natural parenting center

last post from mexico

::sweet girl. How did i get so lucky?

::view of the beach from Elliott. Sweet boy. How did I get so lucky?

::my hot sister surfing the tsunami with adoring fans watching.

::that little dot front and center is Elliott, watching the Canada vs. USA for gold at YOYOMo's in Sayulita.

It's hard to believe that these may be our last photos from Mexico. Well, maybe one more post tomorrow night. It has been an adventure, indeed. Solo mama with two kiddos in foreign lands.  Such a rich experience and many, many parenting thoughts to share.

parenting inspiration

If you've been coming here looking for some parenting inspiration and found it at all lacking during these past few weeks, then check this out. Stellar. Are you wanting more connection with your kids? Frustrated with the negative cycle of praise/punishment? Longing to enlighten your parenting a little? Seek no further, friends. Let Natalie be your guide (hint: humble + intuitive + intelligent + calm + extraordinary + she can write). 

She rocks my world.

Not to mention she's been slogging it out in the mud and snow holding down the business fort while I play in the sun and surf here in Mexico.

what i learned today in mexico

riding in golf carts is fun.

stopping for coffee and smoothies here prior to early morning golf carting is key.

spider man likes golf carts too.

this kid is serious about golf carting in the jungle.

cousins are cool.

quiet play at the casa after early morning adventures is key.

 

making dinner at home, though lovely, is not worth it  here (eating out is cheaper, delicious, healthy, and there are no dishes).

i hope you all are heading into a lovely weekend, wherever you are.

simple: sun + sand + surf

we miss you isis.

sisters having a hoot in the rented golf cart, with three kids and three adults in total. what adventures we had during our 24 hour "with wheels".

she's a righteous babe, through and through.

this place is getting under my skin.

three more days.

after wanting to leave early, now i'm wondering how to stay longer. it takes awhile to get into the routine of relaxing and the adjustment seems to take even longer with kids. and then, when you find your groove in foreign lands, well, thoughts of buying a wee casa and inviting the rest of your loved ones to join you start flooding the mind. i mean really, sun and sand and surf AND good food? what could be better?

i like living in flip flops.

who would you be?

at the beach...

at the fair...

In the midst of all this beauty, these long days at the beach, this delicious simple and fresh food, and time with family, there is still "stuff".

Mental and emotional "stuff", the baggage, the junk that follows you wherever you go. Even in paradise, your mind can trip you up.

Today, as I dug a hole in the sand with my two spectacular children, I felt restless and ill at ease. The shape of my body, the impatience of the early morning, judgments that roam about. Then I felt mad at myself for feeling those feelings when really, what could be more perfect and blissful than this? (Especially remembering my sweet friends in the mud and snow and grey of February in Missoula.)

Thankfully, the thought came along..."who would you be without those thoughts?" A gift from Byron Katie

Who would you be without those stressful thoughts that take you away from what is happening right now? We'd all just be...how cool is that.

(Though I wish you were be-ing here on the beach with us.) wink wink.

rain, morning, horses

torrential rain

early morning

horses

I am typing one handed with nursing Saschy beside me, so I will let these pics tell there own story.

namaste to each of you.

one day

Something about how time moves here in Mexico. It's not even just being on vacation and away from the usual anchors of each day. Here, not only do I lose track of the day, the date, but I also totally get lost in the time of day. It could be noon or it could be four o'clock. I've never been more off in my guesses. It's strange and kind of helpful. Sometimes it seems to connect me more to what's happening on the inside, and other times I feel sort of trapped by it.

Wherever you go, there you are.

The blog at night grounds me. And because I've had the exact same thoughts as Natalie about missing fresh updates on other blogs, and because we are HERE, I'm motivated to keep you posted. It makes it feel more shared, less indulgent or something, to be sharing this with you, at least vicariously.

Today:

:: We broke away from the pack (somehow we've been moving as a whole group for a week...that's three kids and three adults coordinating-what were we thinking!) and ventured out just me and Elliottand Sascha for a chunk of the day

:: We met new friends from Portland, Oregon.

