Getting Out

It's officially day three of the Pink Eye saga. Though I am sure that my daughter is no longer contagious, the way her eyes looked this morning told us that it would be best to keep her from school one more day. The poor thing cried because she longed to go back to school. But hey, at least we can give her real hugs now!

Not wanting to be cooped up in the house any longer, we headed for the public library where we ...

... browsed the selection...

... and enjoyed story time.

We also colored and put together puzzles (even I had a great time putting the pink crayola markers to use). Plus I got a kick out of this:

In the movie You've Got Mail the "Shoe" books are mentioned, and I was excited to find Ballet Shoes by Noel Streatfeild on audio book for my daughter!

Just Breathe

I am high strung and I always have been. A combination of sensory overload and the inability to cope with stress makes me into some sort of basket case. In my lifetime I have dealt with a stomach ulcer, severe acid reflux, depression and Fibromyalgia.

I really want to change this.

For Christmas I received a book called A Pace of Grace by Linda Kavelin Popov and in it she has a 10-point plan for how to live a less frenzied life. I am not very far into it, but have found the first couple of steps to be helpful. So far the steps aren't anything ground breaking (i.e. bathe every day, drink at least 8 glasses of water, eat healthy foods, practice meaningful breathing, etc), but I appreciate her approach as she explains the virtues of doing each step. She also explains clearly the concept of FOG (Fatigue, Overwhelm, Guilt) which unfortunately I identify with all too well.

The truth is I don't think I have too much to be stressed out about, but I always seem to find something that winds me tighter and tighter. The sound of my children doing acrobatics in the family room causes the dog to bark (which is worse than fingernails on a chalk board to me) and makes my heart beats faster; I yell at the dog in total frustration; my yelling makes everyone around me stressed out; and then it all happens again. It all makes me want to retreat somewhere where I don't have to hear any noise or be around any people. This is not good.

So, I am taking steps to try to improve this situation. I am breathing more ... really breathing. I have been increasing my daily exercise. More fruits and vegetables are included in my diet. And then there is my water intake: I can say that it has increased, though not as much as I would like. I have started to fill a pretty pitcher up with water everyday to have out on the counter. I will add lemon and berries to infuse the unexciting drink with some flavor, and drinking from a wine glass makes it feel more elegant.

I haven't seen any drastic changes just yet, but there are many steps left to take. I'm working on it!

It Certainly Didn't Make Me Feel Too Gorgeous

Reading. A luxury that I rarely have time to enjoy. I work from home, raise two little ones and maintain a household. So when I have the time to read I need to choose my books carefully.

Lately I have been getting into reading the classics. Some are books I never had to read in school but feel that everyone else in the universe has. Some are book that I have read in school but remember absolutely nothing about (I would often read something just to pass the test and then lose all comprehension). The latest novel I have read is The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger. I read it in the 11th grade and could only remember the main character's name, that he was in private school, and something about a cliff.

I wish I had paid more attention in those days because this is a great book! Yes, there is some colorful language and controversy surrounding the book used in a school curriculum, but there is also great character development and real depth to the story. Plus, I loved it when Holden Caulfield would say things like "It certainly didn't make me feel too gorgeous", or "It certainly was a gorgeous way to talk about a Christmas tree". I never thought of using that particular adjective the way he did!

I am currently reading The Magician's Nephew by C.S. Lewis to my daughter. I thought perhaps all of it would go over her head since it is a novel with very few illustrations, but I am amazed at how much she is understanding! She could tell you the story if you asked her. I have also tried to read A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens, but I admit that so far it is really boring. I think I should stop torturing myself choose something else instead.