getaway

Posted in advantageous adventures, parenting apparently?, Travels by ElaineMarie

photo D5631691-F061-45F8-8C70-C553859F05BE-20814-00000EAEE6F34267_zpsa87a5fd0.jpg

in case i hadn’t sufficiently rubbed it in your face that we spent the first couple of days this week in the woods, communing with birds and spirit animals then here is a whole entire post dedicated to just that.

i was having myself a time. my sweet mother joined us so this meant i was afforded some alone time and i spent it in the woods, in glorious natural woods. i feel i really need to make an effort to spend more time doing this. i really have no excuse since there are so many parks and green spaces in and near columbus. i take darla to the parks a lot and we do go on hikes but i don’t make alone time to do this and i think i really need it. my brain kept tapping into some of my most cherished memories as a child which always involved some camping trip in the woods or a stay at scout camp. i could feel how my brain operates differently in that setting. most of the time i feel like my brain takes in way too much information and i can’t focus in everyday life but in the woods my information inundation has a purpose. i feel like my vision is in panorama view the entire time. it feels right. i mean, i saw a spirit deer for cryin’ out loud.

i enjoyed little quite moments of solitude that left me yearning to make a solo cabin trip someday soon. nothing too long but maybe a 2 day excursion to the woods to have myself a walden weekend. please universe?

my daughter on the other hand had a different experience. this cabin had 3 tvs in it. 3 TVS!!! i was hoping this would be a break from television but it wasn’t for her. that’s how she chose to spend her time. can you see her up there in that last photo fighting the forest? because that’s what she said she wanted to do. i think darla may not be as much of a nature-girl as i am. and that’s ok….i guess. maybe she’ll come around but i know i wasn’t as focused on television and electronics at her age. i wanted to be outside, up in a tree, at the creek or in the woods. it makes me sad for her that she’s not getting to know the freedom of a rural childhood.

but she’s got her own thing going on. like turning party hats into unicorn horns that she has to use to impale a bull to the moon. i have the visual arts to thank for that.

so, i’ll be carrying a little bit of the natural world around with me until i can get back. and next time we’ll be renting a cabin without 3 tvs.

23Oct2013

daily moment

Posted in daily moment by ElaineMarie

i was hiking in the woods, focused more on my end destination rather than the moment. all of a sudden i had an overwhelming sense that i just needed to stop and be still, to slow down. i stopped dead in my tracks and impulsively covered my face with my hands. i just let me ears take in all that was around me. i then realized i could see tiny waves of energy pulsing towards a point between my two eyes. i stood there focused on that energy reaching that point between my two eyes. then, gradually, that point began to glow a golden red color. i stood there basking in that for a minute and then felt i needed to open my eyes.

i took my hands down from my face and opened my eyes and there before me, not even 50 ft away stood a doe directly in my path. we both stared at each other for some time until she took off into the woods.

i felt overcome by this as a deeply spiritual moment. i felt that deer spirit telling me i needed to spend more time in her woods and that i was welcome whenever i like, as long as i would slow down and enjoy my surroundings while there.

22Oct2013

daily moment

Posted in daily moment, love and happiness by ElaineMarie

upon arrival at the cabin yesterday, darla revealed that she had packed a stack of assorted party hats. and this is why i love this girl so much. she drives me crazy but she brings the party with her wherever she goes.

21Oct2013

weekending 42

Posted in familyness, gratitude adjustment, i dig music, it's cool to school, love and happiness, parenting apparently?, weekending by ElaineMarie

it’s boot weather. this weekend was very much out and about. friday is looking to be our family day this fall. we braved the homecoming crowd to take in the blues for smoke exhibit in the afternoon. this was a precursor to our friend’s performance there friday evening with Lonnie Holley. Both performances blew my mind but Lonnie gave me a new catch phrase that’s been stuck in my head: thumbs up to mother universe.

between the two wexner events we walked past a new little donut spot {literally named the little donut shop} and had to stop in for some tasty maple bacon goodness. mike got a samoa and darla got her standard sprinkles special. those last two pics are us as cheerleaders for the columbus marathon. this was my first time as a spectator at a marathon and it was more inspiring and entertaining than i thought it would be. that might be due to the pair of sideliners dressed up in the horse mask, followed by his friend clapping cups behind him up and down the road. it was fun to cheer on the runners.

