Summer is a State of Mind

He's wearing his glasses again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!







I can't completely explain it, other than with a concerted effort and the help of our therapists, we persisted in making Elijah keep the glasses on his face.  It took us holding his hands down, lots of distraction and a calm demeanor when he managed to get them off. Rinse and Repeat. I think that once he got over the fact that the glasses were resting on his face, that he may have actually realized, Hey! I can see pretty good! Because day by day, he resisted them less and less. Now, he's wearing them more than he's taking them off. They are the first thing he goes for if he's frustrated, and I have to be careful with my reactions to it so that it doesn't become a game.  It's a huge win. His prescription is pretty strong (he's near-sighted, so he has difficulty with his distance vision) and I'm noticing a subtle difference primarily in his depth perception.  When he stacks blocks without his glasses, he tends to "overshoot" the block and then has to pull back to adjust the block so that it balances on the other.  With his glasses, it's a much more direct placement.  I'm hoping we're into a new phase that includes regular use of his glasses, but as I'm learning: Just as you think you have one thing figured out with your kid, something changes. It's about being patient and flexible, right?

I haven't been keeping up with my blogging much this summer, and here are some of the best reasons why:
           










We took a mini-trip to Palm Springs to hang with our close friends, Larissa and Adam, and so that I could attend a National Dance Competition that some of my Ballet Students were competing in. It was such a necessary break from our regular schedule to just hang out in the pool, read great novels, cook, and eat and drink! It was only a two day getaway, but for us, it was great!

The boys and I have been finding things to do that we often don't have time for during the regular school year. We explored a wonderful children's museum, called Kidspace, located in Pasadena.  It's a great, interactive museum that you could happily spend all day exploring the many things to play in and with.


Kidspace 


Emerging from the "ant hole"...


Exploring and resting (being a trooper during what is normally nap time!)


The river. Kids can climb right in, tromp through it and splash to their hearts content (or until another kid gets mad...)

Christian has taken a huge interest in space lately, and been begging me to hang some planets and stars from his bedroom ceiling. So, I grabbed some styrofoam balls we had left over from an event I'd done and made our own planets!  We found the glow in the dark stars and moon that will make our ceiling display complete, at the Kidspace museum's gift shop!



I'm also taking full license of summer to enjoy some great novels.  I love to read and when it's a great book, I FIND time for it.  I zipped through 3 novels in the last few weeks, because they were THAT good! I've also created a little extra time for my yoga practice again.  It changes my life when I do it. I find I am so much more patient and have more energy for just "playing" with my little guys.  There has been some time with girlfriends and some playdates here and there.  Oh yeah- and the never ending To-Do list for a new division of my Event Design business.  I am SO excited about some additions we're creating in my business, but until it's all ready I can't share the details.  I'll be shouting from the rooftops when it's ready though- I have such high hopes!!

I have also had a very fulfilling year with my teaching job.  I choreographed my first ballet competition piece this year.  The girls scored well and have grown an enormous amount.  I am so proud and am ready to give them more challenges next year.  We're coming up on a short break from the dance studio, but I'm smiling in anticipation of all the new experiences coming down the line.

Me and my girls, in their costumes for "Tchaikovsky Sweet" (Performed to the Sugarplum Fairy music from "The Nutcracker". Get my play on words?? Hahaha - a little kitschy, but I love it...) 

Well...it's nearly noon and we're all still in our PJ's. Might be time to get dressed and pretend that we'll be getting something done.  It's funny, because I don't technically get a "Summer Break". I own my own business, so there really is no season that coordinates with vacation time.  But, I think Summer, for me, is more of an Attitude than a season.  It's allowing those mornings of PJs til noon or later without guilt, making time for swimming and reading, yoga and playing....balancing the important work tasks with down time that is chock full of quality time. So, my blogging may be intermittent for a few more weeks until we settle back into a more regular schedule that includes a new Kindergarten schedule for Christian and a new Preschool (Mommy and Me) schedule for Elijah.  For now, I'm owning Summer.

It's a State of Mind. :)