Ru ~ dig deeper

June. How is it possible? June is currently shining from rainfall reflections, but hopefully the sun will put in an appearance sometime this weekend. Friday. The start of a weekend is an excellent way to start off a new month.

I feel as though the tectonic plates beneath my life are shifting a bit, but in a good way.

• Eat well, drink plenty of water, and take vitamins/supplements √
• Exercise/movement for 1 hour minimum: walk, yoga, Wii fit+ √
• Basic house maintenance: dishes, garbage, recycling, compost
• Flylady Mission of the Day: Bust hot spots
• Laundry: wash, sort, put away √
• Reading & homework with Isak √
• Family game / adventure √
• Me time: bath, bubbles, book √
• Downtime w/M √

• Continue April happiness entries
• Sort papery nightmare
• Bookcrossing project: complete/send memorial label design √

• Joynotes √
• Ponder new goals √
• Check/post in project forum √
• Good school day = Wii time (join!) √
• Transfer new photos, recharge battery √
• Baths for all! Squeaky hair and trimmed claws! √
• Pick up present, food, go to birthday party √11 months ago

My mantra for May was to just…

Let it go.

Whether it’s a mental mothball or dusty possessions. Less is more. It sounds easier in theory than practice, but I’ve made a lot of progress and it’s getting easier. 11 months ago

^{Retroactive happiness…}

^{April 16}

• Rain, charcoal smudged skies, and unpopped buds giving way to jeweled droplets and a rich blue backdrop for pale pink explosions.

• Dissolving sadness in outside hours.

• Getting into one of the last spots for what sounds like an exciting summer science experiment class.

• Good talks.

• Consciously unwinding, like feeding kite string to the sky. 11 months ago

Drifting through a painful anniversary, I’m going extra easy on myself today. I mainly want to move forward with the memorial bookcrossing project, so the #1 goal for the day is completing the label design and sending it off for printing.

This evening I want to have some quality family time and touch base with some friends (and myself). Isak has his special school day, so I can’t wait to hear how that went. Focusing on positive stuff in the present and happy memories from the past.

Oh good, I got soaked walking outside this morning, but the rain has just stopped.

• Eat well, drink plenty of water, and take vitamins/supplements √
• Exercise/movement for 1 hour minimum: walk, yoga, Wii fit+ √
• Basic house maintenance: dishes, garbage, recycling, compost √
• Flylady Mission of the Day: Detailed vacuuming √
• Laundry: wash, sort, put away √
• Reading & homework with Isak √
• Family game / adventure √
• Me time: bath, bubbles, book - Too exhausted, I might drown
• Downtime w/M √

• Continue April happiness entries √
• Sort papery nightmare

• Get Isak prepped for school program √
• Bookcrossing project: complete/send label design - 99 percent, need sizing details
• Transfer new photos, clear card √
• Skype with S. - We both tried for an hour, not syncing
• Joynotes √
• Sit with good memories √11 months ago

^{Retroactive happiness…}

^{April 15}

• Leftover cake for breakfast – one of the privileges of being a grown-up.

• Presents in the mailbox – gold rimmed birds and a iridescent orange bow.

• Book apps and new e-reads. I still love the paper page, but oh, the convenience…

• A perfect afternoon for blowing bubbles and a hike in the woods absorbing the freshly bloomed colors and touching rough bark. 11 months ago

I’m enjoying not having a deadline right now, at least nothing that isn’t self-directed. I’m balancing sorting, decluttering, planning, cleaning, resting, mommy time and personal time pretty well right now, things are getting done. I look at all the stuff poised to go out the door and it feels really good. So good that I’ve been re-sifting things I was going to keep and weeding further. We have a long way to go, but there have been bounds in the right direction.

Tomorrow Isak has a special creative problem solving day class he was invited to take part in (his teacher is going with him), and this weekend he’s having an overnight with his aunt and uncle, there’s a community street party, and a dear friend’s birthday party we’re all going to… the schedule is filling up fast.

Tomorrow will be a harder day for me to get through, but at least I feel like I’m doing some concrete dealing with grief and memories and letting go.

