The first snow fell today. It is actually still going and supposed to continue through tomorrow. While I am in denial about Winter being around the corner, as I am every year, I will admit I am loving the look of the soft layer of snow over the still red leaves of the Maple trees. It is such a beautiful sight to see.

We get some weird weather here in the midwest. It can be eighty degrees one day then thirty the next as mother nature decides which season to make it day by day. Autumn is my favorite because of the beautiful colored leaves, cozy sweatshirts, and yummy treats. Winter has its beauty with the blankets of snow and the feeling of being in an old black and white movie. 

I'm grateful to get to witness both today. I'm grateful to stay inside cozy and warm as we watch the first snow fall. I'm grateful to get to snuggle my baby as she begin to feel better. I'm grateful for a good strong heater and solid windows and doors to keep the chill out. I'm grateful to watch the peacefulness of the drifting snow as it falls. I'm grateful to get to incorporate some snow and ice into our science lessons this week. I'm grateful to roll with this lesson change even as it was "planned" for later in the year. I'm grateful for the way the red leaves really pop against the snow. I'm grateful for this day.

What takes your breath away? What sights of nature leave you in awe, even if you have seen it before? What is your favorite way to celebrate the first snow?

May today warm our bodies and hearts. May we cherish these beautiful moments nature gives and take the time to really see them. Have a beautiful day!

The last seven months have been mostly sheltered at home. We have gotten out for an occasional playdate at the park and I still work, of course, but mostly we have been home. 

Being home means we have been exposed to very few germs. In the short term this has been nice because there haven't been the typical colds and other bugs. It has also meant the blessing of not getting covid. It also probably means our immune systems are a little out of practice fighting off these little bugs. 

Last night when my little one came down with a fever I just assumed it was teething. In the wee hours she woke burning up, not the low grade temperature she had when she'd gone to bed. Needless to say, there have been lots of cuddles and snuggles since. 

Seeing my baby not feeling well is not fun. The only upside is I love cuddling my babies. They are growing up so fast and it is nice to stop and just snuggle. Even in our slower pace life these days these days my little one is on the go. While I pray she feels better soon, I will take the snuggles in this moment.

I'm grateful to snuggle. I'm grateful she is willing to take the medicine to bring her fever down. I'm grateful for her sweet kisses. I'm grateful for the sweet way her fingers wrap around me and hold tight. I'm grateful to be blessed with two sweet girls. I'm grateful we have been so healthy the last seven months. I'm grateful to know health will return. I'm grateful for a little bug to keep our immune systems exercised.

How have you been feeling? When was the last time you had a good snuggle? 

May health be the norm and may we always find our way back to the balance of health when it waivers. May we get all the snuggles we need in sickness and in health. Have a beautiful day!

When I am present to the here and now, there are no comparisons to make. I am not judging this moment by any other. I'm not bringing other frustrations from earlier or anxieties about later into the equation. It is only this moment. 

In this moment I can feel the firmness of the cushion against my back and my booty. I can feel the cold of my feet as they criss-cross on opposite calves. I can feel the tickle in my ear as my hair hangs loose. I can hear the faint ocean sounds over the monitor as my baby sleeps and the deep breathing of my dog resting nearby. 

I can feel which muscles are a little tight by the pull they give on my ribs as I try to take an extra deep breath. I can feel the cold of my water as it goes down my throat. 

It is a refreshing pace. There is a deep comfort in being in this moment even as my fingers press the keys, clicking on my keyboard. This moment is peaceful. This moment is calm.

While I am still practicing finding the here and now as two kids run around me issuing demands, I will continue to try. Why? Because if I can find it in those moments, I can parent from a whole new level of peace. From this level that is right here in THIS moment. I will keep working toward that but for now, back to this moment, I will just enjoy.

I'm grateful for this beautiful moment. I'm grateful to tune in and feel my body. I'm grateful for the soft, comforting noises of home around me. I'm grateful for the click of my keyboard that seems somehow detached from myself even as I know I am typing it. I'm grateful for this comfortable seat and that my feet are warming against my legs. I'm grateful to focus and feel as the breath comes in and out. I'm grateful for the here and now; it really is the most wonderful place.

Where are you? What sensations do you feel? What is your focus? How do you find ways to be present throughout the day?

