6am...

It is 6am.

The calm before the storm.

Does everyone else have this period of time?  You know, that small matter of minutes between when you finish your morning chores and the kids wake up?  That tiny period of time when you can sneak just one more cup of coffee before it all takes off at a flying leap?

I love this moment.  It never lasts long, and frankly, some mornings, it doesn't exist at all, but it is beautiful when it is here.  The time is yours, and is only halted by the sound of feet hitting floor up above you.  That's when the mad dash to be the first to get down stairs, the first for the biggest blanket, the ONE who gets the blue cup...when it all begins.

I know that I should fill this time for productive events.  Or at least eat breakfast.  But the cup of coffee and banana from 4:30 will have to do for now.  'Cause I am not getting off this couch until the house wakes up.  The kids are sleeping and the animals are cared for.  And for now, that is enough.

All is quiet.

Memories flying by....

How is it that the days fly by so quickly?  It is seems to defy principles of physics, or gravity, or common sense....I don't know....but it does.

It is nearly the holidays - Solstice is around the corner, and it will be speedily followed up by our family's holiday celebrtions.  The kids are older this year, and will be enjoying and participating in full force... 

But soon, we will blink and it will be over.

And we will have all sorts of thoughts of things we meant to do...but never quite got around to it.  People we meant to call...but we never picked up the phone.

We borrow hours with one hand and provide with the other, and try to make the cookies with the time inbetween.

But, I would just like it to slow down.

Way down.

So far down, so that my husband and I don't find that at the end of the day, our joined comment is "oh, and here we are again".  'Cause, some times, the day just passes through the hours inbetween with no help from us.

And I am not OK with that.

I want to remember everything.  Each snap shot of life, each throw back and snappy comment by the short ones of the family. 

I want all of these memory shots to be filed away for years to come, so that when that time does come, when the days are less full and we learn to breathe and relax, I can sit down and flip through those memories, and see all of the joy and venture that we created in our little world.

And so, we start by just focusing on each moment, each detail, and make sure that we are fully engaged, fully involved, and completely in our world.  Because each moment is important.

Each and every one. .

Relax....

This weekend, I am trying to focus on relaxing.

I say "trying" because it is actually very difficult to do.  I have such a huge desire to be productive and speedy fast at everything, that sitting down just to relax seems very foreign.

However, I had a bit of a wake up call on Friday. 

For as long as I can remember, I have been a very stressed, high strung kind of person.  I try not to let this show, but it is what it is.  And, lately, this stress has become down right painful.

My back hurts, my neck aches, and my face is so tense, it is positively painful to eat an apple.  Crazy, right?

So, wanting something different, I went to a chiropractor on Friday.  And I learned I was all kinds of messed up.  My high stress level, compounded with my extreme caffeine habit, has now made it virtually impossible to relax my body. 

Unbelievable! 

But, the doctor fixed and straightened me out.  And I have learned a very, very important lesson. 

Relaxation is an important part of living.

Now, if only I can remember this.....and put down the coffee pot....