The Petite Family

Family Circle ~ April 2013 (Earth Day)

Since it's been a busy month, and we hadn't had time to have a family circle, we decided Earth Day was the perfect day to prioritize making time to be together. Monday's are usually "Media Free Day" in our house, so we figured it was as good of time as any to get the kids' attention! And, Earth Day is also good fodder for discussion.

We opened our circle by reflecting on this quote and inviting awareness and peace.

The ultimate test of man's conscience may be his willingness to sacrifice something today for future generations whose words of thanks will not be heard. -- Gaylord Nelson

Then, we talked about things we can do to be gentler on the Earth & the impact of the "stuff" we consume. We watched The Story of Cosmetics, and patted ourselves on the back for the changes we've made in the past five or six years, minimizing the products we use, and choosing the ones we do wisely. We really don't rely on too many cosmetics. Baking soda, vinegar, peroxide, coconut oil, and Dr. Bronner's soaps comprise the majority of our daily routine, from tooth brushing to cleaning the house.

We also looked up the Great Garbage Patch Island in the Pacific ocean. The kids were really astonished by the videos and photos we found. It could really make you feel overwhelmed at the enormity of healing our Earth will have to do to repair that wound. But, we emphasized to the kids that even the little things than do, CAN make a difference, and talked about ways we could be even "greener" in our daily lives.

In our Family Journal today, we wrote things we are thankful for about the Earth.

We closed our circle with a Buddhist prayer. Darren and I went out to enjoy an evening walk on a chilly Spring night. The kids retreated to the activities in which they were previously engaged before we summoned them downstairs. A good day.

We gently caress you, the Earth, our planet and our home. Our vision has brought us closer to you, making us aware of the harm we have done to the life-network upon which we ourselves depend. We are reminded that we have poisoned your waters, your lands, your air. We have filled you with the bones of our dead from war and greed. Your pain is our pain. Touching you gently, we pray that we may become peace-bringers and life-bringers so that our home in its journey around the Sun not become a sterile and lonely place. May this prayer and its power last forever. -- Sensei Ulrich, Manitoba Buddhist Temple

