My son's, that is. He's 7 years old today, which is completely hard to believe! Wasn't he just a little guy, crawling around on the floor? Now he has a little sister (who will turn 5 in November?!?!) and is going into second grade.
Wow.
We're having a "Finding Nemo" themed party for him tonight, but this morning it's just the two of us, and I'm going to take him swimming.
I just have to say, he and his sister are two of the sweetest kids I know, and that's not just me being biased. He is so respectful of her (most of the time), and she loves everyone and they make everyone around them so happy
They're both so smart, and so funny and cute and such characters! I'm a lucky girl!!
Monday, July 14, 2008
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Trying To Walk The Walk (And Getting Ready to Ride!)
Tomorrow is the LiveStrong Challenge in San Jose. I suppose I should be nervous about finishing the course, but I'm actually more nervous about the logistics: getting there on time (7:00 am-ugh!), parking, signing in, water, restrooms, and not getting lost at any point during the day. For someone with ZERO sense of direction, that's a biggie. (I get lost going to the bathroom.) Luckily, I have GPS on my new cell phone!
OK, so I'm working on the whole body-acceptance thing, and have been trying to take care of myself, eat better stuff, etc. I started including vegetarian, vegan and raw foods, but then PMS hit and out came the carnivore. Which is OK! Part of this whole process (I refuse to say "journey." Oh wait, I just said it.) is to allow myself to eat whatever I'm craving, as long as it is a physical craving and not an emotional one.
But, there's the whole weight gain (see post below). It's making me a little NUTS!!!!!! Which, I guess, is a little weird, because I believe in the Fat Acceptance movement, and I strongly believe that judging ourselves and other people based on how much we weigh and what we look like is incredibly damaging. I suppose I'm more accepting of others' than I am of myself. No, I'm not that generous, I'm just neurotic.
Finally, I tried a new anti-depressant, and went back to the old one after a few days of horrifying side-effects. When they say "if it ain't broke, don't fix it," maybe I should LISTEN!
OK, I'm off to listen to my new Journey CD.
( Dammit, I said it again!)
OK, so I'm working on the whole body-acceptance thing, and have been trying to take care of myself, eat better stuff, etc. I started including vegetarian, vegan and raw foods, but then PMS hit and out came the carnivore. Which is OK! Part of this whole process (I refuse to say "journey." Oh wait, I just said it.) is to allow myself to eat whatever I'm craving, as long as it is a physical craving and not an emotional one.
But, there's the whole weight gain (see post below). It's making me a little NUTS!!!!!! Which, I guess, is a little weird, because I believe in the Fat Acceptance movement, and I strongly believe that judging ourselves and other people based on how much we weigh and what we look like is incredibly damaging. I suppose I'm more accepting of others' than I am of myself. No, I'm not that generous, I'm just neurotic.
Finally, I tried a new anti-depressant, and went back to the old one after a few days of horrifying side-effects. When they say "if it ain't broke, don't fix it," maybe I should LISTEN!
OK, I'm off to listen to my new Journey CD.
( Dammit, I said it again!)
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Hope.
It's been a busy few days. Lots of subbing classes, lots of taking the kids to the pool (thank G-d we have one here!), lots of sweating. Another triple-digit heatwave, which is not helping the firefighters. Kinda makes a person feel helpless.
But the main thing is that my SIL is getting married a week from Saturday!!!!!!! We had her shower this past Sunday, and it was fun (and hot). There was a woman there who used to be a nurse, and worked with a lot of Autistic patients. She was really taken with my daughter (my son, smart guy that he is, saw all the women heading into the house, grabbed his favorite DVD, and went upstairs to hang out with his grandad). But the way she interacted with my little girl, and the things she said, made me believe that there is hope.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not a gloomy-gus about my kids' futures. I'm actually quite optimistic. But to meet someone who believes my kids are truly special and not just "special" means a lot. She understood my daughter in a soul-bonding kind of way (not to get too woo-woo) and my daughter really connected with her. This woman recognizes the almost psychic bond we have because my daughter doesn't speak yet (but she definitely communicates!), and she said that she, like me, always wonders what profound things are going on in their minds.