• Eat well, drink plenty of water, and take vitamins/supplements √
• Exercise/movement for 1 hour minimum: walk, yoga, Wii fit+ √
• Basic house maintenance: dishes, garbage, recycling, compost √
• Flylady Mission of the Day: Knick knack dusting √
• Laundry: wash, sort, put away √
• Reading & homework with Isak √
• Family game / adventure √
• Me time: bath, bubbles, book
• Downtime w/M √

• Continue April happiness entries √
• Sort papery nightmare

• Keep decluttering the garage √
• Keep adding to the donation box √ Coats, plates
• Books: work on memorial label design √ Nearly done
• Good school day = Wii time (join!) X
• Transfer new photos √
• Hair pampering √
• Skype with S. - She had to switch days
• Art with Iris √ Oooh, blue and purple!
• Prepare for Creative Playdate program: car seat, snack/lunch, early bedtime √ – bedtime
• Mini series w/M √11 months ago

^{Retroactive happiness…}

^{April 14}

• A great swim (and Isak’s excitement over loose tooth #4).

• Blushing forget-me-nots and chalk trap doors.

• Visiting the Labyrinth Healing Garden.

• Walking the Port Moody Shoreline Trail at dusk. 11 months ago

We’ve reached our goal! Between my recent work payment and M’s tax refund, we’ve finally been pushed over our financial finish line! This includes the $ envelope waiting to be added to a new TFSA (but not the funds I still have in Kiva projects, RRSP’s or US cash from our last trip), and we’ve set up a monthly plan to keep adding to our savings. O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!

^{Now if we could just find the right little place to make a downpayment on…}11 months ago

We’re making serious headway in the garage, but it’s so overwhelming. I need to stop flitting from box to box, exhale and stay focused on getting through one at a time. We have a pile of stuff to donate that needs to actually get to a donation bin when we have time, and the book release project should free up a lot of space when it finally happens, I’m moving forward daily with that as well.

There’s suddenly enough space in the corner of the garage to free the bikes and get the stroller in and out, so that’s inspiring. So much anxiety crops up with all these boxes – not all the negative sort, just heavy memories to touch on, some harder to let go than others. I’m not taking on any more work-work this week so I can have extra time to move ahead with tangible household stuff and move through some of the invisible clutter well.

Onward.

• Eat well, drink plenty of water, and take vitamins/supplements √
• Exercise/movement for 1 hour minimum: walk, yoga, Wii fit+ √
• Basic house maintenance: dishes, garbage, recycling, compost √
• Flylady Mission of the Day: Chair/couch dive √
• Laundry: wash, sort, put away √ X2
• Reading & homework with Isak √
• Family game / adventure √
• Me time: bath, bubbles, book √
• Downtime w/M √

• Continue April happiness entries √
• Sort papery nightmare - Progress…

• Work: Decline new projects until next week √
• Books: arrange memorial label printing √
• Shelve shoes/boots (to keep) √
• Box shoes/boots (to donate) √ HUGE box
• Wash clothes to donate √
• Tidy change table √
• Vacuum √
• Clean bathroom 5: sinks, counter, mirror, toilet, tub √
• Contact 3 friends & parents √
• Plan Skype with S. √ Tomorrow
• Good school day = Wii time (join!) √
• Transfer new photos √
• Mini series w/m √ Ready to go…11 months ago

♫

Grey day, feeling a bit blue, the end of May is a very difficult anniversary for me, and I want to make some tangible forward movement in letting some of that go – move of the day is starting on the memorial Bookcrossing project.

Another heavy stone is a third set of longtime friends have announced they are splitting. All three couples are longtime relationships and have kids. We want to be there with open ears and arms and not let it weigh too much, but it makes for a very heavy heart.

I need to make doubletime strides on the current memoir – I made family fun and garage purging a priority over the weekend and now work needs to take front and center stage…

Extra big gratitude for my own family, friends, and life.

