Since I was on the phone for hours yesterday making arrangements for the Torah homeschooling conference I’m organizing, I especially wanted to be present for my kids today and NOT be on the phone or computer.  So lest any of you think that a day without me posting means that I had a baby, I wanted to quickly pop in and let you know that I didn’t. 🙂

But now that I’m here, I’ll share some of what I was thinking about this morning.  Have you ever stopped to think about what a beautiful world we live in?  Not because anything is extra special about today, but just because every day is so beautiful?  That’s what I was thinking about.  We are so lucky to have all that we have.  It’s so easy to be so busy that we are more focused on what we need to accomplish than on being present in the moment and enjoying living life. 

I feel like this week past my due date has been a wonderful gift, since I’ve used the opportunity to become more mentally relaxed and emotionally present for myself and my family.  I’ve still gotten a lot done, but I haven’t had the sense of pressure that something needs to be done that I sometimes feel.  If I’ve wanted to do it, I’ve done it, without any unnecessary emotion about it.  There are some things that I haven’t felt were important enough to do that I usually do, but that’s been fine, too.  It’s a good headspace to be in – and it’s not because I don’t have anything to do, because I have as much to do as always, and not because my life is stress free, because it’s not (spent yesterday afternoon at the dentist with ds10, seeing about getting his newly chipped tooth repaired – it was broken when a friend accidentally smashed him in the mouth with a water gun and now he’s snaggle toothed :)).  It’s easy to forget how we’re the ones who choose our mood and how our day goes, but the reality is, we’re the only ones who can control our daily experience. 

Today I picked up some relaxation music cds from the library for using in labor.  I wish I could listen to them and decide which is most appropriate labor music, but I’m thinking that any of them will be enjoyable.  Maybe on Lag B’omer I’ll have the chance depending what does or doesn’t develop between then. 🙂  I really enjoy peaceful and relaxing new age type music, though I don’t listen to it often, since my kids have their preferences, too, and while they like this, they wouldn’t choose it.  I’ve enjoyed listening to Yanni since high school, but his music isn’t good for labor – some of the pieces too much tempo and you don’t want music building up when contractions are building up.  I don’t know anything about any of the cds I got today – if it said something about relaxation, serenity, or peacefulness on it, I took it. 🙂

Then I got to spend some time in the kosher supermarket, a fun place to be on Friday afternoon. 🙂  Seriously, even shopping on erev Shabbos can be enjoyable if you’re not feeling rushed.  And if you’re lucky enough to too run into a friend while shopping like I did, it’s even nicer!  Then someone else I hardly knew came up to me and told me she had been trying to call me about something, so I was able to have a nice chat with her and have one less call to return to boot! 

While I spent that time out, my kids were countersinking the nail holes in our new door frame (this time it was dd8 and ds10 who were helping out), and then filling the holes with putty so that they can be painted over.  I love how my husband gets the kids involved in working with him; it’s enjoyable for all of them to be working together on something.  My husband did some more finishing touches, so it’s really almost done – maybe he’ll even paint the frame today.  I know he’d like to be finished with it. 

Right now the house is filled with the yummy smell of cinnamon – we’re trying an experiment for a Shabbos snack.  We sliced up peeled summer squash thinly, sprinkled the slices with cinnamon and sucanat, and put it into the dehydrator.  They aren’t yet finished, but they should be done in time for Shabbos.  I think they’ll be really tasty.

Anyway, those are some of my thoughts and some of what’s happening around here today.  I hope you all have a wonderful Shabbos!

Avivah