Where Blog Drafts Go to Die

Oh my gosh I have been terrible about writing so far this year. I have a partial draft on resolutions (luckily/unluckily one of them is not blogging more, though it should be). I have a partial draft on Cora (OMG CORA. She is a joy and a half times 2.2 and I simply can't describe her properly with something as limiting as words). I have another few on random things like photobooking (someone asked how I organize mine and I think guilt over not finishing Landon and Claire's books has prevented me from even finishing the blog post on the books), career goals, and why daycare is awesome. I will get to them! I'll even add it to my resolutions post, because I'm sure that'll totally do the trick.

But in the meantime, here are some random thoughts and happenings:

~ Cora picked out her outfit this morning and then posed with a big "CHEEEEESE!".

Earlier, right after she woke up, she ran into my room where I was trying unsuccessfully to convince myself to get out of bed, yelling Mama! Mama! MA!MA! and then climbed up and onto me, stretched out over my body, tucked her head right between my chin and my chest and sighed "mama." and stayed there for a solid 2 minutes. Then she popped up, screamed "I WUV you" in my face, climbed down, and ran off joyfully yelling "DADDY DADDY DADDDDEEEEEEE!!". There are just no words.

~ I went to hot yoga on Sunday for the first time in a year and holy crap. So humbling. Memory and ability fade at very different rates. And of course I end up next to a super skinny athletic contortionist who could do the splits in every direction and take every pose to a level I didn't even know existed. It was seriously amazing to see/stare at covertly, while also deeply demoralizing.

For example, standing bow is one pose I do well- it's not dependent on flexibility, it's just about balance and core strength and I have those two things. So we get to standing bow after a sweaty shitshow of the first 40 minutes of class I'm like yes! I can do this one! Time to feel good! And then, I can't help but glance over at my cirque-du-soleil-trained neighbor and NO. Apparently you can take standing bow to a standing split where you're holding your ankle and your knee is next to your ear and your two legs are directly stacked on top of each other in a full freaking split while you're upper half is bent over perpendicular to the floor and holy shit. I immediately fell out of my pose, nearly face planting on the floor, and stopped even pretending I wasn't looking. She was amazing. I'm recommitted to yoga.

not related, but there are not and will never be pictures of me in hot yoga

~ I'm teaching a beginner barre workshop in February and I am SO. EXCITED. Beginners, come unto me! I have so many ideas and I keep dreaming about it. Also, my studio asked if we wanted business cards and told everyone to reply with their teachings. I absolutely adore that along with the SEC seal, gold-embossed, Enforcement Attorney business cards of my legal colleagues, I have Urban Yoga colleagues with "tarot readings," "meditation," and "gong-supported chanting" on their cards. How lovely to have a foot firmly planted in two different worlds.

~ I just signed Landon up for the "Nature Club" at the zoo. It's a Saturday class once a month that talks about local animals and ecology, with craft projects, and lots of learning and he's SO excited. One of the best things about living where we do is having the zoo and a surprising number of other cultural resources 5 minutes from our house. As we come up on 4 years living here- our longest anywhere- I'm feeling very warm about Fort Worth these days. Also I've only driven 3500 miles in the new car I got in May. I hate driving, so I do love that.

~ I made our homeaway condo reservations for our Spring Break trip! Colorado and Utah road trip here we come! 7 days, 3 national parks, a million miles in the car- it's going to be awesome. I also maybe booked our Thanksgiving trip. I can't help myself once these things get in my head.

~ Landon and Claire tried a gymnastics class last Friday and they are OBSESSED. We had them signed up only 10 minutes into the trial, because their beaming faces were blinding from all the way over in the parents' section. Our living room is now a tumbling floor and we've had a lot of discussions about not doing anything at home that you couldn't do without a spotter at the gym. Landon keeps saying he can do a flip. Landon cannot do a flip.

~ The kids got Twister and this new Dance Hip Hop Moves Twister for Christmas from their great-grandparents and they LOVE it. They worked up a sweat with the dance one and I can't recommend it more.

~ James and I are old and boring so we play monopoly, but now we play with the kids in teams (girls v. boys, obvi) and it's awesome because they really enjoy it AND James and I can't get mad at each other while we're playing because the children are watching! Bonding and good sportsmanship for everyone!

Cora insists on having her giant PBK chair at the coffee table, so at some point she always wanders off and then we hear her crying because she's stuck in the door frame again. Landon always jumps up to rescue her, because she is his baby, and then they set up the chair and she says "blanket" and he coos over her and wraps her in a blanket and she's like yes, this is how I do monopoly, and James and I roll our eyes and fear a little bit for our future with this monster Landon and Claire are creating.

~ And it's 11- off to bed, with SOMETHING published, and hopes of finishing a few of those other drafts one day soon. I miss this space when I'm away from it and hope you all have had wonderful starts to your years, hopefully with some version of a toddler screaming their love in your face after a long, sweet hug. It will be fun to see what she gives me tomorrow.