Sunsets and Fireplaces

I apologize ahead of time for the ramble:

Picking up P from daycare is always a little chaotic there's usually a handful of other parents, kids tracking down shoes and jackets, and anxiety about getting home. There are constant wheels turning, dinner plans forming, laundry loads being considered, and an overall reassessment of the day. We pop off encouraging remarks in an effort to hurry the kids along, so we're a step closer to the car, to home, to working on all the chaos we think about. I alwasy give P a quick hug, but not much more, we hold hands on the way to the car and talk, but its constant chatter, constant thought, and quite a few distractions.

Today a father walked in shortly after I did, that made me rethink the pickup circus. He came in quietly and stood at the back of the room. His daughter (8 or 9 maybe)  saw him, and immediatly walked over to hug him. Not a quick squeeze, a real solid 10 second embrace. A true I missed you  kind of hug. They had me captivated, even in the chaos among the other children, the scattered art projects, and the noise, they took those 10 seconds to really greet eachother. She gathered her coat, he signed her out and they left just before us.

I chatted with P on the way to the car about her day, tomorrow's field trip, and dinner. We passed the same father and daughter quickly. They were sitting on the bench out side of school, watching the sunset. The sky was a brilliant pink today at 5:20 and there they were, honestly enjoying it. There were a few comments, it's not quite Barbie pink and it would be wonderful to draw something like that. But not much more. They sat in silence, without the dinner timer ticking, without the rush to get home, they just sat and enjoyed. As we pulled away I was jealous and disappointed that P and I weren't sitting there. That by the time we took the 4 minute drive home, it wouldn't be the same sunset, that we were missing it.

I don't want to miss it. The sunset, the greeting, any of it. I want to be calmer with P, less of the working mom that can't slow down for fear of losing pace. I want to sit and not miss the perfectly pink sunset and hear what P thinks of it. Tonight we sat by the fire. No TV and I even kicked the dogs out and just sat there. I didn't ask her questions or prompt her opinion or get out the art supplies so I could force encourage her to express herself. (Not that I'd ever do that).

We sat and she talked and I listened, she talked a bit about her day, the story they read, what she liked in her lunch... then she talked about the fire and the flames. How it licks the top and the little pieces sneak out beneath the wood. She was observing and exploring. This made my  heart swell and hurt a little at the same time. We should do this more.

I've talked about mom guilt before. The realizing you can do better and seeing another parent do things better, the twinge of not being the perfect parent you always wanted to be. I have a great distaste for it, and the lingering questions it makes run around in my head. However on the other foot I have always thought that there is much to be learned from others. That we should observe and mimic habits we appreciate. So, even with the possibility of feeling like a less perfect parent, I wanted to share this sporadic thought process. 

I hope you watch fires, and sunsets, and let the children in your life explain what they see and feel. Its a beautiful moment that I hope to have more often.

Taco Trucks, Stuffed Penguins and NFC Playoffs

Hello, can you believe it's MONDAY? Where did the time go this weekend?

I'm actually keeping up with my challenge and have been quite proud. 4 Days strong! Friday Artimus picked me up for lunch... mmm taco truck! (Is that just a California thing?) I spent the 20 minute wait hooping in the parking lot. Which was fine until I missed a toss and almost hit someone else's car. Well at least it was a light hoop.

We planned to spend Friday evening taking down the rest of Christmas (it looks so bare), at the very least the tree. Our local boy scout troupe comes by and collects trees for a donation and they were scheduled for Saturday Morning. However I got a text from a lovely friend about 7 asking where I was. I thought we had plans Saturday rather than Friday... texting miscommunication. So like the loyal drinking buddy friend I am, I dropped everything, touched up my eyeliner, and headed downtown for a glass of bubbles to celebrate her arrival to 28. Artimus dropped me off because I can get a little carried away when I drink bubbles, and when I'm with Jaimee, so the combination did not forecast me driving myself home. ha!

We took on Napa's downtown with a mission to catch up and enjoy some of the hot-spots. I met her at the Thomas (Negroni on tap), then we moved on to 1313 (bubbles and small bites), and Morimoto's (Cucumber gimlets, sushi, and smore). Then we stoped at a local dive for a cheap beer while we waited for our chariot. I super love the Thomas in it's old-world awesomeness, Morimotos is glamourous but a bit snooty and 1313 was worth a shot but not somewhere I'd really head back to. Although they do get brownie points for putting a birthday candle in our mac'n'cheese bites.

However, we did find an adorable penguin hanging out on a table unattended. He almost became Jaimee's birthday present but she turned down my thoughtfulness. 

Saturday was spent cleaning and with a trip to costco, I was feeling like old mother hubbard over here and am now much more satisfied with a full pantry. My honey went to work from 4 to 11 so I pigged out on pasta with my sister and Netflix. Hooping happened around 5 for almost an hour as I watched P ride her new bike from Santa.

Sunday's hooping was in the garage again, because that was warmer than outside. It limits some tricks though with the ceiling. I felt good about getting it in before we settled in to watch the 49ers beat the Packers for the NFC Wild Card slot in the Playoffs.

It was a delicious weekend.... although a little more expensive than I would've liked. Damn Costco! Hope you're all as well rested as these two:

Does everyone have Taco Trucks or is that really a California thing?

Have the Holiday decorations been taken down?

What was the best thing you drank this weekend?

Starting 2014 off with a challenge

I don't make resolutions, because to be frank I never quite take them seriously. I'm always amazed that so many people seem to. Many of the bloggers I read did a 'wrap up' of last years goals and how many they accomplished. I was in awe, and just like so many other things lately, I thought, "if they can, maybe I can to". 

So this is my start. However a year seems like an overwhelming amount of time to commit. So I'm starting with a 30 day goal, well joining a 30day goal. Hopefully they'll grow from there, but this seems much more feasible. I hope you take a minute read more about the Hoopy New Year Challenge and consider joining. No time like the present to become a new hooper!



So starting tonight, I will hoop at least 30minutes a day for 30days in January! The hooping.com community hosts these a few times a year so I'm looking forward to joining them. I'll keep you all updated throughout the month and may even add extra little goals, tricks I want to learn or a number of new places to hoop.  I'm looking forward to staring the year off on a good hooping rhythm!

What are some of your goals for early 2014?

Are you a resolution-er or very anti?

Have you ever picked up a hoop?