Family Circle ~ March 2013

Today we celebrated the beginning of Spring, though it still feels like Winter outside. We wrote the things we're looking forward to about Spring in our family journal, talked some more about meditation and watched a short video on the topic, and closed out the circle with a prayer. Love these moments together!

~~~
Springtime Prayer
O Dancer of Creation,
the earth awakens to an urgent call to grow.
In the hidden recesses of my wintered spirit
I, too, hear the humming of your voice,
calling me, wooing my deadness back to life.
My soul yawns, stretches, quickens,
as the energy of Spring revives my weariness.
I sit with wonder, observing the steady activity
of downy woodpeckers and newly yellowed finch.
I do so wait with the avid attention of a child’s first look,
savoring the colors and shapes of earth’s loveliness.
As the filtering patterns of early sunlight
lift the shades of green in every growing thing,
I enter into spring’s unlettered words of life.
For a while my doubts, anxieties, and worries
become like chapters in some ancient book
whose text no longer claims my full attention.
I am content to sit, watching Spring
turn the pages of this animated publication,
eager to discover the invigorating story
reflected in my own springtime revelation.
Tell me, Wise Awakener,
why is it easier to believe in a stem of new grass,
or the opening bud of a fresh purple crocus,
than it is to believe in the greening of me?

—Joyce Rupp

Fun Day Transitioning to Midlife

To celebrate my 40th birthday, we decided to head into DC for the day to meet my mom and Tom, and check out the NBC4 Health & Fitness Expo. I was sort of disappointed by the event, as there weren't any natural food vendors, and the only foods served were Philly steaks, french fries, sodas, etc.

Nonetheless, we walked around for a bit, and had fun in DC, stopping off at Khepra's Raw Food Juice Bar for a yummy lunch. I've tried their food at various vegetarian/health festivals over the past couple years, but never got a chance to stop in. It's a little "hole in the wall," kind of place with lots of character and excellent raw food! Darren was happy to get his hands on a green coconut. After enjoying them in Ecuador, he's been searching for a fresh looking one for awhile.

My mom took Zofia for the evening, so we enjoyed a quiet ride home, stopping at MOM's Market in Rockville to get a jug of Elderberry Kombucha, and then in Frederick, at the Owl's Nest to get a few birthday crystals.

We rounded out the day with a birthday bowl of durian (for me and Darren... Flo and Joe retreated in disgust), some quiet creative time alone, and a restful sleep. Not a bad start to my 40th year... looking forward to making it a great year!

Family Circle ~ February 2013

It was late on this mid-February evening, but we missed our January Family Circle, and finally had a night where everyone was home, so the kids set up our table. We spent a little time chatting, watching a short video on "meaning" from the the Spirit Science YouTube channel and writing things we "love" in our family journal. It was a nice way to wind down the day.

Today's prayer:
As the day falls into darkness, I ask my soul's teacher to help me recognize what is finished, not to manipulate the powers of life and death to keep alive what is really worn out this day ~ SELF-CLARIFICATION ~ May all the out-worn things that I have harboured find their true rest and eternal home.

Today's card from the deck:
"I am learning that all problems resolve themselves."

And, for continuity, we always close the circle with our Unitarian Universalist prayer:
The light does not go out, it is transferred to each of us, to share, and to hold, and to bring with us, when we next return.

Namaste. So mote it be. Amen... Until next time...

Chef Zo

Zofia is always busy rearranging the house. Today she decided to set up a kitchen on the ottoman. She's been making little "kitchens" and "fruit stands" all over the house this week. I keep finding apples, lemons, oranges and bananas in different rooms. She's definitely a child of the digital age, because every time she assembles one of her creative collections of stuff, she yells to me to come take a picture. We certainly wouldn't want to miss an opportunity to document all this five-year old Zofia goodness!

Healthy Heart

Joe had his annual heart check-up today.  They do an echocardiogram and just check things over. When he's a little older, they'll do a stress test.  But, he's in great shape.  Even though we knew that, it's always reassuring to get a good report.  It reminds me of those scary days when he was an infant and we didn't know which way things would go.  Today, the only worry was about Joe's annoyance with with all the sticky goo left from the sensor sticker things they use to monitor his heart.  He had to tediously peel them off, one at a time, deciding whether the quick-rip or slow and steady removal approach was best.  By the end, he was opting for the quick method!   

Flo came along for the ride today, too, because she had a Spanish tutoring session just down the street.  So, after Joe's appointment, we hung out at the medical center for a bit, then drove her over to her lesson at the community college.  Joe and I decided to park and snooze for the hour and a half lesson time.  Joe brought his tablet along to read and play a game, but, I had no problem catching a quick nap while things were quiet and I could recharge for the rest of the day!

What Color is Your Leisure Suit?

Since we were already out for her piano lesson, afterwards, Flo and I sought out a quiet place for her to study her Spanish vocabulary a bit, before her tutoring session tomorrow. We ended up at Martin's grocery store cafe. Flo got caught up on things, and we had a good laugh about some of the words... like "leisure suit." Ha!

Cabin Fever Teen Night

Flo had cabin fever after our quiet holiday week and then being stuck at home with the flu.  She really wanted to get together with her friends.  So, we cleaned up the house, rounded up some holiday snack leftovers, called in the homeschooling teens, and provided a social op for Flo and friends... Fun!  

The unfortunate turn of events for me, was that I was all set to get to bed at a reasonable hour and be alert for the teen get-together!  But then... the pilot light on the heater went out!  Around 1am, I noticed the smell of gas, and temperature in the house was down to 55F.  Brr.  After spending a few minutes looking for obvious possibilities, I reluctnatly woke up Darren to consult with him.  We ended up deciding to shut off the main switch, and call the repair company.  We put in a call, but the technician just got off a 17 hour shift, so since we weren't having a major emergency, we agreed to let him sleep awhile and come later in the morning.

The rather perky and knowledgeable technician arrived around 8am, and a couple hours, and almost $800 later, we had heat again, just in time for Flo's gathering in the afternoon.  So, I was warm, but exhausted by the time the first teen arrived.  But, despite my fatigue, Flo and her friends has a nice evening, and I was happy to facilitate some friend-time for my socially-deprived homeschooler! 

Post-Holiday Ick

The new laptop we got for Christmas was really nice while were stuck in bed with the flu.  The day after Christmas found us with two sick kids.  It was a long night, but at least we made it until later on Christmas day before anyone felt really bad.  Joe and Zofia started the round of illness with fevers, coughing and tummy-aches.  Darren wasn't far behind, and was down for the count by the 27th.  I managed to hold off another day or so, bringing everyone water and orange juice, before it got me.

Flo was the only one that escaped the post holiday ick, but still had a sore throat and cold symptoms.  We were quarantined for about five days, and were all getting cabin fever by the end.

Thankfully, right before the New Year, we were all feeling mostly recovered, and ready to head into 2013 with renewed enthusiasm!

Christmas Day 2012

Today marked our ninth Christmas here in Maryland. We’ve enjoyed every year, watching the kids holiday wonderment and sharing this time together. This season, we hosted a fun holiday potluck for our vegetarian MeetUp group on the 23rd, and that launched us into a feeling of festiveness and holiday cheer.

On Christmas Eve, Flo got her wish, as a few inches of fluffy white snow fell just in time for a white Christmas. The downside was that church was cancelled. But, since Grandma and Tom were leaving Christmas morning for Myrtle Beach, they braved the snow and came down for a short visit to exchange gifts. They were VERY generous this year. They got Flo a pair of Beats headphones. She actually cried! LOL They got Joe a Nexus tablet, which he LOVES. And, Tom surprised us with a new HP LAPTOP! We gave them a bamboo fruit bowl and a candle. It's the thought that counts!

Christmas morning started around 9am, thought I managed to stay in bed until about 9:45, when Joe just couldn’t take it anymore. He woke up Zofia and Flo, and down we went to open gifts.

Santa was thoughtful, as always, this year. He brought Flo this awesome high-end recording mic, but failed to realize that it doesn't connect directly to the computer... you need an adapter or mixer to run it through to USB to the computer. Oops... So, Flo will be saving up for that and longingly looking at her pretty new mic in the meantime. Joe got huge Lego frigate project, so we haven't seen much of him today. And, for Zofia, Santa left a cuddly, orange teddy bear. She's been happily occupied most of the day with some of her new holiday art supplies.

Darren got a stocking full of Briscola and tarot cards, and he and the kids got me a cozy new pair of mittens from Ten Thousand Villages down the street. I walk a lot around the neighborhood in the evenings, and my old standby fuzzy red Canadian Olympics mittens have become quite tattered, so I’m happy to have a replacement. I enjoyed filling the kids stockings this year with tidbits from local vendors, through Valley Co-op. Fun stuff like soaps, lotions, incense, candles, lip balms, and other fun treats.

Darren and I enjoyed a restful day, with a little durian/banana combo for breakfast, after watching the kids open gifts. Then we watched some YouTube videos about Ecuador on our new laptop. Later in the afternoon, we made up a tasty veggie tray with some avo/tomato dip, and rounded out the day's feast with yummy berry fruit smoothies. The kids holiday treats consisted of gluten-free noodles, fruit smoothies, lemon-ginger tea, and a few goodies from their stockings. All in all, it was a low-stress, high-fun, happy-energy, relaxing day, and the spirit of Christmas was abound.