May today remind us how beautiful the current moment is when we take the time to be in it. May we celebrate each day, each moment, and each breath as a blessing. Have a beautiful day!

Woohoo! Today is my birthday! It has already been such a special day with so many beautiful people in my life reaching out to make my day special. 

I feel like this year is truly a changing season of my life. No it is not one of the "big" years that are usually seen as some kind of milestone or transition. Perhaps it is that my children are getting a little more independent (for little ones) and my hormones are beginning to rebalance as the baby gets older. Perhaps it is that I'm finding ways to re-center myself after months of feeling like I've been juggling cats. No matter why, I feel grateful, blessed, and refreshed stepping into this next year of life.

The last year has brought many blessings and beautiful changes that I did not expect. It taught me more about how to roll with things I cannot control and gifted me the beauty of extra family time.

I don't know what the next year will bring. Somehow I feel very at ease with this not knowing, perhaps even a little excited as I think of all the great gifts that could be waiting in the plot twists ahead.

This year will be beautiful. This year will be blessed. This year will be full of gratitude. This promise is my gift to myself. It is one I can keep because the only thing it needs is my own mindset to achieve it.

I'm grateful for another birthday to celebrate. I'm grateful for a day with my family. I'm grateful my husband took the day off work to hang out with me and the girls. I'm grateful for all the spoiling I've gotten today. I'm grateful for pumpkins to carve. I'm grateful for the ability to change my look with a couple new pairs of glasses. I'm grateful for giggles and snuggles from my girls. I'm grateful for this day and all the ones to come.

What are you grateful for today? What gifts has this last year given you? What season of life are you in and how is it showing up for you?

May we pause to enjoy the blessings of each day. May we celebrate each year we are blessed. Have a beautiful day!

Have you ever heard the little rhyme about girls being made of sugar and spice and everything nice while boys are made of snails and puppy dog tails? Like most things, this "one box fits all" saying doesn't seem to sit well with me. It's not that I don't like the rhyme or that I think my girls aren't sweet and nice (though there is maybe a couple extra dashes of spice in them); it just doesn't seem to fit their personalities in the rounder view. 

Today I was reading Sugar and Snails by Sarah Tsiang to my daughter. It had a cute take on different little rhymes to fit different personalities. I was a fan of little girls being made of snails and rocks and butterfly socks as the book offers. Maybe dresses and snails and racing down trails would be a good rhyme for my oldest. Instead she chose out of each rhyme (as is her personality to a T) so she said she is made of dresses and snails and race cars. It is more fitting that she chose her own path and doesn't care that it doesn't rhyme. And that is good too, it's her. 

My little one is still emerging as her personality unfolds for us. Some days she seems so laid back but man other days she can throw a fit for the world to hear. She loves to swing and gets shy around people other than her immediate family. Maybe acorns and swings and firefly wings would work for her for now, until she can choose her own style like her big sister. I'm sure each day she will teach us more and more about just what makes her.

The best thing about it is that not only do we not have to fit in the box, or in someone's stereotype of us, we also have the option to change it up every day, every moment, whenever we want. We are fluid people, ever changing. We can change whenever we want. And for me it is fun to think up some little rhymes to go with it.

Today maybe I am cuddly and calm with some cherry lip balm. Tomorrow perhaps I will be adventurous and crazy in something lacy. I like the idea that I'm part owl, part monkey, and a little bit spunky. Or maybe since it's Fall, my favorite season, I am pumpkin spice and fall leaves and cozy blankets please.

I'm grateful to be playful and test my mind with rhyme. I'm grateful to get creative. I'm grateful for Sarah Tsiang's spin on the old rhyme. I'm grateful for the idea that boys can be "flowers and swings and bumblebee wings" and girls can be "snails and rocks and butterfly socks". I'm grateful to know we can be whatever we want to be. I'm grateful to know we can change that as we see fit whenever we want. And I'm grateful to honor everyone as they are, even if it doesn't rhyme.

So what are you "made of"? Who do you choose to be tomorrow? How will you honor yourself exactly as you are this week?

May today remind us we are beautiful expressions of our uniqueness. May we let our quirks shine and be authentically our own beings. Have a beautiful day!

