Decompression, Carmageddon, and Paris

What do all three of these things have in common....las vegas. That's what we had going on last weekend.

I was eager to decompress and that's the first thing I did. When we got to vegas on the first evening, the Newhaus family went to dinner and I stayed behind in the hotel room and did.... Gee, what did I do? I don't think I did anything. Oh wait, I actually squealed with excitement over the phone call I made. It was a quiet, intelligent conversation with my brother without Max trying to rip the phone out of my hand. That was cool.....(ALONE TIME OMFG I never ever ever get that anymore YYYAAAAYYYYY!!!!!!)

Paris was the hotel we stayed in and it was really nice. We had time at the pool, some delicious dinners, and I got extra crazy and hit up a few yoga studios. Yeah, I went to three fantastic yoga classes while Marc played poker. Marc and I even went on a date while grandma and grandpa took the baby. Now that's just wild!

We finished up the debauchery with the quickest drive back to LA. I guess everyone was terrified of the roads and freeways because of the 405 closure and it was a breeze getting home. Carmageddon turned out to be less than the anticipated auto apocolypse. What a relief for us not to be stuck in a traffic jam all day with the baby!

Now we're back home and it isn't easy adjusting. Reality doesn't suck, but I prefer being spoiled on vacation. Now instead of looking for les toilettes, I'm just going to the bathroom. Dinner is no longer at the eiffel tower, but on the basic couch. And instead of merci, I hear "hurry up, the baby ripped his diaper off and I told you not to use velcro anymore!"...... Yaaaay reality!

But here's the reality. After a few hours away from Max, I really miss him. And I look forward to seeing him again. It's amazing that I could spend so much time with someone and never ever ever get sick of it. Don't get me wrong--I enjoy some breaks and definitely need more of them. But I'm always ready to get back to being mama.

I'm posting three photos on this blog because my hair is done in all three of them. That's a big deal in case you didn't realize what it was like to have an active toddler pulling out clumps of your "do". Honestly, I think it's a miracle that I had (mostly) matching outfits and accessories for three days in a row.

It's worth noting that my "wig hair" is returning. My postpartum hair regrowth is several inches long and it sure has become easier to style my mane! There is evidence that I still know how to work the hot rollers....ahahaha!

Paris was a great place to chill out during carmageddon. I highly recommend it. But even more I recommend Blue Sky Yoga. Yeah, I'd definitely go back that nitty gritty donation based studio in the art district. Or the Yoga Sanctuary. (Except the prices are higher for out of towners....BOO!) I really enjoyed the power yoga classes at both of these vegas studios. I can't think of a better way to decompress in sin city than with a floating pidgeon.....the new pose I'm semi-mastering. Viva las vegas!

Calm Amidst Chaos

Today was a huge success! I got to teach family power yoga at Earth's Power Yoga this afternoon. It was the first yoga class I've taught in a studio....a nice upgrade from the park or the living room. Woohoo!

It was a huge honor for the owner of the studio to ask me if I would be interested in teaching this cutting edge class on a trial basis. Unlike a typical baby and me class, this is a regular power yoga class where parents can bring their children of all ages. And who better to teach a vigorous vinyasa flow class of mommies, than a super active yogi mommy!

This was one of the best play dates for all the little ones. It was so cute to see the older ones turning cartwheels around their parents' yoga mats while the younger ones stared in awe. The unpredictable nature of a child is what makes it so exciting and a little scary for me as a teacher. But as I looked around at the kids in today's class, it reminded me to approach life with more curiosity and less fear.

At one point I looked up and saw every single toddler and older child (including Max) lined up in the window sill looking outside at the cars on Melrose. It was a beautiful sight to see the little ones exerting their independence while the adults flowed through a series of warriors. I love it that baby Max doesn't realize he's any younger or smaller than the big kids and runs around with them like they've been friends forever.

Having the ability to multitask taking care of my assimilating toddler while directing the flow of a yoga class is definitely a challenge. But I started thinking about it, and isn't that what parenting is all about. Day and night we are flowing through situations with breaks for hugs, diaper changes, shenanigans, and feedings. So why should a yoga class be any different. As I took on that attitude, I gained an abundance of confidence.

At the beginning of every class I teach, I always tell my students to set an intention for their practice. And today my intention for myself was to breathe and do a good job. Well gosh darnit, I may have forgotten to breathe a few times, but I still did a good job. I may have even superceded expectations and done a great job. Yeah, there are a few kinks to work out and some improvements to be made, but aren't there always with something new. I'm really happy with the experience I had today.

Every single parent in class left me with a positive remark. One young mommy was so glad we offered the class because she had not exercised in 3 months. Another mom told me she was delighted to have practiced her handstand with me. She had not done an inversion in 2 years since she had become pregnant with her little girl. And another mom told me she wished this class had begun years ago when her daughter was a baby because she missed going to yoga classes. That makes me happy to be a part of such positive change.

As a mother, it is so easy for me to see what these and all mothers need. Mommies spend so much time nurturing their little ones, but we also need to be nurtured. We spend so much time holding our babies, but we also need to be held. We spend so much time loving our most blessed creations, but we also need to be loved. Yoga is an opportunity to receive these important gifts while getting some good old fashioned exercise. What a lovely way to spend an afternooon!

I hope I can continue to spread love and light on my new journey as a yoga teacher. I am so grateful for the opportunities I have and will continue to have. Together we will find the calm amidst the chaos on our family yoga journey.

Namaste.

Toothbrushes are Toys and Dirt is a Food Group

The rambunctiousness is not limited to the playground, and one can find so much to finagle in a single cabinet with a turntable. Or not. After assessing the situation, I decided that we don't have to go to the park to go exploring. So the remainder of the cleaning supplies got moved under the sink where there is a childproof lock on those cabinets. So the fun never has to end, and I get a kick out of seeing baby Max standing upright inside his cavern.

Yogi mommy plus happy baby equals full time fun. As if it wasn't already official, I'm fully immersed in my teaching training program at Earth's Power Yoga. My energies are scattered and I'm spread too thin, but it's still awesome. I'm taking four yoga classes a week as part of my preparations to teach and that is my favorite part. Mama's lookin' good and getting strong! Woohoo!!!

It has probably been harder on Marc than anyone because he has Max for six hours in a row on Sundays, but he's made it through two weeks so far. He always looks so exhausted when I get home and asks me how I do it all day every single day. That is slightly gratifying, because being a parent is such an important job. But regardless of how tired Marc is, he is always happy to cook dinner. That cracks me up that no matter how chaotic his day was, he enjoys a retreat into the kitchen where he effortlessly whips up bok choy, quinoa, chard, snapper, and anything else in season that sounds tasty. Pretty fantastic if you ask most mommies! So when I feel annoyed that he is up all night playing video games on his phone or computer, I think about how good dinner was....hahaha!!!

Getting to my classes seems to be the easy part now that we have that figured out. Finding time to read the eight assigned books and summarizing them in four page long essays....Now that's a different story. It is so ridiculously difficult to read a single article with a baby in the house, and I have absolutely no idea how I am going read eight books. I might have to pull a casper and disappear into the abyss of a couch at the library without a baby's cry within earshot. Distractions are unavoidable with all the responsibilities I have at home!

We always make time for the fun stuff. And our Thursdays at the park are no exception. Max trampled his girlfriend, Everly a few times this week, but fortunately she is resilient. And in case you haven't heard, it is true. Toothbrushes are toys and dirt is a food group!