Just as soon as this season came, it seems it has decided to go.
The orange glow of Autumn is slowly being replaced by the bare, sleek look of winter.
We soak up each and every sunny, crisp day.
We admire the last of the fallen leaves.
And we choose to smile at what’s to come.
It’s interesting to me that sometimes, the things we dread most are the things we actually need most.
Take, for example, my day today. It’s Ryan’s first day of work, which means I am responsible for both kids from 8am until he gets home {I’m guessing it will be around 6:30pm}. It’s not that I’ve never taken care of both boys by myself before. It’s not that Ryan hasn’t had to work at all. It’s just that, well, we’re here. In New York. And this house, this neighborhood, this city, this county – they’re all unfamiliar. Sure, I’ve been to this city plenty of times before. But there’s this weird shift going on for me – I’m doing life…as in, I-take-care-of-the-kids-you-go-to-work-and-we-actually-live-like-this life.
For the past {almost} couple of months, we’ve been “settling in” and “adjusting” and “transitioning.” I’m not being sarcastic, but I am saying that it would be really, really easy to stay in that place. You know? I could “settle in” for months and months. It could take me forever to “adjust.” I could take my sweet time “transitioning.”
But today? Real life begins. The reality that we’re here, we’re staying for a while, we need to save money, and yeah, we share a house with my in-laws – it’s in full swing. Here. Happening. Right. Now.
I sort of approached this day with fear and trepidation, and anyone who has changed so much about their lives in so little time will surely understand why. Today means letting go. Today means taking responsibility for my part while Ryan does his part. It means finding a {loose} routine that works for me and the boys. It means navigating the waters of communication with my in-laws by myself. It means figuring out how to get and keep both boys fed, diapered/pottied, down for naps, and entertained without a sidekick. It means learning how to smile at my sweet husband at the end of long days of mothering my two adorably rambunctious little boys. It means scheduling my showers accordingly. And it means lots of time to think by myself. Not that any of it is bad – it just is what it is.
So I’ve just gone through my day focusing only on one step at a time. There’s really no other sane way to do it.
After I officially got both boys down for naps {and it took a while, let me tell you}, I decided to make myself some lunch. As I stood at the stove sauteing onions, it occurred to me that I was enjoying myself. I mean, of course I miss Ryan and the assistance he so graciously affords me when he’s home, but there’s something about this “alone” time {you’re never really alone when there are kids in the house} that I treasure greatly, and I’d simply forgotten about it.
I’m a very introspective and contemplative person by nature. Having the time and space to go there is very valuable to me, and actually, contributes quite a bit to my peace. So today? Today isn’t so bad.
Today is the beginning of our new normal in New York. It’s never been like this before, and it won’t always be like this – but it’s here and it’s now and it’s good.
The Chicks-n-Chickens Lullaby Exercises DVD and CD were an immediate hit with my kids. They were instantly mesmerized by the sometimes energetic, sometimes relaxing quality of Lisa Phenix’s original music. Designed for moms to “share moments with their baby, put a little one to sleep, and to feel good emotionally and physically,” the instructional DVD provides a fun, simple exercise routine that includes lots of dancing, stretching, and relaxing while babywearing. The music is pleasant and the CD is a wonderful addition when a TV is not readily available.
My first impression, if I may be so honest {and I may!}, was of a giggly nature. I was able to clearly see why this DVD/CD combo is a great tool, especially for new moms, but I am not familiar with aerobic exercises in general and some of the moves made me snicker. But, as we continued to watch {and I attempted some moves}, I could really tell that my body was getting a workout. That alone makes this product valuable. It was also really great to see moms of all types with children of different ages working toward a common goal: to stay healthy and to comfort their baby.
I love that Chicks-n-Chickens has provided a product that encourages mothers to keep their babies close while tending to their personal well-being. In today’s culture, we are often told that we need to spend time away from our children in order to revitalize and reenergize. Personally, I believe that these first developmental years are some of the most important, and I love it when I find products that show me how to keep my baby’s needs in mind while taking care of my own needs as well.
The founder, Darcy Novo Albrecht, has many years of fitness experience and knows exactly what moms and their babies need most: “toning, soothing, bonding, and sleep.” The Chicks-n-Chickens Lullaby Exercises accomplish exactly that.
While I have never been the type to do aerobic exercises, I feel like I’ve found something that will help me to stay in shape while simultaneously soothing my infant and undoubtedly entertaining my two-year-old! In the past, it’s been almost impossible to find time to exercise. Now, I know I can do it and, even better – I don’t have to leave the comfort of my own home and my baby gets to stay right where he wants to be: in my arms.
Would you like to learn some fun and soothing exercises while wearing your baby? If so, you’re in luck, because Chicks-n-Chickens has generously offered a copy of their DVD/CD for me to give away! This giveaway is open until Saturday, November 14 at 11:59pm!
To enter:
Mandatory first entry: go to the Chicks-n-Chickens website, read more about their awesome product and the team behind it all. Then come back here and tell me what you liked most about what you saw/read on their website!
For subsequent entries, do any or all of the following, and be sure to come back and leave a separate comment for each extra entry:
- Write a post about this giveaway on your blog, and be sure to link back here to this post!
- Follow Chicks-n-Chickens on Twitter
- Follow me on Twitter
- Tweet about this giveaway, using the text: #Babywearing exercises DVD/CD giveaway from @chicksnchickens by @mamarissa! Open till 11/14 @ 11:59pm! http://wp.me/ph7bq-eX
- Subscribe to my blog via your reader of choice
Happy entering!
Full disclosure: Chicks-n-Chickens was very kind to send me a free copy of the Lullaby Exercises DVD/CD for the purpose of reviewing.
