Timeless

I left Olivia in our gym's daycare center for an hour or so the other nite. There were two workers there that she didn't know, but she seemed to take it well. She ran in and started playing. I forgot to tell the workers how old she was, so upon my return they were all gathered around Olivia laughing. I walked over rather curious as to what they could be laughing about and they said
"Oh my gosh she knows her age!"

Me "What?? Her age? No I don't think that she knows her age."

The worker "Yes she really does know, and she told us that shes 18 months!"

Me: "She did? Shes never told me that before. What else did she tell you??"

The workers " Oh that she has a mom, dad, Grandma, and a dog named Coco, and a friend named Hannah Jane."

Me" Wow. Ok. Livy how old are you??"

Livy " I'm 18 months mommy, how are you????"

Ok, well Livy isn't 18 months, shes 20 months, but that is still too funny that she even answered them with something remotely close to her age.

I'm really loving this learning to talk in sentences and say real things stage. It cracks me up!

Dinnertime Chit Chat

We were sitting at dinner last night when Livy started singing Happy Birthday to herself. So I told her all about her birthday and that she would be turning 2 years old in October, and asked her what she would want at her party, heres what she said, word for word.

"Cake"

Me" What else do you want there"

"Cookies"

Mom: "Cookies...ok...what about something else to eat"

"Chocolate"
Livy has never even had chocolate, so this really cracked me up!

Me: "Chocolate ok, but what should we serve for dinner?"

Livy "Peeeezzzzaaa!"


I also asked who should we invite, and here was her list

Geema
Coco
Papa
Geempa Mark
Josie
Baby AVEEEEEE
Hannah
Ya Ya
Auntie E and Keith
Nono
Uncle
Aunt Niki
Chris
Mommy
Daddy
Rachel
Ben

And there you have it. She also wants Clowns and Ladybugs there, plus animals such as Squirrels, doggies, and bunnies. She told me that she wants stamps, stickers, and markers there. Dave told her that she could invite 4 friends, but so far she really only wants 2 friends since she loves Hannah and Baby Avery the most. Livy knows her priorities, and I am saving this little conversation in my head forever. Too sweet!

The Optimists Creed

I love this, and perhaps I can learn to follow it more! It is called The Optimists Creed by C.D. Larson.

Promise Yourself:

To be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind.

To talk health, happiness, and prosperity to every person you meet.

To make all your friends feel that there is something in them.

To look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism come true.

To think only of the best, to work only for the best, and to expect only the best.

To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own.

To forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future.

To wear a cheerful countenance at all times and give every living creature you meet a smile.

To give so much time to the improvement of yourself that you have not time to criticize others.

To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear, and too happy to permit the presence of trouble.

Nature

I just read a very short, but moving article about nature and children. The article said that bringing kids right into the woods changes their rhythms and regulates their systems making them more peaceful and connected to their Source. I'm sure that the benefits are the same for adults too. Our Source being the place inside of all of us that is still connected to our Source, or our higher power. We all have our intuition, which I believe is the part of us that is deeply connected to Source energy, or God's energy. I call it Source energy because I have learned how to talk with clients so as not to put them off about faith or religion. Source seems safe.

A Christian group launched the study by immersing kids in the woods for 20 minutes a day, 7 days a week, for one year. Parents had to agree to doing this, and then the children were monitored by all these wonderful ways that researchers monitor kids. The study found that after the year of daily immersion these kids were able to channel quiet places within themselves. They were more serene and joyful than when the study first began. I should also mention that these were urban kids who had limited exposure to nature to begin with.

It has come to my attention over the course of my short life that nature brings calmness and joy to people's lives, even when they claim not to enjoy the woods, nature, etc. I took my grandmother and Olivia to Powder Mills Park a few weeks ago, and since walking is getting difficult for my grandma I just picked a spot accessible by car and parked us all right there by a nice babbling brook. Livy was happy to be right in her element of wildlife, and my grandma completely relaxed and didn't want to leave. She doesn't' even like animals, and will claim to dislike the woods, but even she couldn't resist the perfect stillness that was offered to us that day. She sat in her chair and began talking about the most profound things, and she was talking as if she was directly connected to God. Livy was just joyfully crouching and pointing to bugs, fish, birds, and squirrels. I didn't even say a word, but I observed the dance of two people who were totally at peace and filled with Joy. Nature does that to us, and I think that most of us are guilty of less than frequent fill-ups of nature. I sense that we can fill-up by sitting in our own backyard, and creating a peaceful places for ourselves where we feel completely at ease, and open to listening to communication from our Source.

This morning I took Olivia into our backyard where we fed the squirrels, and watched the birds, bugs, and anything else that crossed our path. It felt like we were connecting to nature and we didn't have to go far, but I remained quiet unless I was pointing something out to her. I remained watchful of what was around us, and she too was looking everywhere for the next animal that might cross our path. Then it started to rain and we stayed outside under our tree for awhile, staying dry, and I would only talk to explain something to her. She learned about rain watering the grass, and she reminded me that rain also "gives fisheees drinks." I would tell her what rain does, and she would come to her own conclusions about other things that it does. They were simple, but she was inspired by the stillness, the thunder, and being connected to life and vitality. Then we came inside and turned on the t.v. so I could make her lunch. I was making tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches for us, so I needed alittle space in the kitchen. I let her watch Barney and wondered if our whole nature experience wasn't all washed away by Barney. The minute that I even turned the TV on I felt both of us shift. I then had a radical thought of giving away our television sets. I've been having these thoughts lately, and they aren't coming from me. Something inside of me is urging me to give away our TV"s, and see what happens. I doubt that I'll ever do it, but I just pray that I find more ways to bring nature to my family. :)