i guess this is the only time of year we visit the wexner center since the last time we went was about a year ago. it’s a great way for me to make observations about darla’s cognitive progress, though. last year she didn’t really want anything to do with looking at the exhibit. this year she was just really motivated to look at only the things she wanted to take in, which is pretty wonderful in my book. no standardized tests needed here!

but it does make it a bit hard for mike and i to have a personal experience. luckily, the wexner offers free tours on thursdays so we can return again at a later date.

but what i mainly want to say about life thoughts from the weekend is how thankful i am to have this little family that runs around getting involved in so much life. i can let myself get pretty stressed out at times about the fact that laundry piles up, dishes don’t get done and there never seems to be enough time to clean up all the messes. and then i remember that’s a sign that i’m living my life. i’m not simply maintaining it. a clean house is life management, not life. we get out there. that may be our strongest area as parents up until this point, we get darla out for experiences. she’s done a lot in these short years. she’s learned to be the master of her own universe. she’s learned to seek out life. and for that i’m thankful.

19Oct2013

gratitiude adjustment

Posted in gratitude adjustment, love and happiness by ElaineMarie

sunday is the day e’rybody’s gettin’ spiritual, right? gratitude is an important part of my spiritual path within this world. here’s my weekly list:

5 Things I’m thankful for this week:

{1} my daughter’s imaginary friend named Hot Dog Water. I do not make this shit up.

{2} the beauty of a lunar eclipse in a clear night sky.

{3} fellow humans who are willing to talk things out when there has been a misunderstanding.

{4} the still, calm voice inside that consistently urges me to be patient and wait for the good things to come.

{5} my little family that loves to get out and experience life even if it means dishes pile up and laundry doesn’t get folded in a reasonable amount of time.

19Oct2013

daily moment

Posted in daily moment, familyness by ElaineMarie

taking a walk with my family on campus yesterday on our way to the blues for smoke exhibit at the wexner center. activities all together only happen about once a week so it was nice to look over and see all three of our shadows squished together as one.

18Oct2013

Daily moment

Posted in daily moment by ElaineMarie

My daily moment from yesterday was buying new jeans. I haven’t bought new jeans in at least 2 years. Jeans and I don’t always get along so finding a pair that fit correctly that I can afford is a big deal for me. I adore them and could use another pair or two, just in case the pants fairy wants to visit me sometime soon.

18Oct2013

week 42

Posted in advantageous adventures, familyness, it's cool to school by ElaineMarie

don’t you just love it when the week gets all it’s business out of the way by tuesday? our monday was a full, non-stop day of unschooling and then tuesday brought the first water birth i’ve supported. after that i was ready to take the rest of the week off.

this week has been entirely amazing. i don’t know what it is but fall brings about such a sense of peace for me. or maybe it is the acceptance that i’m really finding my groove in life. listen y’all, i’m really good at exploring the world with my little girl and i’m really good at supporting people while they have their babies. this is it for me. i’m finding a way to make this work. done deal. my life doesn’t look that great on paper right now { believe me. i just had to write it out on paper } but i’m really happy and fulfilled. i am so grateful.

unschooling: yay! learning is everywhere!! cards at the coffee shop, stopping at the neighborhood gardens to investigate what happens in the fall, and heading on a christopher columbus scavenger hunt were all a part of monday. we’re fortunate to have easy access to columbus themed learning activities. it’s kinda an annual thing for us. but this was the first time we took the tour of the santa maria. we did it on a whim and i’m glad we did b/c we learned on the tour that it’s going to be shut down for 2-3 years while the park gets renovated.

we also made an art project out of painting rocks for gilbert. i’m actually really impressed with darla and her care for gilbert thus far. she’s into it.

so that’s it from us for the week. we have lots of great things on the horizon that i’m looking forward to sharing in the right time. i’ll be bringing you word of a really great opportunity for the lovely females that read this here blog and some bits of personal news.

wishing you all a wonderful weekend! thanks for catching up on our week.