Sunday, January 31, 2010
Live By Example
I love the blog - Cheerio Road http://www.mommazen.blogspot.com/
If you haven't yet seen it check it out. It is written by the Zen Buddist priest, Karen Maezen Miller, who also happened to write the book Momma Zen. Both are lovely. I am going to copy and paste below a recent entry of hers called The Monestary of Mom and Dad. I loved it. It's just a great arrow of reminders for how to have a wonderful life with kids.
A cozy set of practical guidelines for mindful parents:
Practice in plain sight. Place your zafu, or meditation cushion, in a conspicuous place in your home, such as on your bedroom floor. As you pass by, let it invite you to practice meditation daily. Even five minutes morning or night can turn your life around.
Live by routine. Take the needless guesswork out of meals and bedtimes. Let everyone relax into the predictable flow of a healthy and secure life.
Elevate the small. And overlook the large. Want to change the world? Forget the philosophical lessons. Instruct your child in how to brush his teeth, and then do it, together, twice a day.
Turn off the engines. Discipline TV and computer usage and reduce artificial distraction, escapism, and stimulation. This begins with you.
Give more attention. And less of everything else. Devote one hour a day to giving undistracted attention to your children. Not in activities driven by your agenda, but according to their terms. Use a timer to keep yourself honest. Undivided attention is the most concrete expression of love you can give.
Take a break. Before you break in two. Designate a chair in your home as a "quiet chair," where you can retreat to decelerate conflicts. Or walk around the block and see how quickly your own two feet can stamp out the fire on your head. Suggestion: change out of bathrobe before leaving house.
Be the first to apologize. Practice the miracle of atonement and instantly restore household harmony. By your doing, your children will learn how.
Be the last to know. Refrain from making judgments and foregone conclusions about your children. Watch their lives unfold, and be surprised. The show is splendid, and yours is the best seat in the house.
If you haven't yet seen it check it out. It is written by the Zen Buddist priest, Karen Maezen Miller, who also happened to write the book Momma Zen. Both are lovely. I am going to copy and paste below a recent entry of hers called The Monestary of Mom and Dad. I loved it. It's just a great arrow of reminders for how to have a wonderful life with kids.
A cozy set of practical guidelines for mindful parents:
Practice in plain sight. Place your zafu, or meditation cushion, in a conspicuous place in your home, such as on your bedroom floor. As you pass by, let it invite you to practice meditation daily. Even five minutes morning or night can turn your life around.
Live by routine. Take the needless guesswork out of meals and bedtimes. Let everyone relax into the predictable flow of a healthy and secure life.
Elevate the small. And overlook the large. Want to change the world? Forget the philosophical lessons. Instruct your child in how to brush his teeth, and then do it, together, twice a day.
Turn off the engines. Discipline TV and computer usage and reduce artificial distraction, escapism, and stimulation. This begins with you.
Give more attention. And less of everything else. Devote one hour a day to giving undistracted attention to your children. Not in activities driven by your agenda, but according to their terms. Use a timer to keep yourself honest. Undivided attention is the most concrete expression of love you can give.
Take a break. Before you break in two. Designate a chair in your home as a "quiet chair," where you can retreat to decelerate conflicts. Or walk around the block and see how quickly your own two feet can stamp out the fire on your head. Suggestion: change out of bathrobe before leaving house.
Be the first to apologize. Practice the miracle of atonement and instantly restore household harmony. By your doing, your children will learn how.
Be the last to know. Refrain from making judgments and foregone conclusions about your children. Watch their lives unfold, and be surprised. The show is splendid, and yours is the best seat in the house.
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Clay
We've been working with clay lately. Making a series of clay faces to hang on the wall. There is a difference between an almost 5 year old's ability to focus and concentrate and a 2 year old's. Anders was hard at work - and Kuba was not really willing to sit down. It was touch, poke, and go for him. It is all about the experience anyway. We are just plain old lucky that we get to use clay on a Friday night in our very own home, no matter what our level of concentration.
Here is Anders first face. Gotta love it!
Call me a Madwoman!
Okay, call me a madwoman! I thought Kuba looked so completely adorable this evening and all I wanted was one good photo...so I chased him with the camera...scaring him a little I think, and also catching nothing. I even followed him up the stairs. But he really was not cooperating...and so you just have to believe me that he was absolutely the cutest boy in the whole wide world tonight...ski boots on, onesie hanging out, Anna's hat on his head with the green dangling ball. He looked simply adorable.
Monday, January 18, 2010
TWO
I never did manage to post Kuba's second birthday photo....so here it is - and with last year's photo when Kuba just turned one! I feel like he has been so big for so long that I would hardly notice a difference in the two photo's, but clearly...he has grown.
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Alpaca
Our friend Cathy went to Ecuador....the boys were gifted the softest sweaters in the universe afterwards. Here they are modeling them for the camera. Here, here, to kind friends who love our boys!
Gotta Love The Snow!
After one mighty snowfall, we romped and sled and shoveled and igloo ed our day away!
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