Holistic Mommy

I think I'm supposed to move over to WordPress. What do you think? In the meantime, I have this to share: I went for a hike today. My friend took a couple of pictures of me because it was my first time up there. Both pictures have something going on around my head... Do you also notice the monkey in front of me in the second picture? Here are zoomed in shots:  

 So I have this really cool kid. Creative, smart, social. She's 12 going on 13. Of course, she wants to fit in to what everyone else is doing. Fitting in at 12 years old in 2020 in an urban setting includes but is not limited to... Well, a whole bunch of crap. Parents can no longer think in the longterm (ie: when my kid graduates from highschool unscathed, at their wedding, when they emerge from a healthy childhood to have healthy kids of their own.) As a parent in 2020, I'm focused on the now and getting through the last few weeks of summer. Then, it will be the first month of school and managing her emotions and intensity as tech companies buy their way into her education. From there, it will be getting through the fall, emotionally and spiritually intact.  Completing this school year? That is ten months away. And then there are friends... Listen, if you have "given in" to technology you may have noticed we aren't hanging out with you as much. We are happy to me...

In my car right now are three floaties, one set of golf clubs, a skateboard, Fox helmet, sand -- and a mountain bike attached to a bike rack. Going into this summer (just one month ago), I made a vow: We will spend everyday at the rivers, lakes, oceans and mountain bike trails. We've been doing pretty alright with this. This week alone we have been to the river on Sunday, ocean on Monday, river on Tuesday and ocean on Wednesday. Being outdoors makes me feel normal; parenting outdoors let's me know that my child is experiencing normal. This is also for us to stay grounded, healthy -- and to not be affected by the chaos. It's nuts out there. Getting her outdoors and, more specifically, ready and in the car is a different story. This hasn't always been an easy task. Sometimes preteens don't want to do what you need them to do. Often times there are influences that affect the flow and peace of the family unit. However, through my "just-get-her-into-the-car...

I've never had a doubt in my mind that I'd be a stay-at-home mom with lots and lots of kids (four to be exact). However, at some point on my journey through life, I became a single mamma -- and it's been really, really crappy. But, with a little creativity, a lot of stress, and a few doses of extreme poverty, I have still managed to balance work, school and being a stay-at-home mom to my now two year old. Where I originally thought providing childcare from home was the obvious solution, I was wrong. It was isolating, my house was always messy, and let's face it -- childcare pays pennies. Not only was I too educated to be sleeping on an air mattress, but I had also turned into Angry Mamma and my days had become so stressful that I was going to soon end up as a headline in the news... The moment I realized this, I had decided on a new career, met with a top notch school, and gave my family notice -- all within a 48 hour period. I am happy to say that I am now in my second...