Here's what I've been up to

I've taken the To-Do list, and made a weekly planning system out of it. It grew naturally, first just grouping tasks by the day, then adding in other things that I wanted to do when an opportunity arose, then color coding and emphasizing easily forgotten routine items - And then, genius graced me for a moment and I added in - Meals. Along with planning the meals, I instituted some recurring themes. Thursdays and Fridays are now always the same. One of the other days we have spaghetti - because it is very well received (generally) by all the children - I plan that for one of the busier days. Then I choose two other meals and fill in the blanks. We've had fewer leftovers to manage, and my 12 year old has stopped begging for pizza. I realized that his brain is growing as rapidly right now as an infant's - He needs more fat, hence I believe, the craving for pizza. With Grilled Cheese sandwiches once a week, and sometimes as a snack on game days, he's getting more fat in his diet and his cravings have subsided a bit. That's my theory anyway. In addition to that, T - who could make his own grilled cheese before, has now been taught and is fully capable of making pancakes from scratch. (Good ones.) That means that he can make dinner for the entire family one night a week. It also means that if he wants pancakes for breakfast, he can do it himself. I expect to teach him much more in the coming years, but this is a good start, and I'm pleased. I believe that the root of good self-esteem in children lies in large part with their ability to function in positive, rewarding ways, and to experience the good feedback and consequences which naturally flow from doing a good and important work. (This didn't start out as a pshycology essay, so back to the original topic.)

This style of list is working for me like nothing I've done in a long time. I keep it on the fridge and make changes and adjustments as the week moves along. I've been able to keep my wits about me at a very challenging and draining time, I'm lovin' it.

And then there is the management of the emotional state and the self. I've been hibernating in many ways for about 2 months. With spring has come the desire to get back into my game, taking care of myself and as Connie Sokol would say, "thriving in the thicket." Yesterday, I had a few hours to work with - and so I started to think about some of the things I'd heard at the Weekend for Women. I remembered that Connie had also mentioned "Self Care lists." That thought seemed to ring in my mind like a clear pure bell-tone. So, that's what I did. I made my Abby Care list. At least one thing every day from each list, more if you feel the need.



Today, I did Yoga again for the first time. I've been a little concerned about my wrists, but I want to strengthen them, and I believe the only way to do that would be the simple use of them, pushing them a little to work the muscles. I'll need to check with a doctor if it seems to get worse. There are still some actions - like throwing a baseball that still make me wince. I need to be careful. I've been very self-aware lately. I haven't run faster than I have strength. I've only asked of myself what I truly have to give. I think that will have the be the theme of the rest of my life. On the other hand, I've noticed that I have more to give as my strength increases. It is heartening. There have been enormous challenges on just about every front. A little discouragement is normal. Not giving into it completely is the way I am, in much the same way that my son is learning to cook, learning to function in positive, rewarding ways, and to experience the good feedback and consequences which naturally flow from doing a good and important work. There are always setbacks in life, you burn some pancakes. You move on, you do more. You learn, you get better, you grow.