• Eat well, drink plenty of water, and take vitamins/supplements √
• Exercise/movement for 1 hour minimum: walk, yoga, Wii fit+ √
• Basic house maintenance: dishes, garbage, recycling, compost √
• Flylady Mission of the Day: Living room 15+ √
• Laundry: wash, sort, put away √
• Reading & homework with Isak √
• Family game / adventure √
• Me time: bath, bubbles, book √
• Downtime w/M √

• Continue April happiness entries √ Loaded new photos
• Sort papery nightmare

• Continue new memoir project √ Done, sent!
• Music! Soothe my savage beastie √
• Continue battling boxes (aim for 3) √
• Books: Additional Bookcrossing info √ Found p/w, logged in
• Clean floors (sweep, swiff, vacuum) √ S/S
• Further TFSA research (fees, etc.) √ Some…
• DVR watch & delete 1 hour √ The Killing
• Plan a visit with E. - Left message
• Plan Skype with S. √
• Plan overnight for Isak with Auntie A. & Uncle J. √
• Good school day = Wii time (join in) √
• Baths for everyone! √
• Mini series w/m √ Set DVR
• Stay up √

^{Cue the wistful accordion}11 months ago

Not mentioned yet… 11 months ago

Top 10 Things To Do This Weekend

• Start secondary savings account (TFSA II)
• Clean out purse and diaper bag
• Work on memoir project
• Get the guys hair cut
• Outdoor adventures
• Anti-clutter project
• Go through clothes
• Campfire
• Banking
• Library

^{Sunday edit: I want to do some additional banking research before jumping the gun, so that’s postponed and instead we got seriously down and dirty decluttering the garage. I scraped the bottom of 1973 at one point…}11 months ago

Is it just me, or is the search function on the site not working? 11 months ago

^{Retroactive happiness…}

^{April 13}

• Sun! Sun! Sun! Golden and gorgeous. Ecstatic new flowers, blood-drop colored ladybugs and happy faces. And it’s Friday!

• Clearing away dust bunnies, internal and external.

• Kicking around a new silver soccer ball (Willlllllsonnnnnnn…!)

• Tossing horseshoes, petting black cats. 11 months ago

^{Retroactive happiness…}

^{April 12}

• A wonderful and all too rare visit from my brother, sister in law, and (soon-to-be-big-brother) nephew. Palpable anticipation. Sharing leftover cheesequake cake.

• Long talks with friends. Time to be thorough and under the surface in catching up.

• Sun in the park after a very rainy morning – watching the darker clouds get further and further away. Birdsong from drying trees. Iris’ glee at finding a pebble.

• Watching Parenthood , which was a different kind of funny than when I first saw it in the 80’s.

• Sleeping kids and a cold cranberry cocktail in a warm bath. 11 months ago

^{Retroactive happiness…}

^{April 11}

• Happy 1st birthday to Iris! I can’t imagine life without her here. I can’t believe it’s been a year already.

• Missing a sudden downpour when I didn’t have my umbrella (and hitting a nice spring rain later when I did).

• After much anticipation, the first cherry blossoms on our street popped! Now it really feels like spring is here.

• Super cleaning the house while listening to upbeat, gumption provoking music and finding that pesky missing T4 in the process.

• Having a not too big / not too small family birthday party with thoughtful presents, bright balloons, and a big pink ice cream cake. 11 months ago

An update… we’ve completed the second batch of Swim Kids classes. They were great, we loved the instructor, she did a lot of different things with them (more than the previous teacher) and he seemed much more in sync with her, much more willing to try things. He also had 4/5 familiar kids in the classes, making it more fun and adding extra support and fun competition.

He was much more comfortable and relaxed in the water, and made a lot of progress this run, especially with getting his face under the water and going into the deeper area. He did the whole set without goggles and we have more happy check-marks on the aquatic report card.

We’re still a ways from a badge, they expect quite a lot before moving to level II, but the plan is to spend extra time at the pool over the summer and then pick up with the lessons again. 11 months ago

We all got dressed this morning and then changed into less when we realized that it was finally heating up just in time for the weekend. I’m ecstatic – we need a good dose of sunshine and some outdoor adventures.

This should be a busy weekend, I may make a list for keeping on track. The big decluttering has already begun. I have uncommon energy building. Maybe it’s all the deep, appreciating breaths I took on the way to school.

TGIF. And the buttercups are practically blinding.