I'm probably not explaining this very well, but I think my point is that most of the time Autism and other developmental disabilities are seen as a huge burden, and I wish we could adjust our thinking to see them as merely different. My kids are different. They develop differently, and they play and interact differently, and we will do everything in our power to mainstream them, but they will, most likely, always have Autism.
And that's OK. It's just another aspect of who they are.
But the main thing is that my SIL is getting married a week from Saturday!!!!!!! We had her shower this past Sunday, and it was fun (and hot). There was a woman there who used to be a nurse, and worked with a lot of Autistic patients. She was really taken with my daughter (my son, smart guy that he is, saw all the women heading into the house, grabbed his favorite DVD, and went upstairs to hang out with his grandad). But the way she interacted with my little girl, and the things she said, made me believe that there is hope.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not a gloomy-gus about my kids' futures. I'm actually quite optimistic. But to meet someone who believes my kids are truly special and not just "special" means a lot. She understood my daughter in a soul-bonding kind of way (not to get too woo-woo) and my daughter really connected with her. This woman recognizes the almost psychic bond we have because my daughter doesn't speak yet (but she definitely communicates!), and she said that she, like me, always wonders what profound things are going on in their minds.
I'm probably not explaining this very well, but I think my point is that most of the time Autism and other developmental disabilities are seen as a huge burden, and I wish we could adjust our thinking to see them as merely different. My kids are different. They develop differently, and they play and interact differently, and we will do everything in our power to mainstream them, but they will, most likely, always have Autism.
And that's OK. It's just another aspect of who they are.
Sunday, July 6, 2008
Journey's journey (And More "Dr. Who." 'Cause I'm Obsessed.)
OK, tokaiangel, this is for you! And anyone else who likes the band Journey.
You may know that they've been through a number of lead singers since Steve Perry left (including a brief period in the 90's when Steve Perry came back, then left again). So, they were sans a singer AGAIN, but still working on new material. One night, Neal Schon, who is a founding member and lead guitarist, was looking at (listening to?) singers on YouTube. He came across a band from the Philippines called "The Zoo." The band did a lot of Journey songs, and the lead singer, Arnel Pineda, sounded almost EXACTLY like Steve Perry! So Schon called the rest of the band, and their managers, and flew Pineda and a few other guys out to audition. Pineda ended up recording in the studio with the band for 3 days, and they asked him to be their new singer.
So, the band has a new 3-disc CD/DVD of new material, re-recorded hits, and concert footage. (When I first heard their new song on the radio I thought "Wait! Is Steve Perry back with the band?!") They're sounding like classic, 80's Journey, and it's awesome! You can check them out on YouTube.
And speaking of YouTube, I went on yesterday to watch the season finale of "Dr. Who," which won't be shown here until early August. I know, I know, it's not THAT long to wait, but, as I mention in the title, I'm obsessed with the show. Have been ever since I was a kid. And it's so smart, and so good, and so well written and acted, and they brought back so many characters for the finale,I just couldn't wait!
But it was SO F***ing SAD!!!!!!!!! If anyone here watches it, I don't want to spoil it for you. But let me just say, I really wish I could jet over to London this summer and see David Tennant (who plays The Doctor) play Hamlet and Berowne (in "Loves' Labours Lost") at the Royal Shakespeare Company, because he is flippin' BRILLIANT!!!!! (And Patrick Stewart is playing Claudius in "Hamlet." How cool is that?)
And I will totally be watching it again in August, and I'll probably cry again. See, this is what parenthood does to you! Turns you into a snivelling mess!
'Cause I also cried my eyes out watching that 9 year-old Autistic boy sing on "America's Got Talent."
And I cry at "Rescue Vets" on Animal Planet.
Oy.
You may know that they've been through a number of lead singers since Steve Perry left (including a brief period in the 90's when Steve Perry came back, then left again). So, they were sans a singer AGAIN, but still working on new material. One night, Neal Schon, who is a founding member and lead guitarist, was looking at (listening to?) singers on YouTube. He came across a band from the Philippines called "The Zoo." The band did a lot of Journey songs, and the lead singer, Arnel Pineda, sounded almost EXACTLY like Steve Perry! So Schon called the rest of the band, and their managers, and flew Pineda and a few other guys out to audition. Pineda ended up recording in the studio with the band for 3 days, and they asked him to be their new singer.
