1) Teaching my children to accomplish more tasks can actually be fun for all of us!
Maybe I am just in a bit of a nesting-mode right now, but whatever the case, I have lately realized that my oldest two children are ready for more responsibility. So I've been showing them how to do stuff they can "almost" do - such as make homemade pizza from scratch or REALLY clean the bathroom. Basically I have them shadow me and help me several times and eventually, they can do it themselves!! (As in the case of Samuel who now makes amazing scrambled eggs - doing everything himself - and waffles! And Rebekah can get the front room picked up and the toys put mostly where they go.) It will be a while before Rebekah truly masters rolling out the pizza crust (or I switch to another recipe with easier-to-work-with dough) but even now she is learning the different components of how it goes together and even if it only gets so far as her being able to do the sauce and toppings for the next several tries, that is something I don't have to do!!! My world is bursting this reality that kids can honestly be helpful!!! Who knew??
2) Exercise is important. . . but really it is just movement.
I have told you before I am really digging the bio-mechanist, Katy Bowman and her writings on human movement. She did have several titles for her work such as the "Aligned and Well" facebook page, and"The Restorative Exercise Institute," as well has her blog "Katy Says." Now she has changed all to "Nutritious Movement" and I think that is a brilliant move and really encompasses the philosophy behind her work. Her main point is that we do not move throughout the day as we used to (and are designed to) because of modern conveniences and culture cues. But we still can!! So put movement back in your day - do things differently, stack your life!!
3) Walking is my main focus at this time.
Following my previous point, Katy says repeatedly that walking is the ideal "movement" for humans. And we should move lots of ways, but if you can do nothing else, at least walk. So I signed up for a walk-every-day challenge and so far (all 8 days into the year) I'm doing well walking at least 20 minutes a day, though I shoot for more like 45 minutes or an hour - sometimes broken up throughout the day.
4) It is humbling and sometimes mentally taxing for me to change my movement patterns.
Anyone who really knows me knows that I LOVE to exercise. I love to run. I love to push myself. I love to WORK HARD. And I LOVE to be sore later. But alas, at the moment running - while I can still run - makes my varicose veins cry out in agony for the next several days - not to mention my back complains and I am just WIPED OUT. It really would not be prudent to continue running or high-impact "exercise" right now, no matter how appealing that "runner's high" and those "happy work-out endorphins" may seem. Instead, the walking, the stretching, squatting throughout my day sitting on the floor, hanging from my pull-up bar - these are my "exercise." And I'm taking it one day at a time, but so far, this seems to be best for my body.
5) I am AMAZED at my capacity for sleep lately.
Now, being pregnant is exhausting work - I would be the first to admit that. But in my current situation, I am actually able to take a nap, or sleep-in when I feel like it and I am amazed at how much sleep I can actually accomplish!! Yesterday I went to bed at 10pm - fell right to sleep and slept until 7:30am. I got up, made coffee for my husband, and decided I was still tired. I laid back down and slept soundly for another hour. Then in the afternoon I concluded I needed a nap about 4pm and slept until 6:30pm. And you are thinking, "ah, she won't be able to go to bed in the evening!" but oh no, I promptly laid down again at 10pm and was out like a light until 8:45am the next morning!! And this is not a "oh maybe I'm feeling a little sick" day - it has been like this for most of the past five months. Apparently I am just excelling at sleeping right now - perhaps this is a sign of what type of baby I'm going to be having - haha. In any case, I am grateful to be in a position to get this rest as my kids can be fairly self-sufficient for the most part or at least leave me alone and not burn the house down, so I am able to take time to indulge in this area.
6) I am really enjoying this video series called "The Wild Goose."
It is basically Father Dave Pivonka, TOR (whom I know from Franciscan University of Steubenville - not sure if he is still there or not) speaking about the Holy Spirit. There will be 14 segments by the end, as of now, I think 5 are available to stream - all free, of course. Fr. Dave is a wonderful, dynamic speaker, always with a simple message. I enjoyed his homilies at school and these segments are great in the same fashion.
7) Final point. . .
I cannot think of another point at this time and it has already taken me two days to get this together, so I'm publishing this "as is" and enjoying the humility I gain from not being able to "fit the mold" all the time.
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| Bye now. |
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