• Eat well, drink plenty of water, and take vitamins/supplements √
• Exercise/movement for 1 hour minimum: walk, yoga, Wii fit+ √
• Basic house maintenance: dishes, garbage, recycling, compost √
• Flylady Mission of the Day: Clear dressertops √
• Laundry: wash, sort, put away √
• Reading & homework with Isak √
• Family game / adventure √
• Me time: bath, bubbles, book
• Downtime w/M √

• Continue April happiness entries √
• Sort papery nightmare
• Make that appointment √ Double whammy with Iris!
• Clean out purse

• Continue new memoir project (aim for half)
• Weed coat pile
• Sort more clothes (15 minutes is fine) √
• Go through 1 difficult storage box √ Poetry books/Jacket
• Add to donation box √
• Toss 3 clunky junks √ Broken umbrella, kite, and case
• Contact 3 friends √ 5
• Sunscreen √
• Spend the afternoon out in the sunshine √ Divine.
• Transfer new photos √11 months ago

^{Retroactive happiness…}

^{April 10}

• Leftover birthday cake for breakfast! Smashing with strong coffee.

• Bold strides forward in the tax realm. Exhalation.

• The kids playing in the tub together for the first time.

• Having a long talk while I soaked beneath heaven scented, fuchsia bubbles.

• Watching a wonderfully peculiar black and white French horror flick from the 60’s, Les yeux sans visage. 12 months ago

It’s still chaotic outside, but my noggin is stable and pain free, and if the weather poohbahs are to be believed, things are finally looking up as another week edges closer to a close.

Sinking slow into Thursday with a big mug of vanilla mocha, enjoying my last few minutes before rousing the littles. Looking forward to the weekend, but I can ride the anticipation for another day. If I can run between the raindrops, I’ll take a longer walk this afternoon.

Aching to spring clean with a vengeance, but lacking the time and gumption, hoping to stoke those fires more before the end of the month. But it’s still May, and it’s still Thursday, I’m getting ahead of myself. Pulling Now focus back. Now I need to finish my coffee as slowly as possible and then prod rise and shinys.

• Eat well, drink plenty of water, and take vitamins/supplements √
• Exercise/movement for 1 hour minimum: walk, yoga, Wii fit+ √
• Basic house maintenance: dishes, garbage, recycling, compost √
• Flylady Mission of the Day: Clear nightstands √
• Laundry: wash, sort, put away √ X 2
• Reading & homework with Isak √
• Family game / adventure √
• Me time: bath, bubbles, book √
• Downtime w/M √

• Continue April happiness entries √
• Sort papery nightmare
• Make that appointment - Arranged school pick-up
• 15 minutes clothes sorting (in/out) √

• Continue new memoir project √
• Add to donation box √
• Nullify 3 clutter spots √
• Clean bathroom counter/sinks √
• Walk further √
• Contact 3 friends √
• Return messages √
• Skype with S. - She can’t tonight, bumping
• Transfer new photos √
• Clean out purse

BONUS:

Completely stripped a thoroughly cluttered top-to-bottom (since we moved here) closet, re-arranged everything to hold hangable kid clothes and toy boxes. Thoroughly impressed.

Went through all Isak’s dresser drawers, weeded out more than half, mostly pre growth spurt clothes and kneeless wonders. Re-arranged and it’s beautifully organized.

Tidied up all the lego, toys, books, clothes, etc.

Went through 3 bags, a big box, and a plastic bin of baby clothes

Spent hours in the sunshiny park talking with other parents while our kids played

^Whew.12 months ago

^{Retroactive happiness…}

^{April 9}

• Nana: Positive news from the hospital and making a get well card with Isak.

• No rain, no coats. Going to Rocky Point Park, which is always lovely. The playground, the water, the mud and scuttling red crabs.

• Watching a man telling his son about hidden treasure somewhere on the beach – overheard by another little boy with widening eyes.

• A spot of shopping, playroom bliss, and lingonberry kissed meatballs at Ikea.

• Thin satin ribbons. 12 months ago

Thank-you! Yes, time flies remarkable fast – it’s accelerating in a sometimes startling way.

And good Turkish Delight is sinfully yummy, I’m afraid I’d fail miserably at thwarting those snow queeny white witchy charms… (we got some bad ones once that tasted like rose barf, but all other encounters have been delightful indeed. Literally.) 12 months ago

A gorgeous and healthy new nephew, on this, his third day in the world. He is named after his paternal grandfather (my dad), and weighs in at 8.1.

