A nation or civilization that continues to produce soft-minded men purchases its own spiritual death on the installment plan.

~Martin Luther King, Jr.

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I’m tired of the noise. Tired of the silence. Tired of the struggle, the disappointment, the confusion, the frustration. I love it all. Well, I love the love, the new connections, the stories, the new words, the laughs, the embraces. But I’m tired.

I think most women go through this when they make that leap into motherhood, especially (perhaps?) those who make the crazy (and thoughtful) choice to stay home with their children. It’s exhausting. It’s tedious. There are moments of magic and sheer joy. Of course there are. Lots of them! But it’s tiring. How is it that something can simultaneously feel like the most rewarding and least rewarding thing possible? That’s how it feels. Sometimes.

Why don’t moms talk about the boring aspects so that when you feel bored you don’t feel quite so shitty about it? The sames stories. Over and over. Blocks knocked over but rarely and barely built up. Whines and ‘no’s and tugs and grabs and screams. It’s overwhelming at times. Why don’t people talk about that more?

Sure, I love the magical parts, the amazing stories, the new words, the daring, the giggles, the pure love and joy. I LOVE it all. To bits. But everyone talks about that.

But it goes on. The love goes and grows and we make it all work. We love each other. We try to remember to laugh. We smile when we’re tired. We try at least.

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Go confidently in the direction of your dreams! Live the life you’ve imagined. As you simplify your life, the laws of the universe will be simpler. -Henry David Thoreau

Photo by katlovestock : on deviantart

It’s a beautiful quote. But so often it’s easy to get off track. We get caught up in the little details of life. Bills, obligations, laundry, work, and endless others. But when we simplify it leaves room for the dreams. It leaves room for the dreamy life that is in our imagination. For me, that means happiness, fullness, creativity, accountability, balance, fun, learning. This is a bit vague. But I’m happiest when I have a balance of fun activities, getting out of the normal routine, connecting with people in a meaningful way, and when I’m doing creative work. If it’s meaningful creative work that’s even better though that is often difficult to come by.

So what do we do when our schedules are overloaded, our children are pulling at our legs, and our bills are piling up? Take 5 minutes. Take 10 minutes. If you’re lucky, take an hour or two or three. And do what you love. Write, paint, sing, dance, practice yoga, read about economics (if that’s what does it for you), immerse yourself during that time, and take it away with you throughout the rest of your day. Let it grow. Cherish that time.

What do you dream of doing? What makes you happy? What makes your heart dance? Take the time today to do it!

Okay, time to go practice what I preach. Today: yoga and design mingled with the normal every day life stuff. Anyone know of a great yoga routine to practice while you have a cold? Enjoy!

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I am immensely thankful for this guy:

My husband by law, my partner in spirit, my best friend, my baby’s daddy and all that fun stuff. We have gone through quite a lot in the past eight years… Wait, is it eight or nine? I believe it’s eight but time starts doing this weird thing after a while. We started dating the first day we “hung out”. I still think he rocks. He inspires me and makes me laugh. He’s an amazing guy, a fabulous father, and sort of rocks at professoring. Oh yeah, he makes some cool ass art too. The kind that makes you question, makes you wonder, inspires stories and/or magic in your mind. When he has time. Oh, and just a little random tid bit: he has super long arms. Like, abnormally so but in a cool way. Wide wingspan. Long arm of the law. Alab….

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Thankful for the good kids’ books which (almost) make up for the ones that I want to throw out the window.

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I’m thankful for homemade chicken noodle soup and fresh rosemary bread (both made by me!).

Here’s the recipe to the absolutely delicious and knead-free rosemary bread. I used more rosemary (and used dry rosemary), added a little garlic powder and Italian seasoning, and also added 2 Tbsp of olive oil to the dough before mixing it. I also used 1 cup of bread flour, 1 cup of all purpose, and 2 cups of either whole wheat pastry or white whole wheat (I never know which one I have on hand) to make it a little healthier (fiber!) but still super delicious. Even my picky husband who digs his white bread totally dug this!

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