Glad it's over!

The 30-day challenge ended today...thank goodness! It was wonderful getting unlimited yoga, spinning and meditation classes, along with infrared sauna, but it was exhausting! Scheduling was a nightmare because I had to go before Melvin went to work (which means 6:00am) or after the kids were in bed, since Amelie is still nursing at night.  Whew!

I was pretty successful. I had to miss 2 days though...Why? Well, on Sunday, we had a birthday party to attend. Since I wear my sneakers all week long as a stay at home mom, I thought I would rock my new platform shoes.  Unfortunately, the driveway was as steep as it could get and my ankle gave out.  I was holding Amelie so my motherly instinct kept her completely safe while I tore up the first layer of skin on my right knee. I was fine, but my ego was a bit bruised and there was no way in hell I'd be able to do any "on the knee" type postures or go to a spinning class!  

Now that the 30-days have passed, I will have more time to blog.  What's happened this past month that I will need to catch up on?

* Amelie is now an avid walker...she is quite feisty these days

* Julian and I had our first dentist experiences outside of the U.S. 

* We booked our trip to Hawaii for our friend's wedding

* I bought 3 colon hydrotherapy sessions at a very discounted price on livingsocial.com

* I am volunteering to organize Yaletown Toddler Group's meetings

* I am starting to think about Julian's kindergarten future (crazy!), since I need to register in November and there are a lot of choices and wait lists and we are at a bit of a disadvantage since he was not born here (I think it's a disadvantage, if anything, it just creates an extra step).

More on everything later!

Surviving Spring Break

Julian's preschool follows the same schedule as the schools within Vancouver, so this past week was Spring Break.  There was no way I could survive a full week of him bouncing off the walls at home, so I enrolled him into Roundhouse Community Centre's Little Trekkers Spring Camp.  He had a blast. Each day, he came home with a project - potted plant, bird feeder, large bumble bee, underwater collage, etc. It surpassed our expectations and we were relieved he loved it, considering he had different teachers and different kids to deal with. We'll definitely be registering for future camps at the Roundhouse Community Centre.

Melvin and I realized how beneficial having something for himself every day was, so after deliberating back and forth, we decided to bump up his days at preschool next fall to 5 mornings.  He'll be getting ready for kindergarten next year and I think it'll be better for him.  We're (I'm) excited, but at the same time, I can't believe how fast he's grown. I also realized how much I missed out being at work full day and with my travel schedule. Time does fly!

With Julian being in camp this week, I had the time to prepare for the Kids Yoga Workshop I taught today for parents & preschoolers.  I was petrified and did some major preparation. It surprised me that I was more nervous than for adult classes, but children are SO unpredictable!  Anyway, I think it was a success and it was fun too. It certainly helped that I had a preschooler at home - it was easier to think of triggers to get their attention back and to relate to the kids.  Fun stuff!

Belgian Restaurant Week

Tomorrow starts Belgian Restaurant Week in NYC and my mouth is absolutely watering thinking about it. If you have never had a Liege Waffle in your life, you haven't lived. In my opinion, it surpasses the traditional Belgian (aka Brussels) Waffle BY FAR. Just enough crisp on the outside with pearl sugar balls throughout, caramelizing the chewy goodness within...YUM...WHO NEEDS SYRUP?

Someone please, please go to one of the Belgian Restaurant Week events in NYC and report back to me. I want to relive my moments in Bruges, Belgium!

Luckily, we have Patisserie Le Beau in Vancouver to satisfy my Liege Waffle cravings!

LIEGE WAFFLE

Rough Week

This week was a bit rough...It was Week 3 of my 30-day challenge and I'm EXHAUSTED...not to mention that just because I'm working out, I feel I can eat anything in sight and thus, gaining weight in the process.  In hindsight, 30-day challenge didn't do me much good, but I will finish it off...only a week and a half left!

On top of that, both kids had colds = broken sleep, whining, moaning, crying...

On top of that, I got another contract job so trying to work in between...

On top of that, attempting to wean Amelie from breastfeeding, so dealing with that change and emotional baggage tied to it...

I'm also volunteering for this mum-run toddler group in Yaletown. Each week, we bring in speakers from the community covering topics from will/estate planning to sleep training. I'm going out tonight with some of the mothers, so that is a good thing...I think they are normal people, but you can never tell unless you get to know them.  One of them told me that if she had two kids, she thinks she'd be an alcoholic.  You gotta really love that.  Made me feel a bit like superwoman, so I figured they were cool enough :)

...off to get my vino at UVA.

