Well Good Morning & Happy New Year!
I am writing to you at 5 am Central Time (some days I still can’t believe we’ve moved to Minnesota!).
Yesterday I wrote and re-wrote this email/blog post to you over and over again trying to find that perfect blend New Year inspiration and the usual Miss Nina stuff. For some reason, though I was having trouble and after many attempts I thought “Just go to bed. Get a good night sleep. Wake up early and just see what comes when you’re fresh.”
What’s that saying? Something like “Wanna make God laugh? Tell him your plans.” 🙂
Well, at 3:45 am Piper woke up from a nightmare. I snuggled in bed with her, calmed her down and by 4 am she was back asleep and I was back in my bed. And then 4:01 – it happened again. The second time it took about an hour for her to recover and get back to sleep and just as she did, my alarm went off in my bedroom. (Fortunately it did not wake her!)
This has been my little parental conundrum for many months. I find myself in my attempt to be a “good parent” – get her to bed on time, to school on time, get her to eat, to clean up – I’m rushing through every moment to get to the next thing. And often I find that we may have cleaned up and gotten to school on time – bur not without some stress and maybe even some tears. It’s the same even with middle of the night wake-ups…
Well, I just don’t want to be that way anymore.
Time goes by so quickly and although some – okay, A LOT – of the behavior of a 5 3/4 year old is challenging – I really am so grateful to be a Mom and to be THIS GIRL’s mom. And I want to be sure I’m really present with her in all the of these moments and not just rushing to the next thing.
I’ve got a lot of 2019 plans and goals – but this might be my only true resolution: BE PRESENT.
Especially as a Parent.
Well – with all that – for you today I have a couple of songs/videos about Snowman.
(Lol! I know that seems like a total non-sequitur. But it’s actually connected. Using movement when singing is a way of getting children present and in the moment. And dance and music is always the best way for me to get myself out of my head and into the present, too.)
Here is I’m A Little Snowman and Chubby Little Snowman:
Singing and moving with kids (or anyone for that matter) is a way of getting US ALL present, together.
So take a moment to either watch these with them now, or learn them when you have a moment , and then sing them with your kiddos in the car or at bedtime tonight and enjoy being present and connected with your loved ones.
And now…..I”m going to crawl back into bed for just 5 more minutes….. LOL!
Happy New Year!
XOXO
Miss Nina