I’ve decided something.
I’ve resolved to commit myself to learning how to do something new every week.
It kind of looks silly now that I’ve written it out, but I guess it’s based mostly on my desire to see the good in everything, to learn to seek out adventure, and to hone my natural talents. It may seem simplitic to some, but it feels big and important to me.
Let me explain.
Learning how to do something creates a sense of accomplishment. I feel proud of myself and that experience always leads me to more open doors. As a mama, I tend to slip into this same-ol’-same-ol’ attitude. The only way I figure I’ll be able to counter that is to purposefully place myself in educational circumstances.
Tonight, I began the process of soaking lentils for the first time. I can already guarantee that I’m only hitting the tip of the iceburg here. When I think of it like that, I feel excited. My adventuresome spirit begins to wriggle around in preparation for flight and my eager heart causes me to lift from the ground. I like that feeling. I want to feel that way more often.
So, I will learn how to do something new every week. Even if it’s just a new recipe, or a new embroidery stitch, or how to do a leaf rubbing. I may be a busy mama of young children, but those children need a happy, adventurous, delightful mama – not a cranky, too-serious, downer of a mama!
I’ll keep you all updated on the progress of the lentil sprouts!
You’re tired. Daylight savings time really messed with your schedule. Your almost-six-month-old yelled at you for 30 minutes straight before his naptime and your 2-year-old broke down into tears everysingletime you uttered the word “no.”
But then you finished crocheting a hat for your sweet husband. And it actually looked like a hat. And he wore it all evening while he worked on mixing a record downstairs.
And it made you smile.
Each time I find myself full to the brim with frustration, exhaustion and irritation, all I really need to do is wash it away.
Wash away the distractions.
Rub out the selfish smudges of “I need” and “I want” and the “shoulds” and the “could haves.” I see a lot more clearly without the smudges and the streaks.
Maybe this only makes sense when you’re there. Are you there?
I always know that I’ve lost perspective when I start thinking of my children as the reason why I can’t do what I want. The honest truth is, when I slow down, step back and reevaluate, all I want are my children.
I enjoy writing. I enjoy knitting and crocheting. I enjoy drinking tea and drawing and embroidering and cooking up elaborate meals. But I’d give all that up for the sake of relationship with my kids.
I’ve come to a place where I need to let go of everything else for a little while. Today, tomorrow, and for many days after that, it’s about being a mama. It will always come back to being a mama. Did I hug my kids, or did I wish they’d leave me alone so I could do something “more important” like update Twitter or crochet a hat or drink my tea while it’s still hot? Did I read them books and teach them the names of sea animals or did I push them aside so I could fold clothes without any interruptions?
I like blogging. I like updating Twitter and I like learning new forms of art. But those things will always come in second after my family. And I’m perfectly okay with that.
workin’ hard every day
never notice how
the time slips away
people come, seasons go
we got something
that’ll never grow old.
I don’t care if the sun don’t shine
and the rain keeps pouring
down on me and mine
’cause our kind of love
never seems to get old
it’s better than silver and gold.
{Neil Young, Silver & Gold}
After a compelling conversation with my gorgeous husband the other night, I became {painfully?} aware of something: the life I dream of – the one in which we’ve finally obtained our farmhouse with our garden and orchards and barn-turned-half-recording-studio-half-real-barn-for-our-goats-and-cow-and-chickens and our as-much-as-possible self-sustainable lifestyle, I do not see myself sitting at the computer {or staring at my iPhone} several hours each day. That’s not who I want to be.
I have this vision. I see this home {although I’m not sure exactly where it’s located} and I see myself and my family living there. I see myself focused on very simple and beautiful things: my ever-growing relationship with God, my husband and his music, my children, my writing, breadmaking, sewing, knitting, reading and reading and reading, growing and preserving my own food, cooking over an outdoor fire in the warmer months, caring for a small amount of livestock, hanging my clothes to dry on a line in my yard, homeschooling, giving much of my homegrown food away to people in need, and just reveling in the simplicity of it all.
Right now, we’re on a path that {we hope} is headed toward the fruition of this vision. And as I take each step, however quickly or slowly I stride, I want to begin to invest in this dream. Above all else, I’ve found that the worst offender – the thing that keeps bringing me back a few steps at a time – is distraction.
I’m incredibly distracted by online social networking and computers and iPhones. They totally cramp my style.
There. I said it.
There’s a lot more to say, but I’ll keep it simple. I don’t really want to get into how ridiculous it is when Ryan and I find ourselves checking our iPhones constantly while eatingdrivingtalkingsleepingetcetera. Or how Facebook is one of the only ways I’ve kept in contact with everyone in California since we moved almost a month ago. Or how I probably check my email 53,946 times a day. It’s actually embarrassing.
Anyway, enough of that.
Why are you telling us this, Mama Rissa?
Well, I’m glad you asked!
In short, I’m deactivating my Facebook account. I’m gearing up to delete my Twitter account. I may even nix my iPhone. The possibilities are endless, man.
I will still use email and I will still blog. I feel that blogging is reasonable and worth it because I only ever write when I am inspired, anyhow. It doesn’t take me long to write something I’m passionate about, and I think that I’ll appreciate this online journal of sorts one day when I’m old.
I will not write a certain amount of posts per month or anything like that, because again, it would just be a distraction. So while I cannot promise you frequent posts, I can promise that I will only write when I feel there is truly something to be said. That right there should count for something.
Speaking of something to be said, I know I mentioned this before, but I do have a pretty nifty giveaway coming up soon. So definitely stay tuned. 
