"So.... Are you going to meet us for pastries or chocolate milk somewhere? You have to bring the GPS.. We are lost!!! ----Sent from my BlackBerry Handheld."
And just like that, I woke up from my mommy-gone-crazy-spell. [After all, there was a pastry somewhere in my future happening]. AND a little girl smiling among budding flowers. Within moments, my little champions parked on the lawn and Aaron serenaded me from the window to join them. 
I tied up my laces, got on my bike, and we all took a ride together as a family in search of lattes, chocolate milk and old-fashioned chocolate doughnuts. The new client project I was working on will just have to wait. When we returned home, I retrieved back into the office but could hear "my life" out there. Ava running up and down the halls refusing to use the potty chair and Noah repeating "a-ta, a-ta" in his high chair. The office door swung open, and Ava looked at me - "Mommy, bubbles..." I paused - very briefly - while it was so easy to explain how Mommy has to work - it was much easier and fulfilling to blow bubbles with my daughter instead. For her to know that she is more important than anything else - means everything.
After she left and I exhaled trying to remember where I left off, Aaron stepped in to interrupt with another family situation. "You've got to see this. Bring the camera..."
And so this is how the day unfolded. With countless interruptions, mood swings, moments of insanity and pure joy - it was a lot - and I learned a lot too. Later this evening, Aaron and I talked about what we could have done differently. And here's a list we came up with:
1. Don't fall asleep with the kids. Not only is it uncomfortable for our necks - but it also affects our moods in the morning.
2. Intervene. Aaron and I know each other's pressure points. Even when others are responsible. Jump in and intervene for the other by redirecting attention or making it easier for them. Aaron refused to let Ava feed herself ice-cream out of fear of her staining her shirt. I pulled off her shirt. Then it was the carpet issue so I placed mats under her bowl - done - and Aaron's blood pressure was lowered.
3. Sing. Ava & Noah both love "If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands [smack, smack]" - so change the subject and start singing this song. They will think you lost it - but you will forget what it was that unraveled you in the first place.
4. Pray for patience. It really is something we need more of. It's almost as if we are trained in our upbringing to be otherwise. I can't even begin to count the many times patience has brought me the results I've wanted. It also gives us a chance to react to things more positively.
Here's to more moments of insanity - and the lessons that follow right after them.
Hi Zarlacht,
ReplyDeleteCorbin and I absolutely LOVE your blog (blog by the way is too weak of a word for what you've created)!
This is so the beginning of a manuscript!
Love it: your writing, the photos, so proud that you and Aaron are taking time to reflect and it shows. I don't know if you guys can notice with the day to day adventures but Ava is so intellegent and incredibly sweet! And it was wonderful to see Noah & Cameron interacting with one another!
Here are two books Robin gave me for my birthday that you will really enjoy: The Power of Now & A New Earth, both by Eckhart Tolle (the second is more recent and on Oprahs Book Club). Only $10 at Target. I haven't had a chance to get too far, I'll let you know how it goes.
If time is too short for books, try the audio books of Dr. Dryer. Any library should have his work. Corbin and I decided a good one to start with is: 101 Ways To Transform your life.
Corbin and I are so proud of you guys and are so grateful you are in our lives!
Hope to see you soon!
Hugs & Kisses
-Dave
Wow Dave - what a compliment coming from you two - whose golden friendship means the world to Aaron and I. Ya know, you guys set the pace for us - and inspire us to make our future dreams and passions in life the present - like the husband and wife team videography business you guys created from scratch to the writings and producing of your films. Thank you so much for always "being there" and a part of our family traditions.
ReplyDeleteYou are exactly right about what this is - a reflection of what we have and the process of where we are going. And to share it with the hopes of inspiring or making a difference in the family units of others - is well - worth every second. Thank you for noticing and commenting on that.
The books and audio you recommend sound facinating. Ava and I will be going to the library this week to pickup books - now I have a reason to look for myself. In the meantime, what are some of the "ways to transform" your life according to Dr. Dryer? Any that stand out or haven't heard before - it sounds very enlightening. Hope to see you here posting on this site [and soon for sushi ;] - love always, zarlacht
This was a morning I will soon not forget…
ReplyDeleteI decided to sneak out with the kids while Zarlacht was getting ready for her day. I was already stressed out myself with the countless projects I was working on but decided that instead of plopping the kids in front of the TV and running to the office, or doing a miserable job trying to keep them entertained while I ducked in and out of the office (which never works anyways) I decided to hit the bike trail.
It started off a little rough. And by a little rough, I mean I was ready to gouge my eyes. I was attaching the kid’s trailer to my bike and Noah wanted to be held. And as some of the readers of this blog know, when Noah doesn’t get his way he squeals. I’m sure the neighbors across the ally thought I was pinching him. Ava was climbing on anything she could get her little hands on. When I looked up and she was on the old A/C unit trying to climb up onto the neighbor’s fence, I knew we had to leave soon.
Once the trailer was on, and the water bottles were packed, and the emergency bag was packed we headed off… not really sure where we were going. We made our first stop approximately 1 mile down the road at a park. I let Ava play and Noah polished off 6 ounces of milk. 15 minutes after we stopped, we hit the trail again. Noah dozed off, so when I came across a field of flowers, I decided to stop and let Ava stretch her legs. That is when I snapped the picture and sent it back to Zarlacht. We were only about 3 miles from the house, so we turned around to pick up the missing person in our team. After a little song and dance in the front yard, we were complete again and headed out for yummies.
I have the Dr. Dryer audio that Dave is talking about - Masaud and I listened to it during our honeymoon drive at Big Sur - you can find it at mom and dad's house.
ReplyDeleteThanks Wagma!! Actually, I received my very own copy in the mail from Dave & Corbin last week -what did you think of it?
ReplyDelete