When is the last time you laughed? I mean really laughed. None of that "oh your so funny, ha ha" adult type laughing. I'm talking about no holding back, snorting, red faced, pee your pants laughter. If your like me, you will ponder this question for a while and then realize, that "wow, I haven't done that in a long time." And then, you will begin to wonder just why this type of laughter is missing from your life.
This is what happened to me last night as I heard my four year old son ask his little sister, "What does the doctor say?" She would then reply in a very silly manner, "Eat your food!" Each time she would say this, Jackson would laugh hysterically. This little dialogue continued back and forth as I was cooking dinner for about 25 minutes. Like most mothers who have so much stuff going on between the hours of 5-8 p.m, I was a bit stressed out. Dinner was in the mix, the kids needed baths, and I wanted to spend at least 10 minutes with my husband before he decided to go to bed. "Jackson that's enough" I said, feeling my nerves unravel as he asked Macy "What does the doctor say?" for the 45th time. He then looked at me and began cracking up as she shouted in her very cute high and often demanding tone, "Eat your food!" This, I thought was enough to make me smile. Jackson couldn't stop laughing. His little body shook as his face turned red as he tried to contain his overall jolliness. Who am I to make him stop laughing?
Adults need laughter. We have all heard the age old saying that laughter, indeed is the best medicine. Research has shown the benefits of laughter ranging from a stronger immune system to reducing symptoms of depression. People are even starting laughter groups. There is this amazing Doctor out of India named Madan Kataria. Through research, Dr. Kataria developed the idea of Laughter Yoga. By incorporating physical movement, playful interaction (chanting ho, ho, ha, ha) and gentle yogic breathing techniques this "laughter yoga" is designed to reduce stress and make you feel eons better about your whole life in general! Isn't there a pill for this, you may ask? Yes, and that is part of our countries problem.
Do you want to laugh? I do, and I don't want it to involve alcohol. I mean, I want to really get a good gut roll, "I cant breathe," kind of laugh going on. Laughter is said to burn calories, this is always good.
The next time Jackson asks a silly question over and over and over, I think I will drop what I'm doing and jump right in to the madness. After all, we only live once, and to think one of the benefits of laughter is prolonged longevity. Come on people, jump on the laughter band wagon and let loose. It isn't that hard and once you get started, you wont be able to stop!
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Talkin 'Bout My Generation
Have you ever really thought about the generation you live in? This is something I often think about. Growing up seemed normal, I was your average 80's child with my scrunchies and Fraggle Rock backpack. I never thought about generation or fitting in with the times. My day's were filled with school, recess and Saved By the Bell (that Slater was a major hottie in my day). This whole generation confusion started occurring the summer before I began high school. I found myself enjoying Led Zepplin and Jefferson Airplane more than I did the Backstreet Boys and Britney. Most of my after school shopping was spent in thrift stores rather than the mall. My favorite pair of pants wasn't your hipster low rise jeans, they were plaid, polyester bell bottoms that I had to safety pin in order to keep up (no belt loops). Sure, I got teased a bit, some of the more "hip" girls would ask me where I shop, and I always told them. It did help that I had a few partners in crime that, too, were obviously lost in some generational warp. I guess we never realized that we weren't fitting in with the times. We merely spent our day's hanging out in parking lots trying to attract boys. That's pretty normal 90's girl stuff right?
Flash forward to now....I haven't really thought about generation in a long time. I realized that I must always seem as though I am a child of the 60's, or early 70's pre- super disco era. People still comment me on my thrift store/yard sale fashions, however now I don't get smug looks or criticized like I did in high school, I get...compliments. Unlike the clothes I wore in high school that were "dated" my clothing is now "vintage." Fashion and music always come back around. Case in point, Cameron Crow's film, Almost Famous which brought back the return of the faux fur coat, worn perfectly by Miss Penny Lane. Oh how I covet the jacket she wears in that movie.
Each generation has something wonderful about it. The 80's had Devo, the 90's had grunge and well the year 2000 and up just seems like a mixture of every decade below it. Who ever thought leggings would make a comeback?
The moral of all of this, you may ask? Pick your generation and go with it. Each person has their own unique aura about them. I seem to put off this hippie bohemian vibe that just happens to be in style right now, and that's, well....great, for now until grunge makes a return. Hang on to the generation your representing, it will rear its head again.
Flash forward to now....I haven't really thought about generation in a long time. I realized that I must always seem as though I am a child of the 60's, or early 70's pre- super disco era. People still comment me on my thrift store/yard sale fashions, however now I don't get smug looks or criticized like I did in high school, I get...compliments. Unlike the clothes I wore in high school that were "dated" my clothing is now "vintage." Fashion and music always come back around. Case in point, Cameron Crow's film, Almost Famous which brought back the return of the faux fur coat, worn perfectly by Miss Penny Lane. Oh how I covet the jacket she wears in that movie.
Each generation has something wonderful about it. The 80's had Devo, the 90's had grunge and well the year 2000 and up just seems like a mixture of every decade below it. Who ever thought leggings would make a comeback?
