early fern
it always takes me awhile to settle into my rhythm down here. at first the change from home feels liberating but after a few days i long for routine. then i bang against my edges a bunch while i try to figure out what to do here. and then, eventually, things settle.
dog walk
there are dogs to walk, meals to prepare, and laundry to do. we read books and play with the magna tiles and bake a lot. i slowly adjust to the schedule of the horses and their needs, the dogs, my mom. sometimes we practice yoga.
knee kiss
i have been thinking a lot about homeschooling again. reading inspiring books and articles, accidentally meeting homeschooled teenagers, and thinking about what our “curriculum” would consist of if we go for it. instead of feeling so torn about it i am starting to feel like the answer is already clear and i am excited. the other day i saw this large almost black hawk in wide skies above us. he was flying but not going anywhere – just up high holding perfectly still surveying the area. i thought, oh yes. sometimes flying isn’t about getting somewhere it is about taking in the view.
trike
another day the kids and i were in the car driving home from the grocery store. it was late afternoon and all three of us were on edge. they were in an agitated state of loud noises and rapid fire questions neither of which i handle well. finally i found my voice and asked, please, for just a moment of quiet so i could find a calm place. they got themselves quiet and in the momentary silence i encouraged myself to take a deep breath. as i was inhaling i remembered the breath work we did in the yoga class i had attended the morning before. so i held my deep inhale and sought the edges of my comfort. my belly and chest full of air, my throat and pelvic floor gently locked. my surroundings got blurry and focused at the same time – they way they do when you are suddenly present in a moment you had been trying so hard to avoid without even noticing the avoidance. i exhaled and again just sat waiting until i needed to inhale again. all the screaming in my head was gone and instead i was seeing things, trees, passing cars, sunlight on leaves. inhale hold. i settled back into my body, felt the car seat and my hands on the steering wheel. wow, i was thinking. how easy was that? and how — profound. that the breath holds that much power over my mental state. something i seem to learn and forget and relearn a million times over.
hay
a few nights after i arrived here in aiken my brother called. while we were talking he told me about the iphone app instagram. oh gosh, i am so hooked. if you are instagraming let me know so i can follow you. i am on there as woowoomama.
for pura vida
woowoo mama 