So, the band has a new 3-disc CD/DVD of new material, re-recorded hits, and concert footage. (When I first heard their new song on the radio I thought "Wait! Is Steve Perry back with the band?!") They're sounding like classic, 80's Journey, and it's awesome! You can check them out on YouTube.
And speaking of YouTube, I went on yesterday to watch the season finale of "Dr. Who," which won't be shown here until early August. I know, I know, it's not THAT long to wait, but, as I mention in the title, I'm obsessed with the show. Have been ever since I was a kid. And it's so smart, and so good, and so well written and acted, and they brought back so many characters for the finale,I just couldn't wait!
But it was SO F***ing SAD!!!!!!!!! If anyone here watches it, I don't want to spoil it for you. But let me just say, I really wish I could jet over to London this summer and see David Tennant (who plays The Doctor) play Hamlet and Berowne (in "Loves' Labours Lost") at the Royal Shakespeare Company, because he is flippin' BRILLIANT!!!!! (And Patrick Stewart is playing Claudius in "Hamlet." How cool is that?)
And I will totally be watching it again in August, and I'll probably cry again. See, this is what parenthood does to you! Turns you into a snivelling mess!
'Cause I also cried my eyes out watching that 9 year-old Autistic boy sing on "America's Got Talent."
And I cry at "Rescue Vets" on Animal Planet.
Oy.
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Long Rambling Post On Being "Too" Sensitive, Enlightenment, and Dr. Who
I'm sure a lot of us have been accused, at one point (at least) of being too sensitive. I was CONSTANTLY harped on by family members for it, and it drove me NUTS! Granted, there were many times when I took myself too seriously, but I was A teenage girl! And an actress! It's practically a law to take yourself too seriously under those conditions!
Anyway, it wasn't until I was in my early 30's that I came to realize that being sensitive isn't such a bad thing. That actually CARING about people, even people you don't know, can actually be *gasp* a GOOD thing!
I was reading an article this morning about a woman who, after years of practicing yoga and meditation, found herself facing anxiety about her boyfriend's proposal. So she decided to meditate even more, which made her even more sensitive. She didn't want to be that way. When she talked to a friend about it, he suggested she become a Bhodisattvha, which is a person who pledges to help others find enlightenment. This includes promising to love all people, including those she doesn't like. The point of her article was that, in some ways, it was harder to accept the marriage proposal than the idea of loving everyone AND taking on their pain. But she did it.
Anyway, the point I'm trying to get at, without getting too mystical, is that this woman, who was trying to "toughen up" and figure her life out, ended up becoming more sensitive than ever and, as she put it, "breaking [her] heart open" and then figuring her life out. And it allowed her to say "yes" to marriage and to sharing her life with another person. And to being compassionate.
I am far from finding enlightenment myself, but i do love the idea of opening your heart instead of closing it. And empathy instead of judgment. It's not always easy (understatement!), but I think it's worth the effort. For me, anyway.
My kids have taught me a lot about this. Because they're not "typical," and because they just accept people for who they are. They're so curious and friendly and loving. I think of the person I was and the life I had before I became a mom, and it just doesn't hold a candle to the present. I feel really blessed and honored to be their mom, and I try to remember that when they're driving me bonkers, lol!
So, on to something completely different. I was watching "Dr. Who" last night and Donna, the Doctor's traveling buddy, got sucked into a virtual world, which she thought was real. Then she met another woman from the real world who told her "This isn't your life. None of this is real. This isn't your real body." And Donna said "This isn't my body? I've been dieting!"
That just made me laugh.
Anyway, it wasn't until I was in my early 30's that I came to realize that being sensitive isn't such a bad thing. That actually CARING about people, even people you don't know, can actually be *gasp* a GOOD thing!
I was reading an article this morning about a woman who, after years of practicing yoga and meditation, found herself facing anxiety about her boyfriend's proposal. So she decided to meditate even more, which made her even more sensitive. She didn't want to be that way. When she talked to a friend about it, he suggested she become a Bhodisattvha, which is a person who pledges to help others find enlightenment. This includes promising to love all people, including those she doesn't like. The point of her article was that, in some ways, it was harder to accept the marriage proposal than the idea of loving everyone AND taking on their pain. But she did it.
