Reflecting on March
Thoughts about birthdays, reads, yoga, and podcasting
Creating Connection: Birthdays
I recently had a friend ask me how I celebrate my kids’ birthdays. That’s a question with an answer that has changed so dramatically through my motherhood. I (mostly shamelessly) used to have Pinterest style parties with themed snacks and decorations. We went from doggies to monsters to llama llama. Carefully selected color schemes, hand-crafted decor, homemade cakes and food, themed invitations delivered to all our family and closest friends. After a couple of those parties, pandemic lockdown happened, which then allowed for an analysis and hard reset of everything. I most remember my own birthday, celebrated within my own home with my kiddos and hubby- balloon wars, DIY birthday hats, and temporary tattoos allowed for a more special and simple kind of fun. I realized what was important to prioritize versus what was actually happening with those bigger parties: a lot of stress, forced conversation amongst family who don’t get along, and sky-high anxiety for myself as I set out to achieve the unachievable. At the end of this day, my kids were over-tired, everyone was disconnected, and the floor was littered with an overabundance of discarded wrappings and too much plastic.
This month, my middle boy turned 6. Class parties are THE thing to do. While I love celebrating my kids, I really struggle with giant groups of people, chaos lacking organization, limited quality time, and an over-abundance of gifts. If class parties and big gatherings are your thing, please, host away. My HSP,1 introvert self simply doesn’t want to handle it. I learned from those early days what feels most valuable for our family. Now our birthdays center our favorite things. One year that was the local dinosaur museum, playground time, and kid-chosen dinner. Another year we did a small trip to Chattanooga complete with a hotel with a pool, time at the aquarium, and enjoying scooters at the riverwalk. Now that my boys are in elementary school, and they beg for parties, I’ve created a new (old) rhythm of afternoons where my kiddos invite 3 friends for an activity and then everyone is invited back to our house for playing, ice cream & cake, present opening, and crafts. We invite the neighborhood friends and open up the house for the 2nd part, and it’s all just the sweetest. For this month’s party, we went bowling with 3 friends for the chosen activity. Then my blossoming girl mom self helped make Taylor Swift bracelets with the neighborhood girls, and I got to gather with and get to know some other moms. The kids rotated through crafts, trampoline jumping, soccer games, and racing on the outdoor obstacle course. At the end of the day, we were exhausted still, but we got to connect with new and old friends.
Life-Giving Moments
Reflecting on the month’s best moments magnifies enjoyment from moments already experienced. See this month’s life-giving moments over on instagram. It was a month of enjoying the beginning of spring, reading (of course,) learning, and savoring.
A Little Something Hard
because story and authenticity heals us all
In February, I was inspired by the Exhale Blog hop theme, and I wrote a post exploring some of the strengths and experiences in my marriage. Not surprisingly, karma/the universe/Satan/however you want to conceptualize pride coming before the fall, March was a month of challenge, outdated defenses reigning, and resentment bubbling. What got me through: having the conflict- talking it out with my husband, confession within a sacred and trusted friendship, so much conversation with God, naming the feelings and journaling through them, and lacing up my tennis shoes and taking walks- a tangible reminder for my fragile nervous system always working through attachment wounds that there is always more than the conflict.
Reads
Memorable memoir: House Lessons by Erica Bauermeister
Favorite fiction:The Women by Kristen Hannah
Want to learn a little bit: The Path Between Us: An Enneagram Journey to Healthy Relationships
Middle Grades Fiction: Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret by Judy Blume and Goodbye Stranger by Rebecca Stead
Fiction Reads that were fine: Pineapple Street by Jenny Jackson and Meet Me At The Lake by Carley Fortune
Something I Loved
Being interviewed by my amazing friend Dr. Shannon for the Aligned Birth podcast. Dr. Shannon owns a Sunrise Chiropractic and Wellness in Kennesaw, GA, and she co-hosts a podcast with Doula Rachael. These ladies were kind enough to share their time and airwaves with me, and we explored the topic of matrescence2. This conversation was one of my favorites to date. If you’re pregnant, recently given birth, and/or wading through shifts of identity in motherhood, this podcast might be a good listen. Check it out here.
What I’m Looking Forward To
I’m partnering with an amazing local wellness center, Work It Out Wellness for 2 new offerings. I am SO excited about these and to be teaching in person a bit again. Both of these classes will be a blend of yoga and therapy skills and unique in their own way. The first: Yoga For Embodiment will a slow-flow trauma-informed class. We will focus on how the postures feel versus look, lots of invitational cues, exploration not perfection, choice, and noticing. The other: Motherhood Sessions will be a blend of therapy group and yoga class. I’ve created this series of classes based on the struggles I hear from my mama clients and information in the learning I’ve done around Matrescence. I am considering creating a recorded version of these classes for my not-local friends. Pop me a message, comment here, or sent me an e-mail if this is something you’d enjoy.. in other words, help me get motivated to face and embrace technology.
Thanks for reading along and recapping the month with me! As always, please consider sharing/forwarding this to a friend who might enjoy.
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May we all have a lovely and fun April!
Matrescence is the developmental stage/process of becoming a mom. It encompasses the biological, physiological, psychological, spiritual, and social transition mothers move through in pregnancy, birth, and postpartum.