Fighting the Blahs

It has been a serious struggle to pull myself out of a horrible mood the past 10 or so days.  Thankfully the storm cloud overhead is starting to clear, but sometimes it's all I can do to get myself out of the house on those days. 

But never fear!  This post is not doom and gloom.  Looking back over the last several days, I'm able to pinpoint some triggers that I've found usually lead to storm clouds taking over my precious little head.  

1. Overdoing it on the beverages.  Two weekends ago James and I had a date night that resulted in this lady consuming an unhealthy amount of adult beverages.  It took me two full (miserable) days to recover.  On the up side, the not drinking at home thing has worked out really well. 
2. Consequences of overdoing it on date night.  Because of said recovery, I didn't wake up early the next day to go to church, run, walk Hannah, or read my devotional.  I hate missing church, especially when it's because I'm being, for lack of a better word, stupid, because I really love our church and our worship leader, quite literally, rocks!
3. Giving up.  Since I was recovering, I was behind on water, and because I was behind on water, I kept not waking up to run.  Since I wasn't waking up to run, I didn't wake up early to read.  Since I wasn't waking up early to read, I wasn't walking Hannah.  So I quit.  

At times like this I find I am living Romans 7:5-20:

⁵ I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. ¹⁶ And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. ¹⁷ As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. ¹⁸ For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. ¹⁹ For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. ²⁰ Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.

So frustrating!  This last week I tried to pull myself out of the blues, fighting hard to get myself outside and look at the bright side of things (however all I could think of that made me happy were red velvet cupcakes and chocolate donuts with red wine).  Since I knew I had to make a serious effort to get back on track, I decided to take some action that would force me into happiness, if not gratefulness.

1. Thank you cards and notes to friends.  Izzy and I sat down while Paloma napped and wrote some friends notes.  Isabella had some cards to finish and I had been putting off several "thinking of you" notes to friends and thank yous to people who really impacted my life without even being aware of it.  I felt so much better.  I especially enjoyed placing my pretty stamps on the upper right-hand corner.
2. Nature.  Thankfully we were blessed with some random Spring-like days and the girls and I took a trip to the Library of Congress and played around outside afterward.  It was glorious!
3. I took my Adderall and cleaned the apartment.  Okay so I did that because we had company over, but I was still very happy to clean, do laundry, finally organize the DVDs. 

So with more perseverance, this week will be better than last, and definitely better than the one before that.  That, is something to look forward to! It never fails.  Winter blues almost always hit me in February.  The shortest month of the year is my longest month of the year.  I am so ready to get back into my morning ritual.

What do you do to fight the winter blues? 

Just Let Go and Go

Maybe I was a regular at all the token Smithsonian museums because my parents hosted a lot of visiting family from Mexico.  I can recall countless trips downtown with a car full of cousins all jabbering in Spanish, cameras in hand and my mom ready with the gigantic video recorder so familiar to us 80s babies.  I remember my excitement (and eventual boredom) touring the National Gallery of Art, Air and Space, American and Natural History museums over and over.  A new wave of cousins, a new visit to the museums.  Cousins visited again, and we would go again.  The cherry blossoms and paddle boating at the Tidal Basin, home to the Jefferson Memorial, and kite festivals in the Spring were all a part of life.  My favorite, Fourth of July, was always spent picnicking a hop, skip and a jump away from the Vietnam Memorial.  Back then, alcohol was allowed, and if it wasn't, people sure brought it anyway.

And one thing that I have noticed as I've gotten older is that a lot of kids I grew up with didn't frequent downtown a whole lot, if at all.  I'm not really sure why.  We were only about 20 minutes away, and there was the Metro line if you didn't want to deal with parking.  Even in high school when I would mention hanging out in Georgetown, faces would wrinkle, and I remember a lot of kids not wanting to drive into "the city".  Suburban Maryland isn't exactly sparsely populated.  I never got it.

Granted, my family did have businesses downtown so I spent a lot of time hanging out there with them, "helping" in the kitchen and serving tables as best as a 5-year-old can.  I would sit down with customers, chat them up and help myself to their tortilla chips.  I was a big hit.  So even though I have never lived in the District proper, it's always felt like home to me.

A conversation with my friend Cheryl, a homeschooling mom of seven(!!!), prompted my trip down memory lane over the weekend.  She just returned to Florida from a road trip to DC with her family.  They went everywhere and loved it.   I remember going everywhere and loving, and still do, but something about "homeschooling" has had me in a box, thinking that if we do go to a museum, I'll need worksheets to supplement Isabella's experience.   And when we get home, she should be required to draw or write something about our trip, right?

Cheryl's answer:  Oh no!  Don't take the fun out of it for her!

