Project Dress for Success

Did you know that you get to make the rules for your own life? Yes, those rules should come from an alignment with who you are and what you are about. (I am called to this life and role and my faith in Jesus is the undergirding of my everything.)

For me success changes from day to day. Today dressing for success involved putting on my workout clothes and getting down to business (move my body.) This is something I get to do and choose to do to bio hack my bad attitude.

My life today involves 3-4 sick babies/toddler/preschoolers (one of which escaped her crib like a ninja at 4 am — her latest feat in a long list of parkour exercises she performs daily.) What more can I do? Fetal position? Head in the sand? Pint of ice cream? Nope, none of these will help me ‘feel’ better.

I still have to be a wife, mother, friend, daughter, human. So I am going to play with my latest toys (heavier kettlebells — hello 50lbs! (*pssst… you are kicking my butt mister.)

How do you overcome a rough start to the day? Let’s learn from one another.

Project Cartwheel

Once upon a time, I could do cartwheels. The. End. (Ha! If only…)

It is pretty amazing that tiny, incremental steps towards a goal open up infinitesimal possibilities (referring to all of my covid19 induced fitness certifications and licenses—- I am working on my 4th now.)

As I am sure you know, our phones and devices spy on us. Lately, in my social media feed, ads for a pathway to handstands keeps popping up. Surely learning how to do a handstand is the next obvious step in my journey… yes??!??

I am learning more and more that I want the things I do (particularly in the realm of fitness) to be more about function than say becoming a… ??! Fitness guru? Model? Know it all??!

So please, if you hear me saying I am working on my handstands, know that it is only so I can keep myself from falling on my head should such an occasion arise. I am nothing if not Practical.

This message is brought to you by your local ‘Ninjas are us’.

Project “that’s famous!”

Baby R has a new learning app that rewards him for his good work with ‘that’s famous!’ He hasn’t regurgitated that expression yet but he does applaud himself for his sneezes with a ‘good one.’ We teach him amazing stuff.

What a world we would live in if we spent more time giving ourselves (and others) a little credit. A little “I am doing this thing in this moment in time to the best of my abilities and It. Is. Good.” Or in baby R’s case… good sneeze.

As someone who primarily utilizes self-deprecating humour as a defence/coping mechanism, I find this hard. And if I view myself this way… does that not taint how I view others?

So, I’ve been practicing grace. For my purposes I am going to oversimplify the definition as ‘unmerited kindness.’ My friends! Can we just be a little bit more kind?!? Please??! Kind in such a way that doesn’t even make sense, that is bigger than us, and more loving than we can even imagine.

This message is brought to you by: 6 mos of not sleeping through the night, adding a newborn to our baby posse, going out in public with puke in my hair or on my shirt, wearing clothes inside out or backwards, and the letter ‘f’.

Project sprinkles

I am a lifelong learner and the learning curve right now is STEEP! I am having to learn how to manage my depression and keep all the little humans alive, healthy, fed, entertained, clean and clothed. Myself too for that matter.

Just when we (the hubs and I) get things figured out and have our groove on (get your minds out of the gutter!) one of the wee lads moves up a developmental stage and we have to say sayonara to that rhythm.

I feel like I have found the solution to most of life’s mysteries. SPRINKLES! When rigid, intentional planning goes to the wayside I pull out the sprinkles. I sprinkle in a little dance off with the 2 year old. I sprinkle in a little ab workout with the infant. I sprinkle in a spanish lesson during snacktime. I sprinkle in a little blogging during….??? Oh, that’s right… during JAIL BREAK!

When all else fails, I have a jail break. I have the most fabulous friend who helps me get a couple hours here and there to just. be. me. I am so very grateful! The rest of the time, …. SPRINKLES!!!! We all know everything is better with sprinkles anyway.

sprinkles

When

Project American Express

I feel like I have been running up a huge credit card bill.

I am in debt because of all of the night’s sleep I have had to lay on the altar. I am in debt because I don’t get to go to the bathroom alone. I am in debt because I have to leave the dishes, the laundry, the floors undone for the sake of relationship.

