion is a good meditation. Don't shut off the stove until the meal is ready.
10. Every child is special, and every child has special needs. Each sees in an entirely unique way. Hold an image of each child in your heart. Drink in their being, wishing them well.
11. There are important times when we need to be clear and strong and unequivocal with children. Let this come as much as possible out of awareness, generosity, and discernment, rather than out of fear, self-righteousness, or the desire to control. Mindful parenting does not mean being overindulgent, neglectful, or weak; nor does it mean being rigid, domineering, and controlling.
12. The greatest gift you can give your child is your self. This means that part of your work as a parent is to keep growing in self-knowledge and awareness. This ongoing work can be furthered by making a time for quiet contemplation in whatever ways feel comfortable to us. We only have right now. Let us use it to its best advantage, for our children's sake, and for our own.

Mindfulness expert Jon Kabat-Zinn is the author of Wherever You Go, There You Are. Myla Kabat-Zinn has worked as a childbirth educator, birthing assistant, and environmental activist. Excerpted from Everyday Blessings: The Inner Work of Mindful Parenting. Copyright 1997 by Myla Kabat-Zinn and Jon Kabat-Zinn.

How to Be an Extreme Encourager by Christine Kane

How to Be an Extreme Encourager
by Christine Kane


Many years ago, when I first shared my dream of being a songwriter with one of my best friends, she knitted her brows and said, "Huh?"

I can't say I was deflated by all of the warnings that followed. After all, I had always been surrounded by this kind of "practical thinking." In fact, I probably shared my dream with her just so she'd talk me out of it.

During this fumbling stumbling time in my life, I met a man who became an unlikely best friend and mentor. He was a brilliant jazz musician, and he could do pretty much anything on the computer.

One night, after he performed at a local jazz club, we were walking towards my car. I told him my dream of being a songwriter. Without even blinking, he said, "Honey (he always called me Honey), you'd be a fabulous songwriter. That's perfect!" And he meant it.

At that moment, I felt like I was falling into a soft clean bed. I had never experienced such direct and truthful encouragement without a single "practical" warning attached to it. This friend set me free by offering one simple thing:

Encouragement.

Fast forward many years and successes and failures later. I'm surrounded by encouragers. I'm sure there are doubters around. But they don't register anymore.

Also, I have become an extreme encourager myself.

I've observed extreme encouragers. I've also recognized some traits that they all have in common. Here they are:

· An extreme encourager lives by example

The best encouragers are the ones who live it. Whether they're just getting started, or they're veteran risk-taking creativity-living wild-women - the encouragers are the ones who want a bigger life for themselves and are willing to "go there." This is why my jazz musician friend could simply offer encouragement when my other friend could not.

· An extreme encourager actively listens

Encouragers know that encouragement doesn't mean you just tell people to "buck up" or "get over it." They know how to listen. This means looking at the speaker, listening to her, setting agendas and judgments aside, and honoring the speaker as a wise soul.

· An extreme encourager avoids clichés

Avoiding clichés is actually a result of actively listening to someone. Being an extreme encourager doesn't mean that you blindly tell people "You can do it!" or "Let go of fear!" It's deeper than that. It's seeing the truth of the other person, especially when they cannot.

· An extreme encourager acknowledges the hooglie-booglies, but doesn't focus on them

We all have the hooglie-booglies. These are the voices that tell us we can't, or we shouldn't, or we'll fail, or we'll look stupid. An encourager doesn't focus on those voices because she knows they they're trying to hook her. An encourager simply acknowledges that the voices are there and that you can't make them go away by arguing with them. An encourager knows that those voices aren't the truth. They only SEEM like the truth.

· An extreme encourager remembers that no one knows what's best for anyone else

An encourager knows that we are all wise and that sometimes we make choices that might not seem so wise. An extreme encourager calls out our deepest desires and then helps us see the thoughts and fears that hold us back.

· An extreme encourager accepts miracles, grace and mystery as the deeper truth.

Extreme encouragers are often mystics of sorts. They know that the so-called "woo-woo" stuff is more real than the so-called "logical" stuff. They celebrate the divine as a simple fact of everyday existence and don't get caught up in the "prove it" mindset.

