Mother Yourself Up!

I am a busy mom (2 girls, 6 and 8), an artist and a teacher. My never-ending goal is to live life in a rich, thoughtful, loving and creative way. I overflow with love for my girls … and I need to make art (sing, write, play music, create smart videos…). My hope for my new two-fold site is to provide you with ideas to help you be a happier, more content mom (and woman) and also share thoughts that might inspire you in the parenting arena. And to provide fun, smart music for kids and families

I work at balance everyday… to balance the energy I give to my husband, family, friends, and to MYSELF…not to mention the house, the cooking, the bills, the pets and our school. I want to share what I learn, as I learn, about being happy and feeing that I am doing my dharma: living my life inline with that which I am actually destined to be doing.

I am  only child and realize that the connection between the child and the mother is magical, powerful, intense, scary, gigantic and mind-bending. My girls pick up on my moods and feelings – they are little psychic sponges. I felt my mom’s feelings DIRECTLY and still do. I believe that to be conscious of these connections as we are mothering will help us be better parents and help us to raise children who can individuate and thrive. The beauty of this philosophy is that, the better we take care of OURSELVES, the more connected and aware mothers we become to our CHILDREN.  Just like on the airplane, fasten your grown-up oxygen masks first, so that you can more effectively help your child.

I know I can live the rich, full life I have always dreamt of…. being an artist, a mother and a teacher. I know you can do it too! Really being who I want to be will support my kids in a positive way. By sharing my journey, I hope to inspire you and your kids. Living in tune with ourselves sets an example by showing, by doing. Actively honoring dreams, the inner world, the delicate balance of love, art and family AND sharing it here is the plan. Oh yeah! Mother yourself up baby!!

 

Room to Breathe: Outsourcing my lovely puppy.

How could I resist?

New Puppy. Oh how I fell in love at first sight with this little girl who is now called Treya. We met at the dog rescue in front of our local farmers’ market and I couldn’t live without her. I have not had a new puppy as an adult. Our last dog was a rescue, but she was 6 and was house trained and not FULL of energy CONSTANTLY.

Well, this little girl (who is now sitting on my lap as I type this… actually resting her fluffy head on my right fore-arm which keeps it warm and makes a little challenging to type!) is another BABY. Monday night, the second day she lived with us, I could not think straight. Delilah needed help with homework, Hannah needed me with her crayons, David wasn’t home yet, the dinner was cooking and Treya was peeing on the sofa. I stood in the kitchen and cried into the broccoli. My girls gathered around me and said, “it’s OK mommy”.

Me typing with Treya on arms – Photo by 4 year old Hannah

But I knew I had pushed myself too far. I do have the habit of extending myself and I hear it is a trait of A type personalities and moms. When you have an A-type and a Mom combo (that’s me), it can get very intense. The mantra from “The Little Engine That Could” comes to mind “I think I can I think I can”. But my mantra must change to  “I think I better rest, I think I better rest”.

I realized the puppy was too much for me. I called my mom, like I always do when I need fine spiritual guidance, and she agreed that it was too much on my plate. She had been looking for another dog to go with her older doggie Winston

and we decided that my mom would take Treya (named for Matreya, the future Buddha). My mom just had a big birthday and this is the perfect way for her to infused her life with new, young energy!

Winston and Treya

So, the story ends happily ever-after. The dog is in the family (it takes a village) and will be loved by all,  just trained and raised in a home without Winnie-The-Poohs and tiny sandals for her to teeth on. And the moral of the story is, sometimes I have to make tough choices. Love is not enough…it’s a mater of being sensitive to myself, my time and my energy and my priorities. I don’t want to neglect my girls when they need me in order to care for the dog. Not now anyway when she is ALL my responsibility. I’ll wait til the girls can clean up pee and take her for a walk. I’ll give my self some room to breathe. It feels wonderful to breathe. Try it now.