Hiroshima in the Morning

My friend told me all about this new book and the controversy it has stirred in the U.S. It's called Hiroshima in the Morning and is a memoir about a woman that received a 6-month fellowship in Japan and during her stay there, decided she did not want to be a mother (she has 2 children) anymore. She proceeded to get a divorce and the children stayed with their father, while she pursued her career.  I'm #7 on the waiting list at the library (I'm also #230 for Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother, but that is another blog story...hopefully I'll get to read it this year!).

My immediate impression, without reading the book, is that this woman identified WAY too much with motherhood. It's a constant struggle for mothers - finding, losing, finding, losing our identities - but I don't believe it is healthy to identify with motherhood solely or our careers solely. Mothers are not just mothers and professionals are not just professionals...not healthy.

...and seriously, if you "never wanted to be a mother", why did you have TWO children?  It's not a fad and it's not an accessory to have a child. Children are forever...if you don't want them, it's called birth control!  Again, I have not read the book, but just my immediate impression.

Satsang

Today, Melvin and I attended a Satsang.

Satsang (Sanskrit sat=true, sanga=company) is in Indian philosophy that involves (1) the company of the "highest truth," (2) the company of a guru, or (3) company with an assembly of persons who listen to, talk about, and assimilate the truth. This typically involves listening to or reading scriptures, reflecting on, discussing and assimilating their meaning, meditating on the source of these words, and bringing their meaning into one’s daily life. Contemporary spiritual teachers in the West frequently come from the East but can come from any part of the world.

(1) the "highest truth" was about Spiritual Intimacy...about relationships and the awareness of our actions in them and how we evolve with our partners.

(2) the "guru" was my very spiritual and amazing yoga teacher: Shakti Mhi

(3) the "company" comprised of gay, straight, women, men and one dog

We did, indeed, meditate for 10 minutes, didn't read any scriptures but as usual, enjoyed the enlightening words of my yoga teacher and her partner, Pepe Danza, an amazing musician and artist. It promoted wonderful dinner conversation for Melvin and I and hopefully a reminder to be aware of what is needed in our growing and ever-changing relationship.

Mantra = listen

Yantra = see

Tantra = feel

Before Kids...

A few weeks ago, I was cooking in the kitchen with one child hanging onto each leg and yelled out to Melvin asking him a question..."Hey! Do you remember what we used to do with our time before we had the kids?" His response, "I have no idea."


It's funny how kids consume your time. Even with all their naps and their 10-12 hours of sleep per night, how on Earth could we possibly still feel exhausted, right?  My response, "I have no idea!!"


Well, tonight, I was sifting through old pictures just because and I realized...Wow, we really traveled...thank goodness!!


Lesson of the Day: Travel and see the world before you have the kids!  It just gets more expensive and more difficult after they come along! 


Oh...and we used to work out and sleep a lot more, as well :) Love the little munchkins, but man, those were the days!

First Steps

Julian has been "coaching" Amelie on how to walk...his technique: pulling the front of their toy shopping cart while she struggles to keep up and "walk" by hanging onto back.  It's been really cute and fun watching them interact in this way.

Well, I guess all the "practice" paid off because Amelie took her first 5 steps yesterday!

Meanwhile, Julian gets home from his swim lesson today and we have this funny conversation.

Julian: Mommy, mommy, I put my head in the water!
Me: Really?  That's wonderful!  How long did you do it for?
Julian: 10 weeks!!!


My, how fast they are growing up!

Krispy Kreme "Beignets"

I was walking back from my Power Yoga class (4th day-check!) and stopped for a sandwich shop for lunch...Out of the corner of my eye, I see stacks and stacks of Krispy Kreme boxes at the shop across the way!

I ordered my sandwich and then made a beeline for the shop. Turns out they are fundraising for a local dance company and their upcoming tour. One dozen, please....

Then, I looked down at the box and it said "Product du Canada"....huh??  So I came home and googled it and turns out Krispy Kreme was created in North Carolina...Why did I think it was from NYC?  I guess I think everything started there...LOL

YRide

I started the YYoga's (Studio Chain in Vancouver) 30-day Challenge this month, which means I need to try and go to a class every day for the month of March. Just because I've been teaching yoga does not mean I've been diligent practicing it, so I figured this would be a great motivator for me (since I paid for it) to get back into it. I think Melvin is totally ecstatic because he knows when I'm in my "Yoga Zone", I'm in a better mood, more patient and don't fall asleep at 9:00pm every night, since I have more energy. Yoga really is amazing.

So my first class of the month was called YRide, which was a spinning class and a 15-min stretch at the end (weird for a yoga studio, I know). Mind you, I haven't taken a spinning class since pre-Amelie (or maybe pre-Julian), so my bum was like WTF. 

Luckily, I went back to my yoga teachings and remembered to: Just breathe...

When you separate yourself from the pain and recognize it is just "the moment", it passes really quick and it's like it was nothing.  Remember that next time you're at the gym...or in labor.