Sounds ridiculous, but I was shocked at her answer.  And relieved.  Very relieved.  She explained that part of helping Isabella develop a love for learning was to not make it a chore for her.

"Just go," Cheryl said.  "Isabella is eight?  I'd say you can go twice a week.  Have her just wander and enjoy them.  Don't suck the fun out of it for her.  Get to where they feel like home to her."

Oops.  Did I mention that time I took her to the Natural History museum and made her sit and draw a picture of the nomads?  It was indeed miserable.  

Fast-forward to Saturday, after my very helpful talk with Cheryl, when we had to be out early to drop James off downtown so he could join a friend and other church members play basketball with children in a juvenile correction facility.  It was too early to visit the American History Museum, so I had the best idea ever!  We went instead to the Newseum, the museum of news (catchy, huh?) and it was awesome!  There was no pressure I was putting on myself to have Isabella learn something about everything, or even something about something.  We just enjoyed strolling through.  It is by far one of the most enjoyable experiences I've ever had with the girls at a museum.

I was so proud of myself, I didn't even start sobbing uncontrollably when I saw the remnants of the Twin Tower's broadcast signal and all the September 12 headlines plastered on the wall.  I was such a big girl!  And it was so nice to see Izzy just strolling through.  She wasn't as interested or fascinated by Gutenberg's printing press, which was a bummer, but I didn't talk her ear off about how it was one of the most important inventions ever!  I only went on ever so slightly about how expensive books were because it was so laborious to copy them before the printing press was invented, which is why only the really rich people had fancy libraries in their homes.  That was it.  Then I shut up.

This week we have the International Spy Museum and Library of Congress planned.  Not our first time visiting either, but this time it'll be with a whole new set of eyes.  While planning all the places we'll visit the remainder of the year, Isabella gave me a huge hug and said, "You're the best mom EVER!"

I'm starting to think so, too.  

Broadcast signal from one of the Twin Towers.

September 12, 2011 headlines.

Posing on the 6th floor terrace.  Amazing views!

Checking out a printing press.

Reading about September 11.

A Little Shortcut

Plum Organics and Ella's Kitchen baby food packets.

Even though Paloma has passed the packaged baby food stage, I started buying these again because I realized they are a great way to add a variety of organic fruits and vegetables to my diet.  Any mom with a child under the age of 6 will immediately recognize the popular organic snack purees pictured above.  And while I like the variety Plum Organics offers, Ella's Kitchen is by far my favorite for two reasons.  First, they have "100% organic" stamped right on the front.  Second, they don't add water.  (Third, they're British and I love the Brits, especially the cast of Downton Abbey and anything Agatha Christie or Masterpiece Theater.  But I digress.)  They are available in most grocery store's baby aisle.

They are all gluten free (at least all the one's I've inspected,) and super convenient to throw in my oatmeal or in my purse as a snack.  Though they aren't a very filling snack, when coupled with a handful of almonds and walnuts they hold me over until I can have a proper meal.  I mean, how or when else could I work organic purple carrots into my diet?

Two days ago I emptied one into the blender when prepping the girl's smoothies (while they weren't looking of course, and I've been able to sneak ground flaxseed in them on a regular basis as well) without any complaints or suspicion. *insert evil laugh here*  Ella's Kitchen has recipes available on their site as well.

I wish I had thought to pack these babies in my bag during college.  What a great snack!  Way better than the energy bars that are loaded with sugar and contain milk protein.   

Library Tuesday

We don't really have "library Tuesdays".  I'm not that organized, but I sure wish I was.  We try to make it there once a week.  A perk: it's only a little over a mile away on foot!

Yesterday after Paloma took a very decent nap (three hours!!!) we decided to walk over for some fresh air and books.  One of my favorite parts of living where we do is the trail behind our complex.  We just cross the street and embark on a child-friendly walk, run, bicycle ride, etc.  I don't have to worry about cars whizzing by, just the cyclists (and believe me, they can be dangerous, especially coming around those hairpin turns!).

Isabella rollerbladed and Paloma tried to keep up.

 Paloma photobombed Izzy's picture.

We decided we needed a cupcake after the walk.

 

Isabella enjoyed a chocolate vanilla with heart sprinkles, and Paloma chose a vanilla on vanilla with sprinkles.

  

Then Paloma noticed the camera.  Cheese!

Then Paloma got cold and continued to eat just the sprinkles around the edge.

By the time the girls finished looking over books and checked them out, the sun had set.  We hurried home and popped a pizza in the oven.  Isabella was over-tired from the Monday hike and broke into nonsensical hysterics at 8pm.  My very sweet husband put the girls to bed.  Some CSI Miami and it was lights out by 10pm.

Amen.