GRATITUDE: Time in the garden outside today, it’s been awhile and it feels good to be thinking about Spring and what might I have time and energy to grow despite the neglect of last year.
FOCUS: Finishing Neurotribes today, such an interesting journey following the timeline of autism during the last 100 years. Highly recommend to all.
INSPIRATION: Look into James Marcia’s four identity stages which are diffusion (low exploration, low commitment), foreclosure (low exploration, high commitment), moratorium (high exploration, low commitment), and achievement (high exploration, high commitment).
GRATITUDE: Feeling slightly bad the morning and day didn’t include the kids more -Juniper did come for a very short walk & Jasper recognized his exhaustion from the long week/very excitable Friday D&D, OT, having Henry over for pizza & movie night and decided to stay home – however, still relishing my lunch date with Eric at Mints & Honey, plus a walk fueled by a caffeinated oat milk latte afterwards.
FOCUS: Trying to be understanding of everyone needing some downtime. It was a beautiful day to be out & about (hints of spring at the end of January), but taking time for deep breath and realizing some days will be filled with screens (which I can also sympathize).
GRATITUDE: Playing afternoon hooky from school post eye doctor appointment with Jasper. Taking time to look at his Murder & Mayhem report and figure out how to move forward with Beast Academy before a walk to the library together.
FOCUS: Not really succeeding on the front today…hard when the day is filled with appointments. I guess just taking each moment as it comes today.
INSPIRATION:
Instead of asking, ‘Have I worked hard enough to deserve to rest?’, I’ve started asking, ‘Have I rested enough to do my most loving, meaningful work?’.
GRATITUDE: A morning spent with friends and coffee for every few months catch up/sanity check-in. So thankful to have been blessed with these strong, intelligent mamas in my life to share stories, lean on, support, and grow with. This journey would be so different without anyone who understands our unique children, the challenges/hurdles, and celebrate the joys no more how little or big.
FOCUS: Really gave myself a day off from thinking about the should/must do list after feeling kind of run down. Allowed myself to just enjoy the morning and then even took a nap before the kids came home. Feeling so much better this evening.
INSPIRATION: Reminder not to get too stuck in routine, what’s working now might not be the case next year, next month/week, even tomorrow.
FOCUS: Scheduled our first two campsites at Yellowstone! Set about to return a bunch of things that needed returning. Mentally starting prepping to do taxes.
INSPIRATION: Seeing the spark in Jasper’s eyes to work on his D&D character (despite him forgetting to do it last minute), and witnessing his ability to work under a time crunch when it’s something that he loves doing.
GRATITUDE: Still feeling so much joy from our late afternoon/early evening walk to get steps and ramen. There was a time when going for a 40 minute walk to eat at a restaurant followed by a 40 minute walk home would have been impossible.
FOCUS: Research day, solidify summer Yellowstone/Grand Teton planning…it’s SO BIG!
INSPIRATION: The Grand Prismatic Spring in Yellowstone National Park is the largest hot spring in the United States, 3rd in the world.
GRATITUDE: Grateful for a morning to spend briefly celebrating dad’s 80th birthday with donuts. Wish he would slow down long enough to share more stories and just be, but I suppose by now I should know finding a more relaxed pace will never be.
FOCUS: It feels like it’s been an especially long week, despite (or because?) having an extra day off to spend together. No real expectations this weekend except to recharge and make sure everyone gets their downtime.
INSPIRATION: Sometimes seeing dad work so hard all his life makes me wonder if he really is happy or has found real joy, same for mom. So much doing and effort, which has been a true testament to hard work, determination, getting things done to provide for our family and make sure we had everything we ever needed. However sometimes it feels like they’ve lost sight of the important prize. It really has informed my own thoughts on what kind of relationship I want to have with my kids, with Eric, and with myself. I never really imagined doing what I am doing right now, but it feels important and essential. And for the most part I feel happy, appreciated, and that Jasper and Juniper are being supported in becoming pretty awesome humans.