· An extreme encourager knows that you can develop the needed character traits as you go

In other words, she knows you're ready now, even if you're not perfect yet! I shudder when I read advice that discourages people from trying something because of character traits "required" in advance. "You shouldn't blog if you're not disciplined." "If you don't have focus, you can't be a writer." Most of the successful people I know developed these traits as they went. I certainly did. Encouragers understand the huge potential for growth in each human, especially when someone begins to follow her heart.

---------------

I'm grateful to the encouragers! And I'm grateful to be able to pass it on to others - either my friends, or to women in my retreats or my coaching clients!

Who has given you the encouragement you needed in your life? And do you pass it on now?



Performer, songwriter, and creativity consultant Christine Kane publishes her 'LiveCreative' weekly ezine with more than 4,000 subscribers. If you want to be the artist of your life and create authentic and lasting success, you can sign up for a FRE*E subscription to LiveCreative at www.christinekane.com.

Circus Joy becomes Play Joy!

I always find it so interesting how kids process their experiences as well as how they "take" from one activity or experience and incorporate it into their play. The next experience occurred spontaneously the night of Kathrynn attending her first circus (which she and Wes attended together):

Kathrynn called Wes and I into our living room to tell us that she had a performance for us! She came out wearing an outfit that is for her baby dolls- a size 2T dress and bottom set!!! She is a petite child, so easily stuffed herself into this outfit! I videoed the first part of the performance, and unfortunately turned it off before it got to the good part and where I finally realized what she was doing. She was imitating the performances of the clowns she’d seen that day!

She was basically doing slapstick, and it was fascinating for me to watch as I realized what was happening! The costume was picked for the absurdity value, and then the crazy dancing with her doll was to show their zany antics, and then what I didn’t’ capture on video was the funniest thing of all- she performed this slapstick routine that was very Charlie Chaplin like: she dropped her dolls hat, then went to pick it up, only to drop the doll, which led her to picking up the doll, only to dropping the hat, which led her to drop the doll…. ect! So this went on and on and it was so amazing and funny to watch her portrayal of slapstick comedy. She used great facial expressions and body language as well to express to us that she was doing this silly kind of slapstick that she had witnessed earlier that day!
This shot was the begginning of her solo act w/ Papa Baby Doll!


After her solo performance, she pulled Wes into the act, where they acted out scenes they'd seen the clowns doing earlier that day. It was SOO cute and fun to watch. :)

In this one I think they were reenacting a chicken (played by Kathrynn) chasing a clown dressed up as a chef (played by Wes). At the circus the chicken was chasing the chef around w/ a big fake knife. lol



This was another scene acted out from the circus that I didn't completely understand since I didn't go myself, but was still funny to watch. lol

After all the action was over, we went into Kathrynn's room where we played a game with the clown cards she'd collected that day. She made up a game that involved memorizing the names of the various clowns. It was a bit mentally challenging but really was fun, and great to see unfold from her first moments of creating the game until the very end when we were all playing. :)



Here is the video clip, which i unfortunately stopped before the crazy slapstick stuff started!

Connection and Laughter......

The most significant thing for a parent to contribute to anyone, is their own Connection and their own stability. An effective parent is a happy parent. An effective parent is a parent who laughs easily and often, and who doesn't take things so seriously.

Excerpted from the workshop in Albany, NY on Monday, October 1st, 2001

Our Love,
Jerry and Esther

More Star Wars Joy!

I am dumbfounded constantly by the amazing creativity that Star Wars has sparked with Kathrynn. Although she was ok playing by herself for short periods of time (SHORT) she now spends a lot of time through out the day playing out different scenes and making new scenes with her Star Wars characters.

Sometimes she creates these wonderfully creative sets that I simply LOVE! Many times the door is mostly closed, and so i am not able to get any good shots, but i'm able to listen in on the sound of her sweet voice. :)


This is one of my favorites, because she figure out how to simulate Hoth (sp?), one of the Star Wars Universe planets. She used baking soda for snow, as Hoth is covered with snow and ice. hehehe The baking soda wound up in the millennium falcon, which let to some problems, so for now Hoth is back to the world of the imagination. :)








I love these two pix also as they really show her creative sets. She set this up using a pillow against a wall to hold the flashlight in place, and then had the flashlight shine down on the scene. I don't recall the scene, but it was super neat for me to see. She often uses flashlights in play. :)



In the corner is the stadard plate of food that she nibbles from while playing. :P