The moral of all of this, you may ask? Pick your generation and go with it. Each person has their own unique aura about them. I seem to put off this hippie bohemian vibe that just happens to be in style right now, and that's, well....great, for now until grunge makes a return. Hang on to the generation your representing, it will rear its head again.
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Tap Dancing Is For Boys!
As parents, we are constantly trying to find new and interesting activities for our children that will both enrich and add fun to their little lives. I have always imagined involving both of my children in the magical world of dance. I have secret little fantasies of them performing numerous numbers that would just wow the pants off of any Broadway reviewer. Although my kids are still young, my son is 4 and my daughter 2, in my mind there is simply no reason why I shouldn't get them started like...now!
It all started when my son saw a video clip on Disney of a little red headed boy named Daniel Cook. You see, Daniel goes around Toronto discovering new things to try. On this particular day, he was trying out tap dancing, and boy did he love it. As soon as my son Jack saw Daniel dancing, he hopped up off the couch and began moving his feet, arms and I will say it wasn't bad. "Do you like that sweetie?" I asked. He smiled and said "Yeah, I want to tap dance." You can only imagine how my mind started moving. I pictured a young Fred Astaire, or more modern Justin Timberlake. In my opinion, there is nothing more attractive than a man who can dance. It just demonstrates dedication and a love for the arts. Wait, hold on....I still have to talk to my husband about this.
So, as you can imagine when I told my husband, who I will say is very sensitive, although at times I think to myself where did I find Mr. Caveman? You see, I don't think he has a real problem with it even though his first words were "tap dancing is for girls." Of course I rebutted with "Hello...what about Fred Astaire, Jack Haley from the Wizard of Oz, Albert Finney as Daddy Warbucks in Annie, and numerous other male tap dancing legends, did I mention Justin Timberlake? Come on, the ladies love him." Point taken, that was actually pretty easy. "Just don't put him in ballet." Which then brought up the very interesting question of what a male ballerina is even called.
My Father, Jack's grandpa on the other hand wasn't so convinced. I had mentioned earlier that day to my Mom that I was going to put Jack in tap dancing. Sitting at the table with a very concerned look on his face he asks me, "are you really going to put that boy into tap dancing?" Wow, you would have thought his world just crashed around him, this coming from the father who has raised two excellent hunters (my brothers), I am a vegetarian go figure. "Yes, Dad I am." I then went on to give him my whole "Tap dancing male legends" schpil. He wasn't buying it. The funny part came when he suggested that it was me who wanted to put Jack in tap and he was sure there was no desire from this young 4 year old to do anything of the sorts. "Do you really want to tap dance Jack?" asked my father. Just then Jack did the most amazing, little shuffle that would make your heart smile. "Does that answer your question?" Was all I needed to say.
As you can imagine, I hate gender roles. I will be the first to say however that when my son picks out a pink balloon over a blue balloon (he's only done this once) I do feel a little urge to say, "Oh honey, don't you want the blue one, pink is for girls." Instead though, I stop, and take a look at that little boy's face who is just so happy to have a balloon regardless of the color. I see a little man that has no clue that colors are associated with certain stereotypes and that to be a "tough man" you should always choose something green or blue. He is alive, happy and most of all he is unique. For the most part he chooses trucks over dolls and green over purple but if he wants to try on his sisters tutu and tap dance his little heart out all over the kitchen then by golly that is what he is going to do.
He starts tap lessons next month...Ahh, the satisfaction of the sound of little clicking heels.
It all started when my son saw a video clip on Disney of a little red headed boy named Daniel Cook. You see, Daniel goes around Toronto discovering new things to try. On this particular day, he was trying out tap dancing, and boy did he love it. As soon as my son Jack saw Daniel dancing, he hopped up off the couch and began moving his feet, arms and I will say it wasn't bad. "Do you like that sweetie?" I asked. He smiled and said "Yeah, I want to tap dance." You can only imagine how my mind started moving. I pictured a young Fred Astaire, or more modern Justin Timberlake. In my opinion, there is nothing more attractive than a man who can dance. It just demonstrates dedication and a love for the arts. Wait, hold on....I still have to talk to my husband about this.
So, as you can imagine when I told my husband, who I will say is very sensitive, although at times I think to myself where did I find Mr. Caveman? You see, I don't think he has a real problem with it even though his first words were "tap dancing is for girls." Of course I rebutted with "Hello...what about Fred Astaire, Jack Haley from the Wizard of Oz, Albert Finney as Daddy Warbucks in Annie, and numerous other male tap dancing legends, did I mention Justin Timberlake? Come on, the ladies love him." Point taken, that was actually pretty easy. "Just don't put him in ballet." Which then brought up the very interesting question of what a male ballerina is even called.
My Father, Jack's grandpa on the other hand wasn't so convinced. I had mentioned earlier that day to my Mom that I was going to put Jack in tap dancing. Sitting at the table with a very concerned look on his face he asks me, "are you really going to put that boy into tap dancing?" Wow, you would have thought his world just crashed around him, this coming from the father who has raised two excellent hunters (my brothers), I am a vegetarian go figure. "Yes, Dad I am." I then went on to give him my whole "Tap dancing male legends" schpil. He wasn't buying it. The funny part came when he suggested that it was me who wanted to put Jack in tap and he was sure there was no desire from this young 4 year old to do anything of the sorts. "Do you really want to tap dance Jack?" asked my father. Just then Jack did the most amazing, little shuffle that would make your heart smile. "Does that answer your question?" Was all I needed to say.
