It was a "mandatory" boot day today, having rained last night. A long afternoon shower today means tomorrow will be the same. Peachy and Aurora darted on and off the play yard today, looking rather smug as it is all about them this week! Some of our little friends who haven't logged many hours in boots walk rather stiff-legged at first, such was the case with our charming little friend Maya today. Inside, some of our PreK friends enjoyed sewing with some mesh cloth in a hoop. We forgot to invite the cats in for tuna salad sandwiches at lunch time . . .

Cat Week

Peachy and Aurora should have a great week--it's cat week! PreK painted the cats' house. Inside, the children enjoyed homemade pet kennels and using vet supplies for pet examinations. The children also painted kittens' mittens!

Menu, 6/28-7/2/10

Monday
AM: bananas
Lunch: chicken enchilada casserole, organic carrots, local cucumbers
PM: cheese crackers, yogurt sticks

Tuesday
AM: clementine oranges
Lunch: tuna salad on whole wheat bread, steamed organic broccoli
PM: organic vanilla yogurt with banana slices

Wednesday
AM: organic grapes
Lunch: cheese lasagna, homemade garlic breadsticks
PM: trail mix: organic dry cereal, sesame sticks, organic raisins

Thursday
AM: cantaloupe
Lunch: lentil nachos (lentils, tortilla chips, organic lettuce, shredded cheese)
PM: organic popcorn, string cheese

Friday
AM: organic apple slices
Lunch: scrambled yard eggs and buttered whole wheat toast, fruit salad
PM: peanuts, organic carrots and celery with homemade ranch dip

It's All About . . . ME!

When my oldest daughter was born, my husband and I arrived home from the hospital shortly before the doorbell rang and in walked my sister and my parents, fresh from the airport. What a joy it was to have my parents see my new daughter, and to have the support of family for two weeks as a brand new mother. Laundry, food, and cleaning all taken care of by my parents and my husband. My sister was a huge help, too. Then, all of that wonderful support went away! My husband and sister returned to work, and my parents returned to West Virginia. I finished my maternity leave joyfully with my daughter, but quickly realized in those first weeks how little time there was to take care of myself as a mother!

I would lay my daughter down for a short nap and run around the apartment gathering laundry, then fill and start the washer just before she needed me again. I would nurse my daughter, then hurry to replace fluids and quench my thirst by pouring myself a glass of water. I would put her in her swing or carseat, and quickly make myself lunch or begin dinner. I remember thinking, "I don't even have time to paint my toe nails!". Such is motherhood--all too often placing your children or your spouse before yourself.

My own mother stayed home with my sister and I until I was a sophmore in high school, when she began working outside the home part-time. How she worked in the home, though! My parents virtually built my childhood home themselves, so my mom had two little kids in tow as she gardened, canned, cleaned, line-dryed clothes, layed oak hardwood floors and much more! From the time my dad left for work until he returned at night, she was on her own with us! I stopped napping at two or so (I won't allow that with my own children!!!), and she didn't have any space from us to take care of herself or to accomplish tasks. To this day, she will offer to take the screwed up piece of meat or will put off something for herself to take care of someone in our extended family. So...as a mother, I somehow unconsciously decided I would do all my mom did and work part-time or full-time, too. I fashioned my own form of motherhood, largely isolated from other mothers, largely burnt out, ignoring my own needs to relax or pursue personal interests. I was largely ineffective, but hey, I was there for my kids, wasn't I?

Early this year, at age thirty seven and having been a mother for nearly 10 years, I began to feel really unwell. I could detect a definite change in my health--I felt really old. Heart palpatations, depression (who ever knows how to rate its intensity), a lack of joy, resentment, and weight gain despite routinely neglecting my own nourishment. I knew I had to do something to literally save my life, as I knew ignoring these symptoms and feelings could shorten it. I didn't want to band-aid my situation. I wanted to find a way to fix up "all" of me. My sister and I were finally bright enough to begin working with one of our clients, Dio Miranda, who is C.H.E.K. practitioner. These last couple of months have been amazing! I have been open to where this journey leads me, with the only expectation being that I would surely feel better. There has been analysis of what we eat, how we eat, and how we feel afterward that I have come to appreciate. There has been exercise, first to heal and meditate, but now with more intensity for just 30 minutes per day to begin losing weight and developing cardiovascular wellness. Mostly, there has been a lot to think about as a result of the gentle questions Dio asks or kernels of truth he places in my mind. My truths are:

