My friend Amy Potkonen started a new weekly series called “What Are You Working On?” and I figured I’d join her this week. Be sure to share in the comments what you’re up to as well!
Body: Doing pretty well, especially since it’s Passover. Another 2.2 pounds gone. Where exactly do they go???
Eating: Lots of oranges and broccoli.
Watching: Is this supposed to be about tv? Besides the Disney channel, no tv for me. I have been watching flowers bloom in the back yard and I definitely enjoy watching the squirrels hang upside down munching from my bird feeder. They are hilarious.
At home: We are at a point with my daughter and certain behaviors where it gets worse before it gets better. For a few months now, we have made some changes in our expectations of her. Long story short, she has had too much power for too long. To get there, we’re working with a therapist to acknowledge her feelings, offer specific choices calmly, and to follow through. My daughter’s confidence has dramatically increased over the past three months and school morning separation has gotten much easier, but just when she began to sleep all night in her bed and play more on her own, she has regressed. I’ll spare you the details. This momma is tired and trying to do the right thing to remain consistent and firm.
Reading: As usual, my reading reflects where I am emotionally and mentally.
- Lose the Clutter, Lose the Weight: The Six-Week Total-Life Slim Down
by Peter Walsh. I still haven’t gotten to the 6-week plan part yet but I’m enjoying this book so far.
- Out of Control: Why Disciplining Your Child Doesn’t Work and What Will
by Shefali Tsabary. I loved her book, The Conscious Parent, and am looking for reaffirmation that the old-school, authoritarian, fear/control-based discipline strategy doesn’t work. Children learn based on how we relate to them, not by doing what we tell them to. We want resilience, not defiance.
- The Bookseller by Cynthia Swanson. Oh so good! I started this one because I saw it on Goodreads and I was looking for something fun and quick. It’s sort of a Sliding Doors type situation… a young woman who seems to have two different lives and she has to reconcile them and make some choices.
- I just finished Ken Jennings’ Because I Said So!: The Truth Behind the Myths, Tales, and Warnings Every Generation Passes Down to Its Kids
. “Feed a cold, starve a fever.” “If you crack your knuckles, you’ll get arthritis.” “No swimming after eating.” A very humorous look at the veracity of these and many other claims. (BTW, those three are false.)
- I’m enjoying Eight Girls Taking Pictures by Whitney Otto about eight famous female photographers of the twentieth century.
Joking: This was a fun April Fools joke in my daughter’s lunch box:
Learning: Patience. Also learning to listen to my intuition. Sometimes I notice a feeling of being uncomfortable with a decision but I act on it anyway. I need to stop panicking and rushing and PAUSE to listen. Not having personal space or time for several days in a row (my daughter was sick last week) severely cut me off from listening to my innate wisdom.
Appreciating: my time alone now that my daughter is back in school. Also appreciating the weekly trash pickup, the dishwasher, and air conditioning.
Wondering: Do I tell people how much I admire in them? Do I complement enough? In working with my daughter, I am using very specific praise so she knows exactly what behavior is encouraged and repeatable. Sometimes, I think people only communicate their judgements or criticism. That’s true for me too. Maybe they think I already know the good stuff? It’s nice to hear thankfulness when you do something for someone else… or just because.
Loving: Mr. B. He rides my monthly hormone waves like a true surfer. He’s a wonderful partner.
Thinking: I need to do more of this:
Anticipating: The big 4-0 next month! I think it’s awesome that my daughter wants to have a party for me. So sweet. I have lots of ideas about how I want to spend the next 40 years, but I honestly can’t believe I’m that age. I feel that I’m about 27 inside with some unexplained stretch marks and eye wrinkles.
OK that was fun! I may do it again sometime. 🙂
Leave a Reply