Pumping

We, yes we, conquered the skill of "pumping" on the swings today. I like to think that as of the mother of two six year olds, that when they accomplish something, I also accomplish something. Pumping, you know, that life changing moment when the swing becomes your favorite place to breathe and think and be.

Two seconds before this photo was taken, Clara said to me, "I will never be able to swing myself." Yet, there she went. So much so that it pained me when we had to get in the car to pick-up Davis from soccer. I did not want her to forget how she felt at that moment.

Or how I felt!

Ideal Bookshelf

Our family has a big graduation coming up mid-May. My younger brother, Tim, will be receiving his Doctorate in Geoscience and Biogeochemistry (I know that is like spelling Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious).

So I have been searching for the perfect graduation gift. You know the gift, the very meaningful, truly personal, one-of-a-kind gift that only exists in your head.

But I realized it doesn't just exist in my head, it actually exists. It is called Ideal Bookshelf. Artist Jane Mount actually paints a one-of-a-kind painting of your "ideal bookshelf."

In her words, "I paint people's ideal bookshelves: your favorite books, books that changed your life, books that made you who you are. I think of this project as an intimate form of portraiture; a way to illustrate who the subject is on the inside instead of out. I love that a book is something created very personally and then mass-produced in order to affect many other people very personally. I paint them to turn them back into something very personal and intimate. In the age of the Kindle (which I also love, btw), it's very satisfying."

So, today I called my brother and told him about his graduation gift, so much for a surprise gift. But can you imagine choosing someone else's favorite books.

Anyway, there are a lot of options, you can choose the number of books, framing, etc. It takes a couple months, but I think it will be well worth the wait. She also offers gift cards, so it can still be a surprise. What a great birthday gift or father's day or mother's day gift or anniversary gift.

What books would be on your list? This has got me thinking?

When I get overwhelmed, I like to run. I put on some headphones and head out the door and breathe. That's right I just breathe, in and out. I try to only think about breathing. I listen to classical music on the headphones and just keep breathing. Sometimes, I cry. Sometimes, I want to cry, but can't.

Tonight was one of those nights.

Tonight I was interrupted.

In the middle of my walk (walking because I already ran this morning), I was stopped by an Overland Park police officer who asked me if I had seen someone walking in camouflage clothing. I had seen a high schooler in jeans and a white t-shirt and a man in an orange jacket walking a white fluffy dog (ironically, it was the same man and dog I had seen earlier that morning when I was running). But no camouflage.

The office then said, well he was also wearing a ski mask. Really. Now I was nervous. Probably about 2 miles away from home, it was 8:30 in the evening and getting dark. He said not to worry, they had several officers patrolling the area. So I kept walking, took my headphones off so I could hear better, and kept breathing. But this wasn't normal 5-second-in-5-second-out breathing, this was crap-I-may-have-to-fight-off-an-attacker-I-could-be-killed breathing.

Five minutes into this panicked state of mind, I reminded myself of something I always tell Dave, because he worries about me when I run early in the morning or late at night. If I die while I am running, regardless of cause, that is how I want to go. Doing something I love and knowing that I was not afraid to live my life. So I calmed my breathing, put my headphones on low and kept my guard up.

I was ready. I was dealing with a lot of crap. I was pissed. If this crazy dude in camouflage and a ski mask even tried to approach me - he had another thing coming. Good for him he didn't see me!

Friday Flicks: Spanglish

Sometimes I get stuck. It isn't that I haven't had things to write about here in the last few weeks. It is just that once you take a break, and life forgets to take that same break with you, you get behind. So far behind that you just don't know where to start.

So, I am creating Friday Flicks. A way to keep me on track and also keep me writing about movies, which I love.

I will start from last night. Thursday night. Nothing special. Just a rare opportunity to spend an hour talking with Dave about his week at work. Intense, to say the least. Dave has a huge heart. If anyone knows where they stand in this world, from a value perspective, it is Dave. He is extremely honest and disciplined and thinks the best of everyone, even when I find myself questioning them.

One of my favorite movies, and by favorite I mean I could watch it over and over, is Spanglish. There are a lot of reasons I like this movie. The father, played by Adam Sandler, is a chef. The mother is a runner, there house is messy and somewhat happenstance, but so very perfect from my perspective.



That is an amazing photo wall and I love that paint color. And how about the pool...



Love the Foosball table in the living room:



Mostly though, the storyline makes me want to be a better mother, runner, friend, cook, daughter, etc.

Here is the story:

"John Clasky is a devoted dad whose skills as a chef have offered his family a very upscale life, including a summer home in Malibu and a breathtaking Mexican housekeeper, named Flor. She and her daughter Cristina have recently emigrated to L.A. from Mexico and are trying to find a better life. When they move in with the Claskys for the summer, Flor has to fight for her daughter's soul as she discovers that life in a new country is perilous!"

There is a line in the movie that I found myself saying to Dave last night. Flor finds herself struggling with her daughter's desire to attend the fancy, private school the Clasky children attend. She approaches John about the struggle she is having and he says to her, very simply, "If you think you're at some crossroads, you are."

So, crossroads can be good. And insightful ... And terrifying.

Window Cleaning

I hate it when my windows are spotted and the screens are dusty. That said. I also don't want to pay someone or a crew of someone to clean my windows. So, Saturday, I did them myself. Well, at least some of them. I managed to get the first floor windows cleaned, inside, outside and screens.



Now, I know why residential window cleaners charge as much as they do! It is a lot of work. And though I love the sense of accomplishment from doing them myself, I hope I can convince myself to finish the project and get the upstairs windows done! As you can see - there are a lot of windows - and they are not small!

I just need one more nice weather day.

Mash ... the Banana Mash

I am always on the lookout for really tasty and healthy breakfast options. It is my favorite meal of the day, and though I sometimes wish I could eat a half dozen hot cinnamon rolls, that is not usually in the cards. Today I tried something called banana mash. On cold mornings I find myself searching for something warm to eat. I try to eat gluten-free (read mostly fresh vegetables and fruits) most of time, so oatmeal is not always a good choice. Unless I cover it in honey and other goodies. So this worked for me.

It is banana mash and served warm, it is delightful.

1 banana sliced
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Combine all three ingredients in a saucepan and cook over medium low for ten minutes. Remove from heat. Mash like potatoes. Yum! Really you should try it. I think even Dave would eat this with little granola on it.