As you can imagine, I hate gender roles. I will be the first to say however that when my son picks out a pink balloon over a blue balloon (he's only done this once) I do feel a little urge to say, "Oh honey, don't you want the blue one, pink is for girls." Instead though, I stop, and take a look at that little boy's face who is just so happy to have a balloon regardless of the color. I see a little man that has no clue that colors are associated with certain stereotypes and that to be a "tough man" you should always choose something green or blue. He is alive, happy and most of all he is unique. For the most part he chooses trucks over dolls and green over purple but if he wants to try on his sisters tutu and tap dance his little heart out all over the kitchen then by golly that is what he is going to do.
He starts tap lessons next month...Ahh, the satisfaction of the sound of little clicking heels.
Monday, September 17, 2007
The nasty cold that changed my life.
Why is it that just when you're hanging on to the last delicate threads of summer you suddenly get a cold? I was up in Canada on a most amazing girls trip when I noticed my ears getting a little muffled. "I'm not getting sick, its not going to happen, I am here to have fun." A tad hungover in bed the next day, I said to myself "hmmm I guess I beat it."
I suppose days of travel followed by more days of travel down to Oregon for a look at "possibly relocating" with my family made the cold so bad that I completely lost my voice for a job interview. "I am a very confident person" I whispered to my future boss.
I got the job, and I warned her that next time she could expect a lot, and I mean a lot more talking out of this girl. She smiled, I hope that's a good thing.
So aside from this awful cold thing that has had me down for a over a month, still hanging on after a very ineffective dose of antibiotics, several times daily elderberry and zinc, nasty teas and something called "green lightning" that I mix with my juice in the morning. I realized something.
Yesterday sitting in the car, I was a bit down on myself for not practicing yoga daily (you see I am a yoga teacher and when I get out of practice, boy do I feel it) I also haven't been running, walking with my children (much) or bicycling. What is wrong with me, I feel like a sloth. This is when I started thinking about how I need to get back to where I was a month ago. I was fitter, faster, stronger and in my mind....better.
What is wrong with this mindset? A lot. Why are we constantly seeking something that we once were? How many times have you thought to yourself, "Man, if I could only get back into those pre-baby jeans, I would be so happy." Or, "Life would be so good if I had my ex back in my life." Lets just all stop here for a moment and vow to never look back, never wish we had something we once had. I realized, while riding in the car looking at a most amazing early autumn sky that wow, we are so fortunate to be constantly changing and growing. As humans, we move through this labyrinth of wrong turns and hard times that eventually show us the way down the correct path.
Yes, I had a set back, no my practice isn't where it was, I can't do a full handstand right now because there is a chance I might drown in nasal secretions (sorry) but....I am where I am in my life doing the best that I can. No, I won't ever go back to where I was because lets face it, no one has invented a time machine that actually works. But I can be present in my life moving on with the new day, to the new me, constantly reinventing myself and loving every bit of what life brings me.
I suppose days of travel followed by more days of travel down to Oregon for a look at "possibly relocating" with my family made the cold so bad that I completely lost my voice for a job interview. "I am a very confident person" I whispered to my future boss.
I got the job, and I warned her that next time she could expect a lot, and I mean a lot more talking out of this girl. She smiled, I hope that's a good thing.
So aside from this awful cold thing that has had me down for a over a month, still hanging on after a very ineffective dose of antibiotics, several times daily elderberry and zinc, nasty teas and something called "green lightning" that I mix with my juice in the morning. I realized something.
Yesterday sitting in the car, I was a bit down on myself for not practicing yoga daily (you see I am a yoga teacher and when I get out of practice, boy do I feel it) I also haven't been running, walking with my children (much) or bicycling. What is wrong with me, I feel like a sloth. This is when I started thinking about how I need to get back to where I was a month ago. I was fitter, faster, stronger and in my mind....better.
What is wrong with this mindset? A lot. Why are we constantly seeking something that we once were? How many times have you thought to yourself, "Man, if I could only get back into those pre-baby jeans, I would be so happy." Or, "Life would be so good if I had my ex back in my life." Lets just all stop here for a moment and vow to never look back, never wish we had something we once had. I realized, while riding in the car looking at a most amazing early autumn sky that wow, we are so fortunate to be constantly changing and growing. As humans, we move through this labyrinth of wrong turns and hard times that eventually show us the way down the correct path.
Yes, I had a set back, no my practice isn't where it was, I can't do a full handstand right now because there is a chance I might drown in nasal secretions (sorry) but....I am where I am in my life doing the best that I can. No, I won't ever go back to where I was because lets face it, no one has invented a time machine that actually works. But I can be present in my life moving on with the new day, to the new me, constantly reinventing myself and loving every bit of what life brings me.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
