6.9.11

Tonight's post took a circuitous route to arrive to, so I'll retrace my steps for you. 


We spent the day doing lots of adventurous things, which were going to be my post anyway.


And then it all took on a deeper meaning.


I read a (very eloquent and oh-so-true) blog from a high school classmate. You can find it here. In a nutshell, how do you find zen in the insane moments of motherhood?


It led me to a book that my yogamama friend brought to me when Will was just a few weeks old.


Momma Zen: Walking the Crooked Path of Motherhood by Karen Maezen Miller.


I began to flip through it again this afternoon, and stopped at the self-discipline section--you know, the one that addresses why we lose "it" and shout words that would require a "pardon my french." We shout them out of frustration from our child who is behaving in ways that shorten our fuse. 


Things that didn't make sense in those early days clicked today. Buy the book if you're a mom. It'll change your perspective and approach; it'll transform that frustration into peace.


And then I continued flipping, and I continued to have my yogi self spoken to.


When I stop--really stop myself and see the world through the eyes of Will, where every moment is brand new, and every day is an adventure--at those moments, I am being the best parent I can be. 


Will is now five days removed from his babysitter (as a side note here, we are switching sitters in the fall, for a variety of reasons), and he is a different child. Scratch that. I am a different parent. 


It's almost as though we are being reacquainted. He is teaching me. I am patient. I listen. I stop and crouch down. I sit on the floor and I play. I even (gasp!) deleted the facebook app from my iPhone today--because it's not about me anymore.


These days are his adventures.


Today, Will led me through the aquarium. He ran with the penguins and squealed at all the fish.

He stared in awe at the jellyfish.

And I stared in awe with him.


When we got home, we had a backyard water party with his Uncle Jon and Aunt Olivia (and maybe even Future Aunt Katie). 

Today and every day is his adventure. And I'm so glad he picked me to take along for the ride. I'll just be sure to keep the zen book in my back pocket.