:: Elliott got new flip flops.

:: We found out the poisonous caterpillars at the casa aren't quite so scary as we thought.

:: I've been thinking about how I pick and choose Law of Attraction and would prefer to take it on in whole, so started to own up to manifesting these caterpillars in the first place. hmmm. Not as much fun as taking credit for manifesting the "good" stuff.

:: Saschy fell asleep in the ergo on my back and I played with Elliott in the surf. The big waves make everyone laugh.

:: We talked about cowboys and sharks before bed, instead of hockey.

:: In the grocery store I held naked, sandy Saschy girl on my front and Elliott on my back in ergo with tortilla chips, salsa, peanut butter, spagetti noodles, ragu sauce, bottle of water and mango juice on the counter.

:: I thought about the gift of travel with kids ...Saschy saying 'bayo' for cabillo (horse) and 'banyo' for bathroom, playing with Jose in the sand, seeing men handcraft beaded bowls, eating fresh papaya.

:: I felt sad about how angry, fearful and therefore controlling I have been and how that doesn't feel good at all. The downside of travel with kids.

:: I feel grateful to be here.

I snaffooed these pics from my sister's blog.  Thanks to all of you who are visiting her. We've been giggling here at night comparing blog stats. It's kind of a funny thing...to pay attention to them or not. For me, it's waaayyyy better when I just write what feels good then let it just be out there doing whatever it's doing, nothing to do with me.

But, it does sometimes suck me in. That wanting to be liked thing, I guess.

Wanting to be liked, approval, praise, fear of being judged: that whole package is problematic. I've noticed how it comes out at my two little amigos (third one here is cousin Owen). It's sad to me when I let my own stuff spill over and impact them.

Like when the thought suddenly pops into my head "I better clean up more around  here so they don't think I'm a slob", then Saschy wants me to play and I feel irritated.

Or when I'm triggered by something else going on, the story that I make up in my mind about it, and then rapidly depart the present moment where these two sweet human beings just want me to be with them.

Oh boy. Trapped in the human condition. Or maybe that's just another story.

Reach for a better feeling thought. Find what feels good. Be here now. I am not my feelings or thoughts.

There really are so many helpful thoughts to guide us. Yes. Thank goodness for that. And helpful people, too. I am grateful for each of your comments. Your stories move me. Thank you for sharing.

a cowboy with a camera

This boy...

took these photos today...

If you want to see more...check out this and this.

AND, I cannot tell you how filled up I am reading your comments. Let's meet here or somewhere else warm and beautiful and interesting and affordable for the NPC retreat 2011. We can inspire each other, play together, and just be. You in?

surfing mama

...life in Sayulita, Mexico.

My sister and her hubby have some friends down here. They are surfers. And parents. They take turns caring for their two and something year old and five month old, while the other hits the water. Pretty hard core outdoorsy folks, for sure.

It is interesting to watch. They make different choices in how they interact with their kids because their priorities and interests are different. You can't do attachment parenting and be a surfing mama. So they use a bottle, have specific nap times, clear rules and consequences, don't allow nursing to sleep, and they make space for lots of personal adult play time.

They seem very happy and so do their kids. You couldn't say that our kids are thriving and theirs aren't. In fact, one might even look at their kids and say they are "happier" because, at least so far, I haven't seen many meltdowns or outbursts. 

It has me thinking a few things.

1. Is attachment parenting an all or nothing gig? If we mamas are going to set ourselves up as the primary go-to, then we need to be there to go-to. All the time.

2. It may not be wise to choose attachment parenting for any reason other than that is what feels good to you. The "results" will not always be apparent.

3. Choose attachment parenting for the chance to be close to your kids. Period. Be unattached to any outcome.

5. Society encourages that way of parenting over this one, so be prepared for your ego to take a bit of a beating. To me, that's actually quite helpful.

5. There is no right or wrong. When I meet people like this I question my choice. Surfing looks fun and personal time is great. Why am I doing this? Oh right...because I want to. Over and over again, because I want to.

It's just that simple.