Recovering Daybook

Outside my window...

sunny, breezy, gorgeous stunning leaves, crisp 52 degrees - I LOVE fall.

I'm thankful for...
Family.  

Sweet Pea and Auntie Sawah

It blows me away that my sisters (Sar & Rach) pulled out all the stops - freezing their life mid-motion to fly 3,000 miles in order to 'nurse' me post-op... do our laundry, take care of Ainsley, clean our house, cheer us all up, heat up food, run errands, and keep me still.  Because of them, I am recovering well and will be ready to hop back into the rat-race soon without too much trauma to the fam.

I am thinking about...
Religion. 

I am working on...
being nice.

learning all the time...
It's amazing how much learning can happen when your daily grind comes to a screeching halt.

• Learning to be a good patient (okay, so an average C- patient)  
• Small group work in the classroom, Buddhism, Hinduism, Yoga, DC gossip, bad TV
• Mostly I'm learning that our culture doesn't make it natural/normal to talk about health issues - they are seen as so private.  However, taking the risk to push that societal boundary and telling our friends & family what has been going on has been the best thing for us.  The support we've felt, the love we've been shrouded in, and the feeling of not being alone.  So many people have been through similar situations - and I had no idea. 

from the kitchen...
Incredible meals from the teachers at NPS and my dear friend and neighbor Mariah.  Delicious food from my sisters. Thank you all, so very very much!

I am creating...
choreography - in my dreams.  Apparently, since my body can't move - my mind has taken over.  Nearly every single night I find myself dancing in my sleep - and waking to recall some of the choreography.  Boy, will I be happy to dance again or what? 

I am going...
to stop shopping online from my perch on the couch.  Sorry, honey. :) 

I am reading (or just finished)...like I said, a LOT of time to read!
* Why I Am a Buddhist: No-Nonsense Buddhism with Red Meat and Whiskey - Stephen Asma, PhD
      not my favorite author, but fascinating just the same
* Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet - Jamie Ford
      Japanese/Chinese/Seattle/Internment Camps/romance - it's perfect
* The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society - Mary Ann Shaffer, Annie Barrows
      one of those books that's so good, everything else becomes mediocre
* Water for Elephants - Sara Gruen
      great adventure, slick writing! sex, drugs, prohibition, depression, circus...
* Teaching Reading in Small Groups - Jennifer Serravallo
      for a book club at school -  so far, fodder for much deep thinking!
* The Cafe Book - The 2 Sisters
      a must read if you teach in a classroom
* countless magazines (oy vey!)
      why can't i put them down even though they drive me crazy?

I am hoping...
To find a great school for Ainsley to get into next year - still. 
Also hoping to transition easily from 'recovery' to real life

I am praying...
for my grandpa 

I am hearing...
"That's not the Washington Monument!" from the backseat every time we drive past a large or tallish building (so... every 4 seconds) as I drive Ains to daycare (hooray! I'm driving again!) -- I guess you know you're in DC when your toddler is articulating "washington monument" and looking out her window to find it. :)
 
around the house...
Momma's piles of books, magazines, tea cups (Thanks for the Vata, Jo!), lists, notebooks, etc. growing around every corner.  Oh! And Jake has a new bed! (gotta love amazon.com)

heard this week...

Auntie Rachel: Is your doll really in time out for 40 minutes?

Ainsley:  Yeah

Auntie Rachel: You're a tough cookie.

Ainsley: (deadpan) I am.

one of my favorite things..

warm, delicious, peregrine coffee 

a few plans for next week...

Attend The Daily 5 conference with the 2 Sisters in Florida

Get back on my feet, participating in daily life

Back in the classroom next Thursday

Picture thoughts I'm sharing with you...

 ~Auntie teaching Pea how to sneak treats when she's feeling sad... :) ~