Think left and think right and think low and think high. Oh, the thinks you can think if you only try !

- Dr. Seuss

Friday, March 19, 2010

Three Weekend Wishes

Here are my three wishes for the weekend:
1. No one in my family will get injured and Alicia will start healing from her concussion. No new injuries or illnesses allowed. No one will get even a scratch or a runny nose.

2. My puppy won't chew up any unauthorized, non-puppy approved items, including, but not limited to: TV remote, phone, shoes, bras, or carpeting. He will be as well-behaved as the puppies on wall calendars.

3. I will get to sleep in on Sunday, have coffee and the newspaper in bed, and I will have to make no decisions more stressful than figuring out which type of wine to have for dinner and what book to read.

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

I want to hug my little girl

My 17 year old daughter and I have had an up and down relationship over the last couple years, but we have come to understand each other better in the past few months and I think we are finally learning to coexist. She has a a completely different personality than me, which I have learned is ok. I remind myself daily to "celebrate the differences" and try to understand her way of doing things and not try to control every situation. In turn, I think she is finally learning that I'm not the enemy and in fact, we enjoy each other.

It was her idea for us to take a yoga class together. Last night we went to yoga and being in the yoga-ish environment together was a unique and beautiful experience for this mother and daughter team who have fought so often. It felt like our hearts were opening up to each other by sharing this hour of tranquility and calm side by side in our poses. I knew this was something we could share together that would do us both good, mind and body. We bounded out of class with renewed energy and a sense of peace that we are on the right path together.

Today I let her skip school and go snowboarding with a friend. The call came mid-morning from a phone number I didn't recognize. Alicia has been hurt and the ski patrol is attending to her. She has crashed and lost consciousness. My heart begins pounding and my hands begin shaking uncontrollably. I can't even think straight. The image of her peacefully holding her yoga pose less than 24 hours ago is replaced by an image of her crumpled up and twisted in the snow. All I want to do is get to her and hold her but she is two hours away.

I am in absolute panic mode. They are transporting her to the hospital. The doctor calls me and tells me that she will call me back as soon as they can assess her. I spend an hour pacing my kitchen, loading my dishwasher but forgetting to turn it on, opening and closing the fridge not knowing what I'm doing, wiping the kitchen counters. Anything that keeps my hands busy and my mind calm. Any peacefulness that the yoga infused into me yesterday is gone, replaced by terror and worry.

I finally get the call saying that she will be all right but she definitely has injuries. She has a concussion, headache, and nausea, and abrasions on her face, a fat lip, and a bump on her head. She has no memory of the fall that she took. Thank God for the people who stopped on the mountain to help her and for the ski patrol who took care of her. I get to speak to her on the phone and her voice sounds so faint and so young. I just want to hug her. I want to be there with her but she is in the hands of strangers taking care of her. For the first time in her life, I'm not the one with her and I can only listen from afar. I can't stop crying, mainly due to the relief of knowing that she will be ok, and realizing how much worse it could have been.

Her friend is driving her back down from the mountain, and she will be home later today. I can't wait to see her beautiful face. Only a mom can understand.

Monday, March 8, 2010

Our Family's Earth Hour

Imagine two adults, two teenage girls, and one 12 year old boy sitting around the dining room table in the dark playing cards by candlelight. This was the scene last year at my house on Earth Hour, the hour designated by some environmental group (I'm not sure of the origin) to turn off all electrical devices. We were pushed into doing this by our 12 year old environmental activist. As the highly anticipated hour approached, we ran around the house turning off lights and computers, and my husband attached a headlamp to his hat, which created the effect of a cave spelunker running around room by room. Our dogs looked at us like, "why are all of you sitting in the dark?"

Well, once we got used to reading our cards by our candles, we spent not only one hour in the dark, but two or three more, because we were having so much fun and frivolity. The wine and beer helped set the mood, at least for those of us adults. The laughs were plentiful and we all had a grand time.

I write about this because we are now approaching 2010's Earth Hour. It will be March 27 at 8:30 pm. Along with our recycling efforts and hoarding skills (I don't throw anything away that can be reused), we will be doing our little part in reducing climate change and saving the planet. My son feels so strongly about this that he edited my blog yesterday and added an Earth Hour graphic to the right-hand side if you scroll down a bit. He continually pushes us on this issue, which is good, because you need a little kick in the butt once in awhile. If it weren't for him, it would be easy to just let that hour go by and take no action. He demands more from us, and I admire his passion and drive.

So, if you aren't doing anything on March 27 at 8:30 pm, or even if you are, turn off your lights and sit in the dark for the hour. My son and the world will thank you.

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Loving a labrador


We have had our yellow lab puppy Tucker for almost five weeks now. He is the third labrador retriever in our household, and he has added a whole new element of chaos to our lives. He looks like a polar bear cub with a long tail. He is of course as cute as can be, and then some. I think puppies are made this adorable so that you can't get mad at them when they chew up your shoes and pee on your floor.

He has made me realize how much I love the "labradorian" way of life. In their minds, each day is greeted with a zest for adventure, every person is viewed as not only a friend, but a cherished soul, and there is not much that can dampen their enthusiasm.

I wake up to those little black eyes peering into mine, that mouth licking and biting my feet, and I just can't resist placing my lips on his velvety soft little nose for a kiss, which usually leads to biting and chewing on me. He is a pain in the ass sometimes, but I love the little guy and I know he loves me. I'm pretty sure he loves just about everybody he meets, so while I want to feel special, I think I'm just one of his pack. I'm the one who feeds him, so my value to him is just a notch above everyone else in our house.

He has gained an average of 3.5 pounds each week that we've had him, and he is now topping thirty pounds. Soon he won't be able to sit on my lap on the couch and he'll be relegated to the floor with the other two dogs.

So for now I let him jump on the couch and sleep on my lap, and it is like puppy nirvana. These days won't last for long.