I am very blessed in that my husband does most of the cooking for our family. I enjoy cooking, but working evenings does not lend itself to fixing dinner for the family. It was one of the beautiful aspects of the shutdown last Spring, getting to cook for my family and have dinner with them each night. 

My husband is an awesome cook. He finds new ways to make even the same meal unique and delicious. He has a knack for finding the right spices to add an extra boost to a meal. 

Even with the blessing of him cooking and him being great at it; it does my heart well to be able to cook a meal for my family. I try to do this at least a couple times a week but mostly it turns into quick meals. 

Today I had the time to make Mexican Chicken Quinoa Casserole! It was a new recipe for us but in optimistic fashion I made a double batch for an extra casserole to freeze for the future. (This is generally how I am able to "make" dinner for my family- by pre-making and freezing.) 

It fills my heart to make good, healthy food for my family. It fills me with joy when my kids actually like and eat the recipe! Tonight I got both. It was a beautiful gift!

I'm grateful for these little blessings. I'm grateful to feel the blessing of this simple act filling my heart. I'm grateful to try to consciously choose actions that will fill my "cup". I'm grateful my kids both liked tonight's meal. I'm grateful for a fun new recipe with our favorite, quinoa! I'm grateful to have an extra casserole to look forward to in a few weeks. I'm grateful for Autumn and all the great recipes, casseroles, and soups that come with it. I'm grateful to share love through good food.

What are some of your favorite recipes? What do you like to cook? How do you share love?

May we choose things that fill our heart and soul. May we find healthy ways to show our love and delicious food to share. Have a beautiful day!

Recently I have started re-learning how to sit with discomfort. As this pandemic has poked along I find myself more and more trying to escape the uncomfortable feelings of stress or anxiety by ignoring them. This doesn't work. Stuffing it down and deep has just left other discomforts and more reaction-based behaviors to minor plot-twists. 

So I am starting the uncomfortable, yet very healing work of feeling. As someone who is sensitive and highly emotional it definitely takes some processing time. Already I am noticing differences in not only how I feel but how I respond to life. 

Today I faced one of my most uncomfortable situations. Both of my girls were due for shots and I was the sole parent able to take them...at the same time. My oldest LOVES her doctor and doctor's visits but she was a little nervous about the idea of shots because it has been two years since she had to get any. The little one is avidly and vocally against even going near the doctor's office. I'm talking it took three whole minutes just to get her weight because she fought so hard against being put in (and staying in) the baby scale seat. 

Needless to say the nurse and doctor were so awesome and patient as always but it was an emotional challenge for me and the girls. Since the little one was struggling so much with the whole situation and already revved up, they suggested doing her shots first. As you might imagine, my oldest who is also very sensitive (both emotionally and to noises like a screaming sister) suddenly decided her nervousness about a shot was absolutely validated and she started freaking out about having to get one next. 

I will admit that in my own frazzled, broken-heart-because-my-babies-are-crying state of mind part of me wanted to just brush all the emotions away. Find a quick fix and get everyone back to quiet and happy. But I also recognized this was a perfect test to the work I have been doing AND a very important teaching moment for the girls.

We did hugs. I took LOTS of deep breaths. I offered that idea to my preschooler a few times who was having none of it. So we sat it out for a few minutes. Then I started doing a body scan out loud for myself. This is when you check in with each part of your body to try to identify how each area is feeling and see if any of it can be shifted. 

Out loud I said, "Wow, that was overwhelming and a little scary. Let me check. My head has a little headache. My jaw is a little tight (rubbing it with a free finger). Whew! My shoulders are pulled up and my heart is feeling sad to see my girls sad. What about you?" I walked my preschooler through thinking about each area of her body which gave her a way to move away from the upset of the shot but still stay in tune with how she was feeling. As she calmed down and our voices went back and forth I could feel the baby calming in my arms as well. 

My preschoolers tears still came and went for the next couple hours. The baby moved on pretty quickly as she tends to do once we had left the doors of the building. And I was able to stay in the conscious response level of my emotions without ignoring them OR letting them overwhelm me. It was a beautiful win. I won't say it was perfect, it is a work in progress, but I walked out feeling like I had just passed the national exams again. 