You’ve hit the world softly, surrounded by love, good people, and wonderful parents. I look forward to getting to know you and spending a lot more time with you and your brother (as well as my own brother and your mommy). We must have more cousin play-dates and wonderfully chaotic combined family gatherings.

Love you already, littlest man. I hope we see you again very soon. ❤ ~ Auntie Ru 12 months ago

Partially due to chaotic weather and poor sleep, a big bad migraine is trying to settle in my skull, but I’m doing my best to throw it off course. I’ll try to be gentle with myself this morning.

Wednesday already, and nearing the end of May. I do hope some solid sunshine comes to stay, the flowers are well wetted and we’re all feeling waterlogged. Today the main focus is fleeing from pain and then making headway on the house mess and new project.

• Eat well, drink plenty of water, and take vitamins/supplements √
• Exercise/movement for 1 hour minimum: walk, yoga, Wii fit+ √
• Basic house maintenance: dishes, garbage, recycling, compost √
• Flylady Mission of the Day: Dust bust √ Up, down, and dirty!
• Laundry: wash, sort, put away √ Load 2 in
• Reading & homework with Isak √
• Family game / adventure √
• Me time: bath, bubbles, book √
• Downtime w/M √

• Continue April happiness entries √
• Sort papery nightmare
• Do banking - Bumping, there’s a cheque in the mail

• Kick migraine’s proverbial ass √
• Start new memoir project √ Downloaded and started…
• Start new donation box √ Plates, books…
• Nullify 3 clutter spots √
• Contact 3 friends √
• New baby post (43/FB) √
• 15 minutes kid stuff cleanup √
• 15 minutes clothes sorting (in/out) √
• Make that appointment
• Laptop: run down/recharge √
• Good school day = Wii time √
• Transfer new photos √
• Not try to do everything on this list √12 months ago

^{(Taken by my dad while I was snapping the kids)}12 months ago

...a few more… 12 months ago

^{Retroactive happiness…}

^{April 8}

• My birthday! Easter! Celebrating both with extended family in White Rock.

• Two Easter hunts, one where I was surprised by a nice bottle of wine, truffles, and Turkish delight – I didn’t realize the bunny was taking my passions into account this year.

• A delicious Indian Easter meal (yumyumyum) before having my cake and eating it too!

• The kids looked so nice; Isak in a crisp white shirt with rainbow suspenders and Iris in a pretty blue dress with springy flowers—and both had cheery behavior throughout a long, long day.

• We weathered the unexpected hospital fiasco with my mother-in-law gracefully.

• Long late night talks over tea and treats. 12 months ago

I’m pushing myself to battle gray day inertia. I’m feeling tired, body heavy and headachy, possibly from the weather change. Not awful, just in league with the sloths. Tuesday means back to school and back to work, so we’ll re-align with the grind and try to enjoy ourselves along the way.

If the sun shows up we’ll grab some extra outside time, but for now I’m going to try to smooth out some house wrinkles and have a fresh cup of coffee.

• Eat well, drink plenty of water, and take vitamins/supplements √
• Exercise/movement for 1 hour minimum: walk, yoga, Wii fit+ √
• Basic house maintenance: dishes, garbage, recycling, compost √
• Flylady Mission of the Day: Sock purge √ A few pairs pared
• Laundry: wash, sort, put away √
• Reading homework with Isak √ + math and language arts
• Family game / adventure √
• Me time: bath, bubbles, book √
• Downtime w/M √

• Continue April happiness entries √
• Sort papery nightmare - Still going…
• Declutter fridge leftovers √
• Do banking

• Prep Isak’s show & tell, reading list √
• Clear & clean floors (sweep, spot clean, vacuum) √
• Call library re. AWOL/returned DVD√ They found it while I was on the phone and apologized! Unbelievable!
• Check in with work √
• Check in with parents √
• Touch base with 3 friends √
• Declutter 3 hotspots √ At least…
• Good school day = Wii time √
• DVR watch/delete √ Mad Men, The Killing
• Hair pampering √ Overnight silk therapy
• DVD & popcorn w/M

BONUS:
Found and replaced vacuum cleaner bags
Downloaded new file for work
Send mom and dad new grandbaby photos 12 months ago