To cook with a baby on one hip, and the other one pilfering the contents of my cupboards is a privilege. And, it is fun!

But, I think I have to put myself on a budget. At some point, something in my psyche (or the crazy haired/eye bagged lady staring back in the mirror at me) is going to have to say.. “JAIL BREAK!” We all need a moment. We need a moment to recharge. We need a moment to fill up. We need a moment to just be us. We need that moment to just be us so that we can run up the tab again and still find it fun.

Project Snap out of it!

What evil mastermind thought parents should have to deal with snaps on sleepers with little, wiggly humans in the middle of the night?

I personally think it may have been the same person who invented pantyhose and spanx.

Also, are teeth really that useful other than for keeping our faces from caving in and for chewing steak and stuff? The littlest one has popped out 3 in 5 days and this mamma is tiiiiiiired!!!!

Some things in life are necessary and we just have to power through the pain and discomfort. Other things, not so much.

It is our responsibility to figure out what’s what and try not to bulldozer our way through life. I think our sense of self, our families and others placed in our lives depends on it.

Project The Who

Did someone get excited for a second thinking I was going to talk about legendary band The Who’?

I thought it would be more fun to tell you that the toddler in our home has been super into eating and drinking like a dog. I guess that is because the ‘siblings’ he is around the most are the furry ones.

In the past couple of days he has added to his repertoire of fun tricks and now says “wash, wash, wash the face” as he licks his hands and rubs his face. Pretty sure this mannerism came from our cat. Did I mention we have a cat too?

If you are counting that means: 2 adult children (18&20), 2 baby boys (23 1/2 mos and 6 mos), 2 Saint Bernards and a cat.

So, acting like a dog or cat adds up.

If you do your own math, and evaluate your top peeps (or animals I guess..) would you be pleased to discover that your mannerisms and actions have taken on their actions and mannerisms?

I hope to err on the side of spending time with quality people who rub off in me in a good way. I would hate to discover that somehow I have unintentionally become someone less than who I am supposed to be.

P.s. I love Jesus & endeavour ultimately to be more like Him.

Project sink or swim

I think sometimes I try to make life feel too safe, too predictable. Control freak anyone??

Let’s say for example I was a young Saint Bernard … and let’s imagine for a second that there was a flock of geese… and a body of water…. and a fun friend to accompany me… I didn’t know I was designed to swim until I dove in and just did it. Feel the fear and do it anyway.

Some things are just plain worth the risk. Knowing people… worth the risk. Trying something new … worth the risk. Being myself… worth the risk.

So get out there people! Get out there like your flock of geese is just waiting for you!

P.S. today’s post is brought to you courtesy of disgustingly smelly community retention ponds, geese, the number 4 and the letter f … just because.

Project Tantrum

I may be writing this post from under my bed sheets. When adulthood comes a knocking; my inner child may or may not throw a hissy fit.

The reality is, I am an adult and as such have adult responsibilities. I am not talking about the day in and day out things of life but the sucky adult stuff like … I don’t know… applying for extended health care coverage or making RRSP contributions. Barf!

These are the things that make my anxiety levels skyrocket and my decision making ability goes ‘byeeeeee!!’ Then, because depression is a liar… my self worth comes under fire. It is a vicious cycle.

It is very easy to revert back to a tween in my coping … or lack thereof. To quote Chris Evans aka Captain America “I don’t wike it.”

Project Earworm

Celine Dion!!!

Did I just date myself? That’s right… I said it. I am a Celine Dion fan, so there.

Approximately a year and a half ago I had the thought that if nothing else… I was to love wholly and sing over the baby/& or babies brought to our home through foster care.

When words fail, sometimes the song that comes up in our mind/heart just seems to do the trick. Healing balm to a hurting soul via earworm.

Little man has something up today,… the cause has yet to be determined. Teeth are always a very real possibility. On days like this, we look one another in the eyes and just sing together. It is so very precious. So very healing. So very pure. It is also the perfect picture of what I believe to be true of my Heavenly Father who rejoices over me with singing… & He quiets me with His love. (Zephaniah 3:16-17)