I'm grateful for this win. I'm grateful to do the work. I'm grateful to be taking time to tune in each day and see what I need emotionally. I'm grateful to be taking a more active and conscious approach to my mental health. I'm grateful for the podcasts and resources I have to support me in this journey. I'm grateful to be there for my girls physically and emotionally. I'm grateful for having a great pediatrician that really connects with my preschooler. I'm grateful to have two sweet kids that are so very very different from each other. 

What was your win today? How do you take time to process pain, discomfort, and emotions? What is your favorite technique for staying present?

May today give us the courage for growth. May we do the hard work now to move us forward. Have a beautiful day!

Today has been filled with the strange messages that I look forward to sitting down with to dissect tonight. In the meantime they are good for a chuckle. 

This morning I woke from a dream that I had gone to the doctor. While there the doctor told me that my last two eggs were ready. One egg was cracked and misshapen but the doctor reassured me this was because it was ready to hatch. We put it in warm water and out "hatched" an eight month old little girl with brown hair. Then the doctor put the other egg in the warm water and it hatched into a two month old little blonde boy that looked a lot my youngest daughter. The doctor said congratulations and people showed up with odd gifts like a hover car for kids and barbecue. 

As I said, I will have a lot of fun when I get a chance to sit down and dissect all the elements of that dream! 

In the meantime my preschooler keeps telling me today that she wants to be a grandma, but not just any grandma; she wants to be a farmor. Farmor is Swedish for father's mother. She has a farmor who is very dear to her so it only makes sense that she would want to be one. But she wants to be one right now. 

I suppose if children can hatch out of eggs at various stages of infancy and if hover cars are an approved baby shower gift then it could be completely plausible that a preschooler could be a farmor. Isn't the land of imagination and subconscious messages so interesting? 

I'm grateful to find humor in the messages today. I'm grateful to see some obvious symbolism and inner thoughts manifesting in the dreams and conversations. I'm grateful for my mother-in-law that is such a great farmor to my daughters. I'm grateful to think that someday I could get to be a grandma. I'm grateful to be right here in this place with my two girls and my life. I'm grateful to see my daughter's love through her words as she expresses her wishes. 

What strange dreams or messages have you been receiving? Have you taken the time to sit and translate it? Who is special in your life? Have you told them lately?

There is something so beautiful and special both in babies and in grandmas. They possess a special power to love even more deeply, I think.

May today remind us who is important in our lives. May we recognize the little messages we receive and take the time to sit with them. Have a beautiful day!

We talk about training our pets. We talk about training our kids. And some of us talk about training as in exercising or preparing for a competition. The reality is, we are in training every day.

Every decision we make is training our brain. We are creating habits, reinforcing habits, or working to break habits with every choice. This isn't a bad thing, at least most of the time. The more automated our routine stuff can be the easier it is to focus on the things that truly need our attention. 

Yet sometimes we fall into habits that don't support our true desires and goals. We get out of the habit of working out or getting enough sleep or whatever it may be. Perhaps that habit is reacting to the kids instead of responding. Perhaps it is getting in a routine that puts you in a rush to get to work. We all have some habits we created that we want to shift. 

The thing is, changing a habit takes commitment and conscious attention. Thirty days is a good start but it isn't going to become a new HABIT until at least sixty days of continuous follow through. In fact, depending on how long we have held the current habit, it could take longer even. 

I don't say this to be discouraging. I say this because today is National Train Your Brain Day and the whole thing about old dogs and new tricks, it's a bunch of bologna. Anyone can be taught if your are using the method that speaks to them. And any habit can be redirected and recreated into something healthier when needed. But we have to be committed and knowing the process can help remind us to stick it out for success. 

I'm in training. Each day I do my best to make conscious choices. Some days that is more apparent than others and more successful than other days. 

I'm grateful to realize the power of my choices. I'm grateful to recognize the days when I need to give myself grace and back off and the days I can push for making positive changes. I'm grateful to know change doesn't happen overnight so that I can mentally commit to the long run. I'm grateful for all the changes I have seen succeed. I'm grateful for the ones that I still struggle with that keep me humble. I'm grateful to practice gratitude and keep training my brain to see the positive. 

What changes do you want to see? How many consecutive days have you committed to this change? How are you gaging your progress?

May today remind us to give ourselves grace for the missteps and celebrate the progress. May we always be committed to being in training and growing. Have a beautiful day!