Anyway, the point I'm trying to get at, without getting too mystical, is that this woman, who was trying to "toughen up" and figure her life out, ended up becoming more sensitive than ever and, as she put it, "breaking [her] heart open" and then figuring her life out. And it allowed her to say "yes" to marriage and to sharing her life with another person. And to being compassionate.
I am far from finding enlightenment myself, but i do love the idea of opening your heart instead of closing it. And empathy instead of judgment. It's not always easy (understatement!), but I think it's worth the effort. For me, anyway.
My kids have taught me a lot about this. Because they're not "typical," and because they just accept people for who they are. They're so curious and friendly and loving. I think of the person I was and the life I had before I became a mom, and it just doesn't hold a candle to the present. I feel really blessed and honored to be their mom, and I try to remember that when they're driving me bonkers, lol!
So, on to something completely different. I was watching "Dr. Who" last night and Donna, the Doctor's traveling buddy, got sucked into a virtual world, which she thought was real. Then she met another woman from the real world who told her "This isn't your life. None of this is real. This isn't your real body." And Donna said "This isn't my body? I've been dieting!"
That just made me laugh.
Friday, June 27, 2008
I stepped on the Scale
And freaked. Oh, not at first. I took a yoga class, came home, had a nice dinner, then freaked. Oh sure, I talk big, about not letting the number on the scale dictate how I feel, and usually I don't. But sometime in the past few weeks I've put on TEN POUNDS!!!!
The thing is, it seems to have happened very quickly. I wore a pair of jeans a couple of weeks ago that are too tight now. I'm hoping some of it is water retention.
Another thing is, I feel really good! And I think I look pretty good. Sure, I still have some extra stuff I'd like to get rid of, but for the most part, I feel good. And Hubby doesn't believe me when I tell him I've put on weight (how much do I love that man?!).
But still. A big part of me (no pun intended) is freaking. Out. And I think I just need to let myself freak out and then get over it.
And I am SO going back to that yoga class!
The thing is, it seems to have happened very quickly. I wore a pair of jeans a couple of weeks ago that are too tight now. I'm hoping some of it is water retention.
Another thing is, I feel really good! And I think I look pretty good. Sure, I still have some extra stuff I'd like to get rid of, but for the most part, I feel good. And Hubby doesn't believe me when I tell him I've put on weight (how much do I love that man?!).
But still. A big part of me (no pun intended) is freaking. Out. And I think I just need to let myself freak out and then get over it.
And I am SO going back to that yoga class!
Monday, June 23, 2008
Raw Food, Whole Foods (Market), and Wal-Mart
Raw food. When it's prepared well, it's SOOOOO GOOD!!!! Equinox has a raw/vegan cafe, and very nice people who work there. Living in the Bay Area, it's easy to find great vegetarian/vegan/raw food (I often wonder if I could be a vegetarian if I lived in the south, surrounded by BBQ, catfish, biscuits and gravy...) I have some cookbooks (or un-cookbooks), but I'm finding some of it to be quite expensive and time consuming. I suppose it may partly be because I'm relatively new to it, but also because my family is not as into it as I am. (Preparing one meal for me, and something else for them=not fun.) Also, taking care of 2 kids with autism and working part-time doesn't leave me with a whole lot of spare time. (Listen! Do you here violins? They're playing just for me!) I know some of you out there are vegetarian (*cough* Charlotte!!! *cough*) and may have some ideas? Possibly?
OK, complaining is over. Because yesterday, we found PARADISE! Los Altos, near Silicon Valley, has a HUGE Whole Foods with multiple food bars, and a mall with a Wal-Mart, Target, Trader Joe's and an Iyengar yoga studio! How cool is that?!
We picked up the new Journey CD/DVD last night at Wal Mart. Have you heard the story of how they found their new lead singer, from the Philippines? I'll have to blog about that later, 'cause it's an amazing story. Right now I have to take my son swimming.
Have a wonderful day!
OK, complaining is over. Because yesterday, we found PARADISE! Los Altos, near Silicon Valley, has a HUGE Whole Foods with multiple food bars, and a mall with a Wal-Mart, Target, Trader Joe's and an Iyengar yoga studio! How cool is that?!
We picked up the new Journey CD/DVD last night at Wal Mart. Have you heard the story of how they found their new lead singer, from the Philippines? I'll have to blog about that later, 'cause it's an amazing story. Right now I have to take my son swimming.
Have a wonderful day!
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