Monday Motivators

“Saturday morning was come, and all the summer world was bright and fresh, and brimming with life. There was a song in every heart; and if the heart was young, the music issued at the lips. There was cheer in every face and a spring in every step. The locust-trees were in bloom, and the fragrance of the blossoms filled the air. Cardiff Hill, beyond the village and above, it was green with vegetation, and it lay just far enough away to seem a Delectable Land, dreamy, reposeful, and inviting.”  - Mark Twain, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

May all your adventures be dreamy, reposeful, and inviting too.  Even if it's not summer.  And even if the adventure sometimes seems rather small.

Octoberfesting

It may still be flip flop weather here in Southern California, but that's not stopping us from celebrating a great Autumn season.

How's your celebrating coming along?

Reading

The Los Angeles weather is finally cooling off.  Our version of fall is slowly creeping in and all I want to do is curl up with some books and a warm cup of coffee.

Here's what's currently on my nightstand reading pile.  I'd love to know what's on yours.  :)

(Midweek) Motivators

I'm still playing catch up with life and therefore this blog. 
But it's better late than never to share how we celebrated our now almost 14 month old's birthday.

Learning

Miller started preschool a few weeks ago.  Even though leaving him in the morning is still a rough few minutes for him, when I pick him up at lunch he has nothing but proud smiles and stories to tell me about his day.

{"My backpack's too heavy!"}

The beginning of a school year was always so special to me.  I moved around quite a bit growing up (13 different schools before graduating high school!), and a new school was an exciting time to meet new friends and refresh myself. 

I sure hope my kids have that same collective giddiness and those same nostalgic memories to look forward to (and look back on) each fall.

{1987 Fisher Price Discovery Map via Artsefrtse's Attic}

{1979 Muppets Lunch Box via Proud Rufus Trading Co.}

{Vintage Nautical Book Bag via Scarlet Fury}

{Vintage Peanuts Pencil Case via Soft Focus Vintage}

{Vintage Playschool Children's Desk via Alsredesign Vintage}

{Vintage Houndstooth Sport Coat via Udaskids}

{3 Ring Binders via TheFrontHouse}

Monday Motivators (Back in Action)

 It sure is nice to feel super again.

 

What's motivating you this week?

Details

I often lose myself in stress.  It's such a thin line between focused balance and frazzled to dos.  These last few months have been struggle for me and it's been hard to find the right words for wholeness.

I'm grabbing at them slowly.  A practice that stretches me thin, but still a practice that pieces me together.

Details like these from a recent trip Evan and I took to Palm Springs focus me.  Details like these ground me.  Details like these remind me.

I am always details.
I am always "to dos".
I am always me.

The words will come.
Steady, focused, me words.

Steps

I felt like I was trekking through mud for awhile. 

It's a good thing I'm starting to feel solid on my own feet again, or else I would be missing out on how exciting all this walking around can be.

Standing

Today I am bones. 
Rattling, rummaging bones.

Shake-
Shaker-
SHAKEN to stand on my own two feet.

Tomorrow I am bones.
Steady, sturdy, walking bones.

For the Fans

WE FINALLY HAVE OUR OWN WIFI!!  And a few minutes that I'm using to be totally unproductive.  My troublesome list of tasks can wait.  I have a chile cheese tamale in my belly, a Hansen's pomegranate by my side, and a collection of memories I've captured on my phone camera.

Enjoy these few moments in time as I enjoy a few more of my own.

Simplicity

There's a mockingbird's nest in our orange tree in the backyard.  The mother bird perches herself on a nearby rooftop.  She's ready and fiercely cries out when we get too close.  She's gone only a few moments throughout the day to find food. 

And then she's back.  Feeding.  Protecting her family and her home.

I've had a tiresome week.  Too many hours spent working.  Too many boxes to unpack.  Too many hours spent feeling frustrated that there's only 24 hours in a day.

I watch that bird every morning and I'm envious of simplicity.

Simply, deep breaths. 
Simply, one moment at a time.

Monday Motivators

I'm coming up for air. Deep breaths and full eyes. It's madness and bliss. This sweet stirring of movement. Time and a solid wifi signal patiently wait for the dust to settle. I hope you can too. :) P.S. I'm finally now on (and addicted!!) to instagram. (@actualizingamy) Let's catch up!

Big.

*This is something I wrote awhile back that I submitted to a short essay contest.  Although it wasn't used for that, I feel it's perfect to share with you all this mother's day weekend.  We're still deep in moving prep and hopes to finally FINALLY! close escrow.  Mixed with everyday life and work schedules, I'll continue to be a bit MIA these next few weeks as things (hopefully?) begin to settle back into place.  Have a wonderful weekend yourself, enjoying all your own blessings!


I hate to do dishes.  Tedious and mindless.  Hands numbing.  Pruning.  But we do them.  Everyday.  That little window of joy, of satisfaction I feel glancing at the empty counter once it’s done, is decadent. 

Mothering is like that sometimes.  Mindless and decadent…

I’m currently listening to my two kids whisper back and forth to each other in the other room.  They should have been asleep hours ago.  Instead, thanks to my upstairs neighbors’ dinner guests, I hear my eight month old loudly “AHHH, BAAA, BPPPFFFFTTT, AHHHH” over to her two and a half year old brother.  She’s only met with loud “SHHHHHHHHHHH”s and an occasional grumpy sigh. 

I am blessed and I don’t know how to thank for it. 

I watched TREE OF LIFE this week.  Intense, pretentious, and lovely.  I’ve been haunted by it since.  It hit the piece of me that feels I am so small.  So so so small.  Sometimes so empty.  I get foggy.  And mindless.  And before I know it, I’m numb.  Lost in what feels like the day to day battle of tedious moments.  Just survive.

A text from my husband on a far away weekend trip.  The spitty shushes from the other room.  The shared dishes from a filling meal.  Suddenly I’m whole again. 

Big.  Bigger than I know how to hold.  Bigger than I know how to live. 

I am blessed and I know enough to thank for it.