A New Blogging Routine

Hello, loyal blog readers...
Times have changed. I no longer have perplexing little babies that I need to vent about every day. I've thought about bringing the blog to an end, but decided that I do love having a place to write about our family life on a semi-regular basis. So my new routine will be to blog once a month or so, to keep a record and some contact with my far-away loved ones about our daily lives.

So here are some reflections on the last month.
It's a new era! Henry is in school five days a week, all day, and although we expected him to be exhausted after school, he really isn't. He is absolutely thriving. I don't know that I've ever seen him so happy. He is singing, laughing, and cuddling with us more than ever. He gets up and puts his uniform on right away in the mornings (sometimes even on Sunday). He scooters a mile to school and back (usually) without complaint. He is reading voraciously, every street sign and poster and t-shirt he sees. We are so, so pleased to see him blossom like this, and although it could just be a developmental phase or coincidence, we do correlate it with his new school. One thing that has surprised me about the new school is the air of innocence there. I used to hear all about Transformers and superheroes; I even spoke with the teachers at his old school about it when he was three-- their philosophy was all peace and love! and yet all the playground talk was war and materialism. They shrugged and told me there was nothing for it. Yet now I don't hear anything about TV shows or new brands of processed treats. Instead, an example: Henry brought home the classroom teddy bear, Paddington, for the weekend last Thursday. Each child gets a turn; he came with his own blankets and changes of clothes, and a journal for us to write in about what we did with Paddington over the weekend. Henry tenderly carried him along to the store and out to lunch, and slept with him in his bed, and proudly wrote all about it in the journal to share on Monday. Interestingly, at the shoe store he left Paddington in the car, saying he didn't want the kids in the store to make fun of him. But clearly, school is a safe place for boys to love bears, even if the wider world isn't. I wonder if this atmosphere of innocence and love isn't contributing to the greater open-heartedness, laughter, and cuddliness we see in him.

Agatha is also in school until 3 pm on two days; the other three we pick her up at 11:30 am (trading off between Michael and me). For me, it's a perfect schedule, perhaps the best schedule in the six years that I've been a mom; I have long days in the office on Monday and Friday (usually), till 3 pm on Tuesday, and home with my girl on Wednesday and Thursday afternoons. I love the days when I realize hours have gone by and I have not thought of my children; and I also love the days when I can read Agatha her story for naptime and start dinner at 3 pm if I want to. I realize I am very, very fortunate.

Speaking of dinner, the other significant change in routine in the last month has been in our eating schedule. I went to an Ayurveda workshop a few weeks ago, mainly to support my friend who was giving it. But I came away with the vow to, as is customary in so many cultures, make lunch the main meal of the day as often as possible. On the weekends, we try to cook and eat the main meal before naptime. During the week, I pack the children large, healthy lunches when they're eating at school, and do the same for myself. Michael and I eat together on campus one day a week, and another day we pick up Agatha and take her out for Indian food lunch buffet. Even when it's a weekday and just Agatha and I are eating lunch at home, I try to make a nice meal and sit down to eat together (today it was a cheese omelet, arugula salad, bread, and a glass of local beer!). I still cook dinner in the evenings, but the pressure is off. Sometimes we have leftovers, sometimes I feed the children first and just eat lightly after they're in bed, sometimes we eat a "normal" dinner but because we are not all starving (and because I have decided that the family dinner is NOT the most important meal of the day) it is less stressful than it used to be. Lots of days I feed the children right after school, when they want to eat, instead of making them "wait for dinner." Then we might have a smoothie or fruit before bed, if they're hungry again. Whatever the supper plan, we try to eat early, by 5 pm. I sleep so much better, have more energy, and find the end of the day so much easier and more fun. I highly recommend it!