~I can't give what I don't have: to my family, my job, my business, to the children I serve
~no one is responsible for my health or happiness but me
~I am the heart of my home--its nutritionist, accountant, business manager, social events planner. I need to invest in me to "do it all"!
~other people have done little to me, I have allowed undesirable things in my life by having "flexible" boundaries, by being too polite, by being (gasp!) nice and unselfish!
~forgiveness is mostly for my benefit--"let it go"
~I deserve 30-60 minutes each morning to take care of myself before I attempt to take care of my family or my other responsibilities. Moreover, this is a requirement for my health!
~I should make a plan to determine exactly the parts of my business that bring me personal joy and do those as my work
~I need to make time to spend with my spouse, and each of my children individually--it's not fair to lump them into a "wolf pack" that needs all of me at once.
~the world gives me so much good when I think the best of people and when I believe my experience in the world is a positive one
~I am super-duper powerful! I have the power to create just what I want.

Hmm...I don't know what to say except I am a woman and a mother in transition. I can't go back and re-do a decade of my life, but I certainly can make changes in the way I go about things. Please don't get me wrong, either. It wasn't all bad! I think my three kids have had a great life because of me--it just wasn't necessary for me to lose myself for them to be happy!

Each woman has to find her way in motherhood, but I would certainly encourage all moms to luxuriate in books and laughter, in friends and personal interests, in music and art, whatever it is that is a selfish pleasure--any piece of the woman that was before she became "Mother".

~Leslie

Not Much to Say!

In recent weeks, we had to take a break from the blog, as there has been lots to do around the farm school and Sassy Pea Market. There have been unexpected challenges for us, but more than anything there has been so much unsolicited kindness, help, and an abundance of good wishes. Life does, indeed, hand out a lot of lemons. We're busy working on the lemonade!

Thank you to our wonderful staff, our school families, and our own families at home for making this journey possible. Oh, and that Dio guy that shares articles each month? We think he might be saving our lives. More on that later!

Love, Leslie and Janie

Monday, 6/21/10

It's frog week! Today everyone enjoyed seeing a frog in a house Sarah constructed! The frog even had a mailbox and mail! Everyone at school enjoyed wet on wet watercolor painting with green. The toddlers/two class played with dry rice and pasta. The older PreK children enjoyed a Lakota Indian tale about friendship and loyalty. As part of the tale, children donned eagle costumes. We had a good day!

Weekly Menu, 6/21-6/25/10

Monday
AM: bananas
Lunch: charro pinto beans, organic brown rice, Monterrey Jack cheese
PM: trail mix: sesame sticks, pumpkin seeds, organic raisins

Tuesday
AM: organic apples
Lunch: brown rice pasta with grass fed beef marinara, Parmesan cheese, organic vegetables
PM: organic vanilla yogurt, blueberries

Wednesday
AM: cantaloupe
Lunch: roast turkey, organic mixed vegetables, homemade bread w/butter
PM: cheese cubes, pretzels

Thursday
AM: organic dry cereal
Lunch: taco salad: pinto bean chili, corn tortillas, organic Romaine lettuce, local tomatoes, Monterry Jack cheese
PM: nut thins, bananas

Friday
AM: oranges
Lunch: roast chicken and organic potatoes, local cucumbers
PM: crackers with peanut butter and strawberry jam

"The Laughing Thing" by Dio Miranda

This month we will be practicing laughing, to forget the serious, and how to be a kid again. Welcome to “kid fitness”! After watching Norm McDonald (the guy from Saturday Night Live) doing stand-up comedy here in Austin, I realized the importance of forgetting it all and getting into the laugh.

Grabbing a funny movie, calling a fun friend, and exercising with the people who you love will contribute to inner happiness. Laughing is one of the most powerful sources of healing. There are numerous pieces of research on the benefits of smiling and laughing. Did you know that those muscles that help you lift your cheeks and open the mouth are connected with the brain and send a direct message of happiness when they smile? I encourage you to challenge yourself and put this information to the test and practice smiling. Do it now! Maybe this is what your child has been waiting for since you conceived him/her!

