m is for.....

M is for Me. I've been trying to find a rhythm to my blogging, and I find on Wednesday I get a bit introspective anyway, so I figured I would continue to try sharing my thoughts on Wednesdays. But while I do that, I'll entertain you with some photos of the kids, like this one of them painting this past week.

M is for March. A traditionally Miserable Month for Me, Mostly because of all the Mud (and I hate hate hate Mud!). It's not really winter, it's not really Spring. For some reason I've been feeling external pressure to embrace the rebirth of Spring this year, but it's just not real for me right now. The fact is, Spring doesn't just HAPPEN. It's a slow re-awakening, not a jumping into life. Recognizing that is My key to surviving the Month and trying to find a way to bridge effectively from Winter to Spring. I've been struggling these past two weeks -- the kids are not transitioning well to story after our Adventure Circle -- J is lying there acting exhausted and disconnected, while I lose Zoo Boy altogether (he actually leaves the room). I don't think it's the stories I'm choosing, I honestly just think it's this Month.

M is for Morning Manure Meditation. I know that MOST people who Meditate do so in a quiet room without distraction so that they can focus on their breath and allow revelations to come to them, or focus on a problem, opening their Minds to allow it resolution. When I Meditate in that way, My Mind does not open, at least not in a way that is obvious to Me. I do think it helps to plant some seeds in My Mind, but those seeds don't seem to sprout until I'm out scooping horse poop. Something about the repetitive Motion allows My Mind to open, and I have the Most aMazing revelations. Like this morning, despite the 30 degrees and drizzle, I realized why I've been having such difficulties the past two weeks with trying to get our Spring Semester off the ground.

I've been simply doing too Much. With March being such a Miserable Month for Me, it was silly for Me to think that I could actually treat it like any other Month and just chug along with our rhythms. Since March is about transition, I need for our rhythms to reflect that. Since our Raven and River circle (details coming, I promise!) is so sensory intensive, and the kids are physically exhausted afterwards, I think I need to drop the additional curriculum story this Month, and just let the Adventure Circle BE our story. It's certainly story enough, and honors the process of the slow awakening and change of the seasons, the rebirth of the earth. And I don't want to lessen the intensity of the activities in the story, because we can't do a lot of outdoor exercising due to the Mud.

In April, when the Mud dries and we can get a lot of good, breath-awakening outdoor activity, I can switch to a less intense adventure circle, and bring the Enki stories back into our rhythms. But for now, we'll transition with what will nourish us Most -- lots of activity, held together by a grounding, natural-rhythm honoring story imbedded within.

M is for Marvelous!