Instead of smiling, many times we focus too much on educating and criticizing (which can lead to allergies in infants that are carried into adulthood). The fear of criticism also has other outcomes that are not welcome by the body and create “dis-ease”. "Getting on" someone about doing the “right” things most of the time causes a person to constantly acknowledge something wrong with themselves? Let me remind you to enjoy the moments of joy and peace. Maybe this, too, is what your children are waiting for. Mommies and poppies, let’s take a break from the “don’t do that”, “don’t do this”, “you are going to fall”, and “you are going to get hurt”. Instead, encourage and try to mold a life full of spirit by smiling at your children for a while. By the way, I have not met anyone in my lifetime that hasn’t fallen despite warnings not to! Children may look at us, then, not as the boss, but as the leader of their lives.

As you know, I keep insisting on the principles necessary to reach maximum health and vitality. Well, once again this month, it is simple: smile and laugh!

Making fun of people and mocking them is not the type of laughter that is helpful. Instead, connect with yourself and enjoy life once more. Maybe this will earn you a new job, or open up a position where you will earn more to supply your family. Who wants to be around “Debbie Downer” or “Paul Downer”?

Thoughts of smiling and laughing lead me to mention the importance of forgiveness in our lives. This great tool of forgiveness has been used for years by gurus, many of whom are familiar to you. If you take time to study these gurus, you will see that they aren’t sad, rather they are full of joy and lead by example—living their words. A plan of forgiveness is not for your neighbor, your mother-in-law, brother-in-law or anyone else, but rather it is for you. It is for your benefit. Forgive and eliminate heart attacks, bad posture, pain, and other diseases that are created by our judgment and our endless corrective comments toward others.

Try this month to respect others’ points of view, talk when it is time, and accept people for who they are. Don’t try to convince them to think like you. After all, the same program does not work for everyone. We are not one to judge, so don’t worry about that department. You are the son/daughter of perfection. Laugh, smile and repeat to yourself that everything is a dream and that you will be OK!

From many years in the fitness industry, I have learned to look at fitness and health form a different perspective. It’s not just about lifting weights and screaming at people. Instead, it’s about learning what works for the individual. Maybe it’s laughing that is missing from your exercise program!

My intentions are that YOU become an expert on yourself!

Migdoel “Dio” Miranda
C.H.E.K. III
HLC II
Metabolic Typing Advisor

Weekly Menu, 6/14-6/18/10

Monday
AM: bananas
Lunch: brown rice pasta with broccoli and Parmesan cheese, tossed salad (organic Romaine lettuce, pesticide-free tomatoes, homemade vinaigrette)
PM: snack mix: tamari sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, organic raisins

Tuesday
AM: organic apples
Lunch: barbecue chicken, organic brown rice, yellow squash and zucchini
PM: homemade guacamole and tortilla chips

Wednesday
AM: melon (watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew)
Lunch: homemade bean chili over roasted organic potatoes, shredded cheese
PM: homemade shortbread and/or muffins (kid-made!), organic vanilla yogurt

Thursday
AM: smoothies: organic blueberries, bananas, whey protein powder, almond milk
Lunch: chicken salad, wholegrain melba toast, cucumber slices (locally grown!)
PM: cheddar cheese cubes, nut thins

Friday
AM: orange slices
Lunch: grilled cheese sandwich on wholegrain bread, buttered organic mixed vegetables
PM: Goldfish crackers

Weekly Menu, 6/1-6/4/10

Tuesday
AM: organic dry cereal medley
Lunch: turkey taco salad (organic lettuce, tomatoes, ground turkey, organic tortilla chips, Jack cheese)
PM: blueberry smoothies, ginger snaps

Wednesday
AM: organic tortilla chips and guacamole
Lunch: "make your own" spinach (organic) and mozzarella pizza, organic broccoli
PM: almond butter sandwich

Thursday
AM: watermelon and cantaloupe
Lunch: roast turkey, bread stuffing, organic mixed vegetables
PM: angel food cake with organic strawberries, blueberries, and whipped cream

Friday
AM: organic granola bars
Lunch: grilled cheese sandwich on multigrain bread, organic carrots, organic celery
PM: snack mix (almonds, pretzels